Harry's detention - James saved Snape's life incident

[colebiancardi]

No: HPFGUIDX 135983

-
> Alla:
>
> How about because Snape may want to kill him? And what is more
> importantly - he may BELIEVE that he knows how to kill him, Dark Art
> expert he is.

and as you like to ask - where's the cannon for that? The only thing
that we DO know, according to both Sirius & Lupin, is that Snape was
looking for ways to get them expelled. Not kill

>
> I disagree. Please help me out, if you think that no ambiguity is
> present whatsoever.
>
> 1. What IS the reason for animosity between Snape and Marauders?
> There is "..." in the text,when Sirius says that he was going
> around, trying to get us expelled. I think he stops short of saying
> something else for plot related reasons.

they hated each other - different houses - and in OotP - Sirius states
to Harry "James & Snape hated each other from the moment they set eyes
on each other, it was just one of those things, you can understand
that, can't you? I think James was everything that Snape wanted to be
- he was popular, he was good at Quidditch, good at pretty much
everything. And Snape was just this little oddball who was up to his
eyes in the Dark Arts and James - whatever else he may have appeared
to you, Harry - always hated the Dark Arts"

there you go. Just like Harry did not like Draco, this was it. The
difference is that James was pure-blood & Snape was not.

>
> 2. WHY Snape stopped and listened to Sirius? Are you seeing them
> having many friendly conversations together?

As I stated before, perhaps Sirius *taunted* him. The whole coward
bit. Or perhaps a setup with Sirius & Peter - where they are
discussing this out loud, so that Snape will overhear - I believe
Harry has done this with Draco before. Not cannon, of course. What
we do know is that Sirius told Snape, whether it is directly or
indirectly - that we do not know.


>
> 3. Why Snape is shown reading werewolf essay AND why exactly he
> assigned the same essay to Harry's class?

The teen Snape was reading a werewolf essay, probably because it was
an assigment given in class.  Even in PoA, we learn the students will
learn about werewolves...leading into the adult Snape:  This has to do
with the fact he believes that Lupin is not trustworthy - he still
felt to that day, that Lupin was in on the *prank*
"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," said Harry slowly, "because he
thought you were in on the joke?"
"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin.
Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisbility Cloak, his wand directly
pointing at Lupin. PoA - end of chapter 18.

Snape never got over it - probably because it caused him to have a
life debt with James.


>
> 4. Who told James about the Prank?
>

Sirius or Peter - I could see Peter *boasting* how Snape was going to
get his, due to Sirius's *brilliant* plan


> 5. In fact,where were James, Peter and Lily during the Prank?
>

well, we know James was busy saving Snape's neck during the *prank*.
Or are you referring to the scene where Sirius discloses the WW's
secret? Lily didn't start dating James until 7th year. This happened
in the 6th year. I don't think she wanted much to do with James at
that point.


> 6. Where was Sirius during the Prank?
>
Does it matter?

> When I will find my old post, I will post more questions.
>
> NO, I don't think we know everything about that night, not even close.
>
> > Christina:
> >
> > I'm sure he did too, but how much damage could he really have
> > inflicted? James and Sirius attacked him in OotP because they were
> > *bored.*
>
> Alla:
>
> How much damage? It seems to me that his Sectusemptra for example is
> rather nasty thing.
>
> In light of the fact that person's memory could be modified by that
> person I find it possible that Snape modified his memory by
> diminishing the level of his retaliation and what looked as cut on
> James cheek could have been a rather nasty wound, for example
>
> Christina:
> > I think it's pretty clear that Snape was a victim at the hands of
> the
> > Marauders more often than they were victims to him.
> >
>
> Alla:
>
> It is far from clear to me.
>
>
> Just my opinion of course,
>
> Alla.


colebiancardi back again:
Well, Lily seems to think that James is an arrogant, bullying toe-rag.
And don't forget the whole conversation before she tells him off -
"Leave him alone" Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every
sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"
"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the
fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..."

also, Lupin states in chp 29, OotP "Did I ever tell you to lay off
Snape?" he said. "Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you
were out of order?"

so, it seems that both the pensive memory & the confessions of Lupin &
Sirius when Harry confronts them about this scene, that Snape was
bullied by them - a lot. And yes, Snape probably hexed the crap out
of them, but who is to say that wasn't in self-defense -- most of the
time? You bring up the cuts on James face - that happened AFTER James
attacked Snape, not before.

interesting side note for those who think that Lily dated Snape - next
page....when James is yelling at Snape to apologize to Lily for
calling her a mudblood...
"I don't want you to make him apologize", Lily shouted, rounding on
James. "You're as bad as he is..."

since it seems that Snape never did clean up his act, but James did, I
doubt that Lily would go out with someone who is nasty to her. And
somehow, I can't imagine James wanting to date Lily if her previous
*boyfriend* was Snape.....

colebiancardi