This memory is an apology to Harry: 31-year-old Snape ranting to Dumbledore about his belief that Harry is “delighted to find himself famous, attention-seeking and impertinent.” This is almost hilarious in its lack of self-awareness, considering that in reality, Snape picked on 11-year-old Harry repeatedly until Harry finally snapped. The inclusion of this memory is an admission that he had been wrong. Snape’s rant is countered by Dumbledore’s marvelously balanced assessment of Harry as “modest, likable, and reasonably talented.”
