What turned Snape (Was: JKR site update SPOILERS)

[Neri]

No: HPFGUIDX 159064

> Pippin:
> Dumbledore warned Sirius that Kreacher was dangerous, even
> though Kreacher was bound to serve his master and Sirius had
> put all sorts of compulsions on him. I don't think he would be
> saying he trusted Snape if he thought Snape was only serving
> him because of a compulsion. He would expect someone
> as clever as Snape to find a way out, no matter how mighty
> the magic that bound him.
> 

Neri:
I think you are mixing concepts here. The house-elves geis and the
life-debt magic are completely different things. There is no
comparison between them at all. The first one is a form of magical
slavery and therefore can be subverted and tricked by the strong
willed. The second one is "magic in its deepest, most impenetrable".
This makes it natural law, part of the basic cosmology of the
Potterverse, like ancient magic (maybe it's an aspect of ancient
magic). There's no subverting it, no matter how clever you are, like
there's no subverting (in this or other literary cosmologies) the
Gods, Fate, Love or Death. He who tries to subvert such things will
pay dearly. 

Dumbledore doesn't want Snape to be compelled, no more than he wants
Harry to be compelled to face Voldemort. Dumbledore didn't put the
compulsion on Snape in the first place, and he would gladly free him
of it if he could, like he'd gladly free Harry. Harry's compulsion is
even worse than Snape's, in the sense that he didn't do anything to
deserve it. It was just forced on him when he was one year old, like
some sort of terminal illness (JKR is no stranger to terminal
illness). Snape's compulsion is at least a result of his own choices.
He chose to be a DE and thought he could pass information to an evil
master without being troubled by the consequences. Of course he got
clobbered by the Author and saddled with a magical compulsion. He can
still free himself of it, the same way that Harry freed himself of his
own compulsion, by recognizing that this is something worth doing
willingly and proudly, but Dumbledore can't free Snape of it. He can
hope that Snape will free himself. He can even trust Snape with his
own life to do it, but he can't free Snape. Only Snape can free Snape. 

> Pippin:
>  Nor do I think that Dumbledore would say that Harry had no 
> idea of Snape's remorse and that he believed it was the greatest 
> regret of Snape's life and the reason he returned, if  Dumbledore  
> didn't think it was genuine. 
> 

Neri:
It may be true. I'm sure it *is* the greatest regret of Snape's life.
He could have easily avoided all of this if only he didn't run to tell
"his master" about the prophecy. As for the remorse, I won't be
surprised if the life-debt is so terrible because it compels you to
fill your own remorse even when you insist on denying it. See JKR's
explanation on why people who deny and shut their own feelings are
naturals at Occlumency. See also Carol's post about remorse that
haven't reached the stage of penitence.   

Neri