#Snape was a bully as a teenager

[blitheringmcgonagall]

I don't know how to ask this, but, like, I like reading Marauders content but sometimes I read some stuff about them that makes me think I'm a bad person for that. Like. They were bullies. So, isn't horrible that I like them anyways? How can I? Don't I think bullying is bad? Am I making light of how bad bullying is? I wanted to ask you what you think. Like, do you ever get affected by these feelings. Do you ever get affected by how other people see these characters. Do you ever get affected by people implying you are a bad person if you like character X?

Snape says they were bullies. Snape doesn’t tell us that far from being a harmless little loner, he was in fact hanging around with Mulciber and other mini wannabe Death Eaters (Sirius tells us). This gang bullied muggleborn Wix and called them slurs like mudbloods (Lily tells us), and we’re also involved in using dark magic against other students (Lily tells us Snape’s mates did this to Mary). Snape tries to pretend it was no big deal (it was a joke, he says) but Lily angrily disagrees. Snape used dangerous curses like Sectumsempra against people he hated eg James Potter, which btw he invented himself.

James used Levicorpus against Snape which btw was a curse that Snape had himself invented. James wasn’t happy that Snape was salivating with glee at the thought of discovering and proving Remus was a werewolf. Lily wasn’t happy either. Despite their rivalry, James saved Snape’s life when Snape made the dangerous and frankly terrible decision to follow Remus past the Whomping Willow on a full moon (yes Sirius was wrong to tell him but that still doesn’t make it his fault that Snape consciously/deliberately put himself in mortal danger to out one of his classmates because he hated them).

During 7th Year, when James had deflated his head a bit and was mature enough to be named head boy, Remus tells us this:

‘She started going out with him in seventh year,’ said Lupin.

‘Once James had deflated his head a bit,’ said Sirius.

‘And stopped hexing people just for the fun of it,’ said Lupin.

‘Even Snape?’ said Harry.

‘Well,’ said Lupin slowly, ‘Snape was a special case. I mean, he never lost an opportunity to curse James so you couldn’t really expect James to take that lying down, could you?’

Well, tbf, no, you couldn’t.

So you see, as far as I’m concerned, there were two gangs who were fighting a bit like the golden trio and Draco’s mates, and Snape was just as mean to James as the other way around?

But at least the marauders were fighting blood purist, racist, bigoted little shits who clearly made it known to everyone that they were planning on joining a murderous fascist- dictator type whose forces terrorised a minority group and were at war with innocent people (1970s Wix UK).

So the marauders went out of their way to antagonise these feckers (who clearly did the exact same thing to them). And? I’m not even sure that counts as bullying. It’s not very mature, and I’d prefer if they didn’t, but if my child went out of their way to antagonise bigoted eejits I’m not sure I’d be especially unhappy about it? I might even secretly be quite proud? 🤷‍♀️

[flymetosnarryland]

Bullying.

teenager Severus at muggle school

[batwingsrosa]

Let‘s talk about how Remus Lupin.

Humiliated his colleague.

Who he and his friends had already tormented for years before that.

Who was almost murdered by his friends.

The man who kept his mouth shut for years and did not tell anyone about Remus true nature.

Eventhough he almost died because of it.

The man who never receieved a single fucking apology.

Because, you know.

They were just silly teenage pranks.

Right?

Let‘s talk about how Remus Lupin humiliated his teenage bully victim once more as an adult by encouraging Neville to imagine him in his grandmothers clothing.

In front of the whole class.

Knowing fully well that not a day later every single student in the castle would have heard about it.

And laughed about it.

Let‘s talk about how fucking cruel Remus was towards Severus.

He did it deliberately.

Fully knowing what would happen.

For a laugh.

Just like in the good old days.

[deathnguts]

Me: I think Sirius’ traumatic and oppressive upbringing made him constantly in fight or flight mode and he is a man who will always choose fight, making him vindictive, argumentative, petty, and volatile as he grows older and holds these same values just with new context he views as morally better even when it still leads to hate and anger in his life. I think his trauma made him kind of an asshole and a nightmare to be around if you caught him in the wrong moment or god forbid he didn’t like you for whatever reason

Snape apologists: yea-

Me: not you.

