Snape's Worst Memory

In 1995 Harry Potter entered Severus Snape's Office for occlumency lessons. When Snape left his office, Harry took a look in the pensieve and saw Snape's Worst Memory. Harry was transported into the great hall. There he saw that the students were all taking their defense against the dark arts O.W.Ls. It was 1966. He saw Snape writing vigorously on his parchment. He had written a great deal more than everyone else. Then he looked over and saw the fifteen year old version of his father. Harry was very surprised and happy to see him. He noticed the similarities between him and his father. James seemed very relaxed. Harry looked 4 seats bhind his father and saw Sirius Black, his father's best friend. Sirius had dark hair that fell into his eyes. Harry thought that Sirius was very good looking. Behind Sirius, was a girl that was looking at him longingly but Sirius wasn't paying any attention to her. Two seats away from this girl sat Remus Lupin. he was concentrating hard on his exam whereas James and Sirius were very relaxed and had already finished. Harry spotted Peter Pettigrew. He was looking very anxious and did not seem to be confident in his exam.

After Professor Flitwick collected the exams the students were dismissed. Harry followed James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter outside. Snape also followed but he was concentrating on his examination paper. The Marauders went outside. James started playing with a snitch that he had stolen. Harry noticed that he was constantly messing up his dark hair. Peter was squealing with admiration as James caught the snitch again and again. As James was playing with the Snitch he was constantly glancing over at a group of girls by the lake. It is very possible that Lily Evans (Harry's mother), whom James fancied at the time, was part of the group of girls. As the Marauders discussed the exam Snape walked over still absorbed in his exam.

Ther marauders were bored at the moment so they decided to entertain themselves by torturing Severus. They called him Snivellus. James started out by provoking him. "All right there Snivellus?" He taunted. Snape whipped out his wand but James disarmed him. Sirius then used the impediment jinx on him. By now a group of students had started to form, all watching the Marauders and Sirius. The Marauders continued to verbally abuse Snape. Students were laughing at the tormented Snape. It was revealed that Snape was very unpopular. Snape got very angry and started dwearing., James told him to watch his language and made soap bubbles come out of his mouth. It was then that Lily Evans (Snape's friend at the time) came over and told James and Sirius to leave Snape alone. Harry recognized Lily at once. She had dark red hair and bright green eyes. James at once chnaged his tone and tried to impress her. "Leave him alone, whats he done to you?" Lily said. James continued to argue with Lily saying that merely the fact that Snape existed was a problem. James said that he would leave Snape alone if Lily was to go with him. Lily refused, James and Severus started dueling after Snape shot a curse at James. James used the Levicorpus charm on Severus. Snape was instantly lifted upside down with his robes falling in his face revealing his underpants. The students who were watching laughed and cheered. Lily was furious and demanded that James let him down. James did as Lily told him to do but Sirius used Locomotor Mortis on Snape and he became rigid. Lily once again shouted for James and Sirius to leave Severus alone. James unwillingly muttered the countercurse. James then told Severus that he had been lucky Lily was there. Severus said out of anger that he didn't need mudbloods like Lily to defend him. He would regret this later on. Lily was insulted and left them alone. James tried to make Snape apologize but lily said she didn't need James to tell him to apologize. Lily went on a rant about how arrogant James was and stormed off. This left James confused and disappointed. He waved his wand again and Snape was in the air danglng upside down again. He asked the crowd if they wanted to see him take off Snape's pants. At this moment Harry was jerked out of the pensieve by the adult Snape.

Snape was absolutely furious at Harry. He gripped his arm so tightly that it was going numb. He then threw Harry from his grasp. "You will not repeat what you saw to anybody!" Snape yelled. Harry promised that he wouldn't. "Get out, Get out, I don't want to see you in my office ever again!" Snape screamed again. Harry ran to the door, swung it open and ran down the hall as fast as he could.

This memory shows that the Marauders weren't all good and that Snape did have a reason to hate Harry's father. The memory left Snape scarred for life. It also reminds Snape that Lily never loved him and that she would never talk to him after that. Snape was greatly discouraged because he had loved Lily all his life and she did not return his feelings. He had to watch as she married his worst enemy. He had to go through the pain and realize that Lily would never be his. He was even sadder when Voldemort murdered Lily but her son had survived. This memory also contributes to why Snape hates Gryffindors and Harry so much. Harry was just as scarred as Snape was after seeing this memory. He had always been proud of his father and thought he did no wrong and was a great man. THis memory showed him that James "had been every bit as arrogant as Snape had always told him."