Snape's worst memory--more to come??? (oops, looong)

[juli17 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 139628

 
rtbthw_mom:

I think it's overwhelmingly sad that Snape didn't have  the decency 
to identify with Harry when he saw all the sad memories in  Harry's 
mind during the Occlumency sessions.  Perhaps this is what  
Dumbledore hoped would happen: Snape would, once and for all, 
realize  that Harry really wasn't the spoiled brat that Snape always   
characterized James as being.  Harry had the same sort of childhood  
that it seems Severus had, and there should at least be some 
sympathy  there between the two of them, just has Harry felt when he 
viewed Snape's  "worst memory."  

Thanks for listening!

 



Julie says:
I think that might have started to happen, when Snape asked
about the dog, and then refrained from saying anything further
about Harry's memories. At least in the early parts of Occlumency
Snape was treating Harry *better* than he usually did, even to the
point of backhandedly complimenting him. Had Harry actually 
tried to learn Occlumency, and, more importantly, if he hadn't
snooped into Snape's memories in the Pensieve, who knows if
Snape's attitude might have changed a bit. 
 
It was Harry who blew that chance (yes, Snape is the adult, but that 
doesn't mean Harry is blameless). Just as Harry had little  opportunity
to apologize about snooping in the Pensieve because Snape went
off the deep end, so Snape had little opportunity to build up a true
sympathy of Harry's similar childhood or to  finally recognize Harry
as someone other than a carbon copy of James, because Harry
was busy ignoring the Occlumency lessons and later sticking  his
nose--er, entire head, that is--where it didn't belong. (And that  second
action probably undid any small sympathy Snape might have already
built for Harry.)
 
 
Gatta wrote:
<snip earlier sentences>.......... Nowhere in the chapter itself  
does JKR say anything about what Harry sees being Snape's worst 
memory,  only that it was among the memories that he didn't want to 
share with Harry  if the kid broke through his Occlumency. Which leads 
me to wonder (a) what  else was in the Pensieve; (b) whether in an 
earlier draft, that other  something--Snape's real worst memory--was 
what Harry saw; and (c) whether,  having drastically altered the 
content of the chapter, JKR or JKR's editor  or somebody failed to 
notice that the title needed changing.

And  finally, could that real worst memory that Harry saw in the 
earlier draft  have been the event--the unwitting betrayal of the 
prophecy and its  aftermath or whatever it was--that turned Snape back 
to the side of good?  That would explain, to me at least, why JKR 
changed the content of the  memory back to that vicious but generally 
innocuous school episode; the real  thing could have seriously altered 
Harry's perception of Snape, Harry's  relationship with Snape, and 
where the story as a whole was going. Not to  mention being too heavy 
for young readers.


Julie says:
I too am very curious about those other two memories Snape put in
the pensieve. I'd like to hope we'll find out about them, though JKR 
JKR may have no intention of revealing them if they add nothing 
further to the plot.
 
Still, it would be an interesting way for Harry to discover the  *real*
Snape, wouldn't it? If Snape left those memories behind (perhaps
unintentionally) and Harry somehow found a way (and a motivation)
to access them in the pensieve, this could be the manner by which
the exact extent of Snape's culpability in the Potter murders (as
well as other aspects of his character) is revealed. 
 
Consider, we have three memories. In the first, we see Lily defend 
Snape, Snape call her a "mudblood" perhaps in wounded pride, 
and Lily in her surprise at the slur insulting him back. And  what
if there was more to memory #1, something Harry never got a
chance to see because he was interrupted? A look passing  between
them afterward, or a hurried apology by Snape (in a lame,  half-assed 
manner perhaps, but it might be enough for Lily). Or regret shown
by Snape, who may have driven away one of the few who would
treat him as a friend. Or even *deeper* anger at James, who Snape
might see as one who caused him to insult Lily by putting him in
such an undignified position? (It wouldn't be unusual for a teenager,
let along a teenaged Snape, to lay blame elsewhere for his own
failings--we've seen it in HP before). What if it was deep enough 
anger that this incident became a pivotal one that led to Snape's 
ultimate decision to join the Death Eaters? (And Lily ending up with 
James might have just sealed it!)
 
Harry views his parents deaths and everything else that has happened
since as all flowing from Snape's decision to tell Voldemort about  the
prophecy, even though it wasn't Snape who took subsequent  action.
Might Snape view his slur of Lily, loss of her friendship, and  decision
to join the Death Eaters as flowing from James' torment of him on  that
particular day, even though it was Snape who took those subsequent 
actions?
 
But what about Snape's memory #2? It may not be a bad memory,
just one Harry mustn't see (one that, as Gatta says, might give away
the ultimate plot). If Harry does eventually access this memory, it 
will probably be one that reveals more of Snape. And it might be  the 
very one that shows why Snape really left Voldemort and came over 
to Dumbledore's side. Whether it involves friendship or love for Lily, 
which would certainly be bangy for Harry (unpleasantly so, no  doubt!),
or based on something else we haven't learned yet, it would be a 
memory Snape (and Dumbledore) wouldn't want Harry to see. We
know this from the several times Dumbledore has refused to tell 
Harry why he trusts Snape. 
 
Since I don't have a definite theory for memory #2, let's move on to
#3. I think #3 is Godric's Hollow. I don't know if Snape was actually
there while Voldemort killed James and Lily, but I tend to think not,
as I can't see him (as DD'sMan!Snape) standing by while they are
killed. Snape is many unpleasant things, but he's not a coward in
the sense of preserving his own life at all  costs (non-Slytherinish,
I know, but Snape's always diverged from that particular Slytherin
trait). 
 
Instead, I think Snape may have been nearby, hunting for Voldemort,
hoping to stop him, but unable to locate Godric's Hollow as he is
not the secret-keeper (and hasn't been told the location, as Voldy
was). But as soon as the Potters are dead, and Voldemort is 
transformed into Vapormort, the secret disintigrates (or whatever).
Godric's Hollow becomes accessible, and Snape goes there, 
perhaps right after Peter has transferred what's left of Voldy  out
of the burning house. Snape finds the dead James (and perhaps
feels a brief twinge of remorse mixed with anger--he did warn the
stupid man after all), then Lily (which engenders a much deeper
sense of remorse, and perhaps more anger at James, who could
have saved her if he'd only listened to Snape). 
 
And he finds the squalling boy-child, Harry, whom he takes with
him from the burning house, either to Spinner's End, or to some 
other location where he perhaps gives him some potion,  charms
him, takes some oath to protect him, or whatever, in the presence
of Dumbledore, and maybe Hagrid. In the end Hagrid takes Harry,
(or Dumbledore takes him to Hagrid), Dumbledore goes to Privet
Drive, and Snape goes back to Hogwarts. But something is set
in motion, something that ties Snape and Harry together from 
this moment, right on through their years together at Hogwarts,
and beyond. 
 
This would mean Snape had a hand in saving Harry's life much
earlier than we even knew, and has continued interfere in that  
manner with somewhat tedious regularity--damn, no wonder he
resents that kid! ;-)

Much as Harry may hate finding this out, Snape is smack in the
middle of everything to do with Harry's life, and has been since 
Day 1. Good, bad, indifferent--and Snape is a mysterious mix of
it all--Snape isn't going away. Those two will deal with each other
again, and it may be those unknown memories Harry *didn't* see
in the Pensieve that will set the tone for their final confrontation,
or resolution, whichever it may be. 
 
Julie 
(who hopes this post that suddenly evolved without her  intent--but
with her complicity of course--actually makes some sense!)
 


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