Snape's turn to DEs (Re: The Prince interpreted)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 173203

Carol:
> We're given no alternate version, so Severus's idea that James 
> saved him because he got cold feet must be right, and the worst 
> memory has to be, as the LOLLIPOPS people have always argued, 
> because he slipped and called her a Mudblood and she refused to 
> forgive him even when he slept outside the Gryffindor common room 
> and abjectly begged her to do so. That, and not the worst memory, 
> must have been the turning point. His despair caused him to join
>  his "friends" because he felt he had not other choice. Lily is 
> prejudging him, assuming that because *they* have become Death
> Eaters, he has done so, too, but I think she's mistaken. Not only
> does he still love her (not a silly crush like Harry's on Cho at
> the same age: she's all he cares about other than DADA and maybe
> Potions, apparently),  but she's the one who says, "You've chosen
> your way. I've chosen mine." (DH Am. ed. 676). There's no evidence
> that he's done anything worse than turning a blind eye to his
> friends' Death Eater ambitions. Clearly, he's not like them, nor is 
> there any evidence that he routinely uses the word "Mudblood" or
> she would not have been shocked by it. 

Jen: There are a couple of important points missing from the 
interpretation above.  For one thing, Lily doesn't seemed shocked by 
Snape calling her a Mudblood because she's already aware he uses that 
term for all Muggleborn witches and wizards save her:  

"No - listen, I didn't mean -" 
" - to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, 
Severus.  Why should I be any different?"  (chap. 33, p. 676, 
Scholastic).

In addition, Lily expresses that she's "made excuses for you for 
years," and says "I can't pretend anymore."  Perhaps she isn't 
operating with every bit of information about Snape's life in that 
moment, but it doesn't sound like Lily has made a snap judgement 
based on one incident, either.  She's apparently seen enough 
evidence 'over the years' for her to have reached the conclusion that 
she can't pretend Snape is other than a person who has grown to have 
*something* in common with those sympathetic to Voldemort. 

But my main objection to the above interpretation is the idea that 
Lily holds even an iota of responsibility for Snape's choice to join 
the DEs.  Even if her decision to turn her back on him was premature 
and made without the whole story (and as I said above, there's 
evidence this was not the case), Snape and Snape alone made the 
decision to follow Voldemort.  

In fact, my understanding was Lily was the only thing tethering Snape 
to a different path, and her awareness of that fact was one reason 
she made a point of talking to him about his friends and defending 
him to others.  Lily's comment about reaching a parting of the ways 
with Snape came across as a defeat to me rather than a rash act:  
After many years of seeing good in Severus and wanting to be friends 
with him despite the objections of others, Snape had finally acted in 
a way that opened Lily's eyes to realize she couldn't *make* him 
change the path he was on.    

Jen