Significance of Snape's Patronus

[Miles]

No: HPFGUIDX 145490

Just a side remark on the discussions about Patronuses and especially about
the one Snape would produce:

Do I recall correctly, that the starting point for most considerations about
Snape's patronus is a remark from JKR that she wouldn't tell it, because it
would give too much information to us? That would mean that the significance
of our discussions about dragons, bats and what ever is based on JKR.
Without this, it would be just as interesting to know Snape's Patronus as to
know Ron's or McGonagall's (meeow)?

I just went to the quick quotes quill to check Rowling's statement - and I
only found this:

>>Ernie: I wonder if you can let us know what form will Professor Snape's
Boggart and Patronus take? I am very curious.
JK Rowling replies -> Well, I'm not going to tell you Ernie, but that's
because it would give so much away.<<
http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2004/0304-wbd.htm

If THIS is the piece all started with (is it?), then we should reconsider
it. If there is another piece of information I missed, please tell me and
forget about this mail ;).

Rowling was asked about Snape's Patronus and his Boggart shape - after all
we know about the meaning of both forms for a person, I would think that
Rowling in the first place did not want to answer the question about Snape's
Boggart shape. To know what is Snape's greatest fear would really show us
very much of his personality. As he is deeply involved into the WW
situation, it is probably connected to the Voldemort-Order-Harry complex.

The connection between a Patronus and the person who owns it seems to be
much less informative to me. Let's have a look - Dumbledore's Patronus is a
Phoenix. Aha. Ron's is a little dog - yes? Harry's is the animagus form of
his father - does it tell anything about Harry himself? Tonks' Patronus is
the only one that tells us something about her. A dragon that eats stags and
dogs for Snape - so what? We won't be surprised.

I know there were discussions about Snape's Boggart shape on the list
before. I do not want to spoil all the Patronus discussions - they are fun,
indeed. But are they significant? Maybe - but Rowling is not witness for
this.

Miles