[HPforGrownups] Pensieve - Just a Thought

[Aberforth's Goat]

No: HPFGUIDX 631

> Theoretically
> then if Sirius could sieve these thoughts, Harry could then peer into
> the past as he had done so in Dumbledore's office. The problem with
> this is that the sheer trauma of Sirius' time in Azkaban may also get
> siphoned into the Pensieve and Harry, on looking in, would be drawn
> into an unpleasant world, albeit, as an observer.
>

No denying that makes sense.  But I don't think it will happen.  JKR often
seems to bring in bits of magic that serve a purpose in the tactics of a
single book (or even within a section of a single book) but don't serve the
overall stretgy of the series.  The Mirror of Erised or the flying Ford are
two simple examples.  They serve their purposes, then trundleoff off over
the horizon.  (Or into HP4GU, as the case may be ... )

Snape's truth serum is a more complex example of these moves: It serves the
tactics of GoF but leaves us wondering why Dumbledore doesn't administer a
spoonful to every prospective Hogwarts teacher.

Of course, there are a lot of counter examples of bits of magic that keep
turning up at unexpected times and places, but I have a feeling that we
won't see the pensieve in action again--*unless* there is some need for
Harry to discover something Dumbledore knows, without actually asking
Dumbledore.  (For instance, if the MoM should banish Dumbledore from
Hogwarts ... )

About Sirius: It's also possible that the pensieve can collect memories only
within a limited period of time following their formation.  That would keep
anyone from using it to dig up long-lost memories (at least without the use
of a very clever therapist ... )

BTW, we goats don't need pensieves: we have the Goat Memorial Home Page
(http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/7451/) to collect the essence of
our fleeting spirits ...

Aberforth's Goat (a.k.a. Mike Gray)
http://profiles.yahoo.com/aberforths_goat