Lily (was Complimenting a character WAS: Re: HBP CHAPTERS 7-9 POST DH LOOK

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 184431

> Potioncat:
> I think you're both right. I have to say, I've never really thought 
> about Lily's behavior in this light. She isn't acting like a 
friend. I 
> can't imagine Hermione would smile at any aspect of the teasing if 
it 
> had been Ron or Harry in the air. Even at the point she and Ron 
were 
> most estranged--and she certainly wouldn't flirt with the tormenter.
> 
> 
> On one level, I accept it as canon. Severus and Lily were friends 
until 
> SWM brought issues to a head, and the friendship ended---to Snape's 
> lasting regret.
> 
> On the other level---this friendship doesn't work--or the scenes 
don't. 
> I don't get why JKR had Severus suddenly yell, "...a dirty Mudblood 
> like her..." nor why JKR wrote Lily as if she didn't know Severus. 
I 
> don't understand why Lily's close friends knew about the 
friendship, 
> but no one else seems to.
> 
> For example, SWM might have made more sense if Lily had been in a 
group 
> of Muggleborns who came to Severus's defense and he called them 
dirty 
> mudbloods before he knew Lily was with them. Or if they came to 
back up 
> Lily and Severus yelled at the group. (followed later by "But I 
didn't 
> mean you, Lily.")

Magpie:
For me, the way Lily is acting is the one thing that does explain 
Snape's outburst. I mean, the fact that he calls her a Mudblood shows 
that this is his problem--she's not to blame for him being bigoted in 
that scene. But the fact that she is clearly (imo) flirting with 
James while he torments Snape? If I were in Snape's position that 
would have a possible deal-breaker for me as a friend. Not only is he 
humiliated in front of everyone but then his friend finds it funny 
and uses the situation to flirt with the tormenter. I'm not 
justifying Snape's use of the word Mudblood but I can sympathize with 
his feelings there. 

In retrospect Lily seems a lot colder. It makes her decision to drop 
Snape after what he says to be an intellectual one, which I think it 
was. She doesn't seem incredibly hurt by what he says and has a 
response all ready. This has been coming for a while and now he's 
crossed the line she set out for herself and cuts him off. It seems 
like at that point it would be a relief to her--which makes it hard 
to believe this stuff about how she loved him and could have been 
interested in him romantically. It seems to me more like Lily cared 
about Snape when they were young but had outgrown him long before SWM 
because they didn't really click, they were just the only wizards in 
their area and Lily was sympathetic to Snape's problems. 

Years later it seems like Snape remembers that scene for his own bad 
behavior. When he thinks of Lily he still thinks of her as this 
loving, wonderful girl and not the one hiding a smile at watching him 
set upon.

-m