James, Sirius, Lupin, Snape

[siriusgeologist <lrcjestes@earthlink.net>]

No: HPFGUIDX 48201

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, wynnde1 at a... wrote:
> Maria asked,
> 
> > And another question concerning Lupin: why does Snape hate him? 
> > 
> > Does he just really, really detest werewolves? Or does he 
hate "James and 
> > everyone who was friends with him" up to the point where the 
hatred is 
> > blind? Or did something else happen that we don't know about?
> > 
> > 

Snape didn't know Lupin was a werewolf until after the prank.  
Afterwards there are a whole slew of reasons for Snape to hate 
Lupin, the least of which was the fact that Lupin was a werewolf, 
although that prejudice was probably there.  First and foremost is 
that Lupin was allowed to stay at Hogwarts.  Snape isn't the type to 
suffer any infraction of any rules gladly.  He resents the special 
treatment that Lupin gets from Dumbledore.  He resents that the 
pranksters were not expelled or worse, he hates the fact that he was 
the one threatened about not revealing what Lupin was.  This is an 
event that really stuck in Snape's mind as Gryffindor favoritism 
generated by the popularity of those involved.  Then for Lupin to be 
allowed to teach at Hogwarts and teach a subject he considers 
himself an expert in was simply too much.  He trusts and obeys 
Dumbledore, but he doesn't like it one little bit and he transfers 
that resentment (with a dash of left over resentment from the days 
of the prank) into hatred for Lupin.


> 
>But, being Snape, he is slow to let go of a grudge, which is 
> (IMO) why he "outed" Lupin to the Slytherins, leading to Lupin's 
resignation. 
> Of course, he might also feel that a werewolf who can't be trusted 
to take 
> his potion every month is not an appropriate member of a boarding 
school 
> teaching staff, and this was his way of making sure Lupin left. 
(Snape has a 
> point there - Lupin did neglect to take his potion, and could have 
easily 
> killed - or worse - a student. 

All very true.

<snip>

> I hope there will come a time when Snape will be able to let go of 
this and 
> perhaps he and Lupin will be able to be civil to one another 
(friendship may 
> be asking a bit much <g>). Now he knows that he doesn't really 
have any 
> reason to resent Lupin, I'm hoping his resentment will wear off 
eventually. 
> Lupin strikes me as the sort of person who would be happy to let 
bygones be 
> bygones with Snape, and offer his hand in friendship if an 
opportunity arose.

Ahhhh, but he does still have loads of reasons to resent Lupin and 
Sirius. I doubt this resentment will wear off anytime soon.  He just 
doesn't seem to be the type to let bygones be bygones.  He will 
carry this resentment until something happens to allow Remus and 
Sirius to earn his trust back.  Short of saving his life I can't 
imagine anything that might be good enough, and I'm not even sure 
that would do it.

Carole