Who was responsible for Sirius' death? ...

[Dana]

No: HPFGUIDX 167642

Wynnleaf:
< big snip>
> Snape's *feelings* about Sirius dying have nothing whatsoever to do
> with whether or not he's guilty of Sirius' death.  Nothing Snape did
> increased the likelihood that Sirius would die at the MOM.  
> 
> Snape -- as you've nicely shown us -- couldn't have *known* the kids
> went to the forest, so he would have taken some time to figure that
> out, fully explaining why the Order wasn't alerted right away when 
> the kids went to the forest.  Snape didn't ask Sirius to go; he 
> told him to stay.  Sirius did not go to the MOM to prove something 
> to Snape, but to save Harry.  Sirius stood the same risk of injury 
> or death as other Order members.
<snip>

Dana: 

You snipped the first part of my post where I stated that I did not 
hold Snape responsible for Sirius death, in the last part of my post 
I just indicated that it would be possible, because canon does not 
contradict it, that Snape's own claim in being responsible for Sirius 
death could still be true. It are his words, not mine and if he wants 
to feel, be or just claim to be responsible, then I have no problem 
with it what so ever, I wouldn't even be surprised if he indeed did 
something actively to increase the chance of Sirius being caught or 
killed but that was besides the point. 

My point was that Snape allowed Harry to be in Umbridge care, without 
keeping an eye on the situation, someone that already proved several 
times she was out to get him. It was the reason DD was no longer at 
Hogwarts, she asked Snape for veritaserum twice and now held Harry at 
wand point for the second time (the first after she caught him at the 
RoR). DD sacrificed himself to keep Harry within the castle walls but 
it is not enough for Snape to stick around and this while we know he 
is such a good listener at keyholes ;o). He could have gone around 
the corner send his patronus to Sirius without leaving the vicinity 
of Umbridge office but he doesn't. 

You state that Snape couldn't have known Harry had gone into the 
Forest but why then is DD referring to him knowing, more then once? 
Why would he not have said; Snape searched the castle but you were no 
where to be found and no one had seen you or Dolores Umbridge or any 
of your friends and Snape grew worried she might have taken you to 
the forest or that you have gone to the DoM. He says no such thing. 
He says Snape grew worried because Harry did not come *out* of the 
Forest and then claims that Snape intended to search for Harry *IN* 
the Forest. So unless DD is lying then Snape told DD this himself and 
therefore he knew.

Also in previous posts I already mentioned that it might just be a 
result of sloppy writing to just get the plot pushed forward but it 
could very well have been intentional. I am not blaming Snape for 
anything other then doing a bad job of taking care of Harry as an 
Order member and this makes him just as responsible for the disaster 
at the DoM as DD, especially because Snape IS a spy and he SHOULD 
have known what LV was up to and he claims as much in HBP when he 
tells Bella he was ordered to stay behind and if he didn't know then 
he is the most dreadful spy ever. 

Just as he could have found a way to make sure he never lost Harry 
out of his sight after he realized (as DD claims) LV had planted the 
vision to get Harry to the DoM and with Harry's track record he 
should have known better but the guy loses Harry out of his sight for 
several hours enough for Harry to wander the Forest, have an 
encounter with the centaurs and Gwarp, have a chat with his friends 
on what to do next, fly to the DoM and then wander around DoM before 
getting into the fight with the DEs and then when he is almost 
defeated the Order shows up and we learn they left right away, after 
they got the message from Snape. 

No, Snape tells DD that he was so surprised Harry still believed LV 
got Sirius, Snape did not realize that he might still try to get the 
DoM, because that is what it actually says. Sorry Headmaster, how 
could I have known Harry would not trust me enough to take care of 
things, it is his arrogance always trying to be the hero, never wants 
to leave it to the adults, always takes matter into his own hands and 
now his actions got his dear Godfather killed. If the both of them 
had listened to me, none of this would have happened. 
He lost Harry out of his sight and in the care of a woman that wanted 
to distroy DD, his Order and Harry but Snape was not to blame because 
the poor guy how could he have known. How? Because he should have 
made it his business to know that is how. 

JMHO

Dana