Snape's Worst Memory

I didn't write any of this; I wish I knew who did.
Also, I don't necessarily believe/agree with everything written here, I just want to know what others think...

I think the one thing that most people miss the importance of in the chapter Snape's Worst Memory in book 5 is the title.

I myself find it particularly hard to believe that Severus Snape's worst memory is simply James Potter using one of his self-invented spells against him and embarrassing him in front of a large group of students. Okay, so that is humiliating but this man has been through so much worse: almost being attacked by a werewolf, becoming a Death Eater (and ultimately killing people), passing off certain information to the Dark Lord, which Dumbledore states in book 6 to be the "the biggest regret of his life" or summat and of course the fact that he's been spending the past 15 years of his life teaching children, or as I prefer to call them - evilness personified. ^o^The Marauders only picked on Severus Snape every single year he was at Hogwarts and the only thing I can find in that particular chapter that is out of the ordinary is this: Snape calls Lily Evans a mudblood.

It could be put down to the simple fact that Severus Snape is a mean man who is simply like Draco Malfoy. Only that you never ever ever hear Snape refer to Lily (whether in a negative or positive or passing manor) to Harry or to anyone, he only every mentions James or Sirius - and rightly so. I believe that Snape insulted Lily in a moment of embarrassment and desperation and loss of pride - I mean, she was a Griffindor GIRL and you know how guys can be. I thought that it was quite strange how there was a sort or estrangement between them and yet a familiarity - feel free to disagree, I'm sort of going on instinct with this - and I personally came up with the theory after reading book six and then book five again that the two of them must have known each other OUTSIDE of Hogwarts... Makes sense to me.

In chapter 2 of book 5 Aunt Petunia stated that she learnt about Dementors by "overhearing" -.- 'that awful boy' telling 'her' who I'm guessing is her sister Lily about them. This is my main HP theory as let's face it "awful" is a pretty simply description of Severus Snape from a general perspective, ne? It's extremely unlikely that the boy was James Potter as Harry assumed as James and Lily didn't start dating until their 7th year and probably didn't start being civil to one another until their 6th. Slughorn states that Lily was a very bright girl especially in Potions so I find it hard to believe that she would not know what Dementors where until the age of 17.

I think that Severus Snape's connection to Lily may play a very important role in book 7 with his motives and could explain the importance of Harry having his mother's eyes as opposed to mainly resembling his father.

A few extra theory notes I have on my beloved Severus Snape:


-He is one of the 5 people that I believe Albus Dumbledore trusted the most, others including Harry Potter, Minerva McGonnagal (SP?), Rubeus Hagrid and his brother Aberforth Dumbledore.

-Dumbledore entrusted him with his pensieve in book 5 and every person in the order has absolutely no clue why Dumbledore trusted "Snape" (as they all resort to calling him by chapter 39 of book 6) - clueless people... I think the only source of extensive knowledge Harry may have left is Albus' brother at the Hogs Head.

-Aunt Petunia will divulge information about what she knew about the "awful boy" when Harry returns to Privit Drive.

Anyone?

Hello, Mione!
I like posts like yours. I agree with you. I think that Snape cannot forgive James and Sirius and this is the reason which he hates Harry for. Albus Dumbledore believes him.
The eyes of Harry are important as well as his character because he is not as arrogant as his father. James Potter has the manners of Draco Malfoy, hasn't he? He humiliates people just like Draco Malfoy and Pancy Parkinson....

If I might add a spin to this I will, otherwise I might put another discussion forward somewhere, but what's with Hermione's 'defending' of Snape every time the boys complain about him? I mean, sure he's a teacher and Hermione's a know-it-all... but he's not that nice to her really. He doesn't give her credit where credit is due. Yet, Hermione continued to defend him, up until the end of book 6, of course. I wonder if there are links between her and Lily in that way, character wise? I might be barking up a wrong tree, but the idea popped into my mind at work today and I just had to get it out.

Hermione is wise. More than her friends. I think that her opinion is right. Do you remember the moment in the 6th book when she compared Snape and Harry. She is smart and thinks logically.

SPEECHLESS!!!!!

Wow! that is an amzing theory. it makes alot of sense. and i can all but agree on it!

i bow to the person who realised that!

I think it's very good reading to notice the part where Snape called Lilly a mudbllod being the thing that is really different in this chapter. I don't think that means necessarily that they knew each other outside of Hogwarts, but I do think it is the thing that makes it his worst memory.

Nice theory...........
I agree with all of you

Petunia could not stand her sister maybe out of jealousy because in HP#1 she said she was the only one who really saw her sister for what she really was "a freak." Could I be wrong in saying, that if you are jealous of anyone most likely you would despise anyone in contact with that person. I think she was calling James an awful boy, we see what an awful boy he was in Snape's Worse Memory. Dumbledore trusts many people who should be trusted but people do make mistakes, I believe even the most powerful wizard could make them too. Was Dumbledore is wrong for trusting him? I knw that Snape was the one who went through with finishing what Draco could not do. But being that it was either him or Dumbledore, I feel he had no other choice. People have said if they were in a situation where it was kill or be killed - they would not want to die of course then being forced to kill someone.

I always understood that the "awful boy" referred to James. The idea that Lilly and Severus were somehow connected outside of school is certainly a favorite topic for fanfiction. I guess because people cannot simply believe that Snape could hate James so much unless a woman were involved. Or perhaps they couldn't believe he would be that remorseful about James' death so he obvously felt bad about Lilly. I don't dispute that it could be possible. After all, nothing is impossible until Ms. Rowling says it is. But there are a few reasons I do not believe this to be so.

First, considering where Snape lives, and probably lived as a child, how would Lilly ever meet him outside school? They certainly wouldn't be hanging out at his home. And I don't know enough about Lilly's muggle parents to say whether or not they would hang out at hers. If Snape had associated with Lilly's parents, don't you think he would have had a better attitude towards muggles? Since they are placed in rival houses, I doubt associate at school much. Lilly is a nice person, but I don't believe even she would go out of her way to be nice to Snape all the time. If she did, I don't think she would have maintained her obvious popularity. Besides, isn't James surprised when Lilly defends him in the pensieve scene? I'm not saying that it is impossible for Lilly and Severus to have had a friendship of sorts, but in some ways it seems pretty unlikely.