I feel really kinda silly posting this and all, seeing how there really isnt any evidence in the books to support it but I think its an interesting idea of mine that explains alot.

We all know Snape and James hated eachother. They fought as much as they could in school, and Snape berates Harry to this day. But, for some reason Snape saves Harry in SS/PS and we find out James saved Snape in PoA from Lupin. But you'd think that since they hated eachother so much (harry is a constant reminder of James to Snape) why would they save eachother? To avoid getting into trouble? To repay a debt? Perhaps

But..... It just doesnt seem to fit very well. Not as well as the other things Rowling puts together in the series anyways. So I'm proposing that Severus Snape and James Potter were once good friend before they both went to Hogwarts. As I said, there really isnt anything to support this, but it just sorta fits when you think about i . (I know, I know, anything can fit into the series when you think about it)

I mean, that sorta thing happens all the time. People are good friends at one point and then when they get into school (I.E. Highschool we'll say) friends sorta drift apart and disagree. When Snape was sorted into Slytherin and James into Gryfindor, perhaps the same thing happened to them.

But this would explain why Dumbledore trusts Snape even after Snape betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort. I mean, Snape didnt really know who the prophecy was talking about and I belive that when he found out that he had just sentanced his old friend to death, that he truly regretted it. I also believe that Dumbledore knows of James' and Severus' relationship (as friends before school)

I'm not sure how this theory will pan out, but I'll appreciate it if you consider it.

chees puff?

Hmmm... maybe this theory may be correct in some way. I do believe that Snape and James's grudge goes back much futher than we think. You dont just choose to dilike someone form day one. Its like Harry and Draco they could have potionally been friends but because Draco insulted Ron Harry decided that he didnt want to keep the company of Malfoy and his croonies! Surely Snape couldnt have been alone and friendless all of his childhood. Even Lord Voldemort had some friends or people who talked to him( The scene where Slughor tells him about the horcruxes). Seeing as none of the boys(Snape and James that is) were born into a proper muggle family there was probably more chance of them being friends before they went to hogwarts.

Hmmm......it is a very tricky subject. Snape saved Harry in the PS to repay his debt to James; we know that much.

The way that James and Snape loath each other so much does suggest, I think, that they were once friends. You hate a friend more who betrays you than a person you just dislike.

Actually the only reason why i think James saved Snape was that james was a good person at heart and even though he is conceited sometimes he can still be nice. Also he probably didn't want Snape to find out about lupin. He also probably didn't want Snape to get bitten.

OH yes i remember now SevethHorcrux Harry did meet Draco before the train ride.I am getting confussed with the edited film version lol. but I agree with Magic master. From personal experience i know that you d o hate someone who has betryed you as a friend more than you hate someone you just dont get a long with. You have placed your tust in them and they have made you feel like a fool.

I dont know..... it still seems that their hatred for them seems to be going past the initial dislike for eachother because they're complete opisites. I mean, Harry actually starts to feel sorry for Malfoy at the end of HBP I dont know of a single other time snape feels sorry for james, or the other way around.

I can think of at least one for each side:

a. when Snape was going to be killed by Lupin and James stopped the whole plan. (He may have not been feeling sorry for Snape, but he certainly showed an ounce at least of compassion.)

b. after James died (i believe Snape is good by the way), Snape felt terrible about what had happened.

SeventhHorcrux Posted on Oct 17 2005, 11:05 PM

I the first place, Snape didn't save Harry in SS/PS. His countercurse, which wasn't working too well, was broken up by Hermione and during the course of that, Quirrel's concentration was broken. That's why Harry didn't fall from His broom.

For whatever the reason, panic, fear, bravery or just plain goodness, James saved Snapes life. Snape tried to repay the debt He owed James by informing Dumbledore of Voldemort's plans. Which by the way failed, so Snape is still in James' debt. That is why Snape tried to protect Harry at quiddich.

As for why they hated each other, may be explained by Lupin. James was popular, the best seeker at Hogwarts, good looking and had lots of friends. Snape on the other hand was awkward, according to the memory Harry saw in Snapes mind, other students laughed and made fun of Him, and it would seem His personal hygiene wasn't quite the best it should have been.

Snape hates Harry for all those reasons by being a constant reminder that He didn't repay His debt to James. In GOF, Dumbledore explained to Harry that a wizard who's life was save has a special bond with them until the debt can be repaid.

What I think is going to happen in book seven is, Snape will die protecting Harry and out of the blue, Peter is going to show Harry the way to defeat Voldemort.

James and Snape could not have had a friendship before Hogwarts and then coming to it become enemies. Even though friends do tear apart sometimes there is still a kind of respect for each other and will not lose that and turn it into loathing.
James hated Snape because as James, Sirius and Lupin say Snape was jealous of James' abilities at Quiditch and that Snape was always trying to look for ways to get the four of them in trouble )James, Sirius, Lupin, Peter).
Then it all became bad, because as you all know James and Sirius were brilliant wyzards, so they started taking revenge on Snape harshly, with spells like Levicorpus, that made Snape's Worst Memory.
James saved Snape from Lupin when he transformed because as much as he hated him, im sure he did not want him dead or turned into a werewolf, plus they would have gotten in so muh trouble.

Hey[COLOR=orange]El cheeser puff
I like you thery. It does sorta fit in
You are really clever to put that together

heya..I remember reading something in OOP about this.

I think it's Lupin who said "James always hated the dark arts, and Snape arived at hogwarts knowing more of it than all the 7th year slitherins put together" and "Snape was always up to his eyes in the dark arts" or wods to that effect, with this in mind i can't realy see james and snape getting on to well.

You can dislike/hate somebody, but still not want them to die.

I think James was a bully and big headed, but by no means inhumane.

There are several people I don't like, but I wouldn't let them die if I could prevent it. Same thing with James and Snape. James disliked him, but didn't want him dead.

Thus, to repay the debt, Severus didn't want James and Lily to die...just the same as he doesn't want Harry to die. He may not like him, but he also does not want him dead.

Perhaps the reason they really didn't get along wasn't because Snape was jealous of James so much as James being jealous of Snape. Let me explain, We all know that James and Sirius were the best wizards of there age, the smartest and most powerful, however, when it came to dark arts they were second best. Snape most likeyl prevailed in DADA and even in potions, though he was poor and sleazy looking, his intelligence for those subjects overshadowed James and Sirius's thus resulting in James to torment him in public so everyone knew who the better wizrad was. I also agree that James hatred for the Dark Arts could have fueled his anger toward Snape, because he probably thought that anyone with such an obsession with it wasn't to be trusted. And yes, add all this to the fact that Snape resented James for being more powerful then him in most subjects and for being the best seeker at school, then throw in the house rivalries and you got yourself overwhelming evidence as to why the loathed each other so much.

As for James saving his life, his heart is purere than Snapes and saving an enemy from his best friend shows courage and selflessness. James was a better man inside, I couldnt see Snape saving James from Lupin. Also, James knew it was Lupin, and if Lupin attacked anyone and was caught he would have lost one of his best friends. In was a good heart instinct that saved Snape, a debt that really hasn't been repayed yet. I don't believe we will see Snape dying for Harry, but I am sure he will repay the debt somehow. I also don;t see Pettigrew turning good, he'll die by most likely lupin and with his dying breathe offer some advise, but I doubt it.