[HPforGrownups] Re: HPB writing/ Snape Timeline/ poor Lupin, and some other replies

[Kathryn Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 134396

Sherry Gomes wrote:

> Sherry now:
> 
> Adding to what was said above:  it seems that so many in fandom have come to
> believe that Snape must have liked or loved Lily, that it has come to seem
> almost like canon.  However, there is actually no canon support for that.
> In fact, in the one scene in which we see Snape and Lily interact, he calls
> her a dirty name, even though she was trying to defend him from a pack of
> bullies.  (not that I think we've seen all that really happened in that
> scene of course.)  i haven't received my braille copy of the book yet, so
> just trying to remember the audio, doesn't Snape refer to Lily as a mudblood
> again, in the fight with Harry at the end, after he murdered Dumbledore?  I
> have serious doubts the Snape liked any of the Potters or Longbottoms.  He
> must have been dancing with joy when he knew that James was finally dead.

> Sherry

Kathy writes:

      I feel, that from the potions book and the hints from the 
interview, that Snape had some kind of friendly relationship with Lily. 
  He called her a Mudblood in 5'th year under ugly circumstances, and 
there would have been time to make up for that. Snape may have built 
some kind of vision around that and could not deal with the fact that 
she chose his arch enemy James. I agree that Snape hated James, Sirius, 
and Peter with a passion, but someone asked that Lily not be killed. 
That is canon. I would say that you are right about both James and 
Sirus, though, He wouldn't have wasted a minute regretting their deaths.

      There is no doubt in my mind that every time Snape laid eyes on 
Harry and Neville he was faced with his own guilt. A better person might 
have tried to redeem himself by being nice to them. Snape is not a 
better person. He is petty, bitter, cruel, and has never really been 
anything else.  The fate of the Potters and the Longbottoms was 
completely his fault. I think he reacted much like Draco. Draco could 
not face the reality of his actions, and could not do it. Snape did not 
have that choice. His actions caused the deaths through someone elses' 
actions and he either did not stop it, or was afraid to stop it.

      I think that, over 15 years, while he has not learned a great deal 
about himself or other people, he did have a reliance on Dumbledore. It 
was important that Dumbledore trusted him and saw something in him. He 
did save Harry's life or attempt to do so on several occasions. It is 
canon that he saved Dumbledore's life. It remains to be seen in book 7 
if Dumbledore's trust in him will be sufficient to "choose what is right 
  instead of what is easy."

      I think that Dumbledore's trust can be explained in several ways. 
He may not trust Snape to do good, necessarily. I think it is more of a 
  case that he understands Snape, his limitations, and his bitterness. 
He may be counting on the fact, that if Harry is the final Horcrux, and 
he manages to down Voldemort, Snape is the only person he can really 
count on to kill Harry. JKR has never said that Harry will survive book 
7, and has discouraged that idea since the first book.
KJ