OOP: Snape provoked James (spoilers!) - long post

[sedyn2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 64552

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> Long time lurker, 2d time poster:
me too :)

> Dealing w/the "bullying incident"
> 
> 1)  I cannot believe that no one else has commented on this:  p. 
646 
> (US), "Snape reacted so fast it was though he had been expecting an 
> attack:  dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes, 
and 
> his wand was halfway into the air when James 
shouted, 'Expelliarmus!'"
>    Up to Snape's reaching for his wand, all James had done was call 
> him "Snivellus," hardly a hexable offense in JKR's world of Malfoy, 
> adult Snape, Pansy P, and Umbridge, etc. constantly 
abusing/provoking 
> Harry.
>    I'm not condoning James' actions once the threat was gone and 
> prolonging the incident, but Snape DID reach for HIS wand first, 
and 
> James reacted accordingly.  Is it James' fault he was that much 
> quicker (actually, he had probably anticipated Snape's reaction 
from 
> his name calling, but again, that's not really his fault)??
> 
> 2)  Also, did anyone else not think it was wierd that Snape was 
> following MWPP so closely (close enough for Harry to observe all of 
> them closely) even tho presumably they were already enemies, and 
sooo 
> engrossed in his OWL questions for a fairly long time (keeping his 
> head down, pretending to be reading??)?
>     I think he was trying to get them to notice him, solely for the 
> fact that he could react the way he did (expecting an attack, 
> reaching for his wand instantly upon hearing his name), maybe a 
> little pre-summer revenge on his chief rivals for past wrongs 
> committed against him.

I also thought it was a strange coincidence that he followed them so 
close but I'm quite sure he was out of hearing range. If he had been 
in hearing range he would have heard James and Sirius coming and took 
out his wand or at least turned around earlier. He would have also 
witnessed the whole werewolf conversation. Well that was discussed 
before. Perhaps he had a chance to hear it perhaps not.
If he had wanted a fight wouldn't he have a lot better chances if he 
cursed them from behind? And if I wanted to provoke a fight I would 
at least have my wand ready. And I wouldn't try to provoke a fight 
against a group of four people even if only two are likely to fight. 
Actually I think it was James who had his wand out before. Snape was 
really fast and I think even with James fast reflexes it's unlikely 
that James could have disarmed him *that* early if he didn't had his 
wand ready. And it's James who's known to hex people just because he 
can.

Wasn't anybody surprised about the way Snape was described in the 
memory? We've known Snape to menacingly swoop around, intimidating 
everything in sight. In the memory he walks round-shouldered and in a 
twitchy manner, practically hiding behind the parchment.
By the way, did anybody else wondered if he was short-sighted leaning 
so close about the parchment? Even if he has a large nose, barely an 
inch is very close. I tried and can hardly read at such a short 
distance. It was probably exaggerated but that was the first thing 
that came to my mind.
I also wonder when he developed that silky voice and sharp tongue. 
Okay he wasn't able to talk most of the time but I missed it anyway.
All in all he didn`t make a very self-confident impression to me.
He seems more like somebody who tries to avoid attention. I'm not 
saying that he was nice as a kid, but hat he probably wouldn't plan 
to provoke any fights at that point. 
I think that he snapped some day, joined a gang of Slytherins and 
tried to get back at James from that day on. At least that's what I 
hope for Snape and James, because I would feel sorry for Snape if he 
was always the victim and I also would have a hard time respecting 
James if he kept hexing Snape because he doesn't like him. Well
that`s just my theory and not strictly canon ^_^

> 3)  One last thing;  the whole time I was reading this I felt as if 
> the whole memory, since it was Snape's, was/is tainted by his POV.  
> It probably did happen very close as to how it was in the pensieve, 
> but as someone mentioned earlier, a person's interpretation/memory 
of 
> an event is an extremely subjective thing.

If a Pensieve is objective or not was discussed in a lot of posts 
before and I don`t have much to add. I also had doubts on the 
objectivity of the Pensieve while reading but what convinced me was 
Sirius and Lupin`s reaction when Harry asked about it. Harry was 
clearly upset and if it had been different enough to make a 
difference Sirius or Lupin would/should have mentioned it.

- Sedyn