[enfinizatics]

it’s the way i’ve wanted to read all the young dudes ever since the author started publishing it on ao3 but i’ve never made myself do it bc of being a survivor of the marauders fans bullying back in 2017-2018 tumblr bc i posted stuff about snape LMAOO truly an extraordinary time on harry potter tumblr, the marauders fans were so vicious back then i actually avoided every single marauders content like the plague until like last year because the bullying made me feel physically nauseous whenever stumbling upon the content please-

[marsconer]

my two favorite worst boys.

[martinskis-lydias]

If someone tells me they like Snape (as a person) and he wasn’t a bad person and was redeemable blah blah blah I will never fully trust that person

[singmyaubade]

No Longer Yours

James Potter x Female!Reader

A/N: I am trying a new way of writing these stories, there won't be lots of dialogue in this part, but there will be more; this is just a look into where the story starts.

IB: In The Cold November Rain by @sweetsweetjellybean (Make sure to check it out, it’s amazing and one of the best I’ve ever read !)

Summary: James had disregarded you for multiple years, but when you have an epiphany in your final year, how does it feel to taste his own medicine?

Warning: It may contain swearing and soon-to-be smut.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

You never considered yourself to be a pushover when it came to things. Instead, you would use the word "understanding" and used it the most when it came to James Fleamont Potter.

He meant the absolute world to you since you were nine when you first met him. He lived next to you, both of your rooms being next to each other. You could always see him in his window, not that you were stalking, but you could never quite get your eyes off him.

Every time he would catch you staring, he would give you a wave, never felt weirded out. Then he would ring you up and ask you to come for dinner with your family. You would always accept unless your mother insisted on not intruding on them anymore.

You always caught his look of disappointment when you told him you couldn't come over, seeing him on the phone with you. It would always make your heart flutter, always having to stop the smile from forming on your face.

And then, after dinner, he would always come over, and you two would hang out (of course, with the door open). But you knew James would never try anything.

Your parents had suspicions when you both were fully formed teenagers and had hormones. Again, you knew James wasn't a perv; he respected you.

Even when he would slap your thigh in laughter when you said a joke or when his front pressed against your back when you two joked around, or his touch would linger when he ticked you.

But that was all besides the point; you loved James like no other. You loved the rest of the Marauders, too, but with James, there was no questioning if the love was different.

The only times you weren't sure about that 'love' was when Lily Evans would come around. He never truly knew how to pay attention to or regard you when she came around, but he claimed it was 'love.'

You wondered if he loved Lily the same way you loved him or if it was more complete, passionate, and extraordinary. You could never ask; James wouldn't know what to do. You couldn't blame Lily, it wasn't her fault, and she turned down his advances multiple times.

You were sure that James would move on, but then, during sixth year, Lily confessed that she was starting to have a crush on James.

You tried hiding your disappointment, but it was hard; it nearly broke your heart; you knew James would tell you all about it as soon as you saw him again.

There was no wish to be cruel, but a part of you, maybe the whole, was hoping she would joke. Perhaps she would again realize how immature James was and remember how he bullied Snape.

But that would be selfish and unfair to James; you were supposed to be his best friend, and he deserves this.

And you knew Lily was kind, beautiful, thoughtful, and honest. She deserved James more than he deserved her. You wouldn't break her happiness because it was pure; if you did, it would be evil.

So when she asked you if you were okay with that, constantly questioning your feelings towards James, you said,

"Of course, you should go out with James," You placed a hand on her shoulder, "I think you two would be amazing together." A genuine bright smile passed your face as she embraced you and thanked you for being truthful with her.

While they dated, James would always tell you every time he and Lily did something.

From every kiss, every date, and every cute moment to Lily laughing at a joke he made about crisps in Hogsmeade or the dove they saw randomly, which is a sign that they are genuinely in love.

After telling you every detail, he would embrace you in a tight hug so you could smell his scent entirely. He would thank you for being "such a good friend and say that "he loves you."

You knew he loved you but you wished he loved you in a different way. A way that his heart would scrunch when you were around or a way that made him want to compliment your hair or your smile like he did with Lily.

You wished it pissed you off enough to be mad at him, but every time he hugged you, you forgave him and knew it was just him being happy and wanting to tell a friend.

He still always joked around with you the same and bantered with you, but it was just less, you wanted more, but he could only give you so much time, and you knew that.

Only a few of your friends understood, like Remus and Dorcas. They would comfort you in every moment when you felt unsure of yourself, or you just wanted to talk.

You probably would have been misunderstood if it weren't for them, but they acknowledged and validated your feelings.

