The length of the Pensieve Scene

[delwynmarch]

No: HPFGUIDX 116786


This might have been discussed before, but I'll readily admit that I
don't read most Worst Memory threads, because they always go back to
discussing the same old themes.

My question is : why is the scene described in Snape's Worst Memory so
long ?

In GoF, when Harry visits DD's Pensieve, he goes through a series of
short scenes which are always straight to the point : the trials of
different people.

But Snape's WM is different. It starts *way* before what seems to be
the actual event of importance starts. If what matters is the fight
between Snape, Sirius and James, what's the need for that long time
between the beginning of the memory and the fight ?

Is it just for *our* information, us the readers ?

Is it because Snape isn't familiar with how a Pensieve works, so he
doesn't know how to cut exactly where it matters, and he ended up
leaving a lot of unnecessary material around the real matter of his
memory ?

Or is it because there's something extremely relevant that happened in
that time but that Harry didn't get to see because he wasn't watching
Snape too closely ?

And again, for all we know, maybe the fight was not even the real
important point of the memory.

Anybody has any idea ?

Del