CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 28, Snape's worst memory

Wed Oct 6 00:26:57 UTC 2004

No: HPFGUIDX 114902

Alla:

Hi, guys! OK, first and foremost - my apologies. This
was done in a hurry as emergency substitution and no
matter how many times I checked it for grammar and
awkward sentences, I am pretty sure I missed some
things.
So, please don't bite me if you see those.

Another thing - I am leaving town tomorrow till the
next week and won't be able to lead the discussion
(hopefully will be able to stop by very occasionaly ),
but I am pretty sure you'll manage just fine on your
own. :o)

Also, please feel free to add your own discussion
questions.

Now, when I am done with apologies - here we go.

CHAPTER SUMMARY.

The chapter starts with Educational Decree #28, which
replaces Dumbledore with Umbridge as Headmistress of
Hogwarts. Rumors about Dumbledores fight and escape
fly around Hogwarts. Harry is forced to tell the story
many times and when Gryffindors go to herbology, Harry
tells it to Ernie McMillan. Ernie expresses confidence
that Dumbledore will be back and tells Harry that
Umbridge unsuccessfully tried to get into Dumbledores
office last night.

Hermione starts criticizing Umbridge, but she cannot
finish the sentence, because Draco Malfoy shows up and
is eager to take points from Hermione and other
Gryffindors for insulting Umbridge. Malfoy claims that
he has the authority to take points from everybody,
including fellow prefect as a member of Inquisitory
Squad. Malfoy takes 50 points off.
Gred and Forge show up and tell Harry and Co that when
Montague tried to take points from them, they stuck
him into vanishing Cabinet. Fred and George tell the
Trio that they dont care about getting in trouble
anymore and muse that Dear Headmistress deserves  a
bit of mayhem.

Filch comes to notify Harry that Umbridge wants to see
him. Filch brings Harry to her office. Umbridge offers
Harry a drink, he refuses at first, but upon her
insistence chooses to have a cup of tea. For some
reason Harry remembers Mad Eye Moody, who would not
approve of Harry drinking with the enemy and only
pretends to take a sip.

Umbridge starts interrogating Harry. She wants to know
where Dumbledore went , where Sirius is, but she does
not get anywhere with Harry. Finally she has to stop
interrogation and issues another set of warnings to
Harry, when her office starts shaking.
She lets Harry go and goes outside to see what is
going on. Harry eventually does the same thing.

Enchanted fireworks are everywhere. Dragons , rockets
and wheels are flying in the corridors of Hogwarts.
Harry does not take much time to figure out that twins
are behind that Umbridge and Filch are watching the
uproar. After having enough of the entertainment ,
Harry sees the hidden door, runs into it and
expectedly finds Fred and George behind the door.
Other teachers pretend to be annoyed at the fireworks
disturbance, but do not do anything to stop it,
instead they wait for Umbridge to make the Dragons go
away.
In the evening in the Gryffindor common all
Gryffindors admire twins creativity.

When Harry goes to bed that night he again dreams
about the room behind the door in DOM. He wakes up
with his scar hurting. Harry realizes that his
roommates are watching the last of the fireworks and
their laughter woke him up. Harry is disappointed that
he did not get to see the end of his dream.

Suddenly Harry gets very nervous ( his stomach gave a
sickening jolt) because he remembers that he has an
Occlumency next evening.

Harry spends next day being nervous about Snapes
reactions to his continuous dreams about DOM. Harry is
feeling guilty that he did not practice Occlumency
since their last lesson. He attempts  a little last
minute practice, but it is not successful.

After dinner, Harry starts walking to Snapes office,
but halfway across the entrance hall, Co comes to him.
Cho attempts to apologize for Marietta, but apology
does not go well. (Harry is of opinion that Marietta
sold all of them to Umbridge including Cho and Cho
thinks that since Mariettas mother works at the
Ministry, it was really hard on her. Cho thinks that
jinx was horrible trick of Hermiones Granger and
Harry thinks it was a brilliant idea.
Their conversation ends with a little shouting match
and Harry finally gets to Snape dungeons. Harry
remembers from experience that he will make it easier
for Snape to access his mind if he will be angry and
resentful, but still thinks about what else he could
have said to Cho about Marietta.

Snapes first words to Harry are You are late,
Potter. He removes his thoughts in the pensieve again
. Snape inquires whether Harry practiced and Harry
lies that he did. When Snape and Harry are about to
begin the lesson, Draco Malfoy shows up. Snape tells
him that Harry is here to take remedial potions. Draco
comes to request Snapes help on behalf of Umbridge,
because they found Montague in the toilet on the
fourth floor.
Snape tells Harry that they will resume the lesson
tomorrow and Snape leaves with Malfoy. Harry is at the
office door, when he sees a patch of shivering light
dancing on the door frame. Harry realizes that this
light reminds him of the lights in the room from his
dream.

Harry turns around and realizes that the light is
coming from Snapes Pensieve. Harrys curiosity is
welling inside him. He wants to know what Snape
wants to keep from him and whether it could be the
information about the Room in DOM.
Harry is deliberating how long it would take Snape to
help Montague. He is hesitating, but finally dives
into Snapes thoughts.

Harry finds himself in the middle of Great Hall during
the Exam time, because instead of the House tables
there are hundred of smaller tables there with
students behind them. Harry sees teenager Snape
writing the exam and manages to read the heading of
his paper, which turns out to be written OWL
examination on DADA. Professor Flitwick is conducting
it. Since they are taking OWLS, Harry realizes that
Snape have to be fifteen or sixteen years old. Harry
sees his father writing his paper and is excited again
sees how much he looks like James. Eventually Harry
spots Sirius , Remus and Peter.

