Snape and Marauders WAS :Draco and Intent

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 186926

 
> Alla:
> Why? You think good person could not have been a bully in his youth?  And James was just as horrible as Snape? I guess to me it really does matter what views they hold and to me the fact that James joined the Order of Phoenix and Snape joined the band of terrorists is what makes one a better person than the other if nothing else.


Potioncat:
I find it hard to believe a bully could turn out good---but I'm open to RL proof. Maybe Pippin is right and James just grew out of it over time. 

Perhaps whatever it was that motivated James to use his magic against others was channelled into use against DEs. Sort of changing his bullying into socially acceptable behavior.

My suggestion before hinged on the value placed on courage. In one book McGonagall speaks well of James and Lily; in another she comments on the trouble James caused in school. I wonder if his courage in the Order caused her to overlook his earlier behavior? 

We know that DD seemed surprised and impressed by Snape's demonstration of courage---years after they had begun their association; and Harry's "forgiveness" of Snape seems to be at least partially based on his admiration of Snape's courage.

That makes me wonder if James the bully was redeemed by his acts of courage? Although we know and Lily knew that James was (at least sometimes) a bully and a rule-breaker...I don't think DD knew the whole story. So he was impressed (imo) by James' courage in saving Severus from a werewolf and may have overlooked some of the other behavior, when he did see it.

I can think of another Head Boy who pulled the wool over a headmaster's eyes.

Yes, James chose the better side at an earlier age than Severus did. Yet Snape also joined the Order and also served it well. If that's our measure of a good person, then both meet it. And no, I wasn't trying to say that James was as bad as Severus. I was just saying that the living James had his faults, yet was esteemed; and I think the adult Snape had his faults but earned respect in the end.


Potioncat, who's read some of the more recent posts in this thread and hopes I tied into them well enough. There's many more to read, and I hope I haven't said something already said that I haven't gotten to. Real life is making it difficult to keep up these days.