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

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 185741

> Montavilla 47: 
> > But what are we to make of that second memory?  It is just to show
> us that Snape was horrible at riding brooms?  Is that Lily laughing at
> him?  Or a random girl?  I find that people tend to focus on either
> the first or the third memory and gloss over that second one.
> 
> Carol responds:
> I don't know what to make of the broom memory, either, but I think it
> shows a young Severus eager to learn skills he's not quite ready for
> (in contrast to Lily, who's quite happy to watch him and laugh rather
> than take her turn--maybe the laughter indicates excitement and
> happiness rather than ridicule?) or the broom is hexed, which I think
> is likely from its behavior. One thing's for sure, it's not a fine
> racing broom like the not-yet invented Nimbus 2000 or Firebolt.
> Severus's mother wouldn't be able to afford one. I suspect it's the
> broom she uses to clean her house (and, occasionally, for
> transportation), which she doesn't want her nine- or ten-year-old son
> to attempt to ride.
> 
> Carol, who thinks that the memory shows Severus's fearlessness and
> spirit of adventure but is not sure what to make of Lily's behavior
>
Montavilla47:

Well, she might be laughing AT him a little.  After all, she's able to 
fly without a broom (although she's not zipping around here).  I like
your interpretation, because it also shows that if they are sneaking 
Eileen's broom (like Ginny!), that they are a mischievous little pair
and leads into the idea of them doing something like reading 
Petunia's letter.