Let's hear it for good old Snapey!

[Dr. Jekyl]

No: HPFGUIDX 87948

>Message: 22
>    Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2004 14:08:40 -0600
>    From: "Amanda Geist" <editor at texas.net>


Amanda said:
[snip]
>I've gone into some analysis of why he might *need* to, for his own
>protection, after Harry's intrusion. I think Snape must be very careful as
>to what memories or emotions he allows himself to have, in relation to 
>Harry
>(and the rest of the Order), and must control the situations and extent to
>which he interacts. I suggested that a "bleedover" where Snape now
>associates a James emotion *directly* with Harry might in some way endanger
>Snape's ability to successfully Occlumens in front of Voldemort.
>
>This is only one of the potential reasons, you understand.
[snip]

Dr. Jekyl:

I've seen the 'bleedover effect' used in another context to help explain why 
Snape removed those memories in the first place (aside from all the other 
intriguing theories put forth).

Our boy Severus is, most of the time, a fairly rational sod and, when he 
agreed to teach Harry Occlumency, he would have realised that there were 
going to be a number of problems in doing so - not the least of which was 
his own extreme dislike of the boy, which in great part does appear to be a 
by-product of his hatred for James.

Therefore, it's been put forward that Snape put the post-DADA OWL incident 
in the Pensieve in order to help keep his temper in check while he taught 
Harry on a one-to-one basis.  It's harder to maintain that level of hatred 
for someone when you can't really remember one (or three) of the primary 
reasons why you do loathe them.  With that in mind, I strongly suspect that 
one of the other two memories in the Pensieve was of The Prank.  This memory 
removal left Snape with only his generalized dislike of Harry, as opposed to 
that dislike *and* a transferal of his raging hatred of James.

This is supported in two ways.  First, by Snape's behaviour during the 
lessons.  I don't know about everyone else, but he seems calmer in them than 
otherwise and he actually gives Harry a teensy tiny modicum of praise.  
Secondly, it's a purported fact that you need a cool mind and a level head 
to practice Occlumency (and probably Legilimency as well), and Severus would 
have made an attempt to get his own mind as settled and level as possible.  
Even he has to know that he's not always entirely rational where the Boy 
Wonder and his father are concerned.

Dr. Jekyl
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