see, this is why I thought "James Potter fan" would be a scary costume.

[arcanetrivia]

sindie (who writes the excellent Severus/Lily post-DH, second-chance AU fic "The Moment it Began") posted about how someone left a really ignorant, immature comment on a Snape fic she read. My response was so long I had to hack it in half in the comments, but I think I'd also like to have it here for safe-keeping. I almost want to post on prof_snape or snapedom, but I think it leans too close to "trying to stir up drama" (since it is not generic, but aimed at a specific person, behind their back no less), and really the subject of "James vs. Severus" has been done a lot in the past couple months. Anyway, stuff in italics is quotes from the review in question.

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Wow, this person totally doesn't get it, do they. I ... I was about to write "I suppose I can understand how someone might side with the Marauders, just as I am very biased towards Snape", but no, no I really can't. I can sometimes cut them a little slack on the "children/teenagers can be very cruel; I remember I was one once" tack, but... If I may don my Robes of Righteous Anger (black and billowing, natch) for a moment here?

"But Snivellus WAS jealous of James' talent on the Quidditch pitch...it said in book three, what you just quoted, and also in book seven in Snivellus's memories about Lily, you saw how he was sputtering about 'Big Quidditch Hero' and stuff...LOL Stupid Snivelly."

In PoA it's someone else saying that about Snape. Hardly objective. Given what Snape himself says in DH, I'd be more inclined to think that Snape found Quidditch somewhat boring and was annoyed that James managed to hang his whole popularity on it.

"And stop kidding yourself Snivellus!! JAMES *DID* SAVE YOUR LIFE AND THEREFORE WAS A HERO!!"

Maybe in that instance, although I would have called it "James had an 'oh shit' moment which unfortunately didn't really sink in and teach him a lesson."

"HE COULDNT HAVE DONE IT AND LET SNIVELLUS BE KILLED BECAUSE HE DESERVES TO BE KILLED!! Bahh!!"

Whoa. Who's evil here? This is a totally heartless remark. My jaw is on the floor that anyone could say this about anyone. I'm not sure anyone at all ever "deserves to be killed", and what Snape has done up til this point doesn't certainly come anywhere fucking near my threshold of wondering "well, maybe they might deserve it".

And when Snivellus was going like, '...for killing Lily' and blah blah, blaming Sirius, hes such a hypocrite!! HE took part in killing Lily! Not Sirius!"

I beg to differ. They both did, in oblique ways; Sirius more by bad luck than direct action, so his punishment (Azkaban) is more out of proportion and he is probably within his rights to be resentful about the whole affair. But Severus apparently racked himself with guilt about it, which provided motivation for many of his later (good) actions.

"WHO eavesdropped on Dumbledore/Trelawney? WHO told Voldemort about the Prophesy? That therefore led Voldemort to hunt Lily down? And kill her? EH EH EH?!"

WHO realized he made a big fucking mistake and all but turned himself in for arrest by going to Dumbledore? *koff* I don't think he knew in advance what Voldemort was going to do with this piece of information. He told him (which was his job, albeit he was working on the wrong side at this point), and then was horrified at what Voldemort planned to do. He wasn't trying to get Lily killed by telling Voldemort, nor indeed indifferent to that. That makes no goddamn sense.

Stupid Snivelly!! IDIOT!! AND JAMES WAS SO HAWT, THATS WHY HE WAS JEALOUS!! MUHAHAHAAHAAHAA!"

Um, ok. Shallow much? Yes, I imagine Severus, considered ugly by many, was probably jealous of James' conventional good looks. That's a perfectly human way to react. But this is a very mean way to say it. I bet you're one of the "pretty" crowd yourself, because usually it's only people who haven't felt marginalized because of the way they look who can say things like this.

There is no accounting to taste, but personally, I like Severus' traits more than James'. Long dark hair, paler skin (yes yes, I know, "sallow"), dark eyes, slender build FTW. rawr. I'm not fussed about the nose or the fact that the hair is supposed to be oily. (Possibly that's correctable, anyway, just that Snape doesn't bother for a variety of possible reasons, or it could be just bad luck on body chemistry.)

