James Potter and the Dark Arts (was Re: The Huge overreactions

[Joe Goodwin]

No: HPFGUIDX 150155

Potioncat:
>> Hysteria? Yeah, I think I went hysterical the first time I read 
this chapter. James did such a thing? *James?* Wonderful, heroic, 
brave James Potter? (I'm not being sarcastic here. This was my 
reaction.) <snip> <<

Joe: 
I thought some of those very same things honestly. I also wondered 
why no one stood up for Snape until Lily. If it had been Neville or 
Luna as you mention lower someone would have done something. How do 
you end up with no one in an entire school liking you? Is the problem 
everyone else in the school or is it you?

Potioncat:
>> Can you provide the location for that quote? <snip> <<  

Joe: 
I might be confusing the two things here so I will go back and take 
a look.

Potioncat:
>> Let's go back to chapter 28, after Severus calls Lily a Mudblood, 
she says to James, "...walking down corridors and hexing anyone who 
annoys you just because you can..."

So we have Lily, paragon of virtue, saying that James hexes people 
just because he can. <snip> <<
   
Joe: 
Well at that point I imagine Lily was a bit embarassed at being 
insulted by someone she was trying to help. I don't deny that James, 
Sirius and probably dozens of others cast hexes and jinks at the drop 
of a hat. In fact I would be surprised had it been otherwise.

Potioncat:
>> <snip> Apparently that upside down jinx was used a lot. (From 
Lupin, in HBP) <snip> Some kids would never take that joke very well 
and of course, no one would laugh at being completely exposed. <<
   
Joe: 
Of course it was Snape who invented it. So a ton of my sympathy for 
him goes out the window. I mean if you invent a spell designed to 
embarrass people then it is sort of fitting that you get embarrassed 
by it.

Potioncat:
>> This is the point where the discussion turns to "When is a hex a 
hex and when is it Dark Art?" I don't know. But I wonder if James's 
association with Dorea Black Potter has anything to do with his hate 
for the Darks Arts? <<
   
  Joe: 
I am guessing that James hated the Dark Arts from the start and then 
(probably) being exposed to Sirius's family made it worse.
   
Neither James or Sirius was perfect my any means. My main objection 
is when someone attempts to make Snape look better by attempting to 
make James look worse than he was. 
   
Only one of them ended up with a Dark Mark on his arm.