Cedric, Snape and carma was re: Chapter Discussion: Prisoner of Azkaban

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 190592


> > > Alla:
> > >
> > > So, if those are facts, I draw the conclusion that Snape would have at least preferred to being dead rather than being saved by James? Now, of course I do not believe that he went there to commit suicide, all I am saying that the thought of being saved by James of all people may have irked him so, that if he were to choose: death or being saved by James, I think he may have chose death IMO.
> > 
> Shelly
> 
> > Considering this question, I am going to rephrase it:
> > Since in the wizarding world, when one saves another's life, he is owed 
> > a life-debt. So then this question becomes: which would Snape have 
> > chosen- death, or to live while owing James a life-debt?
> > 
> > I think it makes it clearer that Snape would rather have chosen death 
> > than to owe James any bit of gratitude, and a life-debt is quite a bit 
> > stronger than that!
> 
> Nikkalmati
> 
> I suspect with a cool head Snape would choose to live however embarassing the situation was.

Pippin:
Snape never complains about having been rescued. His beef was not that James had saved him but that James was being given credit for it as a hero. From Snape's point of view it would be as if Draco  had pulled Harry from the flames (rather than vice versa), and everyone praised Draco while overlooking the fact that  Draco and his friends had ambushed Harry and started the fire. 


Nikkalmati: 
>   Life debts are puzzling things.  We are never given any hint that Snape ows a lift debt to James and JKR said Ginny did not own one to Harry (which I see as a similar situation to James/Snape).  The only life debt we know about is Wormtail to Harry.  It does not prevent Wormtail from tying Harry up at the graveyard or going down to fetch Harry at the Malfoy's house.  I guess it does give Wormtail a moment's pause, which is enough to cause the silver hand to kill him.  I'm not sure if the life debt caused Wormtail's death or not.  

Pippin:
I think the magic follows the psychology and not vice versa. IMO, the magical debt doesn't exist until both sides acknowledge it. Wormtail immediately thanked Harry for saving him, but Harry despised his gratitude and did not acknowledge the debt  until DH. So Wormtail, although he obviously did not feel good about working against Harry, was not prevented from doing so. 

We don't know how James felt about saving Snape, but  Snape did not feel indebted to James for his rescue, therefore there was no magical bond to prevent him from harming James. 

Ginny, OTOH, already would have done anything for Harry, and he for her, so there wasn't anything for the life-debt magic to do that love magic wasn't doing already :)


Pippin