[HPforGrownups] OOP: Why did Snape REALLY hate James?

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 68648

 
 
 
greatlit2003
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I don't think the Pensieve scene could be Snape's worst memory of 
James, despite the title of the chapter. DD and even Hagrid (see 
first Friday tea scene in the first book) are aware of James and 
Snape's enmity. Quirrell knew about it. Could this really be a result 
of some schoolyard bullying? If DD was aware of the bullying, he 
should have stopped it. DD is aware of Draco and Harry's enmity, and 
he doesn't interfere. But if they get physical, the teachers do 
interfere. So, there must have been some other reason for the hatred, 
which DD was aware of. I just can't picture Snape loathing Harry 
because James humiliated him. Also, where were Snape's "gang of 
Slytherin" friends in that scene? What happened to his extraordinary 
knowledge of Dark Magic, which he supposedly knew since before he 
entered Hogwarts? I think that James is somehow connected to Snape's 
family. Maybe he arrested them or killed them? Snape gets emotional 
over very few things. One is James, the other is Sirius, and the 
third is some painful family past that he suppresses. It's a topic 
for speculation. Any ideas?

  
 Me -

The teachers wouldn't have needed to know about the bullying to know that
James and Snape hated one another. None of them really try to explain to
Harry *why* they hated one another which suggests that they didn't know.

Could this level of hatred come from 'some schoolyard bullying'? Oh hell
yes! If James and Sirius have been treating Severus like this (and we don't
know that they necessarily have) sinc they got to school then I could
ceertainly understand him hating them. Some people have suggested that the
fact he was so quick to draw his wand is a sign he was waiting for them or
knew they were there, personally I see it as a sign that he knew that the
presence of James and co meant he was about to be hexed because it had
happened so often before. We don't know what started this hate-hate
relationship but it could have begun over a simple misunderstanding like
Harry's relationship with Draco. The first two times they meet Draco is
trying to be friendly - admittedly every word out of his mouth is likely to
have the opposite effect but he doesn't know that.

As to Severus knowledge of dark magic - well Hermione came to school knowing
more magic than Harry or Ron but I think if they had wanted to they would
certainly have been capable of humiliating her. And his 'gang of Slytherin
frineds'? We only have Sirius' word that they actually existed. I see
Severus as a loner who probably tried to hang around with other Slytherins
for protection rather than anything else.

Now I'm not saying poor little Sevvie was always the victim and the
Marauders were always to blame. We can't know that - all we can know is what
we see. And what we see is two popular, arrogant boys, backed up by a group
of silent followers who aren't doing anything to stop them, physically
attacking and humiliating a lone Slytherin. Yes Severus was very unpleasent
to Lily - but I don't really blame him for that, after having been
humiliated in public the *last* thing your average teenage boy would want is
to be rescued by a *girl*. Do I think he deserved that treatment -
absolutely not. I don't care what yhe migt or might not have said or done
prior to the incident *no one* deserves the treatment he received.

And as for Severus drawing his wand first as people have said - yes he did,
but he didn't actually make any kind of threatening move with it and even if
he had - these Gryffindors are intelligent, they are on the verge of
discovering and mastering the animagus transformation, they have a fairly
wide knowledge of hexes - and yet they don't know how to disarm him? Rubbish


K