Young James v Older James WAS: Re: The Huge overreactions .

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 150151

> Ceridwen:
<SNIP>
> How would people you haven't seen since high school see you now?  
> Will they think you have chanaged?  Would you think they have 
changed?
> 
> James probably changed as he matured.  Everyone changes as they 
gain 
> more experiences and as they grow.  People who knew James as an 
adult 
> speak highly of him.  Snape apparently didn't hang out with 
James&Co 
> after they left Hogwarts, so his memories of James will be of the 
> younger, more foolish, James in school.  This is the way MWPP were 
at 
> fifteen to sixteen years old.  This is the way James was.  This 
was 
> James the 'toerag', who was less desirable a date than the Giant 
> Squid.  This was not the James spoken of with admiration.  This 
was 
> not the James who died to save his family.  This was the 'before', 
> while people who knew him at the end speak of the 'after'.
> 

Alla:

Sorry, I have to disagree - not in a sense of sixteen year old James 
being perfect, but in a sense that people say good things only about 
after school James, more mature James. I think already at that age 
James had enough good in him, and enough bad of course, but no, I am 
not buying the "after" only good things :)

Dumbledore speaks  here of teenage James too, no?

"I knew your father very well, both at Hogwarts and later, Harry," 
he said gently. "He would  have saved Pettigrew too, I am sure 
not." - PoA, p.427.

Wouldn't you agree that DD does not just say here that James would 
have saved his friend Pettigrew? I think he says  metaphorically 
that James would have showed mercy to the enemies and James " both 
in Hogwarts and later".

Nag, I think that even young James had plenty good qualities and 
hopefully Harry will get a chance to hear about them and not just 
about his dad's heroic death.

JMO,

Alla