LID!Snape rides again (was: High Noon for OFH!Snape)

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 149870

> Quick_Silver
> Just randomly commenting on life-debts...I kind of got the 
> impression from the books that life-debts only really occurred 
when 
> the people involved (the saver and the saved) were enemies.

Magpie:
Yes.  The "unworthiness" is a big issue.  JKR's statements about 
Ginny are all about that, imo, not an elaborate way of saying that 
yes, Ginny owes Harry a Life Debt (just like Snape owes James) but 
it means nothing because she won't need any prodding to feel 
sympathy for him.  When she said "not really" she meant that yes, 
technically Ginny does owe Harry a life debt in that he saved her 
life so she owes him one.  In the casual, real world sense, she owes 
him.  But she doesn't have this magical debt because that only 
happens when your life is saved by someone who hates you and you've 
wronged.  Harry does not owe Madam Pomfrey a debt for fixing him up 
after Quidditch accidents.  Ron does not owe Harry for giving him 
the bezoar. Arthur is not in Harry's magical debt for reporting his 
vision of the snake.  Katie does not owe Snape for counteracting the 
curse.  Draco does not owe Snape for the UV or the Sectumsempra 
counter spell.  There's no magic at work in those relationships.  
It's pretty in-keeping with Christianity there.  (To reference a 
post above this one, there is nothing out of keeping with a 
Christian theme to have your good characters suffer, especially 
nobly or innocently.)  It's also in keeping with Dumbledore's words 
on the Tower: It is my mercy, not yours, that is important now.  A 
Life Debt situation in general overrides all selfish hateful 
feelings towards the person and makes your main reason for saving 
them that it is right to show mercy.

For this reason, Snape can save Harry's life as many times as he 
wants (and if just physically saving his life will free him from the 
debt he's done it in PS/SS when he counteracted the broom hex) and 
will never be free of the debt because Harry will never be to Snape 
what Snape was to James or Peter was to Harry, period.  There is one 
way that I can see Snape's debt being repaid, but it would require 
Harry to be saved by an enemy, who was close to Snape in the way 
Snape connects his life debt to Harry.  I don't know that that would 
be a way JKR would go, but it seems instinctively to be the only way 
that these things work.  Most importantly, because it takes things 
out of Snape's hands.  Someone else would have to free him, now that 
James is dead.

-m