snape the lapdog/Neville the lackey

[oh have faith]

No: HPFGUIDX 71529

Mim says:


> Neville was never Harry's lackey. He wanted to be friends with 
> Harry, Ron and Hermione, even though that didn't always go too 
well 
> but he didn't worship Harry. You're thinking Colin Creevey perhaps?

No, I don't think Neville is guileless enough to worship anyone, so 
I agree he didn't worship Harry.  None the less, Neville had nothing 
but good intentions towards the gang, but he still never got to be 
part of their in-crowd. They never take him into their confidence, 
or appear to think much of him – they defend him when Malfoy picks 
on him, but not because they believe in his inherent power or 
strength, but because he's a Gryffindor and Malfoy's a Slytherin.  
They feel no such qualms when Fred and George (cooler Gryffs) turn 
his head into a canary.  Nor do they ever seek out his company; they 
simply tolerate him when he's there.  Harry spends some time when 
he's trying to sneak into Hogsmead in POA actively trying to lose 
him.  It's not that they think he's untrustworthy or that he's not 
nice; it's just that he's Neville.  He's just not really cool.  And 
I bet he knows how he's percieved, too, and I bet it smarts.

> Either way, I find it hard to believe that a bunch of Slytherins 
> would just sit and watch and laugh at Snape's humiliation. Perhaps 
> Snape joined after the incident, needing protection.

Slytherins don't strike me as the type to make allegiences for no 
reason - or to pick up a fight they know they can't win.  Maybe 
Snape did have some secret sympathisers, but none brave enough to 
take on James and Sirius, who appear to be very skilled at what they 
do.  Much as it pains me to say - as I'm Slytherin to the core and 
by no means immoral - it took  Lily Evans of Gryffindor to do that 
(although she probably knew how unlikely it was that James would 
hurt her).  Also, this may be an isolated incident in which Snape 
came off worst.  Maybe he was usually much better at defending 
himself?  I like that you used the word "joined" though - strikes 
me, any effective band of future DEs didn't take dead weight, so 
Snape would have had to prove himself before they'd let him in the 
circle.  I agree an incident like this could have been strong 
motivation for him to get involved in such a protective band, 
though, and so become involved in DE type activities, until he was 
so deeply embroiled he didn't know how to get out, even though he's 
not a killer by nature, and so the story unfolds... ^_^

etc!

Faith's Girl

xx