Pensieve thoughts - More Dynamics

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 124267


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sculver_27" <sculver_27 at y...>
wrote:
> 
> 
> Sculver/Scott says - Hey all,
> 
> ...edited..
> 
> How exactly does the pensieve work? Or, more specifically, is the 
> item placed in the pensieve a copy of the original memory, or is it 
> the original memory itself? 
> 
> But reason ... suggests that the memory is not a copy, but actually
> the singular memory itself. ...edited...

> 
> So how would a singular memory theory play out?
> Once the user puts a memory in the pensieve, that memory is then 
> gone from the user's mind. Viewing it in the pensieve would be a 
> revelation to the original owner of the memory, at least the first 
> time it was viewed. 


bboyminn:

I touched on this in the recent thread...

Date:  Sun Feb 6, 2005  3:59 pm
Subject:  Re: Pensive Peeking - & it's Dymanics
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/124072

That and the comments of others should help you out.

I won't go into detail (at least I'll try not to), but here is the
gist of it.

When I first considered the dynamics of the Pensieve, I thought as you
did, that once a memory was out of your brain, you would have no idea
that the memory even existed.

Upon long and deep reflection it occured to me that surrounding every
memory are peripheral and secondary memories. For this discussion,
Peripheral will mean related memories chronologically before and after
the /saved/ memory, and Secondary will mean memories of memories.

Example-
At an annual festival in my home town they had a car show (hotrods)
last year. If I remove the memory of actually seeing the cars, I still
remember finding out about the car show, stopping at my mother's and
talking about the car show, and after the fact, talking to my brother
about the car show. 

Even though I may remove the memory of actually viewing the cars at
the show, I still have all these peripheral memories to remind me that
a car show existed.

Also, as I sit here writing this, I am remembering that car show, and
that creates a new memory. I now have a memory of me remembering the
car show; a memory of a memory. That secondary memory also helps me
know that the car show existed, and at some point, if I'm interested
car show memories, I can go to my Pensieve and retrieve them. 

In addition, I have the memory of having stored that car show memory
in the Pensieve. So, memories will not get lost in the Pensieve.

Now if you are using the Pensieve as Snape was to hide memories, it's
possible that Harry in the Occlumency class, or perhaps Dumbledore or
Voldemort probing Snape's mind, could come across secondary and
peripheral memories related to the /hidden memory/, but these
secondary memories are going to be more fragmented and less detailed,
and therefore less likely to give a /mind prober/ useful or relevant
information.


> Scott:
> 
> Were Snape to view the bullied-by-James memory through the pensieve,
> he would have no way of knowing how he felt during the experience. 
> ....edited...
> 
> Thanks for letting me ramble.
> scott

bboyminn:

As can be divined from m explanation above, when Snape caught Harry in
that one particular memory, he would have certainly had many secondary
memories of having been humiliated, and enough peripheral memories to
have indentified that particular event.

Just one man's opinion.

Steve/bboyminn