Retrospective - Snape's Worst Memory

[Goddlefrood]

No: HPFGUIDX 142824

We readers, unlike JKR, do not have the knowledge of how exactly the 
Potter series will pan out in book 7 and what becomes of the 
characters thereafter (thinking of the alleged epilogue).

Bearing this in mind I propose that Snape's worst memory is other 
than has so far been speculated on. From the viewpoint of looking 
back over the years in which the Harry Potter story takes place, and 
with a suspicion on my part that the author writes from the 
perspective of that viewpoint, I contend that Snape discontinuing 
Harry's Occlumency lessons is in fact Snape's worst memory.

The reason for this, if correct, would then tie in to the ultimate 
fate of Harry at the climax of book 7. If someone close to Snape 
dies because of knowledge obtained by LV from Harry using 
Legilimency then Snape would obviuosly be reminded that he did not 
conclude his lessons to Harry. Had he done so then this potential 
loss may have been averted, thus making what I contend to be Snape's 
worst memory as stated.

Who precisely this person close to Snape might be is difficult to 
gauge, but I will expand just a little further.

Snape is said to have loved someone, we are unaware so far as to who 
that may be, however there are some suspects, which range from the 
sublime to the ridiculous.

The first suspect is Petunia Dursley nee Evans. Could Snape have had 
any contact with her through a visit to Diagon Alley or some other 
means? It is quite possible. Whether he loved her is questionable, 
but it would account in some way for Petunia's bitterness towards 
the WW in that she resented the fact that she was completely cut off 
from the WW mostly through her associateion with Vernon rather than 
through her own choice. As stated elsewhere Petunia is really the 
only candidate for being the person who will perform magic in 
desperate circumstances later in life when LV or some DEs turn up at 
4 Privet Drive in book 7 after Harry's seventeenth birthday.

The second suspect is the other Evans girl, Lily Potter. Much 
discussion has been ongoing regarding Snape's potential infatuation 
with Lily. She is likely to have been his guide in Potions. She was 
offered the opportunity of saving herself, which is unlikely to have 
been at LV's instigation alone (although I believe he would have 
killed Lily even if she had stepped aside, but that's another post), 
thus casting some suspicion to Snape as the originator of the plan 
to kill the other Potters while sparing Lily for his own nefarious 
purpose. She is, however, dead and unless Snape is more severely 
emotionally disabled than he is depicted then he should have dealt 
with her death after a lapse of more than fifteen years to date in 
canon.

Other suspects are any younger female Professor at Hogwarts, these 
would include possibly Proffessors Vector and Sinistra and I suppose 
you could not exclude Trelawney. There is no real support for any of 
these though and I pass on.

Most likely it is someone we have not yet properly met, someone who 
has been mentioned in passing or overlooked.

To conclude then and clarify, if not already clear enough, Snape's 
worst memory is his failure to conclude Occlumency lessons with 
Harry.

Anyone care to discuss / expand?

Goddlefrood