OotP: That Hazing Scene

[lagattalucianese]

No: HPFGUIDX 135167

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "leslie41" <leslie41 at y...> 
wrote:
> 
> Canon wizards don't wear anything under their robes, most of the 
> time.  They don't dress in Muggle clothing.  Snape doesn't wear 
> pants under his robes as a teacher, either.  The movie Snape--who 
> comes equipped with dozens of buttons and a frock coat--is not 
> supported by the books.

What about all those sweaters Molly keeps knitting for all and 
sundry? I can't imagine that the kids are running around in half a 
dozen sweaters on top (HBP, pp. 239-240, hb U.S. edition) and nothing 
between that and their trainers? Given the invasive behavior of 
certain Slitherins, the Weezley Twins, et al., going around bare-
bottomed sounds like a good way to get your buns bit, or scorched, or 
whatever. It must also make quiddich somewhat awkward.

(I asked for it--I suppose now I shall have to reread the entire 
canon and track down all mention of who wears what. :) It does seem 
to me, though, that wizards suffer a sartorial crisis only when JKR 
wants to stage an amusing wizard-muggle interaction.)

> Snape grew up poor.  It's evident that poor people at Hogwarts (and 
> elsewhere) have shabbier clothing.  Lupin, the Weasleys, etc.  
> Snape's underclothes probably weren't dirty--just grey the way old 
> underwear tends to be.  

Wizards don't know from bleach? :) My guess is that like most kids 
out on their own for the first time, he is somewhat maintenance-
challenged.

(This from a member whose cousin at Berkeley found out the first time 
he did laundry on his own *why* his mother had told him not to wash 
all his underwear with his red sweatshirt... He was known as "Pinky" 
for most of his freshman year.) 

> I don't know if this is supported by canon, but my guess is that 
> James and Sirius--good looking, popular, athletic, etc. nearly 
> immediately started picking on him.  Snape was just the type of 
> kid that such boys tend to gather together to humiliate (I 
> remember high school).    

 
Me too. :P I just wonder why he and his Slitherin buddies didn't kick 
more butt. According to Sirius, he could have cursed circles around 
the Marauders, if not at the time then at some future point when 
their guard was down ("Who ya callin' Snivellus, pretty boy?").

--La Gatta