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

[quick_silver71]

No: HPFGUIDX 149874

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sistermagpie" <belviso at ...> 
wrote:
>
> > 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.

Quick_Silver: I basically agree with that.

> 
> 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
>

I'm going to disagree with that (sorry). To me the concept of the 
life debt is tied to the fact that both parties know what's going 
on. Peter knows the Harry is saving his life and Snape, apparently, 
knew that James was saving his life (or getting cold feet). So I 
kind of think that it works the same way for repayment too. That's 
why the example of Snape saving Harry during the Quidditch match has 
never worked for me...it's repayment by stealth. Harry learns of it 
from Quirrell and not Snape...indeed I don't think that Snape has 
ever mentioned it. So IMO the life debt is partly about taking a 
stand, just like James took a stand against Sirius and like Harry 
took a stand against Lupin and Sirius, and the person being saved 
has to know that that stand is being taken. I don't think the time 
has yet come for Peter or Snape to take a stand but I believe it is 
fast approaching.

On a side note I think that there's still hope for Peter...the 
actions in the graveyard were committed less then a year after 
receiving his life debt. Snape apparently didn't begin 
his "redemption" until at least a year into his (or is it 3 
years...something like that). There's still time in my opinion for 
Peter to do something. 

Quick_Silver