[HPforGrownups] Re: But DID James listen? (was LID!Snape rides again )

[P J]

No: HPFGUIDX 149971

  Sydney:
 > Sirius being innocent is unthinkable for Snape because he's been here
 > before-- he's been trying to convince people not to trust Sirius, and
 > people didn't listen to him, and people died.  That's why he says,
 > "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND", and why he screams at
 > Harry for suggesting that Snape is prejudiced against Sirius "just
 > because he made a fool of you at school", which is probably JUST what
 > James said 14 years before, when Snape was trying to convince him not
 > to make Sirius secret-keeper.  I think he just can't BELIEVE he's
 > still having this conversation.  I mean, picture Harry at some point
 > in Book VII if someone was trying to convince him that he was wrong
 > about Snape!
 >

PJ:

I've snipped 99% of an interesting exchange just to zero in on this one 
paragraph.  Forgive me, both of you (Neri, Sydney) but here is where my 
question is.  :-)

Each time this SK thing is brought up I hear people say "and Snape is upset 
and frustrated because James wouldn't listen" BUT, this doesn't ring true 
for the simple reason that the secret keeper *was* changed from Sirius to 
Peter!

What if James didn't ignore Snape's warning at all?  What if the *real* 
reason behind the SK change was Snape?  After all, Snape had inside info 
from Voldemort's side and Dumbledore "trusted Snape completely"...  It would 
only make sense to listen, wouldn't it?

I keep reading that Sirius was all set to become the secret keeper.  
Everyone is told this so it seems pretty certain to happen.  So, why 
suddenly was Peter chosen instead?  I mean, if James had truly ignored 
Snape's warning then then he'd have *insisted* Sirius remain the SK, right?  
  But in fact, James *did* change the SK to Peter which is what ultimately 
got him and Lily killed!

I know... We're also told by Sirius that the reason behind the change was to 
throw Voldemort off the scent but perhaps that's the story given to him by 
James in order not to hurt his feelings in case Snape was wrong?  He was 
James' best friend so there would be no way James would ever turn around and 
say "You know Sirius, I've decided on Snape's say so that you aren't to be 
trusted with the lives of my wife and child so I'm making Peter secret 
keeper instead".

With James and Sirius both dead we may never know what the true story is, 
but it seems to me that Snape's warning did NOT go unheeded and that his 
warning, rather than saving the Potters, was actually what caused their 
death!

I wonder at what point this starts to dawn on Snape...

PJ