James, a paragon of virtue? Was: Why Do You Like Sirius?

[nrenka]

No: HPFGUIDX 124257


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Magda Grantwich 
<mgrantwich at y...> wrote:

> Magda:
> 
> Yes, but what proof is there (aside from Sirius Black's statements -
> backed up by nobody else; according to Remus, Snape was jealous of
> James' quidditch skills) that Snape was a "partisan" of the Dark
> Arts?
> 
> I think he became one - but what proof is there that he one at the
> age of 15?

If we're going to toss out all statements backed up by nobody else, 
then we have to toss out a LOT of things.  I prefer to let that one 
stand, but with an asterisk by it; could be true, could not...

But what is almost more important if we're trying to get into James' 
psychology here is that it seems fairly clear that *James* thought of 
Snape as a Dark-Arts loving type of character.  That's the thing that 
Sirius and Remus harp on when Harry comes to see them; that may be a 
retrospective emphasis, but it may be their expression of what they 
remember as having been deathly important at that place in time.

[I suspect we will generally have to disagree about the climate at 
Hogwarts during their schooldays; I think those issues of pureblood 
ideology/etc. were more prominent, being discussed, and that there 
did not have to be a personal tragedy in James' history to provoke a 
concern and knowledge thereof.]

There's no proof he was one at the age of 15.  We have the also 
oblique (but not to be thrown out just because we don't like it) 
association of some sort with other Slytherins, notably such 
luminaries as Bellatrix.  But playing in JKR's deeply essentialist 
universe, it's telling that he ended up as one--and telling that he 
left.

Not enough information to really sort it out.

-Nora stands firmly by the idea that everyone has their ideology, 
aware or not