Snape & Harry's Memory Perspective Question and then some

[Oona]

No: HPFGUIDX 84009

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "kiricat2001" <Zarleycat at a...> 
wrote:

> What I'm curious about is the nature of perspective.  When breaking 
> into another's mind, does the one breaking in see the memories with 
> the same perspective that the memories' owner sees?  Or does the 
> Legilimens see the memory as if it were like thoughts trapped in a 
> Pensieve, where the perspective is that of an outside observer?  

This is an excellent question. When I read OoP, ( one of the many 
times ) I had a similar thought, but then I thought about my own 
memories and in some of them when I look back to childhood, I can see 
the entire scene, in others, I am just looking through my own eyes. 
So when thinking about the perspectives of the memories, I assumed 
that the same could hold true for someone looking into them from the 
outside. 

What I thought was even more interesting was Harry's reaction to 
everything he saw in Snape's memories and in the Pensieve. I 
thought it a bit odd that he still failed to show much compassion to 
Snape. When I read Snape's memories of childhood and school, I felt as 
though many of my former theories on Snape were correct. I have been 
steadfast that he was in some ways abused, and the memories confirmed 
that enough for me. What struck me as odd was that Harry a victim of 
neglect and maltreatment - not only from the Dursleys, but from the 
likes of Malfoy and his cronies and at many points much of the school-
 could not recognise a little bit of himself in Snape. 

His immediate reaction to his father's behaviour aside, I still 
thought that perhaps, as Harry is growing older, he would have 
recognised that Snape's attitudes towards him and others were borne 
out of this wretched past we see in his memories. It seems to me that 
there is still hope for Harry and Snape to forge some kind of neutral 
relationship based on this. 

I am still of the opinion that Snape is only a Slytherin because of 
what was instilled in his mind growing up. Coming to Hogwarts with 
more knowledge of the Dark Arts and Hexes and Curses than anyone else-
- he obviously learned this at home. This mirrors Malfoy... Would 
Malfoy have grown into the detestable little toad that he is were 
Lucius and Narcissa not so awful?

Harry knows that Dumbledore trusts Snape for his own reasons. Snape's 
reaction to Harry's continued lack of concern for rules or other's 
privacy in stoppping Occlumency Lessons was a mistake, but it was the 
mistake of an angry tortured man. There is the argument that Snape 
should just grow up and let go of the past, but he isn't that evolved 
yet. 

Will Harry ever see eye to eye with Snape? Will they ever be able to 
look at one another without hatred?

Opinions?

Tonks, your Scot in America, formerly known as Snuffles whose entire 
network was destroyed in our recent Hurricane and who lost her place 
on the list and is ever so happy to be back.