(Anonymous)
[i]At least Severus had the moral character to fight back, but then, he didn't have to share a dorm with a pair of murderous thugs.[/i]
I was actually quite surprised by this in the end - I really DID figure on Snape as the low guy on the totem pole in the Slytherin dorm - at least once I became convinced he would turn out to be the HBP (sometime between bks 5 & 6)
Surprisingly, JKR just didn't end up writing it that way and it still makes no sense. All those purebloods who care so intensely about purity of blood and there's poor Sev with a muggle last name. I mean, I figured Lucius eventually took him under his wing and gave him 'protection' - at least as long as little Sev proved 'useful'. But it just doesn't make sense to welcome him immediately after sorting and then to have no real problems with his friendship with a muggleborn? As far as I can see JKR blew that one - it makes no sense at all.
Especially compared to the idea that as the son of a muggle, his blood must be considered considerably more dirty than a halfblood whose muggle background is several generations ago. OR even compared to Harry whose was at least the child of a pureblood and a muggleborn (both parents were magical).
I always figured that Sirius' "lapdog" reference would turn out to mean that little firstie Snape was granted 'protection' (both against the Marauders - when prefect Lucius was around - and his Slytherin dormmates) in return for 'doing' for Lucius (running errands, fetching library books, etc.) Done mostly because Lucius saw that little Sev entered Hogwarts knowing more than all his other yearmates (just like Hermione) and would probably end up 'useful' in some way
Once HBP came along, I figured he was inventing all those 'funny' spells in 5th year because they were HIS currency to acceptance in his own dorm. After all, it appears that Lucius was a 5th year in Snape's first (altho' possibly 6th year). IF so, then Snape was somewhat protected for years 1-3, but come 4th year and he was on his own among the Slytherins - I figured he spent a year putting up with it and then learned he could buy his way out of being beat up at night by inventing new spells for them to use.
As I said - JKR certainly seems to have ignored this likelihood, but it makes SO MUCH more sense if the Slytherins barely tolerated him. -- Hwyla
I was actually quite surprised by this in the end - I really DID figure on Snape as the low guy on the totem pole in the Slytherin dorm - at least once I became convinced he would turn out to be the HBP (sometime between bks 5 & 6)
Surprisingly, JKR just didn't end up writing it that way and it still makes no sense. All those purebloods who care so intensely about purity of blood and there's poor Sev with a muggle last name. I mean, I figured Lucius eventually took him under his wing and gave him 'protection' - at least as long as little Sev proved 'useful'. But it just doesn't make sense to welcome him immediately after sorting and then to have no real problems with his friendship with a muggleborn? As far as I can see JKR blew that one - it makes no sense at all.
Especially compared to the idea that as the son of a muggle, his blood must be considered considerably more dirty than a halfblood whose muggle background is several generations ago. OR even compared to Harry whose was at least the child of a pureblood and a muggleborn (both parents were magical).
I always figured that Sirius' "lapdog" reference would turn out to mean that little firstie Snape was granted 'protection' (both against the Marauders - when prefect Lucius was around - and his Slytherin dormmates) in return for 'doing' for Lucius (running errands, fetching library books, etc.) Done mostly because Lucius saw that little Sev entered Hogwarts knowing more than all his other yearmates (just like Hermione) and would probably end up 'useful' in some way
Once HBP came along, I figured he was inventing all those 'funny' spells in 5th year because they were HIS currency to acceptance in his own dorm. After all, it appears that Lucius was a 5th year in Snape's first (altho' possibly 6th year). IF so, then Snape was somewhat protected for years 1-3, but come 4th year and he was on his own among the Slytherins - I figured he spent a year putting up with it and then learned he could buy his way out of being beat up at night by inventing new spells for them to use.
As I said - JKR certainly seems to have ignored this likelihood, but it makes SO MUCH more sense if the Slytherins barely tolerated him. -- Hwyla