Identifying Enemies (was:Bullying WAS: Re: Prodigal Sons)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 140883

> >>Betsy:
> > Also, you seem to be suggesting that Snape still acts like a Death
> > Eater. Frankly, Molly Weasley seems more anti-muggle to me. Hagrid
> > and the twins have participated in more on page muggle baiting than
> > Snape has. (Heck, the twins nearly *killed* the muggle they
> > baited.) Actually, Snape has *saved* more student's lives than any
> > other teacher at Hogwarts, IIRC. Hardly Death Eater behavior, IMO.

> >>vmonte:
> Here we go again. Face it Betsy, you and I are not reading the same 
> books. I'm sure that Molly and the twins don't represent the enemy   
> to JKR either.

Betsy Hp:
Enemy? Who said anything about enemies?  I, for one, would be 
completely shocked if Hagrid turned out to be a closet Death Eater.  
However he did physically attack a Muggle child because that child's 
father angered him.  Dudley wasn't seriously hurt (though he was 
forced to undergo surgery), and I'm sure Hagrid acted out of anger 
rather than prejudice.  But at the same time JKR has never had Snape 
act in a similar fashion.

I seriously doubt Molly is interested in subjugating the Muggle 
population, but she does consider Muggles as less intelligent or 
capable than wizards.  I think that's why she so quickly believed 
reports that Hermione was a "scarlet woman". (Who knows how those 
Muggles had raised the poor girl.)  It's a polite form of prejudice, 
but, again, it's more apparent than any prejudice JKR has shown Snape 
having.

As for the twins.... Okay, I can totally buy at least one of them 
turning out to be an enemy.  (Killing a small animal is not a good 
sign, even in the Potterverse.)  And they *left* (didn't offer so 
they'd be around if Dudley ate it) a piece of candy that caused 
Dudley's tongue to swell to such a degree he couldn't breath.  If 
Arthur hadn't been there I think the only possible way Dudley could 
have been saved is if someone had cut out his tongue.  That's pretty 
darn brutal, IMO.  And once more, JKR has failed to have Snape do 
anything that comes close.

So no, it's not readily apparent to me that Snape has Death Eater 
tendencies.  JKR hasn't made much effort to display any that I've 
seen. (Not in the books I've been reading, anyway. <g>)

Betsy Hp