[HPforGrownups] Re: VA/H=Mx13+RP? Snape's Culpability?

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 147223

> Alla:

> The sides in "Potterverse" IMO are drawn very clearly, as I said in
> the past, so if character THINKS that he is right that does not mean
> that author thinks that the character is indeed right. So, in the
> different book, I would see your argument with more clarity, in
> Potterverse, it completely falls for me. Sorry! JKR may allow
> characters to change and realise that they were wrong in the past,
> but there is asolutely no way, IMO of course that she would show
> that Voldemort's SIDE is right, was right all along.

Magpie:
Err...of course not.  I didn't realize I was saying that JKR thought that 
Snape would be right in any objective sense in doing anything to get the 
Potters killed.  I'm saying that as the author she doesn't have to agree 
with both sides, but she has to write the people on the other side as 
honestly agreeing with it, which Snape did at the time.  The point is that 
Snape *did* change (maybe) and stopped doing the wrong thing (in JKR's and, 
I think, most normal people's) view and started doing the right thing 
(warning Dumbledore of what Voldemort was planning so that the Potters could 
protect themselves).

> Alla:
>
> LOL! Agreed, so what did you argue the point above for? Just curious.

Magpie:
I guess I was saying that Snape was always doing what he thought was the 
right thing (or at least the justified thing), but came to see that what he 
once thought was right was, in fact, wrong (if he realized it).  It seemed 
like there was an argument being made that Snape was responsible for the 
Potters' deaths, even more so than Peter, no matter what he did.  That's how 
Harry sees it.  If Snape never really repented and has been working for 
Voldemort this whole time then yeah, I'd guess his telling Dumbledore about 
Voldemort's plans probably didn't help the Potters at all and Snape is still 
very much in on the plot to kill them.  In that case he probably knew that 
Dumbledore's attempts to protect them were useless.  But if he did take 
steps to protect the Potters, I think he made up for what he did and you 
just have to move forward from that.

> Alla:
>
> On that I disagree completely. I did say yesterday that sure Peter
> is  much guiltier in Potters deaths if Snape tried to do the right
> thing, but without Snape's doing his deed, Peter may not have NEEDED
> to do that choice, ever, so in my book it can NEVER be evaluated
> completely separate from what Snape did. IMO they tied together and
> it just cannot be undone.

Magpie:
Imo, since you can't turn back time, it's pointless to hold Snape 
responsible for that.  Practically, you can't talk about the story of how 
the Potters came to be murdered without Snape.  His actions are part of the 
plot.  But I don't think the fact that Peter's own test came later in the 
chain of events ties Snape to that decision.  We're all in an endless chain 
of events.  So in terms of blaming Snape as if he deserves punishment or 
should be held accountable *if* he repented and did the best he could to fix 
what he did no, I don't agree.  I think we just have to let things go and 
forgive people and look to the future.  Going back to what Snape should have 
done seems like the kind of bad cycle of thinking Snape himself is stuck in.

-m