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

[richter_kuymal]

No: HPFGUIDX 150223

Ceridwen :< snip> the memory begins during the written portion of 
the exam and continues out to the lake.  There is nothing 
immediately before this point that wasn't seen, or couldn't be 
assumed from the situation.  

PAR: there is the problem of Peter.  "Every time James made a 
particularly difficult catch, Wormtail gasped and applauded.  After 
five minutes of this,...." There is at least a possible suggestion 
here that Peter is under the influence of something on the order of 
a love potion. And who is our "potions master"?  Potioning peter 
during OWLS would be something a "DE" groupie might do.  And if so, 
the levicorpus event takes a slightly different meaning.  Not nicer. 
I agree with Ceridwen that James wasn't perfect and that his 
behavior here is hardly admirable.  But it might be more 
understandable if it's in direct response to something else.  

I don't think it's a service to Harry to paint his parents perfect 
(either one of them) either.  But neither is it a service to paint 
James as evil or seriously bad.  Cultural norms change both in time 
and space.  What was a "serious hazing" is now something that 
justifies calling the police. I think that we are meant to have an 
assumption about James and Sirius here, just as we were meant to 
have one about Peter prior to the revelation in the Shack in POA.  
JKR is good about making us think one thing and then revealing the 
actual facts later.  

I for one would like to see Lupin's memory of this same event and 
any relevant things two days before and after.  It's too bad we 
can't have James' or Sirius', but Lupin might provide some 
perspective on just how bad (or not) James really was.  


PAR