The length of the Pensieve Scene

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 116827


Del wrote:
<snip>
 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. 

Hannah: Really good question Del!  Probably the reason is just that 
JKR wanted us to get a nice long clip of the Marauders, and to 'ease 
us into' the scene (I think the long run up gave the eventual attack 
more impact than if we'd just seen from when it began).  But that's 
a pretty boring answer, so I'll think of a better one.

The length of memory must have got to do with how memories are 
removed before addition to the pensieve.  I see it as something like 
this; Snape thinks about which memories he doesn't want Potter to 
see, and immediately the 'pantsing' comes to mind.  Shuddering even 
at the memory of the humiliation, he places his wand against his 
head and thinks 'oh yes, it was after our DADA OWL.'  So his brain 
accesses 'end of DADA OWL' and the memory is transferred from there 
on, presumably up until the end of the incident (or maybe of a 
*worse* incident that followed).

Saying that, I like the idea that maybe we are missing something 
significant in that pensieve scene.  It's just the sort of thing JKR 
would do; have us all focus on the 'pantsing' when in fact it was 
something Harry failed to notice earlier in the scene that was the 
really important bit (and it's true he's not the most observant 
person).  Was it something as mundane as Snape, while reviewing the 
paper, realising he'd missed out a page of questions and thus failed 
the exam?  Seems a bit unlikely though.  Or maybe someone had gone 
over and whispered something to Snape, some sort of bad news, and 
Harry didn't notice because he had eyes only for James and Sirius.  
I guess we won't know till HBP...

Hannah