That's what got you through that time.

Nonetheless, there was no point in dwelling on past memories. James and Lily broke up at the end of that very year, it being mutual due to the realization of too many things clashing.

He was a bit of a wreck but recognized that it was for the better. It didn't stop him from sometimes crying in your arms, talking about how much he missed Lily.

Eventually, James started to move on, talking to you more, joking with you, and inviting you to sit next to him at dinner. You had missed this for so long and were grateful.

He went back to tickling you and playfighting with you. He would even make you sit with him during potions.

This was until the end of the year Quidditch match, Gryffindor had won, and excitement had raised. You went to congratulate James on the win, having a big jar of Fizzing Whizbees in your hand, his favorite.

You opened the door a crack, overhearing him but not wanting to interrupt his conversation with the rest of the Quidditch team.

"Come on, Potter, don't tell me you aren't going to snog her tonight," A boy you recognized as Matthew Collingwood teased, "She's been over you for years; why not just hit it and quit it?" Your face contorted to disgust after hearing his use of words.

"Don't tell me you are talking about Y/n," James scoffed, "There is no way I would ever think of her like that," A part of your heart broke hearing his words; he didn't even defend his last words.

"I mean, she does have a fat bum," Another boy laughed.

"Oy, she's like a sister to me, don't talk about her like that," James warned, his tone sounding half serious as the boy put his hands up jokingly.

A sister.

"Okay, but come on, Potter, you have to shag her at least once before we graduate," Matthew sneered.

"Listen, boys, I wouldn't touch Y/n if she were the last girl on earth," He belittled, "Besides, she would cling to my cock like crazy after that; I mean, look at her now, can't even take a piss without her peering over my shoulder." He gestured, pretending to take a piss and looking behind him to see if you were around.

The boys hollered, laughing at James’s visual representation of you.

Tears brimmed your eyes as you dropped the glass-made jar, shattering in the process. You let go of the door, turning your heel to run away.

The tears started running down your cheeks as you wiped each of them as they came. You went under a tree, crying your eyes out, wondering why James would be so cruel.

He was your best friend, and you thought he loved you enough to not make fun of you. James could sometimes be thoughtless, but he never was brutal to you.

Did he really think you were clingy, consistently all over him? Did he get annoyed by how much you were around him? Would he never like you even if you were the last girl on the planet?

You were humiliated, embarrassed by his words, his thoughts. Every feeling of James Potter that made you happy and wanted to fall into his arms turned into hate and resentment, his words reiterating in your mind a thousand times.

That night, you vowed never to make James Potter make you feel that way again.

So that night, you didn't join the celebration. You told your friends that your stomach was hurting and you weren't in the mood for festivities.

You didn't know if James had asked where you were during that night, and you didn't want to know after the words he had shared with others.

Since you were allowed to leave Hogwarts the day after summer began, you did. You didn't wait for James to go with you; you left without him, wishing all your friends goodbye, dismissing all questions about why you were leaving early and blaming it on your mother's wishes.

"Okay, well," Lily sighed, "Make sure to ring me over the summer and visit if you can." You embraced her and nodded your head, telling her that you will.

"And don't forget to ring me as well," Dorcas said from behind you as you went over to her and hugged her tightly, "Whatever he did," She whispered in your ear, "Give him hell."

You pulled out of the hug and gave her a smile, "I will."

As she left, you approached the Gryffindor common room to find Remus reading as usual.

"Gonna wish a good friend goodbye?" Remus questioned, looking over at you. You were glad he wasn’t questioning why you were leaving so early in the morning.

"How could I ever not?" You asked, embracing him for a minute.

"So, are you gonna tell me what he did?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How do you and Dorcas know everything?" You said, rolling your eyes.

"How good of friends would we be if we didn't." He smirked, "I can ta-"

You cut him off, "No, this is not your responsibility; I will take care of it." You smiled, "But thank you for caring; it means the most to me."

"Of course," He said as you nodded and turned to leave, "And take care of yourself." You turned back, giving him a reassuring smile.

After saying all your goodbyes for the school year, you sat in a window seat, looking at the school you loved dearly. You never thought you could quite say this, but you were ready for home.

Once you returned home, a letter was waiting for you on your window seal stating,

Dear Y/n,

Give him hell.

Sincerely the only one you need,

Dorcas Meadows.

And what kind of friend would you be if you didn't do what was asked?

