L i N d $ @ y

That's a very interesting comparison too. Harry's was much tougher I think compared to James but both had to deal with everyday issues that plague them (James with Peter and Harry with Voldemort). I also wonder how much of an influence Lily was to James in making him who he is and what he's become.

Gabriela

Yeah, I would love to know what caused the change in James in his 7th year - was it that Voldemort was on the rise and things were just getting more heavy all around or was it Lily's influence or something else?

sweet creature

I think he just grew up like we all did, and started seeing things differently. And things that were happening outside Hogwarts with Voldemort probably also helped him realize that life was more than just pranks. I wonder if this all started happening around their 6th year, because if Dumbledore named him Head Boy for the 7th year, then he must have seen something happen on the year before.

L i N d $ @ y

That could also be a consideration. I would like to think Lily helped him see things differently as he matured and his love for her made him realize that. She didn't change him entirely, she just made him see things he might obviously miss out given the prankster that he was especially when he was with his friends.

blue winter roses

I'm sure Lily was part of it but I don't think he changed just to impress her. IMO it was more a matter of him not staying 15 forever. In SWM he seemed like he just didn't get it that you can't go around cursing people just because you feel like it. He didn't seem to understand that even when Lily yelled at him. So that was probably just something he needed to grow out of on his own. I also always thought of that happening in his 6th year too.

And yeah, I'm sure Voldemort's growing power also helped him rethink his priorities.

*OldHollywoodStarlet*

That's pretty much how I feel too. I think James always had a good heart. He wouldn't have been friends with the other marauders otherwise because of the stigma that went along with the Black name, being a werewolf even Peter's demure. Also really I think that kind of cursing was reserved for Snape (especially for him because of Lily) and some of the students who where knee deep in all the dark arts, those who ended up being associate with Voldermort. He did pranks with the rest of the school like what Harry read on those cards.

sweet creature

This. He did so much for his friends, I don't understand how some people still say that he was an awful person. I think he and his friends were just a little reckless sometimes, and they were big pranksters, but not bullies. And there's a big difference between those two things. If people got to know more about the Marauders' era, they would love them just as much as they love the Weasley twins.

L i N d $ @ y

I think the association with the Weasleys stems that they are also pranksters but that's it. People jump to the conclusion that they're bullies because they're a group of guys who made fun of everyone back in school which is really just looking at them from the surface. And Johanna said it best how Lily influenced James back then. And James needed someone like because he wasn't going to move on from being the prankster that he was if he was going to be just around Sirius, Remus & Peter.

Gabriela

I don't necessarily agree that they weren't bullies. I think that overall James had a good heart, but I don't think it can be argued that what they did to Snape wasn't bullying. Especially in the flashback we saw, they "attacked" (for lack of a better word) Snape without any provocation. We never saw the Weasleys do something like that.

That being said, I do think the relationship between Snape and James (and the other Marauders) was a special one - I don't think James or Sirius went around hexing people just because or for the fun of it. And clearly Snape did his own share of bad spells toward them as well.

I've wondered if after James saved Snape's life things changed between them - maybe James could have realized that things had been taken too far? That would also fall in line with him changing a bit over his sixth year, leading to him being named Head Boy.

L i N d $ @ y

I've always been curious about that point in Lily's life when she realized that James was the one. Was it something that happened in Hogwarts? Was it after everything else in Hogwarts? I'd like to believe Remus & Sirius had a hand in the brewing relationship too given their personalities but what was going through Lily's mind (as was James) and the realization they both had? Gah, that would've been so romantic to read about!

sweet creature

Yea, I don't think they were nice with Snape (even though Snape wasn't nice either), and with him it was definitely more than simple pranks. But overall, I don't think they meant any harm.

Yea, I'm sure Dumbledore found out about what happened with Snape, and I'm sure he was impressed with James attitude. No matter how much James disliked Snape, I don't think he would want him to get so badly injured or even die, and especially not like that. Also, he probably didn't want Remus to live with that guilt on his shoulders.

Gah I really wish we could find out more about how Lily fell for James.

L i N d $ @ y

Was this ever asked to JKR because now I wonder why no one has asked her in her earlier interviews for HP? I know Harry is the main character of the books but it would really give us happiness ( ) to know how his parents developed feelings for each other, the marriage, and everything prior to their death.

LucyGu

I still think she should write a novel about them

sweet creature

^ Me too, I'll always wait for that.

And Lindsay, someone did ask her about that, but Jo's reply was a little vague.

Basically, she's implying that Lily noticed James just as much as he noticed her, even though she didn't really show it because he was a bit idiot sometimes.

L i N d $ @ y

Thanks Catia - she was vague about it but she has a point about not explaining it. We can see that she likes him too and she was popular and he was popular. Since James can be a prankster, that was probably something that Lily didn't like so much about him and needs to be "toned down". I guess when James finally saw past all the joking around, that's when Lily decided to put her guard down. Or at least that what I hope it was.