What are the Marauders? Are they relatively innocent pranksters? Or bullies (of the worst kind)? They were four against one, and did their utmost to humilate and belittle him. For seven years.

Of the four, Sirius is the most worrying to me.

Their main victim was Snape, they did not get along at all well. Reading the books I must admit that I was appalled. Sirius almost kills Snape by werewolf. (And Dumbledore threatens him after ward) Sirius never shows the least remorse about this. Though he is admittedly unstable after Azkaban.

James at least seemed to realize this was going to far even if his primary worry might have been Remus' fate. He might have cleaned up his act a little after that.

Remus was desperate for friendship and at least attempted to rein in the worst excesses sometimes.

Peter was a follower, a hanger-on.

So, what do you think?

 

Those two aren't mutually exclusive.

 

The Marauders did nothing wrong.

 

I am pretty damn sure that only James and Sirius were actively attacking Snape.

From the time in the pensieve it's pretty obvious that Remus just tries to stay out of the situation because he doesn't want James and Sirius to dislike him but he was uncomfortable and wanted to intervene but lacked courage.

Peter was probably only laughing at him but would be to cowardly to actively try something on Snape, who is still the most powerful character we know of in their generation.

While James and especially Sirius were pretty nasty, I think the 2 situation you mentioned were the worst and exceptions, one being the memory Snape tried to hide in the Occlumency lesson.

You should also read the scene in which Harry confronts Sirius and Remus, Sirius did seem to be ashamed of his actions and attitude fully admitting that he was a asshole.

They also say that it was never the one sided bullying which one would expect after only seeing that certain scene were they initiated the conflict, but that Snape gave as good as he got and was retaliating in force instead of the one sided massacre in where he just wanted to be left alone many fans believe.

We don't know the circumstances it can be possible that Snape really got the better of them in a encounter yesterday and that they attacked him because of that.

It can also be possible that Sirius and Remus were lying to Harry to display themselves in a better light but I find that very unlikely because they seem to regret their actions and JK being a bit of a SJW would not allow her good guys to be so shady.

The only action which seems inexcusable is Sirius trying to kill Snape using his friend which is a fucking dick move ( I still like Sirius and think that gave his character a certain darkness) but I am not really sure if Sirius actually considered how dangerous the situation was because he is very hot headed and incapable of thinking of the consequences since I don't think he wanted his friend to end up in Azkaban because of him, maybe he just wanted to scare Snape.

Imo Snapes bullying is far worse he is a fully grown man in a authority position humiliating children who did nothing to him.

 

We are told that Snape was "part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters.", also referred to by Lily as his "precious little Death Eater friends" who we know committed pranks on students of a severity that disgusted Lily (who for no particular reason I am deciding is an impartial observer). While it may be a little shady that the Marauders ambushed Snape after their OWLs, and perhaps took excessive enjoyment in it, it always seemed to me that this was just one episode in a series of snipes between groups in the school that mirrored the growing conflict outside it, with both groups desperate to get out into the real fighting.

 

Harry tortures two people, mind-rapes at least two, and subtly (in that it's kind of brushed over in one paragraph of HBP) hexes people because he doesn't like them/for the amusement of his friends - and that's just the last two books.

Anyway, on topic, I can't recall anything in canon that suggests the Marauders ever pulled a prank, aside from the insults generated when Snape tries to read the Map (unclear, I think, whether this is aimed specifically at him, or if it would happen to whoever tried it, presumably with different insults). I suppose you could argue that becoming Animagi under the noses of the entire faculty is kind of a prank?

They're bullies, or at least, James and Sirius are - Remus and Peter are 'part of the problem', I guess, but there's no solid indication that they actually participated. BUT...as far as we know they only bullied Snape, who isn't exactly a shining example of good behaviour himself. It's perhaps worth noting that in the one incident we actually see, Snape is the only one to use a spell that draws blood. James and Sirius 'just' humiliate him.

 

Don't really agree with all of these, the 2 times he crucioed were against psychopath nazi wizards one being unsuccsessful and the other while coming a bit out of nowhere and being a bit of a overkill didn't seem that bad.

The mind rape part seems necessary and not that bad since it was the only option to stop a immortal dictator and they didn't do that much fucked up shit with it.

The last part I can't really recall but if it happened seems kind of dick move and again coming a bit out of nowhere from JK so I agree with you there.

I phrased myself a bit unhappily there, what I really think is that sometimes characters don't say stuff like this to defend themselves like it could happen IRL but that in media most things are said for a reason and can be believed, they are a authors mouth piece on the matter and stuff like that can be believed to be fictional "truth" when nothing later comes up with to deny it.

 

It is always said that Snape retaliated against them and seeing as he was part of a group that already identified themselves as Death Eaters I am inclined to believe he was just as nasty. Is it bullying if it is an ongoing fight between the two? Still, trying to kill a sixteen year old is not cool.


On the other hand, Snape creates Sectusempra on his sixth year (possibly?) So maybe the Marauders did push too far. Could it have lead to an attack on the whole school? Could it have been an analogy to a planned school shooting?

 

I guess it depends on your definition of a prank? That characterisation seems to come from people comparing them to Fred and George. What James and Sirius seem to have been known for was hexing randoms for fun.

