Snape's post-HBP Patronus (was Re: Hebridean Black)

[juli17ptf]

No: HPFGUIDX 145497

Steve wrote:
> 
> > As various 'Snape will help Harry' discussions have gone on and now
> > that we are discussing Patronus, I think Snape's Patronus would be a
> > very good way for Snape to send anonymous messages to Harry in the
> > beginning. It certainly would be safer that confronting Harry at the
> > moment.
> >


Julie:
I agree that Snape's patronus would be a good way to send anonymous 
messages to Harry in the beginning, and maybe to the Order also, should 
there be a need. But I have two problems with a bat (or an image 
evocative of a bat, such as a Hebridean Black) being Snape's patronus 
in Book 7:

1. Why wouldn't members of the Order already know the identity of 
Snape's patronus? I think they would, and it could be that they know 
Snape's patronus has always been a bat (or Hebridean Black). And even 
if they don't, that would seem a pretty obvious patronus for Snape. And 
if the Order (or someone like Hermoine) would quickly figure out its 
origin, how could it remain anonymous? 

2. JKR said she couldn't reveal Snape's patronus because it would give 
too much away. So far his patronus hasn't figured in the story at all, 
but if it does it book seven, and it's a bat/Hebridean Black, then how 
does that give too much away? It's a very likely patronus for Snape, 
and it doesn't give anything away since the only other imagery that 
might be associated with a bat is a vampire, and JKR has already 
confirmed Snape is not a vampire. 

So, if Snape's patronus is something that gives too much away (to 
reveal before it appears in canon), and it's something Snape can use to 
send messages anonymously, then a bat or Hebridean Black patronus won't 
work. Not in book Seven.

My theory: Snape's patronus *was* a bat. That is how the Order members 
identify messages from him, messages they would certainly ignore after 
Snape's actions in HBP. So in book seven Snape will change his patronus 
to something else, the something JKR says will reveal too much (in 
essence, it will reveal his loyalty to Dumbledore). The brief mention 
of Tonk's changing her patronus in HBP already served to let us know 
that a patronus *can* be changed (this bit certainly served no other 
purpose in HBP). Snape will then use his new post-HBP patronus to send 
messages to Harry and/or the Order. And since it will have some 
association with Dumbledore, no one will suspect Dumbledore's murderer 
could possibly be the one sending anonymous, helpful information to the 
Good side. Thus Snape will help Harry without revealing himself and 
ending up dead or in Azkaban first. 

Julie