Ooh, shiny...!

[rj_anderson]

neotoma just made a really fascinating suggestion in a post to snapesupport regarding Snape's use of the Pensieve before each Occlumency lesson:

From what Dumbledore says in Goblet of Fire, the Pensieve is used when one's 'head is too full'. If a Pensieve actually extracts the memories, and leaves more room in one's head for other thoughts, Snape could have been

Comments

[dr_jekyl]

That theory makes a hell of a lot of sense. I'd now bet you five bucks that one of the other memories was of The Prank, another highly volatile memory negatively associated with Potter senior

[rj_anderson]

I also have to wonder if Snape hadn't *meant* for Harry to see those three memories.

That's interesting. I had previously speculated that Snape's subconscious might have got the better of him when he left Harry alone with an unguarded Pensieve containing his own most humiliating memory, but I hadn't thought of his childhood memories in the same light. Mind you, I think even in the latter instance, it would have had to be only on a subconscious level -- because when Snape realizes that Harry has broken into his mind, he's visibly angry about it. On a conscious level I think he would have argued that he did not want Harry to see those memories.

Note that none of the memories were of him as an adult, as a Death Eater or at Hogwarts (both teacher and student) - if you were plucking three random memories out of someone's head, you'd expect to get a broader range.Actually, the scene with the girl and the bucking broomstick could easily have taken place at Hogwarts, so this might not be the case. But since Harry's mind was full of

[dr_jekyl]

But since Harry's mind was full of childhood and early teenaged memories (not surprising, since that's all he's got to draw on!), it's likely that Snape's foremost thoughts and memories at the time would have been of childhood and early teenagerhood as well.

That's a very valid point, and may also explain the *type* of memories Harry saw. Snape saw flashes of the Golden Boy's rather tarnished home-life, and it invariably conjured up similar memories of his own. But, regardless, it does suggest some level of empathy for Harry, and possibly even some unconscious desire for a truce, a truce the whole situation seemed to be set up towards obtaining.

[rj_anderson]

Nothing intelligent to add, just that ITA. I hope to see Snape and Harry working toward further understanding (however unwillingly -- in a conscious sense, anyway) in the next book.

[lesserstorm]

Very interesting. But it makes a lot of sense. We already know that Snape is having problems telling Harry and James apart - at the very least he seems to assume Harry is a James clone. Having agreed to actually teach James-Harry occlumency, he might well need to clear his mind of the worst things that make him just want to lash out at the boy.