PTSD, Bias, and Polyjuiced People

[Michelle]

No: HPFGUIDX 141047

My two knuts:

While very often associated with war and service folk, PTSD is 
certainly not limited to war situations.  I, in fact, suffered a bit 
of PTSD when I was robbed at gun point tied up and put in a closet, 
working the midnight shift at a hotel once.  (October 1, 1999 at 
328am ... some things are just etched in your mind forever.)  For a 
solid week I did not sleep, eat, talk to people, leave my house.  I 
couldn't handle being around people, but worse, I couldn't stand 
being alone, but was so crippled by the reprecussions of having 
someone so violently invading my personal space.  I wasn't raped or 
physically harmed, but mental damage is sometimes worse.  6 years 
later, I still have quite the reaction when someone grabs my wrists.

I am also a firefighter and have seen some of my comrades go through 
PTSD after particularly horrendous calls, usually involving 
children.  Many of the problems experienced by FDNY firefighters 
after 9/11 were a direct result of the effects of PTSD.  While mine 
wasn't THAT bad or prolonged, to a small degree I know how they 
felt.  We typically refer to it as Critical Incident Stress.  Anyone 
can experience it , it is basically a precursor to full blown PTSD.  

So how I am keeping myself from not having to slam my ears in the 
oven door with this post?  

If, in fact, Snape was in love with Lily, which I believe he was, 
then his act of betraying James and Lily to Voldemort and their 
subsequent, untimely ends, would have/could have been enough to 
trigger a PTSD reaction in Snape.  Losing a loved one in a 
particularly vicious manner would certainly do it.  I think it is 
directly Snape's fault that Lily and James died.  His act of 
penance, however, was turning to Dumbledore for mercy and to be able 
to attempt to make amends for his egregious error in judgement 
(joining the DE's int he first place).  Thus, his attitude toward 
Harry is a reaction to his love for Lily.  He doesn't really hate 
Harry, but Snape knows that it is his fault that his mother is dead 
and, being unable to handle his feelings, he (Snape) keeps the one 
thing that is a constant reminder of his feelings (Harry) at a 
distance.

(phew) I think that was one really long-winded sentence with a few 
punctuation marks thrown in for good measure!

Bias ... there has been discussion about Arthur and Molly's 
attitudes toward muggles.  I don't have much to say on the 
subject ... just that Molly's attitude strikes me as one of pity.  
She feels sorry for the poor people that can't do magic.  It's not 
that she doesn't like them or think they are lesser beings, just 
they are like ... I don't know ... how many people view the blind or 
death or mentally or physically challenged or autistic.  In general, 
people don't dislike them, but because they are uneducated about 
their conditions, they feel sorry for them.

Ok, and my last little tidbit for the month ... what if ... just go 
with me on this one ...

What if Snape was polyjuiced as DD and DD was polyjuiced as Snape?  
Then DD killed Snape and not the other way around!!  One can only 
hope ... I miss Dumbledore. :(

Saving lives and property,

Michelle :)

Ok, maybe it was only worth one knut ...