James, a paragon of virtue? Snape, a paragon of virtue?

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 123443


Valky replies:
Sorry bout the snip. I agree James didn't really choose his friends
all that wisely, and hence not so much a thinker in that respect.
I attribute that flaw to another knightly quality, ego. This is
something that James and Snape shared. Part of their fearlessness
comes from a sense of outright superiority of the foe, invincibility
if you please. Harry, is slightly less proud and arrogant than his
father, but nevertheless he has it too.
He *was* arrogant, as Snape accuses, but his choices define his sense 
of highness. His choice was not power, but right. Leading the front, 
faith in the ultimate truth and a touch of mercy, that's the deep 
James... Just my opinion, BTW. On the surface in the Pensieve we see 
a young James head-filled with emotive principles such as 'An eye for 
an eye' 'Danger gleams like sunshine to a brave man's eyes' 'The 
strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.' ...... 
But with the same proud, arrogant but noble heart.
So to sum it up, I'd say you're right and Lily did put James head
straight on a few things. OTOH he had the heart of a knight and Lily
changed nothing about that, because that is what she fell in love
with.

vmonte responds:
Don't misunderstand me, I do think that James was brave; I just don't 
think that he was the "heart" of the J&L partnership. I think that 
Lily realized that the only way Harry could survive was if she 
somehow died and imparted a lasting protection on him. This is 
thinking things through to the end, in my opinion. Lily had the 
ability to make long-term plans. 

I do think however that if James was to know, in retrospect, that his 
actions would eventually lead to Snape loathing and tormenting Harry, 
he would not have done what he did during the penseive scene. 
Unfortunately, doesn't Sirius or Lupin tell Harry in OOTP that James 
continued to hex Snape behind Lily's back? This is James, Sirius, and 
Snape's weakness IMO. They just cannot let go of things. Harry and 
Lily are different. 

I still believe that Harry's reaction to the penseive scene points to 
how he is very much like his mother. This is Lily's gift to Harry-- 
what he has inherited from her. 

I also think however, that James has left Harry a gift that may 
eventually help him to conquer Voldemort. There has to be some 
connection between Voldemort and the dementors we are not yet aware 
of. Is Voldemort a form of dementor? Is this why they listen to him? 
What did he do to become immortal? 

Perhaps there will be a point in time that Harry will call on his 
patronus and it will push Voldemort through the veil. I know I've 
mentioned this before but I like the idea of Lily saving Harry (the 
protection spell) at the beginning of the series, and James 
protecting Harry (the inherited patronus) at the end of the series. 
Then again, knowing James, maybe it will push Snape into the veil.

Vivian