[HPforGrownups] Re: James the Berk?

[charme]

No: HPFGUIDX 105912


----- Original Message ----- 
From: delwynmarch

<<Del snorts with laughter : "You know, Valky, I studied Physics in
University, which means that I had to do a good deal of Maths, which
are a thoroughly logical field where you have to justify every single
deduction you make. An argument like yours would have been shot down
in no time : Snape liked Dark Magic, so he would preferably use Dark
Magic, so whatever he used had to be Dark Magic. It's so full of holes
that it would probably give a heart attack to some Maths teachers :-)>>

Charme: having an ingrown chuckle, hoping Del & Valky don't know too many
curses or my Internet connection might suddenly bloody disappear ;)

There's no doubt the adult Snape is one of the most logical wizards in the
books and James, at the age he was when he appeared as Snape's memory in the
Pensieve, is your common popular, free-spirited teenage boy wizard.  Snape
is a serious, studious teenage wizard geek with a less than stellar home
life, if the other memories in canon are as we perceive them.  Immature
emotion breeds immature acts, not logic, and those actions can often not be
justified.  What I does intrigue me is applying the concept that every
action has an indisputable reaction - good or bad. And bad actions often
breed bad reactions, which breed worse actions....it's human nature and when
emotions are involved, ZIP - logic - for the most part- is out the window.
The only time logic is applied is when someone stands up and says "you
shouldn't do that, it's wrong." The Snape memory Penseive scene depicts that
in its entirety, only Lily was the one who stood up when there should have
been another. That one other person is none other than the Werewolfmeister,
LUPIN. He even admits it in canon - says that he never was able to prevent
Sirius and James from their antics when he KNEW they were wrong.

While I agree it's not RIGHT for flighty (no pun intended) James to torment
poor geeky logical Snape, I do think these are the events which happen as we
are growing up. They shape us, mold us and we either learn from them or we
don't.  Why wouldn't they?

Now having said that, I'll take your bet Valky:  *what if* Dark Magic is
just any magic performed to the detrement, psychological or otherwise, of
another? If that's the case, James AND Snape both are guilty. Snape is also
guilty of a testosterone enhanced immature emotional reaction by his Lily
name calling - some CHICK stood up for him, how embarrassing for someone
whose self esteem is absolutely fragile in a desire not to fail!  Del, I
think you're right that Lily didn't hate James, she despised his behavior
and she wanted him to change.  If you weren't interested in a guy, why would
you want to let him know what *exactly* he needs to change to get your
attention? Funny...as I type this, I'm reminded that girls always mature
faster than boys ;)

Charme, grabbing an invisibility cloak and running for Hogsmeade :)