Snape's the Rescuer - Really?/Justice to Snape

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 170701

> Julie:
> Dumbledore often shortens explanations to relate the pertinent 
> facts, as we know he has done before. He wants Harry to understand 
> that Snape didn't *target* Harry and his family. He also said right
> before that  "Severus had no idea *how* Voldemort would intepret 
> the Prophecy."  

Jen:  The section you're referring to comes later, after Dumbledore 
explains that Snape had no way of knowing which boy and parents would 
be targeted.  That's important in the flow of explanation because 
when Dumbledore said, "You have no idea of the remorse Professor 
Snape felt when he realized how Lord Voldemort had intepreted the 
prophecy, Harry," Dumbledore is referring to LV choosing the Potters 
unless he's contradicting his previous comment.

Reading this section another way to assume Snape didn't know what he 
turned over to LV or didn't think a child and parents would be 
involved ends up diminishing his remorse and return in my opinion.  
He was a *real* DE, someone who had shut off his compassion for 
others in order to serve Voldemort.  Then something happened when he 
found out the Potters were targeted, something that brought about 
remorse and the 'greatest regret of his life.'  IOW, if he truly left 
Voldemort and returned to Dumbledore, the change involved both his 
heart (remorse) and his head (regret).  

Snape opened his eyes to the tragedy of his wrong action because 
Voldemort's choice was personal to Snape's life.  Prior to that time, 
he did not feel remorse or regret about a random child or family 
according to Dumbledore's explanation.

Jen