Another Snape/Lily person! Yaaay! was Snape and the Malfoys (was Re: Harry's Putative Death)

[Amanda Geist]

No: HPFGUIDX 42094

Olivia, already a candidate for Worthy Person due to her email address, said

> For some reason I see Snape drawn to Voldemort's camp more by the
> opportunity to practice the Dark Arts than by any prejudice against
> Muggles and the like.
>
> Sirius said Snape has always been drawn to the DA and knew more
> curses than most of the older students at Hogwart's when he first
> arrived (GoF paraphrasing).

This dovetails nicely with my impressions. Another reason Olivia is a Worthy
Person. But the very *best* reason is

> I also have a personal theory that Snape
> was in love with Lily Evans when they were students at Hogwarts.

Ha HAAAH! Welcome aboard. This was the main theory I joined the list with,
too. And have remained unshaken despite the attempts of the unlettered and
unromantic to disillusion me. Keep the faith!

Seriously, there seems to be quite a range of interpretations in that simple
statement. So, for the record, my own personal theory is that Snape did
indeed love Lily. That said, I don't for a minute think they were *ever* an
"item," or were ever "involved." I think he either simply loved her and
never said anything (I *said* I was a romantic, so sue me), or he did tell
her and she let him down easy. I tend to favor the latter--it would add fuel
to his hatred of James (which I think was already in place) when James *did*
win her. I think Snape is the sort to sublimate, and would do just that,
sublimating all the negative emotions of rejection off onto James, leaving
Lily still as someone loved (albeit unattainable).

Adding to that the horrifying (to Snape) possibility that Lily had *told*
James about Snape's confession....and he could never *ask* whether she had,
not if he's the type I think he is, too proud to show old hurt for any
reason to anyone. No wonder he is so single-minded in his dislike of James.
He's sublimated James and Lily so that James got all the bad emotion, and
this on *top* of not liking him anyway.

Still according to my personal theory, Snape *was* the spy who tipped off
Dumbledore and the Potters that Voldemort was after them. I also think that
Voldemort knew that Snape might like it if Lily survived; I think Snape is
the sort of personality that *would* have asked Voldemort for her, to save
her at least, of all of them (sort of the way the captain of the boat tried
to save Indy's girlfriend in Raiders of the Lost Ark? speaking Voldemort's
language, asking for her as a reward or something...). To my mind, this is
the type of man who, once rebuffed, would never show the emotion again to
*her*, but I think he might have asked Voldemort for her and Voldemort read
between the lines.

This, to me, is a good reason that Snape may be the DeathEater that
Voldemort believes is gone forever, the one who will be killed. Because
Voldemort knows he transgressed Snape's personal code and murdered someone
Snape loved, and knows Snape well enough to know he wouldn't forgive that.
In this light, I think Snape's task *is* to go back and spy again, and the
hard thing for him will be telling Lily's murderer that he's come to his
senses, she was just a *woman,* how silly of him, dime a dozen, etc. I think
Snape is pale because he has to say that, and transgress his personal code
himself. This is as much a betrayal of Lily to that type of Javert
personality as leading Voldemort to her door.

On the other hand, there's a good case to be made that JKR *wants* us to
think Snape's the DeathEater who's gone forever, and *wants* us to think
Karkaroff is one Voldemort labels the coward. For that very excellent
reason, the case can be made that Snape is the coward. All my previous
theorizing about Snape and Lily would still work under that; it would simply
change what Snape's task is and why he looks pale.

Anyway, for all you people who've ever said "eeeurgh! Snape and Lily! Bleah!
Greasy hair! Liked curses! Had she no taste??? I just can't *see* them
together!" etc.----> Neither Can I. I don't think anything intimate at all
went on, other than Snape going out on a limb and baring a bit of his soul
to her. And I think she was probably gracious enough to let him down as
easily as that sort of man (boy) can be. No kissing. No bushes. Just love.

I also think it's pure torture for Snape to see Harry, who looks so much
like James, but has Lily's eyes. I think it plays havoc with his sublimation
game and dredges up emotions he'd thought buried for years--both positive
and negative--and is making him even more unpleasant to be around. He seems
a logical sort, and the irrationality of his reactions to Harry and Harry's
friends seems to be rooted in something deeper than simple schoolboy
rivalry. There is a primal, blind element to it. There had to be some
stronger emotions in there.

Oh, that was fun. It's been ages since I put the whole Amanda's Unified
Theory of Snape Loved Lily out there!!

C'mon, Darrin, get carving. You hate Snape, won't admit to any finer
emotions in the man, and you never ever put little hearts around any of *my*
posts, anyway....  You Snape is a Vampire loons, too. Olivia and me and our
allies can take it!

--Amanda