The Huge overreactions from a five minute time span.

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 150092

Joe Goodwin:

> Snape's worst memory has to be the single most hysteria-inducing 
piece of Harry Potter. It gives rise to a lot of clap trap including:
>    
>   1. Snape would be a teddybear if only the mean old James Potter 
hadn't tortured him in school.

Alla:

Can I just say Bravo to your whole post?


Joe Goodwin:   
>   2. James and the other Marauders were really nasty people and 
Dumbledore let them get away with everything.

Alla:

THAT is one of the most puzzling things - e.g. Dumbledore letting 
Marauders get away with anything, because I REALLY don't remember 
anything in canon which can testify to that - Dumbledore letting 
Marauders getting away with anything. I mean, he did not expel 
Sirius after the prank? Hmmmm, could it be, MAYBE that what Sirius 
did just was not serious enough to deserve expulsion, but I am 
betting anything that Sirius WAS punished after the Prank, just not 
with the punishment that would satisfy Severus Snape. Well,I doubt 
that anything other than seeing Sirius dementor kissed would satisfy 
Snape, IMO of course.


Joe Goodwin:
>   The truth is probably that the Gryffindors and the Slytherins 
constantly jinxed and hexed each other on many occations sheerly out 
of house rivalry. A war that was for the most part between their 
houses was on the horizon as well. It was probably this that forged 
the Snape-Potter feud as much as anything.

Alla:

Absolutely - it was Voldemort first rising. War was NOT just on the 
horizon, war was already there and I am thinking that regardless of 
whether Voldemort was recruting in Hogwarts or not, families were 
mixed into it  IMO and Hogwarts students were not on the Island, 
they were participating in all this.


Joe Goodwin:    
>   Yeah James and Sirius were a bit much and could have been nicer. 
But James Potter stood his ground and faced off against Voldemort, 
even though he had to know he had no chance, in an attempt to save 
his wife and child. James Potter stood by his friend Remus Lupin 
when most of the wizarding world would not have. James Potter became 
an Auror and worked to help people
>    
>   Snape willingly joined a group of racists bent on torture, 
murder and the ethnic cleansing of the Muggleborn and the best thing 
we can say is that he was sorry when someone who he knew was 
murdered by them.


Alla:

Very true, but I even have no problem saying that they should have 
been a lot nicer, you know. :-)

What I am having problems with is portraying Severus Snape as a 
fluffy bunny against big bad Marauders.

As I said in another post today - my speculation is that Slytherin 
Gang and Marauders had LOTs nasty run ins, but when Slytherin gang ( 
or most of Slytherin gang) left school, Snape was left alone to deal 
with Marauders.

It really does not make Marauders bullying look better, but it puts 
Snape in the context of participating in Slytherin gang activities.


Alla,

just speculating of course.