[HPforGrownups] Oop-Snape's worst memory

[Pen Robinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 64176


On Wednesday, Jun 25, 2003, at 22:29 Europe/London, lauralaylin wrote:

> Like many, long time lurker, first time posting!  :)
>
> I know in the past few days in those hundreds of posts, a few people
> have questioned why Snape's worst memory is really so bad.  I think I
> have a possible answer.  Snape pulled Harry out of the Pensieve
> before the memory was finished, and the memory must have gotten
> worse.  My guess, James did take off Snape's pants.  If I was naked
> in front of the general public, whether it be when I was 15 or now,
> it would definitely be my worst memory.  Even if it wasn't, Snape
> probably wouldn't want Harry to see him naked, so he'd put the memory
> in the Pensieve.
>

I'm wondering why everyone says it is Snape's *worst* memory.  Is it?   
I don't remember noticing Snape say that it was his worst memory (and 
who else is qualified to judge?).    [Admittedly, there's an awful lot 
of book to remember, after one hasty and one slightly-more considered 
reading, so I may be wrong.]

My take?  Snape removes from his thoughts those memories which for some 
reason he does not wish Harry to see.  They very probably include 
memories of his interactions with Voldemort, and probably also his 
reasons for coming back to Dumbledore and being brought back into the 
fold - some of which may be removed for strategic reasons.   He also 
removes memories of himself being spectacularly humiliated because - 
let's face it - who would want to risk *anyone* seeing those?   But I'd 
be very surprised if some of the Death Eater stuff didn't constitute 
*worse* memories than schoolboy humiliation, even though the incident 
was obviously horrible.

Is it also possible he was protecting Harry from that particular piece 
of knowledge?   The revelation of James' behaviour did, after all, 
affect Harry quite profoundly.

Pen