[cursedvida]

I've always found the excuse "not everyone who suffers from bullying ends up being a jerk like Snape" amusing, because yes, it's true—having suffered abuse and/or mistreatment doesn't mean you're going to become an abuser. However, your environment, life experiences, and how you handle your traumas do play a significant role. As someone who works as a social worker, I've been around people who've been to prison, individuals whose lives have been turbulent, and one of the common denominators they share is growing up in extremely disadvantaged environments, with a complete lack of support systems and care networks.

Snape wasn't just a kid who experienced violence at school, with none of his teachers showing the slightest interest in the bullying he endured; he also didn't have any support at home. We're talking about someone who grew up surrounded by violence, whose emotional and affective role models were violent, and who never had a support network or a safe environment at home. Outside of home, during his school years—which he probably hoped would at least be a break from what he experienced at home—he also didn’t get a moment's rest. His entire childhood and adolescence were marked by the violence he received, and by the feeling of vulnerability he experienced from not having a SINGLE ADULT to back him up or protect him. His examples of functional adults weren’t functional. His role models for how to relate to people weren’t functional. Nothing around him during his emotional and cognitive developmental years was functional.

People still seem surprised that he joined the Death Eaters. Let's see: if the only people who aren’t violent towards him turn out to be a group of individuals deeply involved in a dark sect, what other options does he have? First of all, Severus probably didn’t fully realize just how despicable these people were, because honestly, all his role models throughout life had been so violent that his perception of good and evil was likely quite distorted. And then there’s the fact that he probably saw those people as the only ones who treated him like a human being, and his need for acceptance and protection led him to follow them to the bitter end. At the end of the day, he was just a kid/teenager looking for affection and acceptance.

And honestly, it seems to me that a spoiled rich kid like James Potter had it pretty easy when it came to changing and becoming a good person. Everything in his life was always in his favor: parents who adored and spoiled him, a high social and economic status, friends, and great popularity. His life was a constant stream of support, understanding, and love. There’s no comparison whatsoever. What’s unforgivable is that a guy who had clear social and economic advantages took advantage of that privilege to bully a kid who was clearly at a disadvantage in every way. And trying to excuse him, as his fans do, is disgusting, but okay.

[loverboyjamespotter]

i think my main problem with marauders meta at the moment is that (and this has always been a problem) a LOT of people underestimate the sheer insanity that was sirius and james' relationship. i think people play it off as like 'aw how cute, best friends! :)' and its like ... I DONT KNOW HOW TO TELL YOU THEYRE SO MUCH WEIRDER THAN THAT. in whatever way you take sirius and james platonic romantic WHATEVER you HAVE to realise they were NOT NORMAL about each other. they were cathy and heathcliff. i think the word that describes james and sirius' relationship to each other is OBSESSION. not like a cutesy best friends forever kind of way i mean talking about how they want to be buried next to each other kind of way. i mean that canonically their relationship exists outside the bounds of morality sirius thinks its FUNNY that james bullies people and vice versa. james only bullies snape because he wanted to amuse sirius. i think sirius LIKES all of james awful qualities (being conceited, arrogant, self-centred) which is a stark contrast to lily who canonically does NOT like the fact that james is a spoilt rich boy strutting around the castle hexing people for fun. i think james wouldnt even ... CARE if sirius HAD ended up killing snape at the whomping willow incident. not really. because it was sirius and every single moral value goes straight out the window when its sirius. do people realise that they were doing the most INSANE acts of magical devotion for each other as TEENAGERS that ADULT WIZARDS couldnt do if they tried for YEARS? why dont people talk enough about the fact that they had such an intense relationship that they excluded everyone else from it? why doesnt anyone talk about the fact that the two way mirrors WERE ONLY FOR THEM. like they didnt give one to remus or peter or lily. it was THEIR thing. sirius went to JAMES' house after he ran away. james made SIRIUS harrys godfather. QUITE THE DOUBLE ACT. NEVER SAW ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER DID YOU? the fact that people from their time MULTIPLE PEOPLE described them as jamesandsirius. .... idk i just think. its a shame people dont really talk very often about how insane and weird and unnormal james and sirius were about each other bc to me its the most fascinating part about the marauders era.

