OoP: I'll do it: In defense of James (spoiler)

[Scott Peterson]

No: HPFGUIDX 62519

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> <xpectopatronum at y...> wrote:
<snip>
> Calimora wrote:
> Actually, I was more interested in Snape's responce than James 
> motivation. (Boys are prats, Teenage boys are bigger prats, and 
> teanage boys trying to get girls define the word prat.) James 
dishes 
> out some humliation, but insted of humiliating James back (infront 
of 
> the girl he likes) Severus strikes to cause injury. To me that 
implys 
> a visiousness beyond the senseless idiocy/cruelty of being 15 and 
the 
> big man on campus.
> 
> ~Calimora (Who was disapointed in Lupin none the less.)

I wrote:

I believe we may be missing something here.

Have you ever had the occurrence of talking to a friend about an 
experience that you had, and you find that, though you shared the 
same memory, you look at it in totally different viewpoints?

Is it possible that BECAUSE we are seeing this through Snape's eyes, 
we are seeing it not so much as it occurred, but as Snape INTERPRETED 
the situation?

Think again about the situation...

*Offers the reader a look into Snape's pensive*

Snape is working very hard on his OWL/NEWT. James and Sirius are 
dawdling to pass the time.

Snape comes out and is walking by while James attacks (because he is 
bored).

Snape is turned upside down...
Snape sees the Lilly interchange...

*Removes the reader from the pensive*

Most of these appear to be acutely painful memories for Snape.  But 
could they be colored due to the person who records the memory?

Now, I am not suggesting James was innocent.  I was sickened by what 
he did.  Sirius also confirms Harry's worst fears about his father - 
and he sees his father not as the great hero anymore, but as a boy 
with faults.

What I am suggesting is maybe those faults aren't as pronounced as 
the memory make it appear.

Scott