Austen Parallels; Snape (yes, Snape); James; Lily; and oh ....some shipping

[pippin_999]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "pennylin" 
<pennylin at s...> wrote:

> I too saw the parallel between the DEs levitating the muggles 
and the way Snape was treated by James, even before someone 
mentioned it on this list or HPfGU.  
> 
> But, unlike Debbie, I did not perceive James and Sirius as 
bullies before OoP.  I'm not entirely sure that I'd say they were 
"bullies" per se even now.  As far as we know, Snape was the 
only target of their bullying behavior.  Snape's Pensieve Scene 
left far more untold than told, IMHO.  Is it possible for someone to 
be a bully to one person and not be a bully in general?  I think so.  
When I think of a bully, I tend to think of someone who uses his 
larger size or social position or what have you to keep everyone 
around him/her in check.  <<

But that's the way school bullies act. It's always one or two kids 
who get picked on, while everybody else laughs or does nothing 
and is secretly glad it's not them. The victims aren't just any 
smaller weaker kids, they're the smaller weaker kids who don't 
know their place. By squelching them, the bullies send a 
message to everybody.

The way Snape followed MWPP out to the grounds also made 
me think of the Bertha Jorkins pensieve episode, where she 
complains of being hexed, and Dumbledore says, "But why, 
Bertha, why did you have to follow him in the first place?"
. 

> Debbie: <<<<<After reading this scene, one can really 
appreciate Snape's need to start attempting to squelch any 
arrogant tendencies of Harry's the minute he first lays eyes on 
him.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> 
> Penny: Snape is still judging Harry based on his appearance 
though!  I find that utterly despicable.  He doesn't allow himself to 
move past the fact that Harry is physically the very image of 
James and get to know who Harry is as a person before he 
begins to carry out his revenge on the next generation.  I can't 
appreciate Snape's "need" to do this at all.  I can appreciate that 
Snape was bullied terribly by James and Sirius *based on our 
current knowledge* .... but I can't at all appreciate how this could 
in any way excuse his classic Austenesque flaw of judging 
others solely by surface appearances.  <<<

 Snape has been judged by appearances all his life. His looks 
seem to be what  James, Peter and Lupin objected to about him, 
judging by the insults from the Map.    Snape was looking right at 
Harry when pain seared across Harry's scar at the opening feast 
and he clapped a hand to his forehead. *We* know it had 
nothing to do with Snape. But did Snape know that? Did he 
mistake Harry's action as mugging dislike of Snape's looks?

Pippin