good and bad slytherins/Disappointment and Responsibility

[lanval1015]

No: HPFGUIDX 175167

> > > 
> > > "Sirius did not smile. 'My whole family have been in 
Slytherin,' 
> > he said.
> > > 
> > > "'Blimey,' said James. 'And I thought you seemed all right!'"
> > > 
> > > "Sirius grinned. 'Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you
> > > heading, f you've got the choice?'
> > > 
> > > "James held up an invisible sword. 'Gryffindor, where dwell 
the 
> > brave
> > > at heart. Like my dad"" (DH Am. ed. 671).
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Lanval:
> > And that's when Snape sneers at James, and insults his choice of 
> > house. Let's not omit that, if we're talking canon. 
> 
> 
> lizzyben:
> 
> Just wanted to add one thing. When James said "just like my Dad" 
and
> waves an invisible sword, I'm convinced that Snape interpreted 
that as
> "I want to be a bully, just like my Dad." Hence his "small,
> disparaging noise" and later comment about "brawn." James sees his
> father as someone to emulate, but Snape sees his as an abusive 
bully.
> So while James sees his desire to be like his father as something
> noble, it provokes a negative reaction from Snape. Just another
> example of the (many) misconceptions & misunderstandings from that 
scene.
>

Lanval:
Ah, so Snape must, once again, be excused? He can't help insulting 
James'choice, because James innocently waving an imaginary sword and 
mentioning his dad immediately sends Severus into inner tremblings?

In other words, every time another kid mentions his/her dad, Snape 
could be excused for getting snippy?

You have every right to interpret the scene that way, but I find it 
a real stretch. Frankly, I don't see any  misconceptions and 
misunderstandings in the scene. Both James and Snape are quite clear 
and straightforward on what they want, expect, and prefer. 

Tobias, an abusive bully? Maybe. We see him shouting at his wife 
once, but DH makes it quite clear that the Snapes were arguing with 
each other. I don't think there's enough canon to make Mrs Snape the 
perpetual victim here, and there certainly is none that Severus was 
in any way abused by his father (another fandom myth down the 
drain...). 

I would go as far and suggest that Harry's early childhood was in 
fact far worse than Snape's. Not only was all the abuse in the 
Dursley household heaped upon Harry, canonically, by three family 
members, but he also lacked what young Severus had: a mother who 
probably did love him, the prospect of a brighter future, and, at 
least for a few years, a real friend.