MWPP/S dates and Reign of Terror

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 14434

Florence:

 > As first stated, we don't know enough background to the deed.  
> Remember that this happened during Voldemorts reign of terror (I 
> always thought Snape and the marauders would be a few years older 
so 
> that they were at school before all that until the recent chat).  
> Sirius could have suspected Snape of dark activities - he did after 
> all become a DE at some point. - Maybe that still doesn't entirely 
> justify it but the context of a war might make it more 
understandable.

The following assumes that when JKR said in the recent chat that 
Snape was 35 or 6, she meant "now" (i.e., in GoF).  It also assumes 
that MWPP were all exactly the same year, which is not confirmed.  
All dates approximate within a year or so.

1960 MWPP & Snape born

1970 Voldemort's 11 years in power (PS) begin

1971 MWPP & Snape enter Hogwarts

1978 MWPP/S graduate

1981 Voldemort's 11 years in power end

In other words, Snape, Sirius, et al are of the generation whose 
Hogwarts education took place entirely during the reign of terror.  
That has to be significant to who they are and what they did in 
school and afterwards, even though we've only seen glimpses of it so 
far.

Amy Z