Pensieves and other magic (wasRe: HBP (Snape's) old school textbook:

[Julia]

No: HPFGUIDX 137190

I find this discussion very interesting and thought I will post some 
of my thoughts. I don't quote cause there would be too much text so 
I'll just focus on what I want to add to the discussion :D

Snape's Worst Memory was something that bothered me for a long time. 
And there were many reasons for that. I think that this chapter not 
only tells us much about James Potter but also about Snape - but not 
in the direct way...

Since we know that there were more that one memory in the pensive 
when Harry entered SWM i should ask myself how did it happen that 
Harry saw that particular memory? Is it in someway connected to the 
fact that he touched the surface of it with his wand? (He did it too 
when he entered one of DD's memories in GoF) I was wondering if 
Harry touching it with his wand has somehow determinated which 
memory he entered??

If it's true we can assume that SWM was a memory that somehow 
concerned Harry (either his person or the situation he was in, the 
things which were on his mind in that particular moment) Maybe when 
his wand touched the surface, the pensive 'chose' 'the best' memory 
to show him? In that case what does it tell us about that memory? 
and the other two?

Another thing: was it really one of SS worst memories? I tend to 
think that it was put there for totally different reason than Harry 
thought. You've written before that the fight between Marauders and 
Snape wasn't something special, and I agree. But then why did this 
particular memory happen to be there? Is it because it shows 15-
yeras-old James Potter bullying Severus Snape in a VERY nasty was 
(along with hexing him and calling him names)? Or is it because of 
Lily Evans presence? I'm not much of LE/SS shippper but I find it 
rather interesting... Maybe Snape didnt want to show this memory to 
anyone cause there was a Mudblood helping him? THE Mudblood. You 
were saying that Snape was hiding his memories from Voldemort. It's 
possible that someone other than Harry could have seen more to this 
memory than Potter... I mean, knowing the context or other important 
things that might happened later would allow for example Voldemort 
to gain some very valueable knowledge about Snape...

Back to Lily's case... Maybe it was too painful for SS, assuming he 
developed some feelings for her later (or already felt something at 
that ponit?) It's quite interesting in fact... especially if you 
take into consideration JKR's words from Mugglenet/TLC interview 
which indicate that there probably was somebody at GH..
Of course we didn't see the whole memory so maybe the worst part 
(which was the reason for SS to put it in the Pensive) was about 
James Potter taking off SS's pants? ;)

It might be good reason for hide this memory from everybody but it's 
hard for me to believe that it was one of the 3 worst things that 
ever happened to Snape throughout his whole life...

Next thing is about James and Snape using nonverbal spells. It shows 
how advanced in magic they both were... it seems almost as a 
competition... James' Levicorpus is quite effective while Snape's 
hex is probably Sectusempra at the stage of developing and it 
doesn't have a big effect yet... You were talking about Snape 
loosing control... I find it theory really possible in fact but 
still can't understand why it was so important for Snape to hide it 
from Harry or Voldemort. I mean, his behaviour, though didn'r 
resamble cool attitude of adult Snape, wasn't surprising at all... 
But then again, maybe to someone who knows much more about the 
situation this scene would be highly interesting...

IMO that memory MEANS something to Snape. It's very important to him 
probably because of personal reasons... In that case only SS knows 
what it's really all about... From Harry's perspective it may not be 
so clear and if this memory is of emotional value to Snape it might 
be hardly possible for us to decifer the realy meaning of it. I 
think it triggers something in him, emotions or other memories... I 
think they probably concern Lily.

(It's like when we would see Harry's memory of the day when he sees 
Ginny for the first time after he smelled thta love potion in 
Slughorn classroom... We wouldn't know why it's important for harry 
but if we knew the context it would all became clear/ IMO similar 
situation is with SWM...)

But then, the reaction of Snape also tells us something... He focus 
on James behaviour as though the fact of bullying him was making 
this memory so important. If this is true then i think we should 
pity Snape... He's a grown man who can't forget his traumatic 
schooldays and considers them as more important parts of his past 
that his present 'job' as a double spy or the years spent in 
presence of Voldemort...

What do you think?

Julia,
 who wants to know wheather Lily helped Severus because she liked 
him or because she hated James...