The impact of SWM (very long)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 189908



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff" <geoffbannister123 at ...> wrote:

> I think from the reaction of students watching and probably that of 
> the girls by the lake, that James was far from being the de facto leader 
> of Gryfiindor at this time. Lily's reaction sums this up. James, and 
> probably Sirius are seen as nothing more than a show-off group of 
> hooligans; Lupin and Wormtail probably not so much but James is 
> doing more than going round hexing people if you believe Lily's list.  

Pippin:
Lupin explains that everyone thought James was the height of cool. "Everyone"  obviously didn't include Lily. But  Wormtail wasn't James's only uncritical admirer. As long as he took care to pick on unpopular people, I think a lot of students liked that he wasn't getting pushed around by teachers or prefects and didn't kowtow to the stupid rules. And let's face it, they were stupid, from a kid's point of view. Why shouldn't a fourteen year old who has a craving for a midnight snack have just as much right to go down to the kitchens and get one as a teacher? Why should they have to put up with being snarled at and stalked by petty tyrants like Filch?

 It'd be interesting to know why Lily thought James was a toerag but Avery was evil, since I think it bears on her decision to see Snape's choices as final in a way that James's were not. My guess is that  neither she nor James ever  experienced what it was like to be alone and friendless for very long. They could understand the pain, but not the damage. 

Geoff:
> This event is  a pivotal point in the entire story because it sets up 
> events which, apparently a school yard spat will reshape three people's 
> lives. Snape's links to Voldemort, Lily's sacrifice and the long-running 
> unravelling of the prophecy binding Harry and Voldemort to its final 
> denouement 22 years later all stem from this moment on a summer 
> day in their Fifth Years.

Pippin:
If you lay the US hardcovers in order side by side you will find SWM almost exactly in the middle -- just where a pivotal event should be.

Pippin