[dinarosie]

The Rise of Snape Hate: Marauders' Rebranding and Snape's Villainization (Part 1)

I often hear people wonder why Severus Snape has become more hated in recent years, to the extent that even Voldemort faces less criticism and vitriol from fans. In the early days of the book’s release and even long after the final Harry Potter film was screened, the "Marauders" fandom hardly existed. James Potter was seen as a background character, best known as Harry's father, and did not play an important role among fans. Sirius and Lupin were mostly regarded as Harry's mentors, and their time as Marauders during their teenage years wasn't a focal point of fan attention. In the Canon, the Marauders didn’t hold much significance either, there were few details about them. They were mentioned in just a handful of small flashbacks, mainly depicting bullying, and their friendships were portrayed as rather toxic and disappointing. Naturally, these flashbacks were not only unappealing but could also be disheartening for readers. However, a new generation of fans wanted to bring something new to the Harry Potter universe that better matched their fantasies and imaginations (especially after the failure of "The Cursed Child" and the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling). As a result, a new story emerged: "Harry Potter and the World of the Marauders," inspired by Generation Z's fantasies.

They were given the attractive looks of actors like Ben Barnes, Timothée Chalamet, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and were morally very different from their canon versions. They became a group of charming, wealthy, and popular school heroes with dynamic, platonic, and romantic relationships that captivated fans. Since there weren't many details about them in the original books, fans freely created tragic backstories and fascinating dramas (for example, the Black family using a "Cruciatus curse" on their children!!!). These factors quickly increased their popularity and caught the attention of content creators on the internet.

But what happened to Severus Snape?

These newly reimagined, charming, and beloved Marauders needed an antagonist to heighten the school drama and make their adventures more exciting. Who better to fill this role than Severus Snape—broken, lonely, and completely different from them, with none of the looks, wealth, or popularity?

"The more they improved the Marauders to make them more likable, the more they vilified and distorted Snape to make him easier to hate."

It's clear that when Snape is portrayed as a powerful, dark, and evil wizard (even at the age of 11), James Potter and Sirius Black are turned into justice-seeking heroes, making all their bullying and cruelty towards Snape seem justified and even heroic.

Now, ask yourself: Is it easier to like the James Potter from the books—Arrogant and a bully—or the James Potter who is handsome and kind, punishing an evil villain worse than Voldemort named Severus Snape to save other students and his girlfriend? This is how the Marauders became charming and popular heroes, and Snape became a evil.

Many fans don’t even know Snape. From the moment they enter the Marauders fandom, they learn that they must hate Snape, and this trend continues. They only read the books with the intent of magnifying Snape's flaws, which is why his faults are highlighted even more than Voldemort's, and wherever Snape’s name is mentioned, they feel obligated to display their blind hatred to prove their loyalty to the ideals of their beloved Marauders.

[wee-chlo]

I'm rereading Harry Potter and it's baffling how people just... pretend Snape was a completely different person than who he actually was?

Granted, Alan Rickman's Snape and Book Snape are two genuinely different people, to the point that I think Movie Snape would be mildly disgusted by Book Snape. Movie Snape came off more as someone who was angry and spiteful to a select few for reasons that ranged from Understandable to Irrationally Petty, but generally very grim and stern, with a good heart beneath it all. Book Snape is a piece of shit.

Movie Snape doesn't have the same cruelty as Book Snape: his targeting of anyone other than Harry is framed in a more slapstick way and his teaching isn't neary as abusive. Neville being terrified of him doesn't have the same implicit showcasing of Snape being abusive but rather Snape being stern and unforgiving while Neville is meek and needs positive reinforcement to flourish.

Movie Snape is stoic, deadpan. I saw a clip of Rickman on YouTube and either he, a commenter, or both noted that a touchstone of Rickman's performance for Snape was that he didn't raise his voice. Not so in the books, where Snape's described several times loosing his temper and screaming, even shrieking. Snape is terrifyingly volatile in the books, in contrast to the movies where even at his most furious, most emotional, he remains in control of himself.

Book Snape is, unambiguously, just a bad person. Not just a bad teacher, a bad PERSON. He is a small, bitter, petty bully who shouldn't be anywhere near children, and honestly Dumbledore letting him near children is probably more of an indictment of Dumbledore's character than the fact that he used to be a wizard supremacist.

And to be clear, while teenage Snape isn't AS bad as adult Snape by virtue of being a teenager... he was also just Not Good. He ran around with Wizard Nazis. Lily called him out on that, on the fact that he was clearly ready and rearing to join Voldemort, that he used Dark Magic on other students alongside his death eater buddies, etc.

