[HPforGrownups] Re: A James Rant - Who was This Guy?

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 181390

Lynda Cordova wrote:
> I don't think I was ever looking for something to admire in James Potter.
> In the end, he seems to have matured a bit and was settling into marriage
> and raising a kid, but he definately did have issues in his past that Harry
> inherited.  I've never seen any reason to doubt either his friends sincerity
> or the possibility that Lord Thingy might have lied or stretched the truth
> more than a little bit in SS.
Bart:
    Well, let's see what we know that's positive about James:

    He was an athlete, to all accounts an excellent magician and 
student, coming from a wealthy family. Yet, he befriended a group that 
would otherwise have been outcasts (Sirius was a turncoat, Lupin was a 
werewolf, and Peter was a, well, we don't know how he started out, but 
we do know how Wormy ended up). If it weren't for his bigotry as a 10 
year old, he might have even taken in Sevvy, which would have changed a 
LOT of things, and we probably wouldn't have a story. Although he became 
a bully in his mid-teens, he grew out of it (he may not have been aware 
as how bad he was; consider his acceptance of Peter as his Secret 
Keeper). And, although he could have easily remained neutral in the 
Mortywar I, he not only participated, but he and Lily won no less than 
three victories against Morty (and apparently no more), which puts them 
up there with the Longbottoms. It seems like his parents were good 
people (at least from Sirius' point of view), and he had a good upbringing.

    As near as I can tell, he was a good kid, got too full of himself in 
his teen years, grew out of it (or was maybe shocked out of it; I forget 
the timing of The Prank), and became an up and coming star in the WW 
until his life was unfortunately cut short.

    Bart