Harry's memories of that night at Godric's Hollow (was Re: Petunia and Dementors)

[susanbones2003]

No: HPFGUIDX 147891

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Ceridwen" <ceridwennight at ...> 
wrote:
SNIPPED
> Ceridwen:
> I don't know why Dumbledore didn't try to retrieve Harry's 
memory.  
> And, I don't know that Dumbledore didn't retrieve it, study it, 
then 
> put it back.  We don't know much about Godrick's Hollow at all, 
who 
> was there, what precisely happened, or where Harry was for a day 
> between.  All we can do is come up with suggestions and hope 
they're 
> plausible.
> 
> But, I expect that if Dumbledore didn't go in and take a look at 
Baby!
> Harry's memory, then it might have been because it would be better 
to 
> let it sink into oblivion, be repressed, in his mind until he was 
> strong enough and old enough to handle it.  Maybe it was buried so 
> deep that only a jar as strong as the Dementors could bring it 
> forward.  Just guessing on my part here.
> 
> Maybe Harry, or Hermione or Ron, will think about the way memories 
> can be viewed, and think of going back in Harry's memory.  They 
can 
> visit the site, but since it was destroyed, there will be little 
> physical evidence left, and if there had been, someone might have 
> picked it up - Aurors, any DEs left when LV vaporized.  With time 
> alone it will have changed a lot.  So, a visit to GH as it is now, 
> and a trip back in time via the Penseive?  Maybe, to get all 
possible 
> angles.
> 
> Ceridwen.

Hi Ceridwen,
I have a confession. You know the first time you pick up a new HP 
book and you read it fast as lightening? Mostly just to find out 
what happens? Then you go back and read it again slowly for the 
details? Until last week, I never read HPB that 2nd, 3rd, 4th time. 
And I missed a ton of details. But I just couldn't cope with DD's 
death and it seemed best to avoid it, like a sore place. So just 
about 30 minutes ago, I read the part (as if it were the first time, 
sadly enough) where Harry says he's going back to Godric's Hollow. 
Now all that we've been discussing makes so much more sense. From 
what JKR has hinted, and from what Harry says, it will be an 
invaluable experience. But now I just don't think any of the trio 
has the expertise to probe a person's memory. It's very confunding 
that the two most accomplished people have both left the scene. 

And another question. How do wizard memories work? They seem 
somewhat omniscient. After all, in "Snape's Worst Memory" Harry 
could spend time where he wanted to be, near his dad and Sirius, not 
simply with Severus. Does that mean that Severus gave the Marauders 
such close attention or that a wizard memory is more like a video 
camera, taking in the whole scene? 

I appreciate your speculations on wizard memory. I hope some of the 
blanks get filled in.
Jen D