James and Co were little shits who teased and picked on students. But Remus and Sirius made a point that Snape and James had a uniquely, mutually hostile relationship. Remus and Sirius state directly that ultimately, one of the primary reasons James targeted Snape was because Snape was "up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts and James hated the Dark Arts".

I've seen people use the fact that James never apologized to Snape as an indictment of James' character but like... when and why would he have apologized?

Genuinely, I think if Snape had made a good faith effort to be a better person BEFORE the death of the Potters, James may have apologized. But Snape at the time of James' death was a literal wizard nazi and honestly? I can't see him feeling terribly bad about bullying him, or at least not feeling obliged to apologize. And even if he had, how would he have done so? Send an owl to wizard nazi HQ?

But I think the thing that made me bristle the most about the books was the gaslighting that happened in book 6.

Remus is... going through it in that book, fair enough, but when Harry is talking to him about his suspicious, he gently accuses Harry of "inheriting James' and Sirius' prejudice" and being "determined to hate [Snape]". Like.... I'm sorry, but did Remus get hit in the head? Are we supposed to just casually forget EVERYTHING SNAPE HAS SAID AND DONE TO HARRY IN THE LAST FIVE BOOKS?!

If anyone came into it with an inherited prejudice and a determination to hate, it was Snape.

Justice for Book 6 Harry, everyone's treating him like he's bonkers but he's right.

[saintsenara]

Do you think James and Lily's marriage would have lasted if the two survived the war? I've seen a lot of different versions of this, ranging from "they divorce within a couple of years because James is still the privileged pureblood asshole that he was in school" and "they have a genuinely strong marriage built off of mutual honor and love that would have survived and probably given Harry some siblings".

thank you very much for the ask, pal!

my opinion is quite boring - i think james and lily would have had a perfectly ordinary, perfectly unremarkable, perfectly happy marriage, which may very well have resulted in more children.

broadly, this is because i think a lot of the "james and lily would never have lasted" takes are just cope from fans who dislike jily as a pairing either because they don't like james and don't want to see lily with him or because they prefer him with a non-canon partner.

while marrying your teenage sweetheart and expecting the relationship to last would probably be considered quite unusual in the real-world context in which most readers live, it's clearly the norm in the wizarding world. almost every heterosexual couple we meet in the pre-epilogue canon got married when one or both of them was still a teenager - tonks and lupin are the only definite exception. james and lily would exist, then, in a context where their experience was considered entirely standard - and this would give them things like a social circle at a similar life stage which would make sustaining their relationship easier.

particularly because james and lily do genuinely like each other. while we don't see very much of them in canon - since their roles in the story are to be fragments, never seen or known in any significant way, as an illustration of what was taken from harry [and sirius, and remus] by voldemort - it's apparent even in their few scenes together that they are sincerely compatible.

[and mutually interested in each other - i'm afraid that "james forced lily into a relationship" or "james would never change from who he was at sixteen and so they'd break up" takes really don't hold water. she likes him when he's sixteen! he doesn't need to deceive her! i don't actually think she'd have regarded it as evidence of some horrifying deficiency of character that he continued bullying snape without her knowledge!]

harry's great tragedy is that he's someone who longs for a completely average life - it's his greatest desire! the thing he sees in the mirror of erised! - but has this ordinariness stolen from him when voldemort makes him the boy who lived. james and lily surviving allows him to have that.

although that's obviously nowhere near as interesting as what actually happens....

[picthos]

The order and circumstances in which Snape mingled with Slytherin's reserve DEs.

James Potter bullied Snape because he thought Snape liked Lily, and there is a post on the Wizarding World website that includes the quote, "James Potter – the one who tormented Snape for no good reason." Alan Rickman, who heard about Snape's past from Rowling, said in a French interview:

"And with James Potter, his best mate Sirius Black and their partner in crime Lupin spending their time ridiculing him, he shut himself in even more."

Sirius refers to Snape during his school years in the Goblet of Fire as a "dirty, poor weirdo who likes dark magic," but he does not refer to him as a "racist influenced by DE ideology." He only mentions that the friends Snape associated with at Hogwarts were part of a Slytherin gang that later became Death Eaters. However, while discussing Snape's past, Sirius himself was not sure whether Snape really joined the Death Eaters and only speculated. If the Marauders were truly bullying future DE members out of a sense of justice, why are there no stories about them attacking Mulciber and Avery? It’s absurd that Sirius, himself unsure, would bias and bully Snape as if he were destined to become a Death Eater.

