[HPforGrownups] Re: Hating Dark Arts (was re James' essence...)

[Kemper]

No: HPFGUIDX 154119

> > Carol closed:
> > Carol, who absolutely agrees that James's hatred of Severus is
> strange
> > when he's so fond of casting hexes himself but does not think that
> > relative "Darkness" provides the explanation
>
>
> Julie opened:
> That's why I wonder what *really* made James hate Snape so much?
> Because he was a Slytherin, part of a house supposedly full of Dark
> Arts supporters? Then why not hex all the Slytherins of that year
> equally? Why single out Snape? Because he was even odder and greasier
> than the average Slytherin? Because he *talked* about his
> love/knowledge of the Dark Arts (given he wasn't really old enough or
> experienced enough or maybe even determined enough to actually
> perform them)? Really, what was it between those two? (Though Lily
> could be part of it, that doesn't explain their earlier years at
> Hogwarts before she presumably came into the picture.)
>
> It's a bit of a conundrum, though maybe not one important enough for
> JKR to clarify. Perhaps it's only there to serve as a parallel to the
> animosity between Draco and Harry/his friends. Or maybe we will learn
> that there was another reason for the mutual animosity between Snape
> and James. Only Book 7 will tell :-)
>
> 


Kemper now:
What if the animosity is nothing more than personality conflict?  What if
Sevie showed up to his first ever DADA lesson and was the quickest to raise
his hand at all the questions the  DADA professor asked of the class?  Much
like a younger Hermione did in her first Potions lesson.  And what if many
of Sevie's fellow classmates were put off by this performance?  Much like
many of Hermione's class(and house)mates.  What if Sevie was able to express
verbally his knowledge of the Dark Arts?  Much like Hermione knew about the
uses of various apothecaric ingredients.

Maybe prior to entering Hogwarts, Li'l Sevie read his mom's copy of "Dark
Arts, a History".  And his know-it-all-ness really irked ThrowsTheFirstStone
James and his best mate, CoolerThanYou Black.

I see the Dark Arts as a false reason the boys hated Sevie.  Based on both
boys' competitive spirit and over developed sense of self, I'd say they
hated Sevie because he was an intellectually/magically gifted equal, if not
better.

Just my musings...

Kemper


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