Blame, blame, blame....

[Silverthorne]

No: HPFGUIDX 100603

Here's the breakdown:

Harry is very much like his father
Harry disobeys rules.
Harry Hates Snape
Harry acts before he thinks
Harry lies when he has done something (or not done something), that someone else has told him not to do (or to do)--and will often continue to do it (or not do it), even when he secretly knows he's wrong.
The more Harry hates someone, the less likely he is to do what that person asks.
In the book, Harry runs afoul of people who treat him cruelly--those of us with any heart immediately start feeling sorry for him, no matter who it is or why they're acting that way. Fortunately for Harry, since most of these cruel characters match most people's idea of Someone Yu Should Hate, it's easy to sympathize with him.
Harry had an abusive childhood.

Harry started the book as an 11 year old child. He is now 15 years old and growing up. The excuses that cover some of his mistakes and reckless behavior at 11 no longer wash. If Harry belonged to any of us as a child, and he had done any of the things in Book 5, we would as parents set him straight right quick, by however methods we normally use. To do otherwise would be to encourage lying, disobediance, discourtesy to adults, and so forth. Harry should know better, he really should. He has enough postive role models around him (with only a few negative that stay--the Dursleys and Snape), that he should learn...doesn't mean that he will, but its all a question of inner strength. If Harry applies himself, he will learn, if not--well, he will become yet another self-righteous person who thinks the world owes him because 'he's had it so hard'.


Severus is verbally harsh.
Severus may or may not hate Harry, but there is not denying that his antipathy for James colors how he treats Harry.
Severus has had to deal with Harry-with-an-attitude since the very first year.
Severus did strike the first 'blow', as many people would see it, in the altercation between himself and Harry
Severus's apparent first responsibility is to Dumbledore's wishes.
Severus does seem to hold on to some childhood hurts and hates--as most people do, whether they care to admit it or not.
Severus may or may not have been the victim of childhood abuse--he was certainly the victim of in-school bullying.

Severus is an adult man in his mid thirties. Certainly, he should know better, but then so should we all. In all my years, I have found that really the only difference between children and adults is a little more self control, if they bother, and the size of their toys, responsibilities, and bank accounts. Adults hurt, can be hurt, and are hurt, just as badly as children. And they act just as stupid, foolish and babyish as children, whether they care to admit to it or not. Like Harry, Snape should know better...like Harry, he should really apply knowing better to what he does. Like Harry, he doesn't.


As for what this has to do with Sirius...really nothing. Sirius was his own man in regards to deciding to go to the MoM, made his own choices, and paid for them. Harry cannot control what Sirius decides to do any more than Snape (or Dumbledore, really) can force Harry to do something *he* really does not want to do. It's a loosing battle. So is expecting Snape to change--he's had 30 plus years of people hating him, and has learned to return the favor right back. Asking him to suddenly have an apologetic ephiny is rather...foolish. About as foolish as expecting Harry to suddenly engage his teenage brain and start listening. Unfortunately, if he's true to teenage form, he won't manage that little trick until after the books (if he lives that long)--most people don't get a grip on things until their mid-twenties.

And some never get a grip at all.

What bothers me about these Harry-Snape-Sirius debates is that everyone is so quick to condemn the character they don't like and defend the one they do...and yeah, we all do that, but some of the sheer *venom* that gets thrown at the other character taht is painted as 'the Bad Guy' bugs me. 'Well, they deserve what's coming to them!' is a common attitiude, and I always think when I read that 'Oh, really...? Have you stopped to consider that that's exactly what people like Voldemort think right before they kill someone for being...'different'.

I know, people will argue 'but it's not the same!'

No? Tell me then, where the blame stops, and the hate begins....? When does it become a judgement call, instead of an acknowledgement of the character's flaws? Do you honestly know what's going on with these characters, and *WHY* they do certian things? Well, Harry, yes...we see just about everything in his little head. Everyone else though is seen through the 'Harry Filter'--which is by no means omniscent, and is often not impartial.

But Snape, Dumbledore, Pettigrew, Sirius--do you *really KNOW what's going on...or just what Rowling chooses to show you? Most everyone thought of Snape as 'just' a bastard...until we saw some of those memories, heard some of his story...now we're not so sure, are we? (Well, some are, but...well...that just means that it wouldn't matter what Snaoe did--he'd still be the 'Bad Guy' to some...).

I dunno, probably just talking in circles here, but the final crux of what Im saying is this:

Either they are both to blame, or no blame should be assigned, because quite frankly, it was a cluster-fuck all the way around, and everyone made mistakes, and were simply doing what they thought was right, even if they were wrong.

And as for "Well, they deserve it for doing *this*...step back and think about it. I know you're only applying it to a book character, but *think* about it....you're applying judgement. You're deciding ultimately who is 'right' and who is 'wrong'...and in some cases on this board that's going as far as meting out imaginary punishment on these characters (and some of those punishments are just as nasty as the crimes they;ve commited--tell me, if you were there in reality, would you *really* want to sink to that level...?). And then think about what it would be like on the other side of that very same judgement given to you by someone who hardly knows you--just your reputation and a few glimpses of your life perhaps--and you knowing that you really don't deserve it...ort there are mitigating circumstances...or...any other number of things as to why it would be just as 'wrong' as the 'wrong' that person percieves in you.

Please please please try and consider the 'other side' before you jump on the 'Well this one is right, and that one is just plain wrong', especially since we *don't* know the whole story....and we also all have different views on how things "should" be.

In short, repsect all the characters, and not just your favorites, before you start firing off (Try and repsect each otehr as well--we may not agree on a lot of things, but taking chunks out of someone else's hide because their commetns offended you isn't the way to go either). After all, they can't really defend themselves like real people can--Rowling holds their strings, and she is, sadly, feeding us several stereotypes along the way, probably to keep some of her plot secret until the end...

And she sure as hell isn't givign out any information...;)

Anne/Silverthorne

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