what is a childhood grudge: you took my toy when we were kids once and i will forever hold you guilty
what is not a chlidhood grudge: you hated me because i existed since we were 11, stalked my for 7 years, tried to murder me, sexually assaulted me, and got away with everything because of your appearance and family name. the only reason you stopped, was because you were to short to reach me across the country. everytime i even hear of you i get violent flashbacks. i want you dead, but i will settle for hurt. if either happens, i’ll probably throw a party. i’m definitely not going to care, or waste any effort pretending.
if you can understand that, but not why snape is a bitter asshole about the marauders, then you need some perspective.
Maybe it’s just widespread ignorance about ptsd and trauma. Which is still shitty because “yay lets all shit on the mentally ill person for being mentally ill and emotionally scarred after years of torture and abuse (that caused them subsequent mental illness) and then actually acting like it instead of pretending everything is fine” is just…10/10 an asshole mindset to have???
The way the Marauders are treated vs Snape is how rapists like the Stanford Rapist are treated versus the victims. Or how Emmett Till vs His killers were treated. I always hear “oh they’re such good boys they just made a mistake” for people with privilege and power who hurt the marginalized. And the marginalized are just demonized. Black people are always made to look like “thugs” and are criminalized while our killers are lionized, are “heroes”, and how dare we exist (sound familiar?). Like. This Snape v Marauders shit is all too familiar for me, a minority who lives in fear. If I die or am tortured I’ll be crucified like Snape. And our white tormentors will still be seen as little angels. And that’s fucked up as hell and if their stans can’t see that they need to fuck right off a bloody cliff.
And do not forget that Sirius starts the Snivellus thing again, as soon as he sees Snape.
Also all of this is the reason why I find J. K making Lily chose James not very well done. I do see what she wanted to do 1. show the power of love 2. let Harry mature since this scene made Harrys image of a “hero-dad”, which children usually have, crumble and become more realistic, but the effect it had was awful.
Especially since James “goodness” is never questioned and a in depth characterization is never given.
For example with Sirius there is the thing with Walburga and Regulus, who probably abuse him, causing him to vent and or to repeat the behavioral patterns he learned.
While this is no excuse for his behavior there is at least something that leads away from the “spoiled white privileged boy”. James has nothing of that sort. And in front of that background Lily appears as a trophy, which is also problematic.
Valid points. Reblogging for addition.
All I can think of is Severus saying “You want a Death Eater? Fine. I’ll give you a Death Eater.” when he joins the Death Eaters after years of being hated on by everyone for supposedly being one (even though he’s not and at first is horrified by it). When there have been years of completely ignored complaints of severe bullying that leads up to him literally being FORBIDDEN TO TALK ABOUT BEING ALMOST-MURDERED BY A WEREWOLF. Meanwhile, one of his main tormentors gets to be Head Boy and is unspeakably popular despite his horrible personality, is well loved by his family and friends, and basically is given a thousand chances that he expects rather than appreciates. Life is stacked against Snape and eventually, after struggling for years to prove everything wrong out of stubbornness and spite, he finally succumbs to it. After all, if you’re going to be accused of being a monster, you might as well try to make the best of it.
All of this. ALL of it.
