Why did Snape remove *that* memory? Was:Taking memories out of your head?

[va32h]

No: HPFGUIDX 164146

I had this whole long reply typed out, and it seems to have vanished  
entirely.

I am not sure I have the energy to do it all again, so you will have to 
take my word for it that it made more sense the first time!

Maybe "sympathize" is the wrong word for Voldemort. Perhaps humanize? 
Dumbledore was not intimidated by Voldemort because he could see him as 
just the boy Tom Riddle. For Harry and the reader, Voldemort seems an 
unbeatable force of evil. Now we can see Voldemort in that light too - 
human, vulnerable, defeatable. 

I do think we are meant (by JKR)to feel at least some pity for Snape, 
although I often wanted to smack him, shake him, and tell him to Get 
Over It already. 

As for Harry's parents - I suppose "humanize" is the word there as 
well. James and Lily were the sort of fantasy parents every orphan 
dreams of - beautiful, brave, in love with each other, devoted to their 
son, only leaving him because of some outside force. It is probably the 
same fantasy Tom Riddle had.

But those heroic shoes can be hard to fill. Harry is aware of his own 
weaknesses, his temper, his impulsiveness. He frequently doubts his 
ability to defeat Voldemort. But see, his parents were human too. They 
were also capable of being petty, impulsive, and bad-tempered, and yet 
still able to rise valiantly to the occasion. 

I also think realizing one's parents are not perfect is a typical part 
of growing up, and so is part of the coming-of-age story that is within 
the defeating-evil story.

And of course there is the recurring theme of; good people can do bad 
things, bad people can do good things, which is repeated so often in 
the books. 

va32h