Unfinished Business (was: did Lupin kill Sirius)

[jwcpgh]

No: HPFGUIDX 83221

> Laura:

<snip> My point was that it's unreasonable of Snape to use his 
personal losses as his excuse for his unkindness to students, since 
lots of other people suffered what he did and more and seem to be 
able to form human connections.  He was just always like that and if 
he wants to blame it on LV, fine, but I'm not buying.
> > 
> 
> Kneasy:
> Why must he react the same way as others? I  fear that you are 
possibly embracing the compulsory 'ersatz coercive bonhomie' 
tendency that I was decrying a couple of days back. I suspect that 
you're trying to have it both ways. First you wish that there was 
more English reserve in the US and then you castigate some-one for 
practicing it. Twas ever thus. There's no pleasing some people.

Laura responds:

He doesn't have to.  But if you're positing that "Snape's Secret 
Heartbreak" is an excuse for cruelty and intimidation, I'd have to 
disagree.  If he doesn't want to be every every student's favorite 
teacher or if he thinks his colleagues are a bunch of airheads, 
fine.  But the way he acts is beyond "unclubbable".  McGonagall 
shows reserve.  Snape shows disinterest verging on contempt for his 
peers and much worse than that for his students.
> 
Kneasy:
> There  he  sits, his whole life torn asunder, suffering, wounded, 
facing a bleak and lonely future, no helpmate to brighten his days, 
no prospect of curly-headed grandchildren at his knee, trying 
desperately hard to keep the upper lip from trembling and you chide 
him for lack of chit-chat. Heartless, that's what you are, heartless.
> 
> Laura responds, wiping away tears of laughter:
It isn't easy to evoke pity for Snape in me, but your description of 
the Ghost of Snape Future did it.  The poor man would rather face LV 
a thousand times than ever have to dandle babies on his knees-and I 
think any babies forced to be dandled by Snape would agree.
Heartless?  Damn right.

<snip>
> Kneasy:
> Do we know from canon when in their  school career the 'Prank' took
> place? I don't think we do. 
<snip> 

Laura:

The assumption after OoP on this list seems to be that it was after 
Pensieve 2, iirc.  But I'll have to go back and look again for 
evidence about when it took place.  
<snip> 
> 
> Kneasy:
> I want to hear Snape's version. 

Laura:
Don't we all...Really, what we've heard from Snape, Sirius and Remus 
has all been heavily edited by the tellers.  That incident itself 
would make a very interesting short story.  Or short novel, if we 
got very lucky.