Snapes' worst memory/the worst is yet to come

[slgazit]

No: HPFGUIDX 80948

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "msbeadsley" <msbeadsley at y...> 
wrote:
> Dumbledore did not respond to Harry's bristling assertion with, 
well, 
> Harry, you did snoop in his diary, what did you expect?

I think he responded as he did for several reasons:
1. Harry is already suffering from guilt feelings over his part in
   Sirius' death. The last thing he needs then is to have more guilt
   induced over that by implying the halting of the occlumency
   lessons was his fault.
2. Dumbledore has higher expectations of behaviour from Snape
   (an adult and teacher) than he does of Harry (a 15 yo student).
3. Dumbledore must have learned about the pensieve incident from
   Sirius or Lupin, so he knows what Harry's reaction was to it.
   As such, he views it as a positive development, not something
   to chastise Harry about.

> it doesn't seem to fit the 
> rest of the conversation where Dumbledore seems perfectly content 
to 
> agitate Harry further.)

Yes, but Dumbledore tries very hard to reduce Harry's guilty
feelings by taking on the blame himself. Blaming Harry for the
pensieve incident would hardly serve that end. He agitates Harry
primarily when he implies that Sirius was less than perfect...

Salit