Anyway, I agree that they were likely both ~pranksters and bullies. According to JKR on Pottermore and interviews:

That Remus had to function as the conscience of the group implies they were doing things that were unconscionable.

 

^I'd forgotten those bits when I said they only bullied Snape.

Also, kira and light, I'm not necessarily saying I disagree with Harry doing those things, but to say Rowling wouldn't write a good guy as shady is just wrong. And the bit about Harry hexing people for fun is from HBP, he tests out some of the Prince's spells on Crabbe and Filch for shits and gigges.

 

James is a thug who stole the love of Snape’s life. Sirius a reckless fool who nearly killed a man for a joke. And Remus a self-hating jerk who was willing to walk away from his pregnant wife in the middle of a war.

 

You should probably look up the difference between love and obsession.

 

Speaking of the memory that harry saw in book five snape himself is no saint since he himself stalking the marauder before the confrontation.
Oh and while yes the marauder can be a bit bullying it is mostly harmless while snape and his little group of death eaters being really nasty.

 

Yeah, Lily is not allowed to make her own choice who she loves and ows her love to someone who is friends with and wanted to join a group who systematically wants to kill every person of her kind, seems logical.

Not only that but Snape is also responsible for her and James death telling wizard Hitler the prophercy, not giving a fuck that a innocent family gets wiped out till he knew it was Lily.

Sirius was a ass but he felt some regret over it not everybody needs to be Jesus besides I don't think he planned to kill him it's still inexcusable.

Yeah Remus could be a coward but in the end he goes back to his wife flaws can make characters more intersting.

 

Snape: "Hello my arch nemesis (and bully) Sirius Black. What's going on with Lupin? he's a werewolf isn't he? why's he going away every full moon? how do you get into the Whomping Willow?"
Sirius: "Just prod the knot on the tree trunk and you'll find out."
Snape: "I sure would! thanks buddy!"
[Snape almost gets eaten by werewolf]
Snape: "wtf I chose to do something dangerous and stupid!? welcome to your tape, Black!"

 

The Snape hate on here has become ridiculous. What we see in the books is that James starts to attack Snape on their very first day at Hogwarts out of mere house prejudice, and Snape gives as good as he gets. James wouldn’t like that - he’s a primping showoff who wants to be admired, so the fact that Snape stands up to him would annoy him. That’s explicit in the scene where James attacks Snape, Snape swears at him and James makes him eat soap - he’s saying “You’re so low I can do whatever I like to you and you’re not allowed to object”.

JK Rowling has said on Pottermore that James and Sirius subjected Snape to “relentless bullying” and at interview that this was partly due to sexual jealousy - which is worryingly stalkerish. It means that even though neither Snape nor James was Lily’s bofriend, James was prepared to persecute the other boy for years just because he was friends with Lily. Stripping Snape and displaying his naked genitals to the mob was also a worryingly sexual assault.

It can’t have been only that, because we see from Filch’s records that James and Sirius picked on many people, if not so intensively as they did on Snape. I suspect that Snape was an ideal victim because he fought back enough to present a challenge, while not actually being able to save himself against several attackers. Also, Snape is kind-of irritating - you couldn’t ever not notice him - and very witty and also ill-mannered so he probably made a lot of sharp observations to and about James which really stung. James is a rich, spoilt pureblood Quidditch jock and it would drive him nuts to be verbally pwned by a dirty-poor, working-class, half-blood Slytherin geek - let alone one who initially appeared to have a much better chance of getting the girl than he did.

 

Someone has been reading too much fanfiction. Neither character reaches the extremes of characteristics you're attributing to them.

 

Jeez, you're on a roll eh kid? Prove. Prove that Snape wasn't a petty, bitter man who believed in Nazi-esque beliefs while still a teen, hanged out with brutal criminals, was anuent in his 'love' (who he drove away by himself thanks to his company and own racism) family being brutally murdered (in front of her) just so he could have her for himself.

Please. PLEASE. Prove that Snape's 'friends' never helped, that Snape wasn't a bonafide asshole and just witty. Please, please. Also He exposed the man in underwear. Which is kinda like... swimsuit. But I guess those are rape to you too. Also, please prove that Snape was helpless. Lupin, who is as neutral as one could be, and even Dumbledore, commented multiple times it was tit for tat.

Also, prove those many victims. I want Filch saying they picked on multiple people, bullied them. 'verbally pwned'... HAHAHAHAHAHA. You're one special snowflake.

 

...I literally quoted canon and JKR directly above. Lupin never said it was 'tit for tat', he said James and Snape, specifically, continued hexing each other, in the context of after fifth year. He also said he was too much of a coward to confront James and Sirius, but that he occasionally made them feel ashamed of themselves.

Both Remus and Lily said they hexed people for the fun of it, e.g. Bertram Aubrey. That's why Lily thought he was a dick.

JKR described, in those exact words, what they did to Snape as 'relentless bullying', said James should have treated him better, that he was an outcast (hence no one save Lily helping him in SWM), and that his (Snape's) behaviour is at least in part because of his treatment. She also said Snape's friendship with Lily was a part of James' attitude towards him.

 

The feud between james and sirius with snape start when snape acting snobish not different than draco in their very first year on the train.