James and Severus (Was: Teen Conflict)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 116563


Carol earlier:
> > And if Severus is so enamored of the Dark Arts, and again it's 
> Sirius who says that he was, why is he so intent on his exam in
*Defense Against* the Dark Arts? Clearly he knows the subject inside
out; his answers to the questions are so detailed that he has to write
in a minuscule hand to get them in. Clearly he cares about the subject 
> (and his mark in it) or he wouldn't be obsessively studying the exam 
> sheet when the test is over. The adult Snape's desire to teach DADA 
> is not some whim. He cares about and knows about this topic. It 
> would be very surprising if he did not get an O ("outstanding") on 
> both his OWL and his NEWT. An intense fascination with DADA is a 
> very odd trait in a future DE, and yet there it is. It's Severus, 
> not James (or Sirius) who's studying the one subject that the future 
> opponents of Voldemort must master in order to fight him.

> 
Potioncat responded: 
>  He is taking it very seriously.  I'll bet that Severus did the same 
> in all his tests.  He seems a lot like Hermione.  I wonder how close 
> in marks he and James were? <snip>

Carol again:
Well, we know that James was Head Boy and, IIRC, he did have top marks
in the school. But I agree with you that Severus must also have done
very well in most if not all his classes, and that he cared enough to
actually study not only DADA but Potions and any other subject he
thought was important. Probably he combined hard work with natural
intelligence, in part because he was ambitious and in part because,
unlike Sirius and James, he was not rich, and could not afford to just
slide by on his natural gifts. (Some students get high marks because
they have a good short-term memory and do well on tests only to forget
the material later because they don't really care about it. Possibly
James was that kind of student, except in Transfiguration, where he
had a motive for learning and remembering: he wanted to apply his
knowledge in order to become an Animagus. Severus, though obviously as
intelligent as James, was not that type of student. In DADA, and
probably in Potions, he knew the subject inside out. IMO, he wanted
the OWL examiners to recognize and acknowledge his mastery of those
subjects by giving him an "O.")

I agree that Severus resembles Hermione in taking his education
seriously, in wanting to *know* everything there is to know--knowledge
for its own sake and knowledge for practical application. He must
remember what he reads (again like Hermione) to be able to provide
such detailed responses to his DADA exam--and clearly he has memorized
every potion and antidote that he teaches as an adult--a flick of his
wand and the spell is on the board; a glimpse of a student's potion
and he can tell exactly which step has been omitted. (Maybe he sees
himself in her and resents her "know it all" attitude accordingly?)

Anyway, I have a hunch that Severus, who combined obvious natural
intelligence with diligent study, may have resented James's
appointment as Head Boy as insult added to injury (the Pensieve scene
and the so-called Prank). Resentment of an honor he felt rightfully
belonged to him seems more in character to me than being jealous of
James's skill at Quidditch (which is only Sirius's and Remus's view of
the matter).

Carol