Moreover, when Snape expressed a desire to join Slytherin, it wasn’t a debate about racial ideology with James Potter. Their arguments began with childish comments, such as, "(James’s line) Gryffindor, where my parents went, is great," and "If you join Slytherin, I'd rather quit," and "(Snape’s line) If you want to use only force," and "(Sirius’s line) You look pretty dumb too."

The real problem is that the Marauders bullied their classmates for no reason. As Snape suffered from this bullying, he, feeling vulnerable, sought belonging and began associating with Mulciber and Avery from the same house, which eventually led him to connect with future Death Eaters. Did you really think Snape wanted to join the DE from the beginning? While talking with Lily, Snape dreamed of a brighter life in the wizarding world away from his miserable home, a desire described confidently from Harry's perspective. If you consider both Rowling's and Alan Rickman's interviews regarding the bullying Snape endured, you will understand why he associated with those people.

"Alan: He wasn't very sociable either. Snape never had friends. We gradually discover what Snape went through in the past. It seems he didn't have it easy as a teenager..."

"Alan: And with James Potter, his best mate Sirius Black and their partner in crime Lupin spending their time ridiculing him, he shut himself in even more."

"Alan: Lily Potter really tried to be nice with him, but Snape couldn't support her pity."

"J.K. Rowling: Well, that is Snape’s tragedy. Given his time over again, he would not have become a Death Eater, but like many insecure, vulnerable people (like Wormtail), he craved membership of something big and powerful, something impressive. He wanted Lily and he wanted Mulciber too. He never really understood Lily’s aversion; he was so blinded by his attraction to the dark side that he thought she would find him impressive if he became a real Death Eater.

[olderthannetfic]

I always see people who have never been antis, talking about/questioning how some antis even ARE antis when you look at their taste in media - ie the ever famous joke of "Hannigram is #problematique" "but it's a show where he eats people" or whatever.

I thought I'd weigh in as someone who could, hypothetically, be called an ex-anti (which, thankfully, nothing ever really came out of it - it was just very 2014 keyboardwarrior-esque behavior of me being a chronically online young adult who would share posts in a group chat making fun of certain shippers, or reblog posts about how 50shades is The Most Problematic Media Ever to exist -- basically I was an anti with anti-lines of thoughts, but i never, like, a ran a Shipping Discourse Blog or whatever)

For me, personally, it was a few different things. I can now see how it's incredibly hypocritical that teenaged me shipped Light/L, while still thinking that Dramione was Bad And Abusive. It ultimately boiled down to a) being pretentious, and b) just not understanding media or what proshippers REALLY believed, with a side of c) not realizing that nuance exists. like i was pretty late to join tumblr, I think I immigrated here during PEAK "yourfaveisproblematic" era which definitely did have an impact on my opinions and my tastes.

to elaborate, a.) being pretentious. i mean this one just kinda goes without saying. "I engage in media in a way more intellectual way than you do, don't you know that? You're a filthy and disgusting person who writes Snape/Hermione because you're an actually disgusting pedophile IRL who would probably date your own student that you're abusing if you could. Meanwhile, I'm a very smart, good, and pure person. When I read Uncle Vernon/Harry, I'm doing it in a G-d honoring whump way that clearly condemns abuse, incest, and rape. Unlike YOU who only writes harmful stuff as a way to get people off :/"

(as an aside, i think this line of thinking will ALWAYS be present in fandom and popculture in some way, sadly. ie the recent trend of people hating on booktok bc the books are 'trashy' and how these porn addicts should read real classic literature instead.)

as for b.), not understanding media - i cannot emphasize enough that i was GENUINELY stupid and disconnected enough to think that proshippers REALLY WERE pro-All Of The Degenerate Dead Doves That They Wrote.

why did i feel this way? why did i understand that Lolita clearly isnt pro-pedophilia, but for some reason i thought that someone shipping weecest was? well, first of all, i think that fanfiction is (generally) seen as Less Serious than classic literature, and fandom is a fun place, so i guess i somehow thought that every fanfic/fanartist who wrote Problematic Things, especially Problematic Things that they portrayed as Sexy, really DID enjoy the thought of that Actually Happening To Real People.

