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deathtocapslock2012-08-02 10:15 pm
terri-testing.livejournal.com) wrote in deathtocapslock2012-08-02 10:15 pm
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The Prank: An Utterly Reluctant Reconsideration
I really, really hate to be fair-minded. But sometimes I just can’t help it.
Regarding the Prank, I’ve always dismissed Lupin’s claim that James had risked his own life to save Snape’s as a feel-good lie to make James look good to his orphaned son, on the same level as “Severus loathed James because James was talented at Quidditch, not because (heavens, no!) James was a nasty entitled little jerk who was talented at making life a misery for everyone not as rich and Pureblooded as himself.”
And really (going back to the Prank), James would always have had the option of transforming into a stag had Moony actually caught up with the two of them, right? Fierce debates on Snapedom years ago over the Prank, over whether a stag (with or without antlers) could have run or even stood up in that tunnel aside, we ended up agreeing that transformed-James could at least have lain down in it.
And he knew that when transformed, Moony wouldn’t bother him.
I mean, didn't he?
We know that the Prank happened before SWM, which happened at the end of Snape and the Marauders’ fifth year. And we know that sometime during that school year, the Marauders all learned to become Animagi and started letting Moony out to frolic, themselves immune to the danger they were exposing others to.
But someone (I don’t remember who, at this remove) once suggested that Sirius might have sent Snape down that tunnel as a prophylactic measure—to get rid of the sneak BEFORE he could inform on the Marauders’ seriously criminal behavior.
Perhaps, before they had even started engaging in the seriously criminal behavior of letting loose a class XXXXX dangerous creature in an inhabited area?
Perhaps… before they were actually capable of such behavior?
We don’t know for sure when exactly in fifth year James learned to transform, or when he verified that his stag-form wasn’t viewed as prey by the werewolf.
If Sirius sent Snape down that tunnel before James could reliably transform, or before James knew for sure that the werewolf would leave the stag alone, then James WAS risking his life in going after Severus.
Even though he still would have been motivated more by CYA (or C. Your Friends’ A.) rather than by any concern for Snape’s well-being, which to my mind would rather let Severus off the hook for a “life debt.”
Still, maybe I’ve been failing to give James his due for taking real risks to save his friends, at least.
Regarding the Prank, I’ve always dismissed Lupin’s claim that James had risked his own life to save Snape’s as a feel-good lie to make James look good to his orphaned son, on the same level as “Severus loathed James because James was talented at Quidditch, not because (heavens, no!) James was a nasty entitled little jerk who was talented at making life a misery for everyone not as rich and Pureblooded as himself.”
And really (going back to the Prank), James would always have had the option of transforming into a stag had Moony actually caught up with the two of them, right? Fierce debates on Snapedom years ago over the Prank, over whether a stag (with or without antlers) could have run or even stood up in that tunnel aside, we ended up agreeing that transformed-James could at least have lain down in it.
And he knew that when transformed, Moony wouldn’t bother him.
I mean, didn't he?
We know that the Prank happened before SWM, which happened at the end of Snape and the Marauders’ fifth year. And we know that sometime during that school year, the Marauders all learned to become Animagi and started letting Moony out to frolic, themselves immune to the danger they were exposing others to.
But someone (I don’t remember who, at this remove) once suggested that Sirius might have sent Snape down that tunnel as a prophylactic measure—to get rid of the sneak BEFORE he could inform on the Marauders’ seriously criminal behavior.
Perhaps, before they had even started engaging in the seriously criminal behavior of letting loose a class XXXXX dangerous creature in an inhabited area?
Perhaps… before they were actually capable of such behavior?
We don’t know for sure when exactly in fifth year James learned to transform, or when he verified that his stag-form wasn’t viewed as prey by the werewolf.
If Sirius sent Snape down that tunnel before James could reliably transform, or before James knew for sure that the werewolf would leave the stag alone, then James WAS risking his life in going after Severus.
Even though he still would have been motivated more by CYA (or C. Your Friends’ A.) rather than by any concern for Snape’s well-being, which to my mind would rather let Severus off the hook for a “life debt.”
Still, maybe I’ve been failing to give James his due for taking real risks to save his friends, at least.
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----Did Dumbledore also put a magical compulsion on Severus to stop spying on the Marauders?
Swythyv pointed out (http://swythyv.livejournal.com/17051.html?thread=278427#t278427) a few months ago that it may not have been Dumbledore who put the compulsion on Severus.
I was thinking that maybe the Marauders forced Severus to make an unbreakable vow in payment for the life debt that he supposedly owed James.
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I suppose that could have happened, however, I'm wondering if it's possible to make an Unbreakable Vow against one's will?
I'm more inclined to think Dumbledore was just depending on Snape's honor. An honorable Slytherin? Unbelievable . . .
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In Goblet of Fire Dumbledore states Harry has to compete even though Harry didn't put his own name in. Scary idea that you can be bound to a magically binding, potentially deadly contact against your will.
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The justification the Mauraders use. Snape wasn't actually hurt so whats the problem?
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...
At last Snape gave another curt nod [to the proposition that he should murder Dumbledore at Twinkle's word].
Yes, I agree with what you're registering: where Severus has given his loyalty, he doesn't need Unbreakable Vows or wand oaths or life debts or any other trash to be trustworthy.
An honorable person is bound by hir honor.
A dishonorable one, can be bound by nothing. You can try the Unbreakable Vow, but s/he'll probably find a way to wriggle out of performing hir debt, whatever penalties you impose.
