Pensieve question...

[bibphile]

No: HPFGUIDX 76725

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "meltowne" <meltowne at y...> 
wrote:
> It certainly looked like he was absorbed in the exam, but it's 
> possible he was pretending to be absorbed so they wouldn't notice 
> him - of if they did, they wouldn't know he was spying.  This of 
> course would imply that he may have known more about Lupin's 
status than he let on.
>

But how could he hear them if Harry (who was much closer) couldn't.

Besides, I don't think Snape would have been stupid enough to go 
looking for Lupin on a full moon if he knew Lupin was a werewolf.

> ME:
> Our brains "see" much more than we pay attention to.  It is 
possible that James was visible doing this in Snape's peripheral 
vision.  His brain recorded it, even if it didn't register.
>

>From three aisle away?  And with his own face less than an inch from 
his paper.  I doubt it.


> I view the pensieve as recording what that person *could* perceive 
if they were paying attention to details.  It might be much like 
using only 1 sense rather 2 or 3 to experience something; much like 
a deep gash in your leg hurting more once you see the blood.
>

I disagree. I don't think a pensieve is that limited. It is magic 
after all. Unless I'm mistaken, when Harry went into Dumbldore's 
memory, he could see thing that were happening behind Dumbledore. I 
think a pensive is an absolutely objective and accurate recording of 
everything that happened within sight of the subject. I mean I bet 
you can stand with you're back to the direction the subject is 
facing and still see something.

Otherwise Harry would have turned in some direction and seen 
nothing.  A human geing cannot see 360 degrees at once, much less up 
and down as well.

bibphile