Sectumsempra in the pensieve / or not

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 150309


> Carol:
> 
> <SNIP>
> 
> And the explanation that works best for me is that he invented
> > SS as retaliation for the so-called Prank, with the cutting hex 
> > he'd used on James the previous year as a precursor to the darker, 
> > deadlier model that was prompted by the Prank, which we know he 
> > saw as a murder attempt. What cause he might have had before that 
> > to develop a truly Dark curse I can't imagine. I don't think he 
> did.
> 
> Alla:
> 
> I will take a bite speculating what cause Snape may had to invent 
> truly Dark curse before Prank ever happened. Could it be that Snape 
> was always attracted to Dark deadly curses, could it be that he 
> indeed knew many Dark curses when he arrived at school?
> 
> Could it be that Snape interest in Dark magic is what drew him to 
> Voldemort? Oh, yes and with every book I see more and more support 
> for that.
> 
> After all, Sirius just could not have been right in anything Snape 
> related matters, even if he simply delivers facts, and Snape had 
> nothing to do with dark curses whatsover, except of course we know 
> now that he did.
> 
> I think it could be so. I think Snape inventing Dark curses WAS one 
> of the reasons of his rivalry with James, who always hated Dark 
> Arts, but after all I believe that Snape had always had very Dark 
> nature.
> 
> Alla, speculating here, but happy that HBP did not disillusion her 
> speculation, on the contrary.
>


Hi Carol and Alla :)

Of course you know I agree with Alla on this one, especially on the
point - Snape inventing Dark curses WAS one of the reasons of his
rivalry with James, who always hated Dark Arts - I'd be so bold as to
call this canon, myself, by virtue of Lupin in OOtP saying 

"- Snape was just this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the
Dark Arts and James -- whatever else he may have appeared to you,
Harry -- always hated the Dark Arts." 

IMNHO this is Lupin's plain reply to what happened in the Pensieve, I
don't think it's given as a random general comment about Snape and
James, and it's not in the least bit supporting of a Post Prank Dark
Arts dealing Snape, it is categorically pre-prank pensieve incedent
commentary context, if you get my drift (at least I think so), and so
to me it is disambiguous unwavering canon, one of the things James
hated about Snape was the Dark Arts. 

I think the main grey area lies in exactly how did Snape come across
to James (who's best friend came from the WW most notorious Dark Arts
family and had Dark Wizard stigma painted across his brow all his
life) as a Dark Arts Wizard? I for one would think it really stupid to
jump to the conclusion that James was guilt of blind prejudice in
assuming guilt by association on Sevvie. What I mean by that is if
James was the kind of guy who generalised people according to who they
hung with or where they came from then why oh why was his best friend
Sirius Black? 

I won't say James didn't have any prejudices, he did of course, but I
would draw the line before accusing him of prejudging Sevvie based on
unknown factors. IMO its only logical to assume that James pegged
Snapey for Dark Arts Baby on something he personally observed, IMO
that would be the only way to really get on James bad side, he'd have
to *see* for himself that you do wrong by his standards or are bad by
his standards, I think his three friends are testimony to that. 

You see, if Peter fooled James for over a decade that he was such a
nice guy, and Sirius had the worst family reputation of any kid in
Hogwarts, and Lupin came out of nowhere and had a very dark secret,
well it stands to reason James didn't judge people on things he hadn't
seen for himself, right?

So *that* James, canon James IMO, hating Snape because (at least
partly) he was a Dark Arts Student, means James had to see Snape doing
this first hand or else it is OOC and I won't buy it.

As far as I am concerned, Snape was a Dark Arts Boogey boy before the
prank, and that's canon. 

By extension I think its highly likely that the spell he used in the
Pensieve incedent was Sectumsempra, but I don't think it matters
either way. 

According to Sirius Snape connived against the Marauders, so we can't
say he was really *in the habit* of minding his own business all the
time, and Canon!James hated him, which to me means there was a
tangible reason behind that other than some blind arbitrary
narrow-mindedness. 

Valky