But DID James listen? (was LID!Snape rides again )

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 150058

Alla:
> 
> You probably know that I am fond of speculation that since 
> Slytherin's gang all graduated by that time ( they are older than 
> Snape, I think it is pretty much canon now when Lucius and Bella's 
> ages are specified, no?), Snape was left all alone to deal with 
> Marauders.

Ceridwen:
Since we're down to just one more book coming out, it will probably 
end up as you say, that they were all much older than Snape, and he 
was the last of the gang by this time at Hogwarts.  But I still see 
the possibility that there were others from the gang still in 
Hogwarts, maybe in seventh year, who would not have been with the 
O.W.L. students.  My only clue to this was the use of the 
word 'gang', which to me is larger than three people, and would 
include people from different years.

Alla:
> Do I think that Slytherin gang and Marauders, NOT Snape and 
> Marauders initially had a violent history? Yep, I absolutely do. 
> Speculation? Sure it is, but I think it is significant that Sirius 
> did not see Bella since he was sixteen ( sure he does not have fond 
> memories of majority of his family, but he specifically says that 
> about Bella) It tells me that he and Bella were not on friendly 
> terms while in school. IMO of course. And of course we have 
> that "Malfoy's lapdog". I am dying to know whether this refers to 
> Snape school years and what did Sirius mean.

Ceridwen:
I'd like to know about the 'Malfoy's lapdog' comment, too.  As for 
Bellatrix, she isn't a nice person and I can't blame Sirius for not 
wanting to see her, in school or out.  Since she was more than a year 
older than Sirius, the last time he saw her could have been at her 
wedding, or the wedding of one of her sisters (Andromeda?).  Didn't 
Sirius have a crisis of family when he was sixteen and run to the 
Potters?  And, yes, I do think the Marauders and the Slyth Gang 
probably did have a violent, or at least an adversarial, relationship 
in school.  And Sirius being a Marauder while Bella was a SlythGanger 
might have had a lot to do with it.  Personal feelings like that 
spill into the groups the two people belong to, and friends support 
friends.

Alla:
> But of course take it for what it worth, since I am obviously 
> biased. :) ( Not that I am the only one of course :-)).

Ceridwen:
Not the only one at all.  ;)  But doesn't that make it fun?

Alla:
> 
> Oh, I don't know, I don't know. We are just speculating here, but 
> you don't see Voldemort indicting schoolboy why? I mean, I am not 
> saying I am right and maybe Draco was not indicted, but what would 
> stop Voldemort from indicting schoolboys in general? He would think 
> they are too young to understand and appreciate him fully? :-)

Ceridwen:
I think LV would want more mature people.  So, 'mature' is a relative 
term.  Most of his people seem to be arrested at some point in their 
developments.  But 'mature' in their knowledge of magic, they've 
passed their N.E.W.T.s, they have no one to answer to other than 
themselves and him, and they're out of the CAPSLOCK age.  CAPSLOCK 
can be dangerous for secrecy.  Also, the Mark could be inadvertently 
seen, in showers, at Quidditch games, or just on hot days when the 
student accidentally pulls up that sleeve.

Though, to go against this, LV's staunchest supporters that we've met 
have been stuck in CAPSLOCK - Bella and Crouch jr.  Still, Crouch jr. 
seems to have been able to hide his CAPSLOCK behavior while he was 
impersonating Moody.

And, I think that appreciating him fully, or unquestioningly, would 
be more of a young person thing.  Once dedicated to a cause, the 
young are more ardent, which may be why I see Bella and Crouch jr. as 
being mentally still in that age group.  So I think that LV gets them 
young enough, as they're leaving Hogwarts, but no younger, to try and 
get the best of the youthful ardor without the hairy hormonal phase 
around fifteen-sixteen.


> Alla:
> 
> YES, exactly "ripe for picking" is a good way to phrase it. Don't 
> you think that Voldemort would have done as much as he can to have 
> his eyes and ears in Hogwarts as early as possible? I'd say Lucius 
> and Bella count as pretty good candidates to me to be indicted say 
> at sixteen and then pass the torch to Snape. :-)

Ceridwen:
If he has his people perform some form of hazing before they are 
fully marked, then keeping watch at Hogwarts during their last year 
and reporting to him would be a good first duty to prove intent.  
They will have sullied their reputation by passing information if 
they get cold feet, but at that age, they will more likely be ardent 
soldiers for the cause.  Yes, I do see LV having eyes and ears at 
Hogwarts.  Most definitely.  Scoping out the up-and-coming Dark Arts 
students, the ones who would support him, recruiting to the ideals of 
the group, and so on.  Networking.  If we found out anything about 
Tom Riddle, faintly mirrored by Slughorn, in HBP, it was his smooth 
operation of other people.

I don't think he would mark these young followers, though, and fully 
induct them, for the reasons I gave above.  Also, they're still too 
close to Dumbledore, who will, as we have seen, offer amnesty.  Hold 
out the carrot, lure them in, *get them away from Dumbledore's 
influence*, then mark them and reel them in.

Alla:
> But again, of course we have no indication one way or another, I 
> just thought that Draco MAYBE having a mark would be a good clue as 
> to when Marauders generation could have started being a target for 
> recruiting, that's all.

Ceridwen:
I would agree, if Draco was a usual candidate.  I think, though, if 
he was the ordinary candidate instead of a punishment for his father, 
LV would have conscripted him to do watching duties in his seventh 
year, then marked him at the end of it, a 'graduation present' from 
his new master.  But, I could be wrong, and LV had the students at 
least working for him if not fully marked, by sixteen.  Sixteen is a 
significant age in most western societies (fifteen in 
others).  'Sweet sixteen' in the US, and I think the age of sexual 
consent in Britain is sixteen.  So, you may be right, and the only 
difference between Draco's mission and any other budding DE's would 
be the punishment aspect of it.

Speculation is fun.

Ceridwen.