Why Snape's worst memory?

[spotsgal]

No: HPFGUIDX 137301

> Saraquel:
> 
> My guess is that it was not James, but Snape who 
> gave her that information. It would be the sort of thing he would
be 
> interested in.

Christina:

I totally agree that Snape was the "awful boy" that Petunia refers to.
  Her only other reference to James that I can find is in PS/SS, and
she calls him "that Potter."  I can't imagine what about James could
make Petunia call him an "awful boy."  She obviously didn't like him,
but "awful" is an odd word choice considering what we saw of James in
Snape's Worst Memory.  The kid was a charmer, just the kind you want
to bring home to Mom.

Here's the line from the book:
(OotP, US, page 32)
"I heard - that awful boy - telling her about them - years ago," she
said jerkily.
"If you mean my mum and dad, why don't you use their names?" said
Harry loudly, but Aunt Petunia ignored him.  She seemed horribly
flustered.
(end quote)

It's almost as if JKR is going out of her way to get us to notice that
Petunia isn't using James's name.

Saraquel
> and JKR choosing to tell us about Lupin and Lily rather 
> than Snape and Lily in the Mugglenet/LC interview has edged me 
> towards it.

Christina:

Yes!!  I thought that was interesting too.  She says "I can answer
either one," but the interviewers don't specify, giving JKR her choice
of which to answer (and she chose to mention Lupin).

>Tonks:
>Yes I think there was more that we did not see and it was the so
>called prank. I think what is missing is the fact that James saved
>Snape and now Snape has a life debit to James, whom he hates.

Christina:

Oh, GOOD point!  If that memory leads into the prank, then this is
very possible.  And it has the added benefit of fitting nicely into my
previous thoughts about the pensieve (Snape is hiding the memories
from LV, not Harry)- Snape owed (or owes) a life-debt to James.  This
is definitely something he would not want Voldemort to know,
especially if the life-debt transferred to Harry when James died.

>Tonks:
>If you think Harry is a marked man, Snape is even more so.
>Whatever he does now will not matter, he is doomed.

Christina:

Agreed.  If he lives through book 7, I'll eat my shoe.


Christina