Celibate Snape (Was:Harry's story , NOT Snape's )

[Merry Kinsella]

No: HPFGUIDX 139165


Mari <mariabronte at yahoo.com> wrote:

So, yes, I think the idea of celibate Snape is definitely a 
possibility; the circumstances of his life so far certaintly don't seem to suggest that any sexual feelings he had were either fulfilled or reciprocated.>>>

:)

merylanna replied:

I enjoy the discussion of HP characters' love lives and sexual histories since it's such a young adult book I think JKR emphasizes paternal/maternal/friendship much more.  She almost writes romantic love tongue-in-cheek.  I'd be surprised if she decided any character were driven/motivated mostly by thwarted romantic love -- not in an essential, plot propelling way.  It feels that way to me, anyhow, and going mostly by interviews and character histories thus far - to be something she shuns.  (Lest it, I think, play into young girl fantasies she thinks aren't healthy.  JKR seems to place huge emphasis on the kind of love that's available to everybody if their heart is open.)

When asked about Sirius's love life she kind of blew it off - didn't have the time to get a girlfriend, what with Azkaban and hiding and all that.  She's an author for whom sexuality = boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse - nothing dicier.  (I, of course, can speculate Sirius had no interest in a girlfriend.  He was in love with James.  And w/out having read any fan fic I bet there's tons of James/Sirius fanon out there.  Their interplay in "Snape's Worst Memory" struck me as more Merchant Ivory than anybody else's romantic feelings in that event.

So Snape, again, I feel for him, love is represented by Dumbledore.  I do suspect Eileen Prince, his mother, has to enter it his history somewhere or why bother to introduce her?
I think Dumbledore is important to Snape because Dumbledore is a great, great wizard, more brilliant than the stars above, and he values Snape beyond measure and places his trust in him.  That could be the crowning achievement of Snape's life - probably is.  And, of course, one suspects Dumbledore believed Snape when Snape turned away from LV at the height of LV's powers (and in return for that belief, I speculate it was then that Snape volunteered, via an Unbreakable Vow, to be Dumbledore's man through and through.  Whatever Dumbledore asked, Snape would do - and I suspect Dumbledore ASKS - doesn't tell, and would allow Snape to say no, and Snape never has - although at times he has second thoughts (the argument in the forest))

So, that preamble out of the way, I don't infer much romantically from Snape's history, but I think there are probably a bunch of celibate characters in JKR's series and we're not meant to feel too badly.  But because to me Snape's key history is tied to Dumbledore's role at critical points in his life, I sometimes infer hurt from Snape, as when he said to Dumbledore "Need I remind you, headmaster, that Lupin (was it Lupin he was speaking of) tried to kill me?" I inferred that he was speaking out of anger that trying to kill Snape didn't weigh enough with Dumbledore, that the mauraders still bought so much leniency with Dumbledore.
I have no clue if my inference is any more right than inferences about Lily or anything else in the book - Snape could be saying this purely out of dislike for Lupin, and not trying to prod Dumbledore to choose him, in a way.