Snape's Bucking Broomstick Memory (Re: What is with the "Prank" ?)

[Wanda Sherratt]

No: HPFGUIDX 99922

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at e...> 
wrote:
> 
> 
> > Potioncat:
  
> > But I do agree, the broom must have been hexed.  I'd like 
> > to know who the girl is too.  Although most people seem to take 
> this 
> > as a bad memory and partial proof of a sad life, I've also seen 
it 
> > explained as a small part of a bigger memory, with much less 
> > unhappiness associated with it.
> 
> 
> Jen: I wonder if this particular Snape memory is important because 
> of the girl herself, perhaps someone Snape was close to--a friend 
or 
> sister? The memory would be painful if she died in the First War, 
or 
> he somehow lost touch with her. It doesn't tell us the boy was 
upset 
> or angry about the girl laughing; perhaps he was even showing off 
> for her.

I never thought of it that way, but memories are multi-layered 
things, and we can't be perfectly sure what part of this particular 
memory Snape would consider important or why.  Perhaps it is the 
girl herself - maybe it's his only memory of her, or a particularly 
unpleasant memory of her, or even a fun memory (though Harry didn't 
seem to pick up any intimations of "fun" in any of the memories).  
To tell the truth, I took it almost as having some coded sexual 
overtones, and I did think that Snape was more likely 13 or so.  It 
just has that feeling of male anxiety over inadequacy, especially 
with the girl laughing at him, and that IS the sort of thing a boy 
would worry about.  It would be interesting to get a look at Snape's 
*dreams*, as well as his memories!

Wanda