Why Snape's worst memory?

[Julia]

No: HPFGUIDX 137245

> Saraquel:
<snip>
> I think it was Snape's worst memory, because at that point he was 
a 
> coward in his own eyes. He chose to save himself by defaming and 
> disowning Lily.  Ouch.  He then blames James, a boy he already 
> hates, for `forcing' him into this situation. This is why Snape 
gets 
> apoplectic at being called a coward by Harry – because he knows, 
> deep down, that he was one in that scene.  This is why he is so 
> remorseful when he finds out that Lily and James are the target 
> (there may be other reasons as well), and why he goes to DD, in an 
> effort to expunge his cowardice.  This is why his hatred for James 
> only increases, because he blames James for the fact that he 
> rejected Lily publicly, and then James got `his' girl.
> 
> IMO, he wants to hide the memory not just because James has him 
> hanging in the air with his undies drying in the breeze and he 
> doesn't want Harry to see it: he hides it because it is the thing 
he 
> is most ashamed of.  It might have been a memory totally unrelated 
> to Harry that Snape was most ashamed of and he would have wanted 
to 
> hide it from Harry.  The important thing is that Snape did not 
want 
> to give Harry any insight into his vulnerabilities.
> 
<snip>

Julia:
Yes, I agree with you. I too think that this memory is Snape's worst 
not because what actually happens but how Snape sees this events by 
himself, his attitude towards them. I think that this scene has a 
big emotional value for Snape and it might be because of how he 
treated Lily... I think that Harry wasn't able to recognize the true 
reason why Snape hid this particular memory, but all the same the 
potions master want it out of his sight. IMO only Snape knows what 
truly happened then and why this memory is so precious...

You tell us about Snape thinking himself as a coward cause how he 
behaved towards Lily. But IMO it's the lost chance that bothers him. 
He probably thinks that if he hadn't called Lily Mudblood he would 
have had a chance in a relationship with her... Of course there is 
also James who listen to Lily nad do what she orders him to. Maybe 
Snape sees this scene as a first step taken by James and Lily 
towards what resulted in a happy family...
It's basically waht you wrote in your post but I just wanted to add 
my slightly different POV :D

I'm also wondering what does it tell us about Snape? How this choice 
of memories show us Snape? It's really sad how Severus can't get 
past his childhood dissapointments and move forward... How much is 
he really misunderstood?

Julia who wonders if Lily helped Snape because she liked him or 
because she hated James...