Prank revisited. WAS: Harry begins to act like someone I know

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 99274

Kathy King wrote:
I personally don't even understand how Harry 
> could be sympathetic to a person (Snape) who just called his mother 
a  mudblood. Just for this fact, I would have appreciated what my 
father  had done to Snape if I were Harry.


Potioncat:
Harry saw the Marauders taking OWLS, and going outside to relax.  He 
saw Snape in the shade, reading over the test.  And he saw the 
Marauders attack Snape out of boredom.  Had they said something 
like, "OK, let's get him back for that hex he did on the way into 
class..." maybe Harry would have felt differently.  With all the bad 
blood between Harry and Draco, Harry would never just attack Draco.  

So he's a better person at 15 than his dad was at 15.  And he doesn't 
approve of the behavior.  And certainly, at this point he can better 
identify with Severus the victim than James the bully.

I'm sure he doesn't think Snape calling Lily a name was OK either, 
but given the circumstances, something he could overlook.  And keep 
in mind, James wasn't defending Lily, he was tormenting Snape.
Potioncat