Political positions of the characters/James reacting to Remus' lycanthropy.

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 150441

Alla:
> <snip>*(and snip again)*...sure Sirius uses this 
> statement as 
> > an excuse, but I also view it as statement of facts and till I 
see 
> > Sirius being  proven as a liar anywhere in canon, I will view his 
> > factual statements ( not , say his evaluational statements of 
> course) 
> > as a facts :) Be it "knew more Dark curses...", "Malfoy's 
> > lapdog", "hated Dark arts" or " Dumbledore thinks you are 
reformed 
> but 
> > I know better".

a_svirn:
> *(snip)*
> Sirius cannot obviously be considered an independent witness, now 
> can he? If anyone is biased in the entire series it would be Sirius 
> Black. Especially where Snape is concerned. And until it is proven 
> that Snape was guilty in practicing the Dark Arts at school, this 
is 
> one crime he's innocent of.

Ceridwen:
Carol has brought up some thoughts in another post in this thread.  
She points out that the word 'dark' was not used by Sirius to 
describe Snape's knowledge of curses, and that sometimes the 
words 'hex', 'jinx' and 'curse' get used interchangeably in the 
series.

We don't know if 'curse' was used erroneously in this case, or if 
this is a case of Sirius applying his own interpretation of something 
which caused he and his friends discomfort.  Naturally, Sirius would 
believe his own interpretation, or he would not hold it.

Sirius has issues with the darker side of magic.  He is in a state of 
rebellion against his family, which holds to the ideal of Pureblood 
Supremacy, and which also, apparently, sees no problem with the Dark 
Arts.  He *may* swing a bit too far in seeing the 'hexes' 
and 'jinxes' Snape may have known at eleven, as 'curses'.  We don't 
know.

The statement that 'Dumbledore thinks you're reformed but I know 
better' shows us at least two things: one, Sirius, like the rest of 
the Order as far as we know, does not know why Dumbledore trusts 
Snape; second, that Sirius suspects Snape, rightly or wrongly.  He 
obviously does believe what he says, things hurled in the heat of 
argument are often the truth as far as the person hurling it 
perceives.  We are being shown an argument, as well as Sirius's 
beliefs.

*(snipping)*

a_svirn:
> He might or might not have "hated" the Dark Arts while still at 
> school. It doesn't matter much, though. ...Bullying and 
> abusing your schoolmates is also bad.

Ceridwen:
I don't see any reason to think that James didn't hate the Dark 
Arts.  It supplies part of the motivation for the rivalry between 
James and Snape.  It also explains Sirius's involvement with James.  
And if Sirius, and possibly James (we don't know the backstory on his 
family and the various Dark wizards of the past) interpret the curses 
Snape knew coming into school as the first steps toward the Dark, 
this would be the beginning of the feud between them.  It makes 
sense, and it covers what we know from elsewhere in canon.

Sirius said that Snape knew more curses coming into Hogwarts than 
half the seventh years.  They were all eleven coming off the train, 
even if they turned twelve the next day.  Another eleven year old 
knowing all of that would be daunting to the other eleven year olds, 
dark or light or just for fun.

Alla:
<snip> 
> sure I 
> > will take their biases into consideration, but not to such extent 
> as 
> > to say that when Sirius reports facts he lies. <snip>

a_svirn:
> Then what do you mean by "taking their biases in consideration?"

Ceridwen:
I think Alla means, and I'm sure she'll tell me if I'm wrong, that 
she will take certain statements with a grain of salt.  But not to 
the extent that she will say someone is outright lying.  People may 
misrepresent the truth while honestly believing they are giving 
factual information.  So, Sirius saying that Snape knew more curses 
than half the seventh year (and they wouldn't be learning Dark curses 
anyway, not at Hogwarts!) might be engaging in hyperbole with 
the 'half the seventh year' statement, perhaps to make the point, but 
he does honestly believe that Snape knew a lot more than he should 
have known at age eleven.

a_svirn:
*(snip)*
> Moreover, he believes that he, Sirius, is entitled to meet out 
> punishments to those who fall short of his exalting standards (self-
> righteousness clearly runs in the family).

Ceridwen:
I do agree with this.  It's a teenaged reaction, I think, since teens 
are idealogues who cannot understand others' failings.  Their 
standards are impossibly high, and their reactions are absolute.  
Certainly not every teen, but as a group it seems to be a general 
characterisitic.  Sirius, being stuck in Azkaban from the time he was 
still in this stage, still has signs of it in his adult personality. 

I've been wondering something about Snape knowing curses at eleven.  
Could his mother have taught them to him as defense?  Did she think 
he would be teased (for looks, being a Half-blood, being 'working 
class') and so taught him how to defend himself?  When I had trouble 
with a boy at school constantly jumping on my back, my father taught 
me how to do a Judo throw.  Would Eileen have anticipated problems 
and done the WW's equivalent?

Ceridwen.