[HPforGrownups] Reputations (was Re: bullies? twins, padfoot and prongs)

[Magda Grantwich]

No: HPFGUIDX 119270

--- demetra1225 <tzakis1225 at netzero.com> wrote:

> I think that Sirius met James on the Hogwarts Express, like Harry
> met Ron.  They hit it off.  James shared with Sirius that he came 
> from a 
> long line of Gryffindors who despised the Dark Arts.  Sirius, not 
> wanting to ruin this potential friendship, doesn't share that he 
> comes from a family of Slytherins who practice the Dark Arts (and 
> later asks the Sorting Hat to place him in Gryffindor).  
> Sirius does offer up to James that Severus Snape's family members
> are 
> all Slytherins who are into the Dark Arts.  After all, what better 
> for young boys to bond over, than a mutual enemy?  Thus, the 
> beginning of Severus as the target of James and Snape's taunting.  
> Severus, having much the same personality we see in the adult
> Snape, 
> does give back as good as he gets.  And Severus, knowing full well 
> what Sirius Black's background is, sees Sirius as either a betrayer
> of his heritage (by denying it) or as a coward for condemning
> Severus to James' ridicule while hiding his own background.


I do believe Demetra is right.  This does strike me as the most
likely (and least soap-operatic) beginning of the
Sirius-Severus-James triangle.  

I would also add that while adult-30-something-Sirius has no trouble
denying his family and feels no link with them at all, I somehow
don't think teen-Sirius was quite as cold-blooded about the whole
thing.  Personal doubts of "I'm not like them!" would crop up from
time to time and teen rebellion being a little difficult when you're
away from home 10 months of the year, he took a stand against Snape
who was on the scene, and who reacted so beautifully to being ragged
because he always fought back and didn't act like a victim.

I don't think Sirius really turned away from his real family until
he'd replaced them with his adopted one - the Potters.  YOung people
need something to belong to.  

As for the question - why Snape?  Why of all the kids at Hogwarts,
was Snape the enemy?  I think it's likely that he was self-selected,
almost like Draco sets himself up for being Harry's enemy by being a
prat at the robe shop and a snot on the train.  I think James and
Sirius had another bond in common: being rich kids.  When you're used
to money, you have really no idea what it's like not to have it, and
I'm sure Severus tried to make common cause with Sirius and James at
first by meeting them on a plane that all three shared - being
purebloods.  James rejected the overture because he was raised not to
put any importance on that kind of thing.  And Snape saw them as two
arrogant rich kids while they saw him as Darks Arts warlock in the
making.  

Magda


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