WINDOW SILLS

[msbeadsley]

No: HPFGUIDX 80802

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "slgazit" <slgazit at s...> wrote:
> I myself am  certain that Snape loved Lily (probably after the 
> pensieve incident). His feelings towards Harry and his father, his 
> hatered of Harry combined with an intense effort to protect him, 
> that goes through the entire series, is evidence. Notice how in PS
> it was Snape who took upon himself the task of protecting Harry 
> from Quirrell - from the broomstick incident, to following him 
> around the school and to keeping track of Quirrell.

But there is an argument which goes, "James saved Snape's life (from 
Sirius' aiming Snape at Moony) and therefore there is a life-debt 
Snape felt he owed."  Where did Snape follow Harry around in CoS?  I 
thought he was keeping Quirrell from getting too close to the stone.  
(Which brings up another entirely different question:  if Snape knew 
or even suspected Quirrell was after the stone, why didn't he go to 
Dumbledore and "out" Quirrell?)

> In CoS it is Snape who goes out to look for Harry and Ron when they 
> have not arrived on the school train - true he wants them expelled 
> but he shows more concern for their safety than the other teachers. 

Is Snape actually out looking for Harry and Ron?  I am as inclined to 
believe that Snape is out to get Harry expelled so he won't have to 
look at him anymore as I am to believe he was worried about Harry.  
No, I'm *more* inclined to belief the former, actually.

> In PoA Snape tries very hard to prevent Harry's escapades into 
> Hogsmeade and he is the teacher who rashes after them when he sees 
> Lupin going to the forest, and suspects what has happened. Not much 
> action on his part in GoF but he is constrained by the fake Moody. 

Snape is trying to thwart Harry, that's true. For his own good?  
Still open to interpretation (or we wouldn't be having so much fun 
interpreting it, of course!)

> Then of course, in OoP he takes upon himself the task of teaching 
> Harry occlumency and saving him from Voldemort's trap. I am sure he 
> hates Harry, but also that he wants to protect him, and I expect 
> that at some point in the coming books these two emotions will come 
> to a head, and it is possible (even likely) that Snape will fall 
> back to evil being unable to overcome his negative feelings towards 
> Harry.

I thought Snape was *assigned* that tutoring duty by Dumbledore.  I 
suspect any desire Snape has to protect Harry (which I'm not denying) 
has everything to do with how he thinks that Harry is the key to 
Voldemort's ultimate and permanent defeat.

> There is some evidence to the Snape loved Lily theory in JKR's 
> answer (or non-answer) to that very question during her BBC 
> interview back in June (thanks to the poster who provided the link):

Like I've said, I'm a sucker for LOLLIPOPS. I do tend to feel really 
sorry for Snape, who makes a pretty believable Heathcliff at times.  
At those times I like to think that he loved Lily even if it was 
unrequited; I like to think that at some point in his life he was 
capable of some kind of love. If he was, it means he wasn't so 
damaged by his childhood as to never care about anyone; and so, maybe 
someday he will be able to let someone else in. If he survives.

On the other hand, perhaps we will find that he has been a double-
double agent and Nagini will get to eat him and I will cheer.  I go 
from LOLLIPOPS to FEATHERBOAS pretty easily (heck, I can be drooling 
around one and wearing the other simultaneously!) on the subject of 
Snape.

Sandy aka "msbeadsley"