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This was my response to the challenge. It was buried in the comments to Sylvanawood's original question, so I decided to post it separately, for those who haven't seen it. Please note that this was what I'd imagined between HBP and DH; after HBP, especially, I simply couldn't see Severus as an anti-Muggle racist. Now it's clear that we're supposed to see him as exactly that - but I can't buy it. It contradicts the picture built up in the first 6 books, IMHO. Here goes:
(and how do you do a cut in IJ? Is it?)
In my personal canon, Severus had a pretty miserable time at his Muggle primary school, was considered a freak and ignored by most of the other kids, and had a Muggle Dad who walked out on the family for a couple of years. So he was disposed to be prejudiced against Muggles. But:
1. In that same primary school, he had a teacher who showed him the periodic table of elements.
2. And he used to hang out at the library sometimes. It was a safe haven and he felt welcome there. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some Muggle literature he actually enjoyed, though he mostly read (and reads) nonfiction.
3. Most of all, he had his slightly older cousin Jimmy Snape and Jim's friend Tim Fawkes. The three boys all loved the Clash and the Sex Pistols and thought - summers - about starting a punk band, making their fortune, and getting the heck out of their hometown. Unfortunately, they were stymied by lack of time and space to rehearse, lack of equipment, and lack of talent, Severus being the only musical one among them. Jimmy eventually joined the army and, on discharge, emigrated to Canada. Tim has a garage in the town he and Sev were born in, and Sev - well. He became convinced that Muggles were murderous and dangerous by 12, (He made exceptions only for Lily's parents and the Fawkes family) pulled away from the Muggle world entirely by 17, and only got reacquainted with Tim in the mid-90s. But the band is quite definitely dead.
All the same, Severus does like Muggle music, of several varieties. He still has a weakness for punk, as well as The Who, but he also enjoys Christmas carols sung by his local Church choir, and knows several folk songs as well. He (rightly) considers Wizarding music entirely derivative and boring.
And, though he would rather die than admit it, he always thought Maggie Fawkes's flower garden was beautiful!
(and how do you do a cut in IJ? Is it
In my personal canon, Severus had a pretty miserable time at his Muggle primary school, was considered a freak and ignored by most of the other kids, and had a Muggle Dad who walked out on the family for a couple of years. So he was disposed to be prejudiced against Muggles. But:
1. In that same primary school, he had a teacher who showed him the periodic table of elements.
2. And he used to hang out at the library sometimes. It was a safe haven and he felt welcome there. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some Muggle literature he actually enjoyed, though he mostly read (and reads) nonfiction.
3. Most of all, he had his slightly older cousin Jimmy Snape and Jim's friend Tim Fawkes. The three boys all loved the Clash and the Sex Pistols and thought - summers - about starting a punk band, making their fortune, and getting the heck out of their hometown. Unfortunately, they were stymied by lack of time and space to rehearse, lack of equipment, and lack of talent, Severus being the only musical one among them. Jimmy eventually joined the army and, on discharge, emigrated to Canada. Tim has a garage in the town he and Sev were born in, and Sev - well. He became convinced that Muggles were murderous and dangerous by 12, (He made exceptions only for Lily's parents and the Fawkes family) pulled away from the Muggle world entirely by 17, and only got reacquainted with Tim in the mid-90s. But the band is quite definitely dead.
All the same, Severus does like Muggle music, of several varieties. He still has a weakness for punk, as well as The Who, but he also enjoys Christmas carols sung by his local Church choir, and knows several folk songs as well. He (rightly) considers Wizarding music entirely derivative and boring.
And, though he would rather die than admit it, he always thought Maggie Fawkes's flower garden was beautiful!
amused