Snape's worst memory...you are kidding right?

[Deb]

No: HPFGUIDX 150601

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Joe Goodwin 
<joegoodwin1067 at ...> wrote:
>
> Here is something that has bothered me for a while. Could the 
scene in the pensive really be Snape worst memory? A high school(in 
the US) altercation with a couple of guys he didn't like? Doesn't 
that sound way to much like those Jerry Springer commercials "Got 
issues from high school and want to confront your old schoolmate?"
>    
>   That just seems way to lame even for Snape.
>    
>   Now lets say it was because Snape was madly in love with Lilly 
Evans. Wouldn't the day she married his worst enemy be a worse 
memory? Or how about the day she gave birth to James Potter's son, 
the son that should have been his(in his mind)?
>    
>   Honestly, how can that be the man's worst memory? He was a Death 
Eater, he had to have seen some gruesome things. If we believe he 
was one of the first people to Godrics Hollow then he saw James and 
his beloved(maybe) Lilly laying murdered. Shouldn't that be is worst 
memory?
>    
>   Now I have no love at all for Snape but even I cannot see Snape 
as so sad and pathetic that the pensive scene really was his worst 
memory.
>    
>   Joe
 
Deb here:
  I think that there are several possibilities for the title 
of "Snape's worst memory" - and reasons why he would consider a 
particular memory "the" worst.  Perhaps he would consider the whole 
scene from the Penseive as the worse because it was embarassing, or 
because he insulted Lily when he didn't really mean to, or because 
it represents a point in time when he made errors in judgement(using 
a curse to cut James - maybe the Sectumsempra or a variation on it) -
- or the "what came next" had dire consequences. Or it is just such 
a big memory and the emotions associated with it are such that he 
needs to hide it from LV's Legilmency for some as yet undisclosed 
reason thus leaving a rather large gap following his DADA OWL exam. 
JKR is rather quiet on the subject of Snape's emotional reaction to 
this memory - in the memory itself. I was really struck when I read 
it that as Snape's memory there was very little emotional aura from 
him.  I think this memory represents a pivotal moment for Snape's 
psychological development and also was probably a large part of the 
reason he took Sirius seriously when given the enticement of going 
through the Whomping Willow to see something interesting. It was 
this point in time that apparently crystalized his hatred of James 
and Sirius .... and lead to Snape having to be grateful to James for 
saving his life (and maybe yes/maybe no having a Life Debt to James) 
Or maybe his "worst memory" is his reaction - or overreaction - to 
Harry's dip into the Penseive. Maybe the memory that gets the title 
of "worst" is Snape losing control and throwing a specimen jar at 
Harry.    
Deb (djklaugh)