OOP: James( was:Two-way Mirror and other frustrations)

[frumenta]

No: HPFGUIDX 65875

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jesta Hijinx" 
<jestahijinx at h...> wrote:
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> > ><snip> >

Many of my friends are all discussing this "memory" with great
> >relish.  It seems to paint James as an arrogant git and Snape as a
> >victim.  It seems to me that the pensieve is a way to see into
> >someone's memories.  In this case it was Snape's memory.  Could 
it be
> >that Our least favorite professor is not recalling this incident 
with
> >a complete truthful interpretation of the events.  Any two people
> >witnessing the same event will remember it in different ways.
> >Perhaps, just perhaps there was more to that incident than we've 
seen
> >so far.
> >
> I have to agree that I'm wondering if the Pensieves are truly 
objective.  
> Our memories are our memories, and they are based on our 
perceptions.

I would agree with that if it weren't for the fact that while 
exploring Snape's memory, Harry hears things that teen Snape 
couldn't possibly have heard, namely Remus joking about being a 
werewolf (and with such wit...not) and James and Sirius seeing him 
go near them and deciding to amuse themselves with him. It contains 
all that went on around Snape and he *could* have heard whether he 
did so consciously, or not. That, in my book, means it is an 
objective memory. Not to mention that if it were that far removed 
from reality, Black and Lupin would have told Harry so.

<snip> 

>But I think we all deserve second chances - Lupin and Sirius seem 
regretful and not proud of themselves, and they don't try to tell 
Harry that that's a good way  to behave.  (Sirius isn't always 
asking harry, for example, if he's stuck it to Draco or why he 
doesn't lose that loser Neville.  In my book, he reformed 
> and changed, and I'll bet james did too.)  Problem is, you can't 
undo what 
> you've done - not even with a Time Turner, I'm guessing.  :-)

Me: I don't know about regretful... Their real problem seemed simply 
not to lose face with Harry. They are laughing about it! "Oh, 
weren't we arrogant little berks?" "Was James playing with a 
Snitch?" As for James and Sirius outgrowing their behaviour... it 
went as far as attempted murder the next year and continued until 
the end of their studies. I still don't like the Marauders and 
haven't seen concrete proof that they are or have ever been decent 
human beings.

> I'd be interested in seeing more of Snape always trying to hex 
James - that can't have been good -

Me: But as we've seen, James had no serious problems dealing with 
it, did he?

 and I haven't entirely abandoned the thought that Snape had a thing 
for Lily, and the whole "insulting a mudblood" would have 
> made it all that much worse for him.  Lily did try to stand up for 
him, and 
> he insulted her for it - one thing I personally was surprised 
about was that 
> Harry wasn't more upset about *that*.
> 
> Felinia
> 

Perhaps Harry could not be bothered about the "mudblood" comment 
that much because he empathised so fully with Snape in that scene. 
I'm not saying that racial or other slurs are acceptable under any 
circumstances but Harry accepted it in that case and that should 
tell us something.

Mim




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