Positive image of James. Was: Re: Snape and Lupin's Character Arcs

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 119421


> Alla wrote previously:
>  But this is all beyond the point. The point is that even if James 
> was very bad person, Snape has no right to tell Harry so, at least 
> until they are in a different setting than Hogwarts. This is 
> unprofessional and sadistic. Just my opinion, of course.
>  
> Pippin:
> In PoA, it comes up *only* in the context of the Marauder's Map  
> and Harry going outside the school, apparently to meet with 
> Black. 
>

Valky:
How can this possibly be true? I wish I had POA with me so I look 
and see if you are right.


Pippin: 
> In Snape's mind, James's arrogance led him to cooperate with 
> these friends in a prank that could have ruined James's life. 
> Later James refused to believe that one of these friends could 
> be a traitor, and it got him killed. Snape *has* to warn Harry, 
> because he sees that Sirius and Lupin could destroy Harry the 
> way they destroyed James.
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I am sorry, you lost me here. Which Prank could have ruined James 
> life? The one where he saved Snape's? Sirius' Prank? For all we 
> know, it is quite possible that James did not even know about that 
> prank beforehand. 
> 

Valky:
I understand where you're coming from Pippin and I quite agree that 
this is Snape's perspective, and it qualifies his actions.
OTOH Alla makes a very good point that it is still likely that Snape 
was completely incorrect in his reckoning of James involvement in 
the prank. 
For the most part, in any case, Snapes perpective is impeded by his 
personal feeling toward Sirius James and Lupin, and *this* is what 
he is projecting at Harry. Snape's concern for Harry, if any, is 
never direct, what Snape directs at Harry is bitter clouded 
judgement and pent up anger, all very inappropriate, in spite of any 
fair reasoning he might hide behind it.
 
Alla:
> I also don't follow the part with Snape's warning Harry by talking 
> badly about James about Harry's possible destruction by Sirius and 
> Remus.
> 

Valky:
I do, as I have said, and although it may have been, given the 
circumstances, quite fair of Sevvie to consider Sirius and Lupin as 
treacherous and dangerous people, the problem is that more than it 
seemed true Snape really *wanted* it to be true. It gave him comfort 
to believe that the rest of the WW condemned Sirius long with him. 
this is more likely to be why he felt he needed to affirm and 
reinforce it to Harry.


> 
> Pippin: 
> To his credit, Snape doesn't bring his old suspicions of Sirius 
and Lupin up in OOP, but that doesn't keep Sirius from treating him 
as if he was still a Death Eater. 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Morally, I cannot give Snape any credit for his behaviour towards 
> Sirius in OOP, just as I cannot give Sirius much.


Valky:
I am not sure that Sirius does treat him as though he was *still* a 
Death Eater, and besides Sirius had only just found out a matter of 
months beforehand that Snape *was* a Death Eater, so if he began to 
show suspicion towards Snape you couldn't blame him, really.