Snape's "Worst" Memory (Was:Snape's Insignificant Question During Occlumency)

[bookraptor11]

No: HPFGUIDX 76432

> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Buttercup <cathio2002 at y...> 
> wrote:
> > During the first Occlumency lesson,
> > why would Snape ask Harry "To whom did the dog
> > belong?" Why would he care? 

Caius Marcius replied:
> It happened during the first lesson, the first time Snape 
penetrates 
> Harry's mind. Snape has always been so accustomed to assume that 
> Harry is a carbon copy of James - "he's so arrogrant, criticism 
just 
> bounces off him" - that he might have been taken aback to catch 
these 
> glimpses of just how much Harry was abused and humiliated in his 
> childhood (we don't know how much Snape knows of Privet Drive).  
> Perhaps this points - if not to a full reconciliation - to at least 
a 
> lessening of hostility between the two in the future.

Me:
The more I read these discussions, the more I'm convinced Snape left 
the Pensieve out on purpose. I know this has been raised before, but 
I know sometimes JKR has her characters do unwise things that keep 
the plot moving or set things up for something to come. How many 
things would not have happened if Harry had been more forthcoming to 
Dumbledore?

For one thing, is this really Snapes worst memory? Wouldn't the Prank 
count?  How about the catalyst(hello Bangers!) that caused Snape to 
change sides?

I think Snape might have been beginning to feel more empathy for 
Harry. He may have felt he needed a reason to regain his hatred of 
Harry, either to maintain his cover when Voldemort is inspecting his 
mind, or because he's a bitter man who needs to feel hate toward 
Harry (or maybe a little of both?).

We don't know if this particular memory was even one Snape had 
removed in previous sessions. He may have been hoping that Harry 
would look into the pensieve and so chose the best memory that would 
put James in the worst possible light. Knowing what Harry went 
through, Snape would have a better idea of what would deflate Harry's 
worship of his father.

Was Snape's anger genuine? Maybe. He'd been hoping Harry would look 
but he could still feel angry that he did (also because he had to 
relive the memory too, when he went in to pull Harry out).

I'm still not sure if he arranged this so he could stop the 
occlumency lessons, and if he did what his motives were. This has 
been discussed quite a bit, but I can't make up my mind yet. We may 
have to wait for book 6 to know.

Donna