Courtly love in Potterverse WAS: What triggered ancient magic

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 187189

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> Alla:
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> Eh, I guess we just have to agree to disagree on that. Again, call it personal projection if you wish, but in my life long experience, person who calls you the vile name based on your belonging to social group or race, or whatever usually cannot stand this group.
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> But I certainly agree that Lily called him because she knew it would hurt. If I knew that there is a group of people with big noses who are being discriminated against in WW, I would have thought otherwise.
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Julie:
My lifelong personal experience with teenagers has taught me that going for the jugular is typical when they are angry or humiliated. There is no forethought, just immediate reaction, which is what I saw with Snape. He called Lily "mudblood" because he knew instinctively that it would hurt her feelings (and given that she was beautiful, smart and socially adept, there were few other insults to choose from, unlike with someone as ugly and socially inept as Snape). 

But I don't doubt Snape did see Muggleborns in general as inferior, since a good portion of the WW seemed to view them that way. And virtually *all* of the WW right up to Harry's day view Muggles themselves as definitely inferior, even those who have no evil intent against them at all (like the Weasleys) and merely treat them in a patronizing manner. The WW rather reminds me of America in the 1950s, where in part of the U.S.--the South to be exact--blacks were openly spoken of and treated as inferior, and it was even socially acceptable to call them by the epithet "nigger." Much as it is socially acceptable (or at least not punishable) to call fellow students "Mudbloods" at Hogwarts. Given that environment, his own upbringing, and the attitude among Slytherins that was not just tolerated but accepted at school, Snape's attitude isn't really surprising (nor Draco's), even if it is wrong. Lily is right to admonish him for it, though sinking to his level by calling him "Snivellus" isn't much of a step up from Snape's own insult to her. 

BTW, I know JKR wrote that whole worst memory scene portraying Severus and Lily as virtual strangers to keep readers from guessing their relationship as best friends, and she shortchanged characters in other scenes too in favor of plot. I accept that, but it doesn't change that the scene is now canon. And given that a lot of posters here harp on what is and isn't canon, it is canon that Lily looked like a pretty lousy friend here, trying not to laugh at Snape's predicament (and NO, real friends do not laugh while watching a friend's humiliation, it just isn't funny. It's uncomfortable at best--if you don't have the courage to intervene like Lupin--and a downright personal affront, if you do have the courage to intervene.) But Lily didn't intervene because she was enraged on Snape's behalf, as she was initially amused until she apparently realized that she *should* be angry. And even after admonishing James on Snape's behalf ("What did he ever do to you?"--and where has she been for five years if she doesn't yet know about the all out war between the Marauders and Snape?), Lily spends more time argue-flirting with James than showing any genuine concern for Snape, right up until Snape insults her. I can't help but wonder if Snape recognized that fact, subconsciously if not consciously.

In any case, it doesn't make me dislike Lily, but it does tarnish her oh so wonderful image a bit. She may have been nicer than most to befriend Snape in the first place (though their mutual and highly unusual gift of magic amongst ungifted Muggles certainly played a part in their unlikely friendship), but she wasn't more than average as a friend later (and again, I'm not knocking her, just saying she doesn't appear to me to have been exceptional in the area of empathy and nonjudgmental acceptance of others--as Luna absolutely is, for instance). I do think Snape rather idealized her, especially after he played his regrettable part in getting her killed. Good person she was, but as saintly as he viewed and remembered her, no.

Julie