OoP: Confused and bemused - some questions about Snape's Worst Memory

[pippin_999]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, Catherine Coleman 
<catherine at c...> wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> Some spoiler space just in case anyone hasn't finished the 
book yet (and 
> as an aside - is there anyone who hasn't finished?  How long 
are we 
> planning to keep the spoiler space up?)
> 
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
> spoiler space
>.
> 
> I now have more questions about how the Pensieve works - 
and really,  with recorded memories in general.   In the three 
examples we have,  (Riddle's diary, Dumbledore's pensieve 
trials, and Snape's "worst  memory")  there is one thing that 
seems inconsistent with how a memory  should work.  There is 
definitely a sense that whoever is accessing the  memory can 
move outside the ambit of the person who is recalling the 
> events.  <<

I think the answer is in Dumbledore's statement to Harry, "It 
becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, 
when they are in this form" I think those patterns and links then 
can become incorporated into the memory itself, as can happen 
in real life.  So though Snape couldn't originally have seen 
James doodling L.E. on that particular day, he doubtless saw it 
some other time and incorporated it into his memory of the 
event. 

I like this idea, because it would mean that, unless you are very 
careful,  your pensieve memories will become less and less 
accurate the more you use it. Every magical device should have 
a drawback, IMO.

Since the memory is of fifth year (they were taking OWLs) and 
Sirius was sixteen at the time of the prank, I believe it happened 
before the prank. 

If you didn't know Lupin was a werewolf, everything they said 
could have been taken as a joke, even Peter being told he was 
running with a werewolf every full moon. People at Hogwarts at 
that time probably considered werewolf!Lupin as farfetched as, 
well,  vampire!Snape, particularly since there seem to be many 
mistaken beliefs about  werewolves, such as that they live at 
large in the forest and can have werewolf cubs.

 There is the question of how Snape knew what MWPP were 
saying... and why was he following them around if he couldn't? I 
think he has vampire acute hearing, but okay no canon, hand me 
a yellow flag.

The Diary was completely under the control of Tom Riddle, and 
so what Harry saw, when he was plunged into it, was what 
Riddle wanted him to see. Riddle could have made it all up, but   
I'd be terribly disappointed in  Tom if he never found ways of 
spying on the Headmaster's office.

Pippin