Dully - Fly Shooting and Insect Screens(Was Re: Lily WAS: First lesson)

[Goddlefrood]

No: HPFGUIDX 185743

> Annemehr:
> ... he's just closed up in his room shooting down flies as 
> though it were a distraction from what's really eating him.

Goddlefrood:

Why wouldn't he want Harry to know that he once sat in his 
bedroom shooting flies? IMO, this was only a small part of 
a larger memory. It could be conjectured that the young 
Severus had just been told to stay away from that Evans 
girl, leading him to go to his room to shoot flies in 
order to release some of his frustaration over that. Not 
something he would be proud of or particularly want Harry 
to know about.

Of course, it would have been a giveaway about Snape's 
allegiance and would have confirmed LOLLIPOPS two books 
too early, thus detracting from the big reveal. That is 
if the entire memory had been seen by Harry and not just 
this snippet of it.

> Potioncat:
> The other thing this memory does is to show us something 
> of his living conditions. 

> Yeah, flies get into any sort of house, but he has flies 
> in his bedroom. Probably has a garbage can just below his 
> window. No screen on the window.

Goddlefrood:

In the UK of the 70s, which this was, it would be highly 
unusual for a house to have any kind of insect screen. It 
would be prety odd even now, actually. Insects aren't a 
major concern to the average householder there and to a 
wizarding family, they'd be welcomed as ingredients for 
potions :-)