Snape and Marauders WAS :Draco and Intent

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 186929

> Montavilla47:
> <SNIP>
> But he doesn't bother to check what Snape had overheard--
> doesn't bother to obliviate that information from a likely
> Death Eater or Death Eater associate? He just lets the
> fellow toddle off to tattle to Voldemort?
> 
> That seems to me as irresponsible as Sirius pushing
> Peter as a Secret Keeper. <SNIP>
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Absolutely! If he **does not bother** to check what Snape overheard, he is bearing part of the blame for Potters deaths, I totally agree.
> 
> The thing is, I really do not think canon tells us with certainty that he **does not bother** to check.


Montavilla47:

It seems to me that if he *does* bother to check, he's even more
responsible!

Alla:
> Are you sure that this could not have happened at all? Dumbledore who thinks that Divination is extremely unreliable discipline goes to interview Sybill and shocked to hear a true prophecy, and by shock I mean that he just does not react as fast as he would have reacted ordinarily?
> 
> Maybe he just did not know what he wanted to do and Snape already dissapparated. Maybe since Ariana's death, he is really not as trigger happy in the places where there are a lot of civilians and he was afraid to accidentally hit somebody with the curse.

Montavilla47:
Why are you making excuses for this man?  Snape didn't disapparate.
He was *thrown* from the building.  

If he was thrown from the building, then someone (probably 
Aberforth) had his hands on him.  Sybil says that Snape was in her 
room long enough for her to come out of her trance and recognize
some of what was going on.  That's long enough for Dumbledore
(who isn't even in a trance) to understand that Snape overheard
what happened in the last few minutes.

And, as Lealess said, Dumbledore was *quite* aware that Snape
had overheard and taken at least part of the Prophecy to Voldemort
when they met in the woods.  His only concern at that point was 
*how much* of the Prophecy Voldemort knew.

> Montavilla47:
> <SNIP>
> Obviously, Snape is more to blame than anyone else
> (except, I think, Merope), because he did a deliberate
> act of ill will, I think it's a bit much to give him primary
> blame for the deaths of Lily and James, because the
> primary cause was Voldemort. <SNIP>
> 
> 
> Alla:
> I just want to be sure, because I cannot exclude the possibility that you are joking before I am sure. You are seriously saying that Dumbledore choosing to interview Trelawney not in the castle can be considered first act in the chain?
> 
> If this is a serious argument, then I just disagree. I consider the first act to be the act of what you called the act of ill will and that was Snape's in my opinion.
> 

Montavilla47:
I see it more as an act of stupidity than ill will.  

Alla:
> HOWEVER, again, to be clear I do NOT give Snape's primary responsibility for James and Lily's deaths. Of course it lies with Voldemort. I hold Snape responsible for starting the chain of events that lead to their deaths, starting it with the act of ill will. So, sure, if we were to put a list of who is primary responsible for Potters' **deaths**, I would put Snape as number three, after Voldemort and Peter. But if we were to put a list of people who made Potters' deaths **possible**, on that list for me Snape is number one, or at the very least he shares this place with Voldemort and nobody else comes even close. IMO of course.

Montavilla47:
I see why you say that and it makes sense--except that the 
Potters' deaths were *already* quite possible.  They were *already*
on the hit list by virtue of having joined the Order of the Phoenix.

As Moody shows us, being in that photograph made one a 
target.  

You say it's possible that, had Snape never delivered that 
Prophecy, that Harry and his parents might have lived happily
for a few more years--or maybe longer.

I agree.  That is possible. But I think it's far less likely than
the outcome toward which the entire first war was heading:
that the Order would have been wiped out within a year
and that Voldemort would have been running the Ministry, 
with full opportunity to pick off anyone he liked.  

> Montavilla47:
> <SNIP>
> Nor was it the first action in the chain.  There were plenty
> > of choices that took place before Snape heard the prophecy
> > that might have prevented his choice.
> 
> Alla:
> I just disagree, to me Snape's choice was the first one that truly mattered.


Montavilla47:
I think they all mattered.  Snape's was merely one of the 
more predictable outcomes.  And I think that the person
most likely to have predicted the outcome (aside from
Voldemort), was Dumbledore.