What turned Snape (Was: JKR site update SPOILERS)

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 158967



> 
> Neri:
> I'll have to disagree. Unless the life-debt issue is clarified, and
> clarified also in regard Snape and James specifically, the readers
> will continue to wonder about it. JKR has to be consistent. If
> Dumbledore says in SS/PS that Snape tried to save Harry because of 
his
> "debt" to James, and in PoA he says that the life-debt is the 
deepest
> magic, then the obvious implication is that his life-debt to James
> must have played a part in Snape's motivation to "turn". Especially
> since both the event of James saving Snape's life and Snape's hate 
for
> James are brought up throughout the series in such dramatic ways.
> 
> Readers continued to wonder, years after CoS, even about Ginny 
owing a
> life-debt to Harry:
> 
> ****************************************************************
> http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2005/0705-tlc_mugglenet-
anelli-3.htm
> 
> MA: Does she have a life debt to Harry from book two?
> 
> JKR: No, not really. Wormtail is different. You know, part of me 
would
> just love to explain the whole thing to you, plot of book seven, you
> know, I honestly would.
> ****************************************************************
> 
> Readers rightly wonder about it, and JKR seems to acknowledge in her
> answer that the issue of the life-debt has to be explained in Book 
7.
> If for some reason Snape *didn't* have a life-debt to James then JKR
> has to be clarify it, preferably in a way that doesn't contradict
> Dumbledore's words in SS/PS. But simply not mentioning the life-debt
> at all would leave a big hole in the plot and a big hole in our
> understanding of Snape's motivations. 
> 
> Neri
>

Julie:
It's more a matter that for some readers Snape's life-debt to
James was basically *resolved* in PS/SS when Dumbledore said
Snape's attempt to save Harry was because of that owed debt.
For me that is true partly because this particular life-debt
isn't brought up again as a reason why Snape continues to 
protect Harry ("Professor Snape is still trying to pay off
that pesky life-debt to James!"). So there's no indication
that this life-debt is still owed, or in any way playing a
role in Snape's later actions. I do agree there is interest
in whether Ginny might also have a life-debt to Harry, and  
in how Peter's life-debt to Harry may affect the outcome of 
Book 7 (and JKR seems to confirm above that it will have some
effect). But those are two different life-debts.

It's canon that Snape *did* have a life-debt to James, as we
were told in both PS/SS and POA, and it probably did play some 
role in Snape informing Dumbledore about Voldemort's plans. 
But if we get another deeper reason for Snape turning (he loved
Lily, he couldn't stomach the killing of innocents, he wanted
revenge on Voldemort for the death of his parents, etc, etc),
I won't be bothered if this particular life-debt is never
brought up again, and plays no role beyond what it has already
played. After all, an emotionally-charged reason for a life-
altering switch in loyalties is far more interesting and
character-defining than a forced switch in loyalties due to
the compulsion of magic!  

Julie, who will be disappointed if the life-debt plays any
larger role in Snape's change of loyalties than we have
already learned.