Bullying was Re: [HPforGrownups] Re: Prodigal Sons

[spotsgal]

No: HPFGUIDX 140739

Nora:
> The differences are noted--but 24/7, given the House system?

Christina:

In non-boarding schools, bullies can make a student's life a living
hell, and the majority of that student's time is spent at home.  I can
only imagine how much worse it might be at a boarding school, even if
the students in question are in different houses.

Nora: 
> I admit that I incline to the opposite position; bullying and abuse 
> between students can be very strong and have unpleasant results, but
> it is between people on a reasonable plane of equality.

Christina:

I can appreciate the basis of what you're saying (and I do think that
it is wrong for Snape to abuse his position of power and stoop to
insulting children), but I would argue that Snape and the Marauders
weren't really on a reasonable plane of equality either.  James and
Sirius were the most popular students in school and had their own
little gang.  They were well-liked, powerful, and we know that James
(at least) was also a jock.  Snape, at least how he appears in the
pensieve, did not have these benefits.  Even Harry noticed that Snape
wasn't particularly well-liked.  Snape did fight back, but before he
was able to do so, when it was a simple case of James and Sirius
ganging up on and abusing Snape, much of the crowd showed clear
support ("Several people watching laughed...Many of the surrounding
watchers laughed.").  After Snape tried to hex James and James flipped
him upside down, "Many people in the small crowd watching cheered." 
As much as it bothered me that Peter found pleasure in Snape's
torture, it bothered me more that it seemed to be a common sentiment.
 Out of the entire group of spectators, only one person stepped
forward to help Snape.  I refuse to believe that all the Slytherins
were mysteriously absent- some had to be there, and they didn't help
Snape, either (speculation on my part, though).  The only person that
steps forward to defend Snape is Lily, but even she nearly smiles when
James flips Snape into the air.

Just because people are the same age doesn't mean that they are
equals.  James and Sirius were much more powerful (in many different
senses of the word) than Snape was.  While they were not in an
official authority position (as with the present-day Snape), they were
certainly strong people picking on a weak one.


Nora:
> To clarify a 
> bit, the agency issue is very opaque here, and we're all 
> speculating.

Christina:

So true.  And what fun speculation it is!