[HPforGrownups] Re: Snape's treatment and pensieve /James v Snape

[Fabian Peng Krrholm]

No: HPFGUIDX 138458

>Irene before:
>Lots of less than perfect men would protect their wife
>and child. Uncle Vernon in GoF comes to mind - he had
>all the reasons to believe that Weasleys are a bunch
>of murderous psychos, yet he is ready to protect
>Petunia and Dudley with his life. Does that make him
>an OK guy, then? 
<snip>

Sherry:
<snip>
>school boys against the men they become.  Not even Snape.  My 
> dislike of Snape has never had anything to do with what he did at 
> school.  I think we have a lot of canon, through the eyes of other 
> characters, to support the idea that James became quite an heroic 
> man.  I'd sure like to see more of that, in the next book.


I think you're right, he became a heroic man, but he wasn't at first.  When reading about Snape's worst memory, I find it easier to identify with Snape being the nerdy little loner than James the slick jockstrap.  But I guess that depends on 'who' you were in school :) The thing Sirius said to ease Harry's worry "a lot of people are idiots at fifteen. He grew out of it", I think this is important. He used to be a 'bad boy', "hexing people for no reason" but he stopped, grew up.  

I like how the books evolve, from the first two, that I consider to be more of children's book than the rest, to more into some kind of mix.  Showing how Harry's dad wasn't always a good person is a step in that direction.

/Fabian