Bullying WAS: Re: Prodigal Sons

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 141039


> Valky wrote:
> 
> > May I politely suggest that perhaps your own interpretation is
> > slightly coloured by a determination to believe that Snape is an
> > angel?
> 
> 
> And may I politely respond that I have never claimed that Snape is 
> an angel?  In fact, anyone who's carefully read my posts over the 
> years would see that I never implied or stated any such thing.
> 
> People who find Snape objectionable seem to feel very threatened by
> those of us who find him a deeper character who still has a lot of
> information and backstory to impart.
> 
> Magda 
> 

Valky:
I am sorry Magda, I have to ask for clarification, it seems to me
*not* finding Snape objectional would be somewhat akin to implying he
is angel.

For me personally, yes I am happy to admit, There is plenty that is
objectional about Snape. Enough, I suppose, to support on fine thread
the supposition that he hs 'done bullying' before he became a teacher.
I wouldn't personally go as far as to say he was an out and out
bighead jerk, though, seems James covered that angle well enough for
us already <g> OTOH I take Sirius word as truth and he's made some
accusations of Snapes youthful character which don't paint a pleasant
picture. It implies to me that Snape had an underhand malicious nature
even as a youngster, the kind, I think, is demonstrated by his acts of
sabotage on Harry's potions efforts, and his determination to bring
full force of the most exrtreme or insidious punishment that comes to
his mind on anyone he personally disapproves of, for example in POA
when he tells Sirius and Lupin he won't take them to the castle but
both straight to the dementors to get kissed. I absolutely disagree
with the notion that his backstory will reveal he never used this kind 
of praetorian tactics as a young man, and that he was *just* a lonely
geek boy that minded his own business all the time a'la pensieve. I
totally believe he was *always* like this. I believe honesty is
Sirius' strong point, not Snape's. Snape has strong points definitely,
but he's not an open book like Sirius is, so it's entirely likely that
Snape is the one who is hiding in terms of his responsibility for the
feud with James.

However, I also agree with Betsy, that its the Hatfields vs. McCoys,
and the first punch was lost long ago in a forgotten flurry of
punches. So it doesn't make a whole lot of difference anymore. The
fact that Snape stubbornly maintains his perfect innocence and victim
status, while characters for whom genuine truth and honesty is a
*really* big deal like Albus 'my memory is as good as it ever was'
Dumbledore and Sirius 'served him right' Black, disagree with him,
hints strongly at me that they are the ones who understand best that
it is a Hatfields and McCoys affair now and Snape is yet to grow up
that much.

Valky