James and Snape. Was. Re: Snape and Harry again.

[demetra1225]

No: HPFGUIDX 114391

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "justcarol67" 
<justcarol67 at y...> wrote:
> Carol, who doesn't think we can judge Snape by an insulting nickname
> given to him by his schoolboy enemies regardless of its meaning, any
> more than we can judge Harry and Ron by Draco's use of "Potty and 
the Weasel"

Demetra:
I've been fascinated by this thread as another example of others 
reading the same thing I do and coming up with a completely different 
conclusion.
I always thought that Sirius/James using the name "Snivellus" was JKR 
again showing dead-on characterization of kids taunting each other.  
I don't think there is any great meaning or value judgment behind the 
use of the name Snivellus.  It is simply a derogatory name that it is 
a clever twist on the name Severus.  Much like some of the schoolyard 
bullies when I was in school, who cleverly changed around and 
embellished the letters in the name Phyllis, and started referring to 
a classmate as Syphilis.  I'm sure their intent was not to expose her 
as having an STD, but rather to use a nasty insulting name that 
sounded somewhat like her real name.