and i think THIS is the bulk of why antis ARE antis. i'm not calling them all stupid - i do think BEING an anti is stupid, but at the same time, there are people who are truly smart and good-intended people who just have some really off color opinions about, like, homestuck ships or whatever. Lawlight is okay because notebooks that kill people don't exist so it's IMPOSSIBLE for the Harmful Aspects of Light/L to be romanticized! but schoolyard prejudiced bullies DO exist and are a REAL problem so Drarry is BAD (*truly completely unaware of the fact that there's 'realistic' aspects of the Light/L dynamic and 'unrealistic' aspects of Drarry - such as, for example, Hogwarts arguably being even MORE of a fantasy setting than DN is.*) I know that media literacy is the hot buzzword of the year to throw around in 2024, but, like, i really did not have media literacy.

as for c.), not realizing nuance exists - ok "nuance" might not be the best word here, but i dont know how else to describe it. like, each time ive typed the word "problematic" out in this ask, i've done so in a very tongue in cheek/ironic/retroactive way, but, like, those posts about how Everything Is Problematic, Including Your Fave ARE true. and i didn't like the fact that my favorite media or favorite person might've Made A Mistake! i need to Talk About Its Issues Because I'm So Betrayed That My Dear Sweet Comfort Media Would Do This To Me. I Need To Prove I Clearly Condemn It.

like, i legit morally could not justify reblogging a twilight post without adding in the tags '#this is my guilty pleasure it sucks that the books were so racist though' or whatever. Most people were lucky enough to avoid that line of thinking, but there was an actual group of people who felt a genuine need to virtue signal all the time, partly bc, hey, they WERE passionate about talking abt #issues in media, but also bc of a subconscious fear of If You Reblog A Singular Piece Of Hetalia Fanart, You're Literally A Nazi And Will Get A Callout Post Written About You.

and during all of this i was at the tail end of my high school experience (yes i know im younger than most of your audience, ha). i was going through A Lot emotionally, going through a lot of life changes, and lived in a very . . . interesting household/place where i couldn't do ACTUAL good in the world that i was passionate about. so to make up for the fact that i was genuinely in no place to do legit activism, clearly i had to save the gay community by arguing about johnlock queerbaiting or whatever.

^ and honestly i do think that is the position of most antis. theyre isolated and cant seem to do Enough in the Real Scary World so they have to resort to talking about how bad of a person someone is for "shipping abuse", bc theyre not in a situation where they could, for example, ACTUALLY fight the good fight to end abuse or raise awareness for it.

There was way more to it and way more that I could say, if I wanted to, but this post is long enough as it is and probably doesn't make much sense.

I feel bad for antis, honestly, or at least the ones who are antis in the way I used to be.

--

Oh yes, passionate young fools who think they can at least fix the internet if not their lives make up most of the cannon fodder. Some of the ringleaders are just mini dictators and wannabe cult leaders, but most anti-leaning types are just traumatized or clueless, even a lot of the ones who do serious damage and don't just mock shit in private with their friends.

[vinylfoxbooks]

I need more focus on the fact that the marauders are a bunch of shitty teenage boys that think they're the shit.

Like Regulus and Sirius are the gossip brothers. When you're near them and they're sitting together, you don't just think that they're judging you, you know. They're 100% the type of people to look you up and down then go and whisper to each other. Whenever one of them has a crush, they're quick to stare at the person enough to make them uncomfortable. When Sirius told Regulus about his crush on Remus, he stared at the taller boy for so long before shrugging, "He doesn't look bad, I guess. Maybe a bit scrawny."

Or childhood friends Remus and James, who everyone thinks are incredibly kind people that couldn't hurt a fly if they even wanted to, but behind closed doors, they are the meanest fucking people you've ever met. They communicate with their eyes the second that someone they don't like (but said person assumes they like them because they don't treat them any differently, only to talk about them behind their back) says something fucking ridiculous. James rushes into the dorm, throws themself on Remus' bed and shouts, "Did you fucking see what Gideon was wearing? Why did he think that looked good on him?"

And when the four of them come together, when Jegulus and Wolfstar start dating, the four of them are absolutely unstoppable.

We need to remember that the marauders thought that they were hot shit, and they were assholes with all of their pranks and bullying Snape. We need to lean into that more. They're a bunch of teenage boys and I have never met anyone more vicious and mean than a group of self-righteous teenagers.