CHAPDISC: DH33, The Prince's Tale

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 184837

> Joey: 
> I doubt that Harry *accidentally* saw the memory given that Snape was 
known to be an excellent occlumens. Even if we consider the possibility 
of Snape having remembered his horrible childhood memories after seeing 
those of Harry's, Snape was prepared for the lesson and the legilimency 
that Harry was about to perform on him. 

Zara:
Why would he be prepared to face legilimency for Harry? Harry was not 
about to perform legilimency, so far as we knew, he was there in order 
to learn Occlumency. It was Snape that was performing Legilimency.

Harry performed it unexpectedly, and unintentionally, when he deflected 
Snape's own Legilimens spell back at him with a Shield Charm. So it 
seems to me that Snape was not prepared for it, and also, that he was 
actually facing the magic of a wizard both powerful and experienced in 
Legilimency (namely, his own), not the magic of a novice to the art. So 
it makes sense to me that a few very brief memories leaked through 
before Snape shut them down.