Snape killing flies WAS: Re: Lily WAS: First lesson

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 185731

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214"
<dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
>
> Carol:
> < HUGE SNIP>
> In any case, if killing flies is an indication of murderous intentions
> or evil character, whether in teenagers or adults, we Muggles had
> better take a closer look at ourselves. <SNIP>
> 
> Alla:
> 
> In the real life of course not, but if in the book I am reading about 
> the character and seeing his memories and one of those very few 
> memories is him killing flies in his spare time, I will think that 
> author wants to say something about the character.
> 
> He is not reading books, he is not experimenting with potions, he is 
> not taking a walk, he is *killing flies*. That is a bizarre activity 
> for author to point out to me.
> 
> Because sure we all killed flies at some point of our lives (although 
> boy I cannot stand it, same as with cockroaches), but just as authors 
> usually do not show us characters going to the bathroom, unless it is 
> necessary to make a point, like few times in HP books it is necessary, 
> I would think that such thing does not need to be shown.
> 
> Since it is, I choose to make some conclusions based on that scene.
> 
> JMO,
> 
> Alla
>
Carol responds:
And I feel equally justified in drawing the conclusion that he's
lonely and bored and has nothing better to do. Clearly, he's not yet a
Death Eater or he'd be out doing something much worse--"a spot of
Muggle torture," maybe. What teenage boy sits alone in his room doing
virtually nothing if he has something better to do? It's a "darkened"
room, which seems to indicate that it's daytime and he's pulled the
shades. My first reaction on reading the scene was that he'd been
grounded for some reason. You'd think, BTW, that he'd be inventing
spells or practicing potions, but he seems to be just bored and
depressed. Clearly, this memory has stayed with him, just like the
memory of his parents fighting and of Lily watching him on the bucking
broom. It seems like a one-time thing. I think it's his reaction to
the end of fifth year, a summer without Lily and nothing to do but
kill flies--and time. Obviously, he got over it at some point and
joined the Death Eaters, but if Lily's words are any indication, not
even Mulciber and Avery have yet done so. (At a guess, there are
enough adult Death Eaters running around at this time that Voldemort
is not yet recruiting unqualified teenagers. Severus returns to school
that fall and the next and finishes his education, which I don't think
he would have done if he were already a DE.)

And if my room were full of flies, you can bet I'd be killing them by
any means available. I would be very surprised if the WW doesn't have
a spell for that specific purpose.

Carol, who thinks it's a bad idea to read what we know a person will
become into his behavior as a teenager, James and Wormtail being cases
in point