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

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 147250

> Jen: The original comparison was made between Voldemort &
> Dumbledore: If Snape overheard a similar prophecy regarding
> Dumbledore and worked for him instead, he would hasten to tell him
> the information. My argument was it's not the giving of the
> information that makes Snape culpable, it's the choice of who to
> give it to.

Magpie:
I agree (as the person making the original comparison).  Giving Dumbledore 
the prophecy would lead, logically, to Dumbledore's protecting himself by 
the kinds of methods he used.  Telling Voldemort would obviously mean more 
of the same sort of thing he does.  Snape knew the goal he was working 
towards with Voldemort--the goal was murdering people so that others could 
be in power.  Perhaps on some level he was convinced this was "right" in the 
long run, we can't be sure (I've seen little evidence of this so far).  But 
I'm sure just as he knows that giving Dumbledore inforamation means that 
Dumbledore will act on that information while still staying within certain 
guidelines of moral behavior, he knew giving information to Voldemort 
probably meant more destruction of somebody.

> Magpie:
>> This has nothing to do with Snape being less culpable--the
>> consequence of Voldemort targetting Harry is obviously a
>> forseeable consequence of what he Snape did. I don't think Snape
>> was *confused* by finding out how Voldemort interpreted it.
>> Dismayed, but he surely realized that this was a logical
>> interpretation of the prophecy Snape gave him--that's why he took
>> steps to undo it. What makes Snape less culpable is the fact that
>> he took action to fix what he had done before. If that means
>> nothing, what would be the point in people doing the right thing?
>
> Jen: YES. We've discussed everyday evil on the list but I truly
> believe small steps in the right direction are worth something in
> JKR's world. That's why I can't view ambiguous characters like
> Draco, Slughorn, & hopefully Snape as being evil. I just keep
> thinking of her comment that James was brave the night Voldemort
> attacked, but the caliber of Lily's bravery was slightly higher
> because she had a true choice to make in that situation. Not
> everyone can be like Harry or Lily, good from the beginning and
> never being tempted from that path. Some of the characters get the
> even more difficult task of being tempted down the dark path,
> *questioning* the path they're on (crucial), and trying to climb the
> rocky mountain to redemption and forgiveness.


Magpie:
Yup, that's what I think is important.  I don't see any hints that we're 
supposed to think Snape was doing something noble by passing on the prophecy 
by any other definition than "it will please the Dark Lord and thus bring me 
glory."  Regulus, perhaps, may have been more naive--we don't know that yet. 
But with Snape I think we should assume that he was malicious and was even 
fairly aware of that. I mean, given what we've seen of young!Snape it seems 
like he was always fairly bitter and wanted revenge against his enemies.  To 
me, that's why it makes sense that his actual conversion *could* be linked 
to James being targetted in some way, because James was so important to him.

That's another reason why I appreciate the way JKR makes quasi-parallels 
between the generations without totally making them the same.  In the first 
book Harry/Draco is compared to Snape/James (they hated each other, Snape 
was a nasty Dark Wizard etc.) in a way that might make you think history is 
repeating itself, but their dynamic is not the same now--partially, perhaps, 
due to Snape himself and his own dealings with them.  Anyway, I just mean 
that I think Draco's, Regulus' and Snape's crises of DE faith are all about 
different things that suit their own characters.

-m