Snapedom

Love Thine Enemy: Severus’ Request in Context

Introduction

Now, when I come across this argument it usually (not necessarily always, but usually) seems to me to be given with the clear but unspoken implication that, after the prophecy was reported and he knew who Voldemort had targeted, Severus held the lives of three people in his hands and could have saved them all, but callously ignored, tried to discard (or even trade) two of them in favor of the third, who he liked.

This is an assumption that I believe is unsupported by the facts, though it is encouraged by Dumbledore's disingenuous comment to Severus on the hilltop about "exchanging" Lily's life for that of her son.

(Let me emphasize that my argument does not concern the morality of Severus' decision to report the prophecy in the first place - clearly something he was wrong to do, regardless of the fact that he did not know to whom it referred.)

To recap: Severus reports what he heard of the prophecy - supposedly only the first half, though it could conceivably have been that same part when it was repeated at the very end of the prophecy. He apparently did not know the central portion, concerning Voldemort's "equal." (At least, he did not report it, and we have nothing to indicate that he had anything to gain by knowingly keeping half of the prophecy back, leading to the reasonable supposition that he in fact simply did not know it.) At some later point he discovers that Voldemort has targeted the Potters, specifically the child. He begs Voldemort to spare Lily, then (not trusting Voldemort to do as he asked) goes to Dumbledore and begs him to protect her, broadening his request to specifically include James and Harry when Dumbledore brings them up. When Dumbledore asks what he will do in return, he is taken aback, and then replies that he will do "anything."

There are I think two things that generally bother me about this "he only asked for Lily = he's selfish and bad" argument as usually given. One is the apparent assumption that Severus could have 'chosen to save' all three people, that is that he had the ability to save them all. The other is his demonization for only apparently caring for Lily. This latter point also leads to issues concerning the Potter books more generally, but I will get to those at the end.

Ability: who could he have saved?

Introduction

To begin with, let's be clear about which request we are talking about in each case, since Severus in fact makes two requests: one of Voldemort, and one of Dumbledore. This is something not usually specified in the 'he only asked for Lily, etc.' argument. We do not actually see Severus making the request of Voldemort, so we do not know how he phrased it exactly, but the evidence we do have seems to indicate rather unambiguously that he asked specifically for Lily's life. (I will deal with Dumbledore's accusation that he offered an exchange in a moment. I find it a problematic part of the scene even in logical terms, regardless of the morality of Dumbledore's actions here). We do see him with Dumbledore, at which point his anxious request is seemingly to protect Lily from Voldemort, apparently extended to include James and Harry when they are brought up. Here is the scene as written:

 “I – I come with a warning – no, a request – please – ”

 Dumbledore flicked his wand. Though leaves and branches still flew through the night air around them, silence fell on the spot where he and Snape faced each other.

 “What request could a Death Eater make of me?”

 “The – the prophecy…the prediction…Trelawney…”

 “Ah, yes,” said Dumbledore. “How much did you relay to Lord Voldemort?”

 “Everything – everything I heard!” said Snape. “That is why – it is for that reason – he thinks it means Lily Evans!”

 “The prophecy did not refer to a woman,” said Dumbledore. “It spoke of a boy born at the end of July – ”

 “You know what I mean! He thinks it means her son, he is going to hunt her down – kill them all – ”

 “If she means so much to you,” said Dumbledore, “surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?”

 “I have – I have asked him – ”

 “You disgust me,” said Dumbledore, and Harry had never heard so much contempt in his voice. Snape seemed to shrink a little, “You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?”

 Snape said nothing, but merely looked up at Dumbledore.

 “Hide them all, then,” he croaked. “Keep her – them – safe. Please.”

 “And what will you give me in return, Severus?”

 “In – in return?” Snape gaped at Dumbledore, and Harry expected him to protest, but after a long moment he said, “Anything.”