Snape's choice of memories for the pensieve (was: Death and Snape)

[huntergreen_3]

No: HPFGUIDX 108516

Marty wrote:
> Also, in OoP, in the pensieve scene, we see that Snape
> removes "certain of his thoughts" Chap. 28 Snape's Worst Memory
> (p638 US Edition 2003). I find it interesting that the one memory
> Harry gets into involves his father. Now, of course, from the
> writer's perspective, it is a handy way to provide information. I
> also understand that Snape doesn't want Harry to see his
> humiliation, but isn't it curious that this is one of his worst
> memories that he wants to keep hidden? 

SSSusan replied:
>> Fascinating thoughts, Marty. The way you've written this causes me,
for the first time, to consider other possibilities for Snape's
pensieve selections besides simply, "These memories are awful and I
don't want Potter to know this about me." Is it possible that
Snape's motive WAS preventing Harry from seeing something about some
OTHER person/people, not necessarily just that he didn't want Harry
to see him upside in grey undies?<<

HunterGreen:
Perhaps the reason he put the memories in the pensieve was not to 
protect them from Harry accidently seeing them (he wasn't teaching 
Harry legimency after all, the chance of Harry using a rebound spell 
probably seemed like a remote possibility), but to keep them from 
affected Snape's attitude toward Harry. Meaning that if those 
memories are in the pensieve, they won't be in his head, and he won't 
be associating Harry with James through the lesson and he can just be 
his regular unpleasant self as opposed to ultra unpleasant.
 *Harry* assumes that they are things Snape is keeping from him, but 
how often are Harry's assumptions correct? By this line of thinking 
*all* of the memories in the pensieve are about James.

SSSusan:
>>But then again, why WOULDN'T he have wanted Harry to know his dad &
Sirius were jerks at 15? <<

HunterGreen:
Snape didn't see it that way. When he pulls Harry out of the pensieve 
he assumes Harry thinks James was being "amusing". Snape is really 
thick when it comes to Harry. Even with the recent glimpses he's had 
of Harry's mind, it doesn't connect with him that Harry would see 
James the same way Snape sees James in that memory. He assumes that 
Harry would think its funny to see his hated potions teacher attacked 
by his father and his godfather.