JKR and Occlumency lessons (was Re: Snape and Occlumency)

[vmonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 121727


Reed wrote:
Reed:
I think the reason JKR invented those Occlumency lessons was to show
what happens if Harry and Snape are paired together - not as teacher
and student, which is still a comparatively distant relationship, but
only the two of them, forced to cooperate on an important and very
difficult,emotionally challenging task. The occlumeny lesson setup
made for very interesting scenes that showed the characters' struggle
to deal with their mutual dislike to serve the cause. (I know, I
can't tell for sure what Snape was thinking, but I tend to think he 
honestly tried to do what Dumbledore asked of him.) JKR created a lot 
of tension by giving glimpses of hope that their relationship might 
improve and then dramatically shattering these hopes by the pensieve 
disaster that ended the lessons.

vmonte responds:
I think that JKR added the occlumency lessons for a different reason. 
I think that she needed a way to show a flashback of the past. (She 
used TR's diary, Harry's dementor attack in PoA, Moody's photograph, 
and DD's penseive memories in this manner before. I also think that 
she is probably going to use Ron's brain attack to give more 
information about the past in book 6). I think there is something 
important about the scene where James and gang torture Snape (Snape's 
Worst Memory). There is something we were supposed to notice in that 
scene (aside from the obvious). I also think that that is the night 
that Snape was almost killed by Lupin. (Harry notices that Lupin 
looks strange in Snape's penseive memory, and wondered whether the 
full moon was approaching.)