Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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Chapter 28: Snape’s Worst Memory

Educational decree number twenty-eight makes Umbridge the head of Hogwarts School. The students are aligning in support of either Dumbledore or Umbridge. Malfoy reveals his allegiances, having been made one of Umbridge’s “Inquisitorial Squad”, a group of students who have many of the powers of teachers to punish other students.

Fred and George have had enough and decide to create some mayhem. They no longer care whether or not they are kicked out of the school.

Umbridge summons Harry to her office and tries to drug him with a truth serum but Harry only pretends to drink. Harry continues to claim he doesn’t know where Dumbledore has gone until the conversation is interrupted by some explosions in the castle. Fred and George have set a crate of enchanted fireworks loose in the halls. As the teachers try to contain the fireworks, they run afoul of other enchantments that make the fireworks multiply whenever somebody tries to make the disappear. Even Hermione gets caught up in the spirit of rebellion.

Harry dreams again that night. This time he makes it into the circular room of identical doors and then opens one of them. He has a strong feeling that there is something in the room that he wants very much. However, he is woken by a firework before he finds out what it is.

Cho comes to Harry the next day to apologize for Marietta telling Umbridge about Dumbledore’s Army. Harry’s temper explodes and he is mean to Cho until she storms off.

Harry goes to Snape’s office for Occlumency lessons but Snape is called off to help Umbridge. Harry sees Snape’s thoughts swirling in the Pensieve and jumps into the thoughts.

He sees Snape as a teenager among his classmates including James, Sirius, Lupin and Wormtail. Harry sees that his father James is actually very cruel to Snape – so much that Lily, Harry’s mother, who wasn’t yet dating James, tells James to leave Snape alone. She calls James a bully.

As the scene progresses, Harry feels himself pulled from the Pensieve by the adult Snape, returned to his office. Harry realizes that his father was cruel and just as arrogant as Snape had always said.