Conspiracies and re-assessments

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 112433

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:
> 
> > > Pippin
> > > thinking that James's defenders are doing a good job of 
> adding  hypocrisy to his list of virtues ;-)<<
> > 
> > Alla:
> > 
> > Eh, why?
> 
> Pippin:
> I guess Lily had some misquided Muggleborn idea that people 
> ought to be considered innocent until proven guilty--

Valky:
I Disagree with this Pip. Lily is a merciful witch. 
I doubt that she would need to consider Snape to be entirely 
innocent before she would display compassion for him. Perhaps it is 
you who needs to be convinced? 

Lily could be well aware that James and Sirius' contempt for Snape 
is their manifest hatred for Dark Wizardry. Sirius tells Harry in 
GOf that people were confused about each other in those dark times 
and didn't know who they could trust. 

They way I see it, Lily believed something *more noble* than James. 
she believed in compassion for the people who had chosen the Dark 
Road. 

Where James condemned the Black Arts and forthwith the people who 
practiced them, Lily's condemnation of the Dark Arts did not extend 
to the people. Lily offered them love, and redemption in her 
kindness, in her own way that was her weapon against it. 

She chastises James for his behaviour and goes as far as to let him 
know that he *is no better* than Snape in her eyes. He may believe 
in a noble cause but he has chosen an ugly path to walk anyway as 
far as she is concerned that is *not* better. 
Lily is merciful to both of them. Giving both exactly what she 
thinks they need to hear.

To Snape: You *can* be loved!
To James: It doesn't matter that your good you aren't doing *good*!

I think she is doing them both a favour. In return, however, they 
both let her down. Still, she stands by her noble principles to the 
end proving that despite what you may have heard 'mercy is for the 
strong'.



Pippin: if it was all noble and above board, why  did they need to 
> keep it secret? Why didn't they go to Professor McGonagall or 
> Dumbledore and say, "We'd like permission to study the 
> animagus transformation so we can help poor Remus?" 
>

Valky:
Harry and Ron do the same. There are many reasons why they choose 
to. But I don't recall it ever actually being a guilty conscience 
that they *may* have turned evil. 
In almost every book Harry and Ron engage in some dangerous escapade 
and tell no one nor do they ask permission. The reasons for their 
crime are almost always entirely noble intentions, and yet they 
can't see how asking a teacher if it's OK will help. 

Pippin: 
>  Why did James have to keep his continued private war with 
> Snape secret from Lily after they became friends? Sirius makes 
> it pretty clear that she wouldn't have approved. And James was 
> an *adult* by that time, too. 

Valky:
And I am sure the private war between them had also matured by that 
time. Snape never missed a chance to curse James. By your argument 
here I can presume that Snape had as an *adult* learned and mastered 
far more dangerous and sadistic Black Arts curses by this time too. 
So well done to James if he could still hold his own in battle with 
Mature!Snape using basic spells like Scourgify and Expelliarmus. 
Dont you think?. :D