OOP (sort of) - Theory about James - spoilers

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 63589

Mercia:

Any  takers for the idea that James suffered major bereavement 
between years six and seven. That all the rest of his family became 
victims of Voldemort leaving him re-entering school as the last of 
the  Potters. It would explain his determination to fight Voldemort 
with everything he had. it would explain his apparent character 
change> into model head boy. It would explain Lily's change of heart. 
> Someone with her compassion would I feel be drawn to someone who 
had  suffered grievously and something more could have grown out of 
that. 
> There are holes in it no doubt. And until JKR deigns to let us know 
> more we are all just stabbing in the dark. But I like the thought 
of putting these random snippets together to come up with a possible 
> new angle on Harry's orphan state. 
> 


It's as good a theory as any why James suddenly got a deflated head. 
But it would have taken more than bereavement for Lily to be 
completely convinced.

I still believe Lily wasn't completely convinced until James yanked 
Snape back from the Shrieking Shack, risking his own life at the 
hands of Lupin to save Snape. What if Snape, in his rage, had laid 
the Body-Bind curse on James just as they get to the Shack? James is 
dead. That's something that has gotten forgotten a bit in the 
Shrieking Shack prank. 

James didn't just grab Snape at the Whomping Willow. They were within 
sight of a fully-grown werewolf that could have killed them both. He 
risked his life to stop one of the pranks gone awry.

(I still want to know why Snape would have did what Sirius suggested 
and actually went. Was Snape REALLY that stupid?)

But this idea of his parents dying while he was in school goes a ways 
toward explaining why James, at a fairly young age - he'd be in his 
mid-30s if he was still alive - was the last branch of the Potters.

I think we're also using Percy as our model Head Boy. Remember, Bill, 
who was an excellent student but doesn't appear to be as prissy and 
stuffy as Percy, was also Head Boy. It's entirely possible that James 
could have a bit of troublemaker left in him and still get the job.

And look at Tom Riddle. Popular, poor, well-liked, but able to carry 
on secret meetings where he makes people call him Lord Voldemort.

The Head Boy and Girl jobs are tough to figure. They aren't elected 
by the students, or else Percy would never have gotten it. They don't 
require being a prefect in the fifth year, or else James never would 
have gotten it. Past troublemaking is forgiven by teachers, or else 
James wouldn't have gotten it. Status in the form of wealth and so-
called purity of blood don't matter, else Tom Riddle and Lily and 
Bill and Percy are out. 

Superb grades are the only link we have between Bill, Riddle, James 
and Percy, four very different character types.

Darrin
Harold James Potter can be rearranged to make O Thee Lord Spam, Ja!