I mean, this is the basic problem of signing a contract with a dishonest person. A slimeball can always find wriggle-room, however tight you try to make the contract.
So, yes, we see Dumbledore accepting Severus's nod in HBP (not even verbal affirmation!) as worth more than an Unbreakable Vow from a lesser man. (We don't know if Twinkles accepted Sev's "Anything" when he turned as worth the same, because that was Snape's memory and we never saw Dumble's response to Sev's affirmation. Snape gave that memory to Harry as proof of his absolute loyalty to Lily, so he'd hardly have shown Harry if Dumbles' response at the time had been to set spies on Severus to see if his repentence was genuine and abject enough).
But that's my whole problem with this incident.
Snape has no reason to be loyal, or protective, or whatever, of any of the principals here.
Yes, if he gave an authentic oath he'd honor it. But why would he give such an oath?
And a forced oath, an involuntary one, he'd instead look for means to circumvent.
Sev told both Lily (a few days after the incident) and Harry (his considered judgment as an adult) that wha HE thought was going on was: the Marauders (all four, the dominent pair, or the pair plus the werewolf, is not made clear) decided to rid themselves of the Slytherin spy by committing murder-by-werewolf.
Only James realized at the last minute that the Marauders might not be able to cover up such a crime, and intervened to "save" Snape. Or rather, to save himself, Black, and Lupin (and maybe Pettigrew) from expulson and Azkaban.
Severus owed no debt to James for that bit of self-serving cowardice. His honor was never engaged by James's "saving" him, not when James was principally saving his own arse and his friends'.
You're right, with Severus, his honor would bind him far more deeply than any magical contract/binding ever could.
With a magical contract, he would simply devote his considerable ingenuity to breaking/circumventing it.
Not so if his honor or loyalty were involved.
(Which, in fact, I rather think is what happened at the end of PoA--Sev had managed to make the binding not to speak directly about Lupin's lycanthropy contingent on that condition's not endangering anyone else.. Once he had proof of such endangerment, he was released to speak...)
But how could Sev's honor or loyalty be invoked in keeping Lupin's/the Marauders' secrets for them?
(And now that I think about it--part of Sev's conflict in PoA might have been between his forced obedience to a binding, which he was always looking for ways to circumvent or break, and his deeper feeliings of loyalty to the headmaster, who seemed, however foolishly, to trust Lupin....)
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By psychology, we have a very scared, vulnerable , insecure16-year old standing in front of Dumbledore, a figure of authority, one of, if not the greatest wizard alive. Now he stands there in the headmaster's office, feeling beaten and completely worthless. His enemies have been ready to kill him. He has probably just seen the two main perpetrators leave, Potter strutting smugly, because he has been praised for his heroic act. Someone (Slughorn, Poppy) already might have told him off for sneaking around at night. He's feeling very stupid himself for following Sirius' taunt.
Dumbledore is calm and confident. He seems to know everything. His bright blue eyes look right into Severus'. Right into his mind, his heart, his soul. He can see everything, Severus' most secret thoughts, his dreams of revenge, his feelings for Lily, his experiments and researches in the Dark Arts....
I'm pretty sure at some point since he started suspecting Lupin, Severus has looked up anti-werewolf curses, maybe secretly practised them. I don't think he went down the tunnel to attack the werewolf, but he surely has been trying to prepare to be able to protect Lily. He secretly dreams of being her brave hero.
Dumbledore is talking about Lupin, the innocent, the kind boy who deserves to be protected against all those prejudice, about Potter's selfless act of bravery that saved his own worthless life. Severus realizes that Potter will not be expelled for sneaking out at night and he is Slytherin enough to know about the wealth and influence of the Black family. He must be starting to fear that he is the one who's going to pay the price. He's used to it, isn't he? They will say that he tried to kill his classmate.
Dumbledore says that the events of this night have to be kept secret. Severus expects to be forced into an Unbreakable Vow or any other magic bond. He is much too exhausted and confused to know whether he owes Potter a life debt or not and what this means to him. Is this life debt Dumbledore talks about something that will force him to kind of serve Potter from now on? Will he drop dead, if he ever dares to defy Potter?
Dumbledore smiles. He's so understanding, not ordering asking Severus to understand the necessity to protect Lupin. Then Dumbledore stretches out his hand.
“Mr Snape, will you give me your word to keep this secret”
His word, nothing else? Dumbledore trusts him on his word? His word is the only good thing that truly belongs to Severus, the one thing that is completely under his control. Severus is proud to always keep his word. He believes in a few moral standards, strives to be brave and honest. He always admires those who seem to be naturally good like Lily Evans, like Dumbledore.
Dumbledore has seen that in his mind. He has seen something good in him. Severus gives his word to stay silent and Dumbledore seems very pleased. They shake hands as if they might be equals, as if Dumbledore respects him.
Of course, Severus will recover from the non-magic enchantment in the following days, but he will keep his word, because if he breaks it, he loses the last good thing he has, his honour.
Of course, it hasn't happened exactly like this, but it's how Dumbledore works, how he manipulates people and he's good at it. I'm sure he played the same trick with the Marauders. When Sirius and James left his office they both think Dumbledore is the greatest man they ever met and are blindly loyal.
Yes, I know they still kept their secret about their Animagus ability, but I doubt they think of it as a criminal act. They really believe that they are just helping a friend.
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