The Good, the Not so Good and the Downright Ridiculous Snape

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 167289

> Goddlefrood:
> From this it seems not unreasonable to conclude that someone 
> owing a life debt must have been nearer to death than Ginny was 
> in the Chamber. 

> Goddlefrood, much later in the same post:
> Do feel free to add material in any responses that would shed 
> light on Snape's formative years, and if there are any pertinent 
> matters up to the point where Severus sat his OWLs that I may 
> have missed I would be interested to find out about them.

zgirnius:
This post appears to assume that Severus Snape 
did indeed have a life debt to James Potter. The term 'life debt'
is of course a term originally coined (or adapted, as the concept 
is certainly widely accepted in some form or another in a 
variety of human cultures) by fans, at a time which precedes 
my own entry into fandom. If anyone knows - was the term used 
of Snape's debt prior to the publication of PoA? At any rate, 
the term is not used of either Peter or Severus within the text
of the HP series to date. What we do have, in both cases, are 
statements by Albus Dumbledore, which, in response to your 
request, I supply below.

> Regarding Snape, in PS/SS:
> "Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself 
> and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape 
> could never forgive."
>
> "What?"
>
> "He saved his life."
>
> "What?"
>
> "Yes..." said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's
> minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being 
> in your father's debt.... I do believe he worked so hard 
> to protect you this year because he felt that would make 
> him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating 
> your father's memory in peace...."

> Regarding Pettigrew, in PoA:
> "But -- I stopped Sirius and Professor Lupin from killing 
> Pettigrew! That makes it my fault if Voldemort comes back!"
>
> "It does not," said Dumbledore quietly. "Hasn't your 
> experience with the Time-Turner taught you anything, Harry?
> The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, 
> so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult
> business indeed.... Professor Trelawney, bless her, is 
> living proof of that.... You did a very noble thing, in 
> saving Pettigrew's life."
>
> "But if he helps Voldemort back to power--"
>
> "Pettigrew owes his life to you. You have sent Voldemort 
> a deputy who is in your debt.... When one wizard saves 
> another wizard's life, it creates a certain bond between 
> them... and I'm much mistaken if Voldemort wants his 
> servant in the debt of Harry Potter."
>
> "I don't want a connection with Pettigrew!" said Harry. 
> "He betrayed my parents!"
>
> "This is magic at its deepest, its most impenetrable, 
> Harry. But trust me... the time may come when you will 
> be very glad you saved Pettigrew's life."


zgirnius:
Reading these books as I did, in my own little vacuum, it
never even occured to me that someone might take these two
bits of text and conclude that the relationships between
Snape and James, and Peter and Harry, are the same. I 
still don't see why they would.

The comments about Snape indicate a conscious awareness of
his indebtedness, and a desire born out of Snape's own
psychology to return the favor. Dumbledore attributes 
specific actions by Snape to a conscious motivation to 
discharge this debt. There is no mention of magic playing
any sort of role. 

The comments about Peter, in contrast, mention magic
explicitly. And there is a marked lack of personal agency
on Peter's part in the final remark, "the time may come 
when you will be very glad you saved Pettigrew's life." 

Unless there is an interview in which Rowling states
Snape did owe a debt in exactly the way Peter does,
I would conclude he never did. I am not familiar with 
such an interview, but would appreciate being made 
aware of it if one exists.

> Goddlefrood:
> Upon arrival at Hogwarts Severus was sorted into Slytherin 
> House. He fell in with a group, first with Bella as its leader 
> and then with Lucius, of Slytherins. Snape was impressed with 
> their pure blood status and I see no reason why he would ever 
> have divulged his own half-blood status to them.

zgirnius:
I offer the following lines as possibly indicating
Bella's awareness of Snape's blood status.

> HBP, "Spinner's End":
> "He lives here?" asked Bella in a voice of contempt.
> "*Here?* In this Muggle dunghill? We must be the first
> of our kind ever to set foot -"

zgirnius:
What can Bella mean by 'our kind'? Death Eaters would seem 
wrong, as Snape lives there. So would 'wizards', again 
because Snape lives there. What distinction, then, does Bella
have in mind? Knowing her, and Snape's background, I would
guess she has in mind purebloods.

Of course, Bella could have made this discovery at a later
date than their schooldays. But I am inclined to think she
did not. WHile Bella is a total ideologue, I can see Lucius
taking an unusually talented and properly grateful 
Half-Blood firstie under his wing out of practical
considerations. He has had the example of his own Head of
House to teach him the use of a network of obligation.
AS an adult, he seems to have lots of contacts within the 
Ministry ) I cannot imagine they are all purebloods.

> Goddlefrood:
> Had he done so, 
> and with what we have been shown of Bella and Lucius and indeed 
> others, he would almost certainly have been friendless within 
> his own house as well as throughout the rest of the school 
> during his time at Hogwarts (at least, that is, up to the time 
> of his OWLs). Severus may be many things, but he is certainly 
> no fool :|

zgirnius:
It is not clear to me that he had a choice. As his Muggle parent
is his father, either he has an exclusively Muggle surname, or he 
was the lucky beneficiary of a coincidence that wizarding Snapes
exist, somewhere. We certainly have no indication that they do.
Bella et. al. seem like they would pick up on this.
Further, there is some slight evidence that in later years, 
he may indeed have been friendless in his own House. We might 
have expected some Slytherins to intervene in some way in the 
"Worst Memory" for House pride, if no other reason.