Snape and Lucius ages Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: "Lapdog" and "snivel"

[Bex]

No: HPFGUIDX 115035


feklar wrote:
> I always thought the LM/SS childhood relationship was fannon and 
> the lapdog comment referred to LM being an infamous and powerful 
> DE. I think SB thinks LM was probably as powerful as a DE as he 
> clearly is in everyday life, and Snape was probably a potions-
> making nobody much as he is in real life. 

Yb replies:
Ahhh, yes, but one more thing about LM that we must realize: he is a 
smooth-talking conniving git. Lucius isn't the best people person, 
but as shown by his dealing with theMinistry, the School Board, and 
Fudge in particular, he can smooth-talk almost anyone. He surrounds 
himself with the smart, powerful people, mostly to further his own 
agenda. I';d be extremely surprised if that behavior emerged post-
Hogwarts.

> When Harry was in his fifth year, SS was 36. In OOTP, Lucius is 41-
> -five years older than Snape. When Snape was 11, LM was 16, 
> that's a hell of an age gap to overcome, especially for a
> teenager who is more likely to be both socially selfish and self-
> conscious. In my RL experience, I can't think of a 16 y-o I knew 
> who would willingly spend time with an 11 y-o for anything other 
> than money (i.e. babysitting). While I can imagine an 11 yo might 
> idolize an older student, I can't see why a 16 y-o LM would have 
> any interest in a kid, any kid, five years behind him.

Picture this: Little Sevvie comes into Hogwarts knowing plenty of 
hexes and curses and the like. Plus, he is a Potions professor, so 
he must have had a knack for brewing things. These sort of things, 
especially the hexes part, would show up rather early in his career 
at Hogwarts, like the first time some of the other students started 
teasing him about being thin, pale, and probably greasy-haired. 
Sevvie would fire a couple of hexes and send the tormentors running 
for cover, and little Lucius would take notice.

Then little Sevvie whips up a potion in his first class, and the 
professor maybe puts him in an advanced class, maybe some after-
school training. Whatever the case, word gets around to little 
Lucius that this Snape kid is SMART. Lucius thinks, "Hmmm. Knows 
some great hexes, good at potions... He could be good to have 
around..." So LM takes Sevvie under his wing for a little while. 

I've always seen "Lucy" as somewhat comparable to DD, just evil. He 
knows everyone can bring something to the table, regardless of age, 
gender, etc. If you don't agree, remember: DD has the likes of good 
ol' Dung in the Order. Lucius is not likely to cut out a skilled 
person from his gang just because they're a first year. He's an 
opportunist. If he saw this little firstie dueling with the big guys 
and winning, he'd keep the kid close, because he may come in handy. 

Let's do some math:
LM is 41 in OotP, when Harry is 15. When Harry was 1, (fall of LV), 
LM was 27. LV had been wreaking havoc for 11 years prior, so LM was 
16 when LV started making waves.

I would imagine that LM was a DE at the beginning. Maybe his father 
was one too, and recruited Junior, or maybe his grandfather was one 
of those in Tom Riddle's "inner circle" of friends. Either way, LM 
was probably a DE by the time he left Hogwarts. So he had two years 
to notice Severus Snape, and recruit him into his gang, which would 
probably be a prelude to joining the DEs after graduation.

> This seems to be reflected in canon as well.  The only older kids 
> who cross age lines to have significant social contact are the 
> Weasleys and they only do so to talk to their siblings (and 
> friends) (who are only one year behind) and later to test their 
> products.

Yes, but the Weasleys have no reason to cross years, really. Lucius 
knew he was leaving Hogwarts soon; he'd want someone to take his 
place in Hogwarts as a DE recruitment officer, maybe? Someone who'd 
be there for a while? They'd have to be smart and skilled, enough to 
impress the other students into joining the gang.

> It seems that the DA is big enough that it might actually foster 
> some cross-age (and inter-house) friendships if it continued.

In fact, I was going to compare the "gang of Slytherins" to the DA. 
Lots of inter-year connections in both. Lucius may have formed the 
little gang, and had little Sevvie in it with him, but I doubt he 
(LM) socialized with Snape all that much when the others weren't 
around, much like the Gryffindors, etc. in the DA.

~Yb, who just can't get comfortable.