Memory as a theme

[Kirsten]

No: HPFGUIDX 108915

New day, new theory.

I have been thinking recently about the theme of  *memory* and how it 
plays out in these books. Brief examples:

Harry begins the story without any memories. He doesn't know anything 
about his parents or his history. The whole of PS/SS involves Harry 
discovering the past, concluding with the gift of a photo album. Here 
memories restore his identity.

The Tom Riddle of CoS is himself is a memory, in the end unable to 
escape from a diary. Through their assumptions about Hagrid's 
involvement and the revelations about Tom, Harry and company should 
be learning that memory can be misleading; it's not necessarily a an 
accurate account. It can also be harmful.

In PoA it is Harry's memory of the death of his parents that is his 
worst memory and therefore his greatest weakness in the face of the 
dementors. At the same time, Harry wants to see/hear more of this 
memory; it is seductive as well as debilitating because of its power 
to connect to the past.

In GoF, Harry is introduced to the pensieve. Again, Harry and 
ourselves, the readers, are mislead by the memories we see (unless I 
am the only one that felt sympathy for Barty Crouch, jr.!)  but as 
Dumbledore points out, it is only by examining our past that we can 
identify the patterns that reveal present and future.

In OotP, there is the oh-so-debate-able scene involving 
Snape's 'worst memory'. When Ron is attacked by the brains, we learn 
once again that memory can be dangerous and that "thoughts could 
leave deeper scarring than anything else." The description from Sir 
Nicholas of ghosts could be interpreted as living memories. In 
Dumbledore's explanation of the prophecy we learn what we've always 
known, that Harry's future is inextricably linked to the past.

Finally, as a sideline, there are all those altered memories when 
Muggles see things they shouldn't. Without any ethical qualms either, 
which I find interesting. I also wonder if mental health wizards go 
in and do a bit of altering on their patients. Guess what, the past 
*can* get better after all!

I believe I remember reading that the series was begun JKR's mother's 
death. Given that kind of impactful experience it's not surprising 
that issues of memory, death, and losing one's parents come up so 
often.

All of which is fodder for exploration, but on a lighter note, also 
leads me to my Theory of the Day. You may have noticed that I'll left 
one significant memory link to discuss last: Gilderoy Lockhart. When 
I read CoS I assumed we were done with his character at the end of 
the book. I was quite surprised (and delighted) to see his return in 
OotP. Lockhart's career was built on altering people's memories, 
essentially taking them for himself. It's only fitting that it 
backfired on him. But that also makes him a key thematic element. One 
that was introduced in CoS -- does anyone know where I'm going here 
yet? ;-) --and one whose name contains a direct reference to royalty 
*if* one happens to be a former French teacher (like JKR). Gilderoy = 
gilded king. Of course, something that is gilded isn't solid gold but 
it sometimes passes for it, kind of like, say, a Half-Blood Prince??? 
might pass for something more.

So it's possible, given the importance of the memory theme in the 
series, that we have yet to see the last of Lockhart. 'Locked' inside 
his tiny brain may be information of great importance that he 
discovered during his various travels. After all, how on earth did 
Peter find Voldemort in Albania? Could be there's something in one of 
Lockhart's books even, that Scabbers would have seen while Ron was 
studying.

On a less speculative note, I'm sure that we haven't seen the last of 
Ron's brain attack. It was just too odd. I'm betting there's some 
lingering effect: knowledge, memories, or ability, from his contact 
with the brains that will come into play in the future.