So tell me what you guys think and why. I plan on making a few more of these polls for MWPP era stuff so maybe people will get an idea of what to write.

Oy! Angie

Good on you for posting those polls, Angie!
I voted for the 'brilliant mind' but I thought the 'haunted' one could be part of the picture too. In fact I've noticed that I tend to base my analysis of James' character on the few words McGonagal said about him and Sirius Black in the Three Broomsticks in PoA. She's one of the few characters I consider reliable and almost impartial in the series.
I tried to keep the Brilliant element in my fic and I added other qualities (and defects) of my own choosing to complete his character.
I really wish we knew more about him and, hopefully, Book V will have some little gems on the subject.

Pommekitty

I'm a bit divided between haunted!James and prankster!James. Since we don't know too much about his past, having haunted!James is unfounded in canon, but we do know that he was part of the Marauders so he *must* like to pull jokes. The question is whether he pulled pranks for fun or is it all a coverup for something deeper.

His son, Harry, likes to cover things up so I can just imagine James doing the same thing ..

Yeah I'm so conflicted over whether or not James was brilliant and goofy or using his pranking as a defense mechanism. I think we can all agree that James is just fabulous either way though right?

QUOTE (Oy! Angelina @ Apr 25 2003, 12:45 PM)

I think we can all agree that James is just fabulous either way though right?

Oh definitely! I always imagine James to be the dark-haired cutie that Harry will be. Since Rowling always says how much Harry resembles James, I can't help but to drool ..

Umm .. right .. not cutie fabulous .. sure! I can picture that too. Somehow I always put Harry there when I think of James, and Harry is *such* a little darling.

i was kind of wavering between the haunted!james and the brilliant one, but i went for the brilliant mind.

the haunted one i just think presents lots of possibilities for fics.

as for brilliant, mcgonagall said in PoA that james was one of the most brilliant students didnt'she? and obviously he would have to be really great at transfig, he and sirius, to be able to become animagi so early and stuff.

i definitely don't see james as just being some sort of shallow, playboy jock-type, b/c it's obvious from what we do know, that james must have been very loyal to his friends (he became an illegal animagi for remus) and then, we know he died to save lily and harry. that's not the act of a shallow person.

QUOTE

Loveable goof without a serious bone in his body

I voted for this one because

a) Have we all forgotten who his best friend was? and

It gives more exitement to everything.

I think that pommekitty really said it for me...he's got to be brilliant, he WAS Head Boy after all, but he has to have more between his ears than just book smarts and prank ideas. I like to think that he's an introspective bloke, with more than enough to think about when he's not surrounded by his buddies. I am a canon weirdo, which means that I scoured PoA and GoF for anything about his dad, particularly the somewhat cocky nature of his skills in Quidditch, and his cleverness in books. I do take liberties by using the Marauders concept liberally, but I think that rather makes the stories more interesting. I DO NOT think he was the most popular in school, with girls all falling at his feet, because there is no one in canon who fits that description.

All in all, I think he's a regular guy, with serious events happening in his past which make him more grounded than Sirius, but still with a mischievous streak. I like to think of him as much more responsible, as exampled with the Whomping Willow incident. I also like to think that he had a good head on his shoulders, signifying that he wouldn't be (a) a player, ( big man on campus, or © some sex god. Sorry, I'm a fan of the normal guy with brains and a penchant for mischief scenario.

Boring but adamant,

everblue3

I see James as a very smart boy who used his intellegence in an immature way. Lily tried to straighten him out, but couldn't hide how funny she thought his pranks were. That's what I think anyway.

Well considering book five gives us a really good idea of what James Potter was like around 15 I think that the thread is now moot point and I'll be closing this topic up. Thanks for the insight everyone and, for the record, I like the fanon opinion of James over the canon

Allow me to re-open this, just in case our newbies want to vote, too.

~Gal Texter

I like to read about playboy!James, but really, I hate him, and I don't think he was like that. And I dislike most fics where he is like that.

I think James is strong enough not to completly change himself for a girl. Lily just made him realize his faults, and he decided to make himself better. It was for her, and himself. I believe (i think i'm repeating myself...i'm not sure) summer before 7th year he realized that he needed to change to become a better person...meeting Lily's needs was a motivation.

-Kara

Yah I see him like that too. Strong but with a soft spot for Lily. He realised some mistakes he was making and made himself a better person. I also picture him to be funny and lovable as well.

bah I chose obnoxious one. lets face it he was before he started to mature with Lily. I hate to say it but I did not like James when he was younger. The James they speak about as he is older is much nicer and so much more likeable.

I'm sort of torn between brilliant prankster and obnoxious prat. In my mind, he's kind of a cross between the two, leaning more on the prat side before he changes for Lily, and then more on the brilliant side after he (finally) gets with Lily. Either way, I love him. Sad, ain't it, that my favorite character's already dead?

i think a "brilliant mind is the best. for me it suits him well. but it was a tough choice. the one that i ruled out first was the "haunted young man" one because to me, that sounds more like harry.....but you know, like father like son....

I chose A brilliant mind that would be incredibly bored without the occassional immature prank. I really see him like that. James was never dumb, brilliant in my opinion. I mean the guy had to be to get the animagi stuff right. And I've been way too influenced by fanfiction but I really do see him like that. And yes he is obnoxious but no he doesn't get into every girl's pants. I absolutely LOVE his character! And will never forgive JKR for ever painting him in a bad light. I'll continue to squeal that he was so good to save Snape Sad ain't it? I love a character who's gets offed in the second chapter

i think the brilliant but bored thing suits james best, maybe even a little hyperactive- i wouldnt' be surprised if he had trouble sitting still for any long period of time, a bit impulsive, particularly when it comes to doing something stupid that he came up with on the spur of the moment to impress a pretty girl (aka Lily), very, very observant and an excellent planner, unless its to impress lily in which case he's mostly an idiot, but if he wasn't good at planning i wouldn't think that he'd be all that great with pranking people, willing to change his opinion on someone despite first impressions
sort of the unofficial king of gryffindor tower in part due to his pureblood heritage and in part because i think he was a natural leader, also, somehow i just see him as secretly being very good with helping homesick first years, kind of like the unofficial big brother and little kids just naturally like him and if he doesn't like someone he has a good reason but he's not all that great at putting the reason to words which is probably one of the reasons why he gets on Lily's nerves as well as James own dislike of Lily's best friend, he might have judged Lily a little bit based on her friendship with snape but when he paid attention he realized that she was pretty cool
unlike sirius, i think James was for the most part a good judge at knowing how far to push things emotionally, for example, if he remained alive he'd probably get along with his daughter in law quite well when he isn't teasing her and trying to get her to loosen up but he'd never bug hermione so much that she wouldn't forgive him in the next few minutes, or after she charms his hair silver and green
of course that last trait is probably something that he took a bit of time to develop and he probably did many things that lily almost didn't forgive him for and that snape definately didn't forgive him for and there may be other people that still hold james in some disregard because of something he did in school and the only reason they don't hold it against him anymore is because he's dead