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

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 152617

Lanval:
> > Snape may not have been into murdering and torturing himself and 
he
> > may not even have actually participated in any such acts, but by
> > joining the Death Eaters (as a late adolescent)he became 
> responsible
> > for acts they carried out whether he participated or not. He is
> > responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter because he
> > reported the contents of the prophecy to Voldemort, even though 
he 
> may
> > not have foreseen such a consequence and never wanted them to die.

Alla:
> If you can show me that Snape never killed, tortured , poisoned 
> people while being in Voldemort's employ, I will absolutely say 
that 
> he is not responsible for the acts of other  DE, just for his own, 
> but I think he has plenty of blood on his hands, NOT just by 
> association.

Ceridwen:
I have the iron heating up, right beside the oven door.  This will be 
my fourth post.

We are beginning to have some canon for Snape 'slithering out of 
things' with the DEs.  In 'Spinner's End', Bellatrix says, twice that 
I can find off-hand:

(page 29, US hardcover Scholastic) "But not by you!"  said Bellatrix 
furiously.  "No, you were once again absent while the rest of us ran 
dangers, were you not, Snape?"

(page 35, same) "Aren't you listening, Narcissa?  Oh, he'll *try*, 
I'm sure... The usual empty words, the usual slithering out of 
action... oh, on the Dark Lord's orders, of course!" (emphasis JKR's)

Bellatrix may be indulging in some hyperbole, but she has the idea 
that Snape gets out of things.  How often he really does, how often 
he was absent while the other DEs ran dangers, we don't know.  It 
could just be a matter of degree, or times in the thick of things, 
which Bellatrix's anger converts to 'the usual'.  There must be some 
basis in truth, even if she's going over the top.

But, we just don't know enough to say for sure one way or another.  
If JKR explains even half of what I hope she does in book 7, it will 
be larger than a library edition dictionary!

Ceridwen.