VA/H=Mx13+RP? Snape's Culpability?

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 147130

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "latha279" <brahadambal at i...> wrote:
>
>  Steve:
> 
> >>><HUGE SNIP> So, I see the events surrounding Snape as very
plausable. He couldn't possibly know at the time how the Prophecy 
> information would be interpreted and used, and that makes him very
different from Wormtail.<<<
>  
>  Alla:
>  
> >>> ... HOW else except Voldemort killing Prophecy couple and 
> their baby could have Snape thought that information will 
>  be used. ...<<<
>  
>  
> Claudia:
> 
> >>>...How on earth could an intelligent person with only a 
> little knowledge of the "Dark Lord" think that he would react
> any differently than he did?<<< 
>  
> bboyminn:
> 
> >>><HUGE SNIP>
> Snape bears some responsibility in the Potter's deaths, he is 
> afteral in a /nasty/ business, but I don't think he should be
> held responsible for the choices made by Voldemort. On the other
> hand, Wormtail clearly and unquestionably conspired with Voldemort 
> ...
> 
> Not saying any of this cast of characters is blameless, just trying 
> to keep their degree and nature of blame in prespective.<<<
> 
> 
> 
> brady:
> 
> I agree with Steve here. Snape is less guilty of the Potters murder 
> than Peter. I am not saying he is not guilty at all. He knew that 
> something nasty would happen ...
> 
> However intelligent Snape is (or might have been), ..., there 
> is NO WAY what-so-ever to have known at the time of passing on
> the information to LV, that the Potters' child would definitely
> be born as July fades!! ...edited...
> 

bboyminn:

Excellent post by Brady. He agrees with me, so, of course it's
excellent (humor).

I'm not trying to counter anything that Brady said, I'm just going to
expand on some aspects of the prophecy. The Prophecy is VERY MUCH
subject to interpretation. For example, it refers to 'the Dark Lord',
but it doesn't say which Dark Lord. The people who hear the Prophecy
are just assuming that it is the current darkest of Dark Lords, but
Voldemort is never named, so attributing the Prophecy to him is
nothing but speculations and interpretation; though certainly in
hindsight a correct interpretation.

Second, the Prophecy doesn't say someone /will be/ born at the end of
the up-coming month of July, it simply says as the seventh month dies.
Not 'will be born' as the seventh month dies, just 'born as the
seventh month dies'. If someone had been born 100 years prior at the
end of July (or 5 or 10 years later), then the Prophecy could just as
likely have been about this person. The year is not specific, it is
assumed that the Prophecy means the coming month of July, but that is
never explicitely stated.

Now it does say that 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord
APPROACHES' and we can assume that means 'the One' is about to be
born, but that is clearly just that ...an assumption. It could just as
easily mean that the person born 100 years ago at the end of July is
traveling in this direction.

Voldemort made a long series of assumptions about what the Prophecy
said, assumptions and interpretations that Snape couldn't have
possibly known at the time. AGAIN, that statement still doesn't
absolve Snape. He was a nasty person in a nasty business that clearly
and without question will always lead to nasty consequences, and he
has to face that nastiness and be held accountable. 

But, again, comparing Snape's action specifically to Petigrew's, I
don't see how any can fail to see the difference between them. Snape
was doing his nasty job unaware of the nature of the /specific/
consequences. Wormtail/Petigrew on the other hand betrayed his best
and probably only friends because he was a coward. He sold the Potters
to Voldemort like a sack of cheap potatoes, and has shown no remorse
for his actions. Snape and Dumbledore, on the other hand, claim that
Snape is deeply remorseful of the consequence of his actions.

Big difference as far as I'm concerned.

Steve/bboyminn