Professor Flitwick finally collects the parchments and
lets students go. Everybody is going outside and Harry
is  following Snape, who still reads his examination
paper. At the same time Harry is also trying to hear
what Marauders are talking about. They are discussing
examination questions. Namely, how easy it was for
them to give five signs of the werewolf. Peter
complains that he only got three and James responds
that he is thick, because he runs with werewolf once a
month). Remus is asking his friends to keep their
voices down.

Harry is thinking that since it is a Snapes memory,
if Snape is going to wander off, he wont be able to
follow Marauders. Luckily for Harry, Snape follows
Marauders to the lake. Eventually James and Co make
themselves comfortable on the grass near the same tree
where Harry, Ron and Hermione do the homework. Snape
settles himself near the bushes, he is still reading
his examination paper. Lupin starts reading a book,
James is playing with the snitch with applauds from
Wormtail and Sirius looks handsomely bored.
Finally James puts Snitch away at Sirius request and
Sirius starts complaining that he is bored. James
notices Snape and tells Sirius that this will liven
him up. Snape gets up, put his OWL paper in his bag.
Snape emerges from the shadow of the bushes and sets
off across the grass. Sirius and James stand up. Remus
and Peter remain sitting. Remus is still staring at
his book, although his eyes are not moving and a
faint frown line appeared between his eyebrows.

James loudly says All right, Snivellius?Snape reacts
as if he had been expecting an attack . Snapes wand
is halfway in the air, when James shouts
Expellarmus. Snapes wand flews in the air and fells
behind him. Sirius is entertained and knocks Snape off
his feet with Impedimenta. Many students around them
gather to watch the fight.

Snape lays on the ground, while James and Sirius
continue with the insults. Several people watching
laughed. Snape was clearly unpopular
Snape tries to get up, but cannot, because the jinx
still active and it looks to Harry as if he was bound
by invisible robes. Snape threatens James and Sirius.
In response James casts Scourgify and pink soap
bubbles stream from Snapes mouth.

One of the girls who was sitting at the lake edge
comes up and Harry recognizes his mother.

Lily demands from James to leave Snape alone. She is
asking what did Snape ever done to James. James
response its more the fact that he exists, if you
know what I mean.

Lily calls James an arrogant bullying toerag and
again demands to leave Snape alone. James promises to
do so if Lily will go out with him. Lily refuses.
While they talk, jinx on Snape wears off and Snape
manages to curse James with the curse which cuts his
face and blood appears. James hangs Snape upside down
in the air and the audience sees his skinny legs and
the pair of graying underpants.

Many people in the croud cheer. Lily is furious and
tells James to let Snape down, which he eventually
does, but Sirius casts Petrifucus Totalus and Snape
falls down . Finally James takes off the curse at
Lilys demand and tells Snape to thank Lily for.

Snape responds that he does not need help from filfy
little mudbloods like Lily. Lily calmly tells Snape
that she will not bother in the future and tells him
to wash his pants.
James tries to make Snape apologize but Lily does not
want it, then she delivers another lecture to James
and walks away.

James turns Snape upside down again and wants to take
his pants off.

Then memory stops , because Harry turns around and
sees Snape white with rage. Snape pulls Harry out of
his pensieve.
Snape is asking Harry whether he had been enjoying
himself. Harry is saying N-no Snapes lips are
shaking, his lips are white, his teeth are bared.
Snape is asking whether Harrys father was an amusing
man while at the same time shaking Harry so hard that
his glasses slip down his nose. Snape throws Harry
from him with all his might. Harry falls hard on the
dungeon floor. Snape yells that harry would never tell
anybody what he just saw and Harry tries to say of
course not.
Snape tells him to get out and that he never wants to
see Harry again in this office, When Harry rushes
towards the door , the jar of the cockroaches explodes
over his head.

Harry does not want to come back to Gryffindor Tower
and what makes him so unhappy is that he knows what
does it mean to be felt humiliated with other people
watching. He knows exactly how Snape felt when James
taunted him and to Harry his father appears to be as
arrogant as Snape always said he was.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS.

1. So, what is the reason for the title of this
chapter? It had been discussed many times, but why not
give it another try?

2. Do you agree with Fred and George that  a bit of
mayhem is exactly what Umbridge deserves? 
Is it an effective way of dealing with her? Do you
think that something similar should have been done
earlier?

3. What do we learn about Harry from his refusal to
drink the tea in Umbridges office?

4. What do you think about Chos apology to Harry?
Could she say more or that was enough, in your
opinion? Was she  trying to be loyal to both Marietta
and Harry? If you were Harry , would you forgive
Marietta after this conversation?

5. We witness Marauders and Snape taking their DADA
OWL. If we assume that this memory was Snapes worst
memory, could he remember this exam deep in his mind
and assign his werewolf essay in POA based on those
questions?

6. This question is specifically for my benefit. Can
anybody please explain to me why Snape was still
reading his exam paper even though Flitwick collected
the parchments. Were they writing two copies of the
exam with one copy left for the student personal
records? I would appreciate the clarification.

7. Students all around had turned to watch. Some of
them had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer
to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others
entertained. 
Several people watching laughed.  Snape was clearly
unpopular Why are there indications that the other
kids watching the scenery are not upset, but even
*enjoying* what Potter and Black are doing to Snape?  

8. James responds to Lilys question What did he ever
done to you?  with its more the fact that he
exists, if you know what I mean.(emphasis mine) , So
what does James mean and what is Lily supposed to
know?.

9. Why did Snape call Lily "mudblood"? Do you see any
indications in this chapter that he could have
feelings for her?

10. What do you make out of Snapes reaction after
Pensieve fiasco? Will he ever want to see Harry in his
office again?

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