What would Snape have done if Lily had lived? (Was: Mothers)

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 187542


Potioncat:
Do we know those prophecies had not come true? I suppose I should go back and
read what canon says. That's a section I didn't get. How did the orbs get there
and how did the curator know how to label them if he hadn't heard the
prophecies?

Alla: 
I was pretty sure that yes all these are true prophecies that did not come true. I cannot answer your other question though, you know do not go back to OOP to often, but I will too when I am home.


Potioncat:
To a certain extent, I'm looking at this as a reader who knows that a prophecy
always means trouble. If someone tries to prevent its coming true, their very
actions will help it along. In fact, we can almost blame DD as much as Snape. If
DD hadn't told the prophecy to Harry, Harry might have acted differently. But
then, he would have had the power without the knowledge of how to use it.

This is also a destiny story. It was Harry's destiny to save the WW. I don't
think we modern folk believe in destiny as much as ancient folk did--but it's
what JKR pulled from.

Alla:
Well, true, it is a destiny story, but at least according to JKR it is also a story of choices, right?

And if Snape is just a blind agent of destiny who just did what mysterious force required of him and had no choice in the matter (I hope I understand your argument correctly), doesn't it undermine whole choices theme in a big way?

I mean it always felt to me since the moment she introduced prophecy that destiny and choices are trying to strike some sort of balance with each other, that these two themes are in sort of contradiction, etc, but theme of choices is still there, yes?

Although it seems to me that at the end the message is that the best choice is to submit to one's destiny. Sorry, I know I am rambling now.

I totally see how we can blame Dumbledore for a) either letting Snape be gone with prophecy deliberately or b) not being smart enough and sharp enough to figure out what is going on and let him go away by accident, depends to what theory you subscribe.

I however do not see how we can blame him for telling Harry at all, when somebody already acted on it and his reason for telling was supposed to be to help Harry survive.  Hm, since his reason for telling was quite the opposite maybe after all we can blame him as well. Sorry, thinking out loud.

JMO,

Alla