One for Sorrow

I really don't see it as that sort of situation. Snape is an ill-adapted kid, yes, but just because he's outnumbered that time, doesn't mean he always was. Sirius refers to Snape running around with the Lestranges, Avery, Wilkes and so on and so forth, in terms of a gang. And Snape was described as up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts. Now, maybe you can make a case for Snape being on par with the alternative, gothy crowd in school, but he's not anywhere near the stereotype of a Trekkie or a sci-fi fan- I was one at his age, and all of us would rather have avoided a fight than follow the school bullies around and pull a knife on them if they had first. Because Snape does go for his wand, and he does cast a spell that slashes up James's face, spilling blood. Snape isn't nice, he was never nice, and the Dark Arts aren't the equivalent of watching geeky tv shows.