[HPforGrownups] CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 28, Snape's worst memory

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 114995

 Meri wrote:
>There've been, as you said, many discussions about whether
>or not chapter titles can be counted as canon. IMHO this is just
>what Harry believes Snape's worst memory to be, although I
>personally can not possibly believe that is the truth. IIRC, Harry
>saw scenes of who many listees believe to be Snape's parents
>shouting at each other, I would think that would be worse. I would
>think that a truly reconciled Snape would be far more haunted by
>some of his activites as a DE or by what he is doing now as a double
>agent. I just think this serves as a good chapter title, and really
>can't think of another title that sounds so good.

Unless there were some special features of the occasion that really do make
it his worst memory. Perhaps

- the public indignity
- not having given a good enough account of himself
- in front of Lily
- or the final denouement which Harry didn't get to see.

>Meri: Snape is, as the book says, clearly unpopular. I don't know
>what he could do to be that unpopular, unless he hexed people
>without warning, turned in rulebreakers with impunity and basically
>acted as a one man Inquisitorial Squad. But IMHO this is a level of
>unpopularity that isn't really seen in modern day Hogwarts. What I
>want to know about this scene is where is Snape's gang of
>Slytherin/future DE friends when he's getting humiliated? At least

Someone recently surmised that the rest of the gang, all being older than
Severus, had left by now and he was on his own.

But given his alleged wide knowledge of hexes and the like even before he
arrived at Hogwarts, maybe the Slytherin gang used his expertise in bullying
other students.

"Severus, come and show us that Fill-Your-Pants hex again on this little
firstie..."
"Whatever is that nasty smell? I say, Weasley, you seem to have had an
accident!"

and so on.

Cheers

Ffred

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