Secrets (Long) OLD POST REPOST

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 186481

> > Zara:
> > There is a death there.
> > 
> > I don't see how this is any odder/more hypocritical/less believable, than Harry deciding arbitrarily that Snape, who in fact checked on Sirius's safety and sent the Order to rescue Harry, is to be hated for causing Sirius's death after OotP.
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Yes, there is a death here, but the death for which Snape is to blame first and foremost, maybe less than Voldemort but certainly more than James. So if Snape was holding a grudge against **James** of all people, who died because of him, I think Snape should hold a grudge against himself.

Montavilla47:

I think Snape probably does hold a grudge against himself, but 
I think there's a case for holding one against James.  Not a real
good case, but, like Zara said, one similar to the case Harry held
against Snape for Sirius's death.

When Snape realized that Voldemort had decided to target
Harry rather than Neville (I still don't know why a homidical
maniac like Voldemort would limit himself to one baby, when
he could kill two, but... whatever), Snape tried very hard to
prevent Lily from being collateral damage.  

First, he put himself at risk by asking Voldemort to spare her.
As we can see in "The Dark Lord Ascending," (and HBP), 
Voldemort sees personal relationships as weakness.
By admitting to having a personal interest in Lily, Snape
had to know he was setting him (and her) up, should he
ever displease Voldemort.

Second, Snape didn't believe that Voldemort would honor 
his word about letting Lily live, so he risked his life and 
liberty to approach Dumbledore for help.  In return for 
Dumbledore's help, he was prepared to give "anything."  
What followed was sixteen years of service, four of them
in great danger--and, of course, eventually his life.

But he must have comforted himself in the period when
he was working for Dumbledore with the thought that
he had succeeded.  Dumbledore was the most powerful
wizard in the world and he had promised to protect the 
Potters.  

Then he finds out that James refused Dumbledore's help
in favor of trusting Sirius Black--someone Snape knew
to be dangerously reckless and really bad at keeping 
secrets.  

Alla:
> And, eh, of course Snape is not to be hated for causing Sirius' death after OOP, because he did not cause Sirius' death. 
>
> My original point was though that I see through the text that Snape was hating James for saving his life and for getting Lily. I can certainly respect his grudges, all of them, just because we cannot help how we feel.
> 
> But while I can respect his (what I consider) additional reason for feeling a grudge against Sirius, his (what I feel) additional reason to hold a grudge against James is obnoxiously hypocritical to me. Since James would have not had to refused anything had Snape not done what he did.

Montavilla47:

Yes and no... and yes and no.  James and Lily had already "defied" 
Voldemort three times.  So, they were already on the Voldemort 
enemies list.  They weren't, of course, in any more danger than, say,
the Prewetts were before Snape opened his mouth.  

But then, the Prewetts ended up dead as well.