Maraurders/he exists

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 168225

wynnleaf
> Point is, the readers aren't the authorities on what's Dark or not,
> JKR is.  And she has made Snape an expert on the subject, yet has not
> shared that expert knowledge with the reader.  If Snape says one spell
> is Dark and another object is Dark, why should we use one such
> pronouncement to judge him by, while tossing the other aside as not
> possibly dark because we, the readers, didn't see any blood and we'd
> like to assume Snape probably didn't mean it?
> 
> If we want to believe Snape was sincere about one, but not the other,
> fine.  But I wouldn't then go further and take only the assessment
> that suits our version of who we want to see in a negative spin, and
> apply his assessment to that person, while disregarding his assessment
> that affects the other person(s).  To me, it starts to get arbitrary.  

wynnleaf
I see that I have been unclear in my comments above. 

I do not mean that anyone that sees Snape's assessment of Darkness in
one instance as an honest assessment and the other as not, is
therefore applying an arbitrary call (one is important, the other is
not) simply to spin a character in a negative direction.

For instance, I'm not saying that Carol is trying to spin Snape in a
negative way.  I would have to be delirious or something! :D

What concerns me is that many posters use Snape's negative assessment
of Sectumsempra as an opportunity to condemn him through his own
words.  But when he makes negative assessments of anything regarding
the Marauders, the same readers often completely reject his assessment
as biased, or otherwise unreliable due to ulterior motives.  

wynnleaf
> By the way, I *don't* think he knew it was something connected with
> Lupin.  "Moony" could have been a hint if Snape noticed, because he
> knew Lupin was a werewolf, but the other names would just be
> confusing.  If Snape had really thought the parchment was some strange
> device of Lupin's, I don't think he'd have even called Lupin in.  I
> think he'd have investigated the parchment himself.  Would Snape
> really think that Lupin would floo over and tell him all about it, if
> it was something of Lupin's?  Certainly not!  That is of course just
> my opinion and I do realize that one could be read several ways.  

zgirnius:
Actually, Snape should know that Prongs was James Potter, as well.
Sirius used the nickname right in the middle of Snape's Worst Memory
(I mean the part of it where Snape is being attacked - so he
certainly heard it). Not to mention that Sirius's public use of the
nickname in front of half the year suggests he commonly used it in
public.

wynnleaf
While you could be correct about Snape having been familiar with the
nickname "Prongs," I wouldn't expect Snape to remember it from the
Worst Memory unless he reviews that memory in a pensieve regularly. 
Otherwise, I wouldn't expect him to recall the use of a nickname in
the midst of such a stressful moment.

wynnleaf
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