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Common Misconceptions || Accepting

I’ve answered this one before, but I’m going to do it again because this one in particular bugs me a lot. 

I want to take a second to point out that James Potter was a teenage boy, who lived at a school, away from his parents. He had four best friends, played consistent pranks, studied well enough to become head boy, played on the Quidditch team and was later captain, made the marauders map, spent two years trying to become an Animagus and spent a lot of time in detention. He simply did not have time to harass anyone. I highly doubt he was following Lily around 24/7. He was a young guy, with friends and a crush. But he would not have achieved any of those things, or maintained such strong friendships had he been constantly following round a girl.

Now, to the actual point. When people claim this about James and Lily, that he simply harassed her, that he wore her down so much she just gave in. You are completely discounting Lily and her entire character. She was a strong, independent woman. She had her own mind, her own beliefs and the ability to say no. Which she did. For almost seven years. By claiming he simply wore her down and harassed her, you are discounting a love which created Harry, which caused James to sacrifice himself in the hope she’d escape with their son. You’re trivialising a strong, intelligent character, into someone who simply gave up saying no.

Finally. By claiming he harassed her, you’re turning James into a one dimensional character who had nothing else about him other than an obsession with Lily. Yes, he was spoiled. Yes he was a little obnoxious wanker during his early years at school. Yes, he was a bully for a few years. He was also a child and then a teenager. He was also a prankster, with a sense of humour who never expected Lily to say yes. He pursued her yes, to the point that it was just a running joke. That James Potter fancied Lily Evans. He was funny, he was smart and capable and knew full well when someone wasn’t interested. He was also stubborn, hence his continued teasing flirtation with her.

I firmly believe, that James fancied Lily yes. That he enjoyed the challenge, yes. But I also believe that James had an ego, that he turned the constant rejection into a joke he could control. Into being loud about it, doing it in public, fully expecting her to always say no, because that is how the joke went now. 

The fact is. James Potter was headboy and Quidditch captain. A valued member of the order and someone who sacrificed his life. By claiming he harassed Lily, you define him purely from obnoxious teenage years, where everyone is a fright at some point. He turned into a man. A brave, intelligent, protective and caring man.