Remember that a lot of remarks about Snape's appearance are from the POV of people who don't like him (Harry, Sirius, James...). He's described a lot more neutrally in, for example, "Spinner's End". No, he's not a pretty face. But the longer I spend with him, metaphorically speaking, the harder time I have applying "unattractive", much less "ugly". And he's brilliant and loyal and has a quick (if sharp) wit, and that makes him worth ten of James, in my opinion.

"And to your authors note, OKAY, Snivellus DIDNT know Sirius was innocent but HE DIDNT GIVE HIM A CHANCE, TOO!! HUHH!!"

What on earth are you talking about? Yes, he was having a drama queen moment threatening Sirius in the Shrieking Shack, but think about it: when he comes across him unconscious in Ch 21, he could have left Sirius there for any random Dementor to find, but instead he takes him back to the castle -- on a stretcher, I might add, rather than the ignoble treatment Sirius gave him a few pages back with Mobilicorpus -- for the regular process of justice.

If by "didn't give him a chance" you mean "didn't hear him out", well, no. He hates Sirius, and with good reason. That he has borne this grudge all this time is part of his character. Maybe that's not the "adult" or "right" thing to do, but it's not "evil".

"That slimy man is too angry and bitter for his own good. His hate fuels him everyday, the ugly git."

Yup. No one ever said Snape was pleasant. He does have a softer side, for people that don't grate on him or provoke him. So he's easily irritated. I sympathize, some days. And?

"And true, Sirius DID bully him BUT NOT FOR NO REASON!! Snivellus was EVIL, and obsessed with the Dark Arts! JO'S WORDS!!"

*ahem* Sirius' words [I think? "oddball up to his eyes in the Dark Arts" is probably the reference], and Lily's words if you are referring to Avery and Mulciber (who, if you hadn't noticed -- and even Lily notices, as we'll see in a minute -- are not Snape himself). Again, not objective. I fail to see the logic in "interest in Dark Arts means you deserve whatever you get". This is like saying "hey, you read Mein Kampf, YOU MUST BE A NAZI". (oops! I lose the thread, I brought up Nazis!) Intellectual interest, knowledge is power, anyone?

Besides, James hexes anyone who annoys him just because he could (Lupin's words, I think). Severus never does anything like that, not in the canon at least.

" And he bullied people like Mary McDonald with Avery and Mulciber! EVILLY! HE DID IT *EVILLY*!!"

Um... he wasn't there. Lily says: "Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he’s creepy! D’you know what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?" She wouldn't word it this way if she thought he was participating. She's telling him off for not ditching "friends" who would do stuff like that (whatever "it" is). Why Snape hangs around with Death Eaters is a complex subject in itself, but as far as I can tell, this passage means Lily thinks Snape is better than that. This isn't the Severus she grew up with and she's scared and angry, not that she thinks he's "evil". That word isn't even in this passage; that's a later memory: "I don’t need you to tell me that. But Mulciber’s and Avery’s idea of humor is just evil. Evil, Sev. I don’t understand how you can be friends with them." Again, she is not calling Snape evil. She is saying Avery and Mulciber have evil senses of humour and again, she seems to think Snape is a better person than they are.

"And puhlease, Snivellus isnt one to just stand there and get bullied, he bullies them too!"

Um, this is called "fighting back"? Sure it's not what we're supposed to do with bullies, since it tends to encourage them and make things escalate, but it's not unjustified. It's certainly not "because he exists"!

"They are BOTH at fault, but Snivellus more cus hes just plain evilly freaky and not NORMAL and EEWW!! [...] I just hate Snivelly cus he shouldnt have been born."

*jawdrop*

Merlin's fucking merkin, are you listening to yourself?!?!

"'Its more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean.' --James Potter, who speaks the ULTIMATE TRUTH."

Yeah, the ULTIMATE TRUTH about what a fucking PRICK he is to Severus. Oh my god. Talk about evil things to say. "I pick on him because he's a freak and obviously he was just born to be punished, so I am doing the right thing because I am cool"?? And you side with that? I am awash in disbelief.