Snape, Apologies, and Redemption--Lupin vs. DD

[leslie41]

No: HPFGUIDX 152337

Lupinlore:  

> And yes, if these issues are not directly dealt with, I will hold 
> that JKR HAS failed reprehensibly, in portraying the abuse of 
> children as a good and noble thing -- after all, the very wise 
> epitome of goodness finds it worthwhile, doesn't he?

Leslie41:

That's fallacious reasoning.  It's a non-sequitur.  It doesn't 
necessarily follow that if these issues aren't dealt with that DD 
finds the abuse of children "good and noble" and "worthwhile."

For example:  Remus witnessed James and Sirius tormenting Severus, 
and stayed friends with them.  Does that mean that he thought the 
obvious abuse of Snape was "good and noble" and "worthwhile"?    

No.  It bothered him.  Probably quite a lot.  But though he did not 
participate in the abuse (at least from what we know from Snape's 
worst memory), neither did he try to put a stop to it.  Lily did 
that.   

Shall we now demand that Lupin be "punished" for not calling his 
friends to task for their previous torment of Snape?  You can argue 
that DD is in a position of authority, yadda yadda yadda, and that 
it's not Lupin's job to make his friends accountable.

But of course it is.  Especially since what the Marauders do to 
Snape, or attempt to do, is far, far, worse than ANYTHING that Snape 
has ever done to his students.  Snape has saved Harry's life 
numerous times.  Black attempts to have Snape killed, and even years 
later is not one jot sorry.  He tells Remus that "he deserved it," 
and never once to we see Remus contradict him or confront him on 
that. 

We forgive Lupin because he has his reasons (the extrapolation of 
which would take a long time here, but I think we all know what they 
are).  By the same token, DD has his reasons (guilt, guilt, and more 
guilt, as to a teenaged Snape, I think).  Indict DD if you will, but 
then you must indict Lupin as well, who does the same thing.

Snape was 15 once, too.  He was humiliated, and then nearly killed, 
and neither Lupin nor DD held Sirius and James accountable.  
(Certainly Black wasn't expelled, which one might expect when one 
student attempts to murder another.)  Black even became a valued 
member of the Order.  

Or is humiliation and attempted murder okay only when the teenager 
involved is Severus Snape?