Two-way Mirror and other frustrations! (OotP Spoilers!)

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 63157

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "aliveandkickingjustabout" <
aliveandkickingjustabout at y...> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Maybe - if it makes you feel better. I'm resigned to accept that 
> James 
> > was indeed a bully (although his "jock-ness" might have been a 
> > caricature - we do tend to associate simple characteristics to 
> people 
> > we don't really know, and James was being *very* "caricature-
> esque").
> >  
> 
> 

> If he was such a bully, why was he so respected by all the teachers, 
> hagrid, Dumbledore? Snape and James have know each other longer than 
> when we saw the memory. Maybe Snape started something in the first 
> year or before school which led to this hatred and bullying towards 
> Snape, much like how Harry behaves towards Draco. Harrys jinxes on 
> the train back from Hogwarts each year are bullying too. Also what 
> happened in those two years that made Lily fall for James in the 
> Seventh year. Maybe Snape was involved/liked Lily against his will 
> (he called her mudblood) and her finally being involved with James 
> makes Snape view the situation with James much worser than it is.



Now me:

Any objective look is that Snape didn't know it was coming, at least until he 
heard "Snivellus", and then he whirled around in an almost Pavlovian fashion.

I'm defending James because it is obvious he turned out OK (again, if you 
support the idea that a former DE reformed, then I think a former arrogant berk 
bully should get a chance as well) I also think that Lupin and Sirius are 
ashamed of themselves, kind of like a parent who did drugs as a teen, but 
doesn't want his or her child to do them.

But, I can't defend James as attacking based on something that happened 
years before. I have no doubt Snape probably irritated the hell out of those 
guys, and may have even thrown some secret curses and hexes at them in 
that past. And if Snape threw a curse first and got his undies displayed on 
some other occasion, then I say Snape learned a lesson that day and James 
should feel no remorse for that.

But in the Pensieve scene, that's not what happened. Regardless if Snape 
threw first punches before, he didn't then. I'm not going to defend it on that 
basis.

Harry's jinxes to Draco on the train have all come after Draco and Crabbe and 
Goyle made threats. In GoF,  Hermione, Ron, Harry and Fred and George all 
took on Draco and Co., and in OoP, it appears the entire Harry DADA class 
did. 

That was perhaps not a fair fight, but hey, if Draco is going to pick a fight with 
a guy with lots of friends, and say things like "Mudbloods must die" and 
"you're dead, Potter" then Draco should reap the whirlwind he stirs up.

Darrin
-- My guess is that James saved Snape and Lily saw him differently after that, 
which would make Snape all the madder.