What might Snape consider cowardice?

[M.Clifford]

No: HPFGUIDX 163681


<Snipping Kemper who isn't keen on discussing this particular angle>


> Potioncat:
>
> Someone else has just pointed out that Snape taunted Sirius with 
> cowardice. So it is an issue between them, isn't it? And between 
> Snape and the other Marauders? Now, I have to dig deep for a long 
> running debate between me, Carol(I think) and one of our Australian 
> members. All I can remember is the name started with a V and I'd 
> recognise them at once.....(showing my age)

Hi Potioncat!
Hehe ;) Yeah, it was me who was so shocked and shaken at the idea that
"sniveller" as in colloquial late 20th century english term for a weak
grovelling git, was anything short of a given for some readers. 






> 
> So, the point is, the debate had to do with the name Snivellus. While 
> Carol and I maintained that the Marauders could have discovered a young 
> Severus crying,(snivelling) and gave him the name, the other point of 
> view was that snivelling itself denotes lack of character, as 
> in "snivelling coward."
> 
> So, to Kemper's question, I think Harry's use of the spell recalled to 
> Snape's mind James, and the accusation of 'coward' hit an unhealed 
> wound and he reacted as he did. 


Hmmm, now I like where you're going here. This makes sense to me. The
conversation (lol if you could call it that) had turned to James by
this time, and yes I don't think at all, that the exchange between
Sirius and Ol' Snapey at Grimmauld place centred on the very same
'issue', getting both their backs up very, very high. 
 
I'd be willing to run with this.... and lets just say, assuming that
we're on the right track, what then, was it that Snape did which
Sirius considered cowardly. 

Lets try a process of elimination -

Q. Snapes older and sinister DE friends, would he hide behind them?
A. I think we are given the clue to eliminate this one, Snape holds it
very tightly against James that he was usually with backup when he
carried out his taunting. Undoubtedly this is Snapes Idea of cowardice. 
 
Q. Was this related to affection for Lily?
A. What would James and Sirius care about that? James was soft on
Lily, the less competition the better, right?

Q. A Muggle????? 
A. Bingo!!

Snape's father was a muggle, and by what appears to be accounts,
Snape's father was also an a***ole. Petunia recalls a horrible boy...
which may or may not have been James. And.... What if it wasn't James,
what if it was Snape come to see Lily that day only to encounter one
of the "worst kinds of muggles imaginable" to quote McGonagall.
Petunia can make Harry's head swim in boiling sap on a good day,
imagine what she might provoke out of a short-tempered, emotional
young Severus Snape... 

James and Sirius would definitely call attacking a defenseless, and
pretty stupid, Muggle with a nasty spell, cowardly. Whereas, Snape
might not have felt he had much choice given that is hot buttons had
been pressed by someone with the same traits as the man who tortured
him and is mother many years.. 

Ahhh Theory... I enjoyed that. But the big question is..
Does it fly???

Valky