Snape's patronus in Book 7

[strina_brulyo]

No: HPFGUIDX 140956

"Jen Reese" wrote:
> Snape's new form would have to 
> reflect his alliance with Dumbledore to be of any real use for 
> proving himself to the Order. Some favor him casting a phoenix, 
but 
> I'm thinking a lemon drop or cockraoch cluster myself, lol. Does 
it 
> have to be an animal? If so, I guess the phoenix even though 
that's a little pat. 

Alina:
I don't think it could be a phoenix because Rowling has confirmed 
that the phoenix is Dumbledore's patronus. Of course it's not 
impossible that DDM!Snape's patronus took this new form after his 
mentor's death, but that would be somewhat predictable and trivial.

> Lupinlore: 
> > Also, when asked about Snape's patronus before HBP JKR said she 
> > wouldn't reveal it because it would give too much away.  That 
> > implies something about Snape's patronus BEFORE the events on 
the tower <snip>  

> Jen: You are saying JKR didn't tell us Snape's patronus before HBP 
> because it would give away his evil nature prior to his big reveal 
> on the tower? She could also be saving the surprise that despite 
> what we see on the tower, Snape is not evil and we could deduce 
that from his patronus. <snip>

Alina:
There was an old thread in this forum about Snape's patronus being a 
unicorn. A very nice theory. If you'll let me bring forward some of 
the arguments again: 

* a unicorn's horn (unicorns are also called alicorns) neutralizes 
poison. The legend goes that when the Snake, or whatever form Evil 
takes, poisoned the river, all the thirsty animals waited for the 
unicorn to show up, dip its horn in the river and separate the good 
water from the murky and unclean... and Snape is not only good at 
antidotes but has superb healing abilities in general.

* the unicorn is pure at heart but can be very fierce and 
protective...and captured or tamed only by a maiden (Lily?)

* it is also thought to symbolize renouncement of earthly 
pleasures... fits perfectly a person who lives in a "Muggle 
dunghill," has no lavish furniture whatsoever, always dresses the 
same, and has no great inclination to spend too much money on stupid 
things such as shampoo:)

* a pure white unicorn would stand in a stark contrast to Snape's 
black appearance, which would reinforce the message "don't judge a 
book by its cover"

* haha -- that carries little weight, but just a thought -- Snape's 
astrological sign is a Capricorn... kind of close...

* and yes, the Lion and the Unicorn fought for the crown... the Lion 
and the Unicorn are great enemies because they have different 
dispositions and approaches; one is an extrovert, and the other a 
solitary introvert. However, they do not represent Good and Evil; 
rather, they are complementary, and if they work together for a 
common cause, no other beast can withstand them. They are seen in an 
actual union in the British coat-of-arms...the Lion representing 
England and the Unicorn Scotland (and JKR is connected to both 
England and Scotland). Since we associate lions with Gryffindor - 
and therefore with James and Harry (who also happens to be a Leo) - 
that fits pretty well.

* honestly, it's surprising that we haven't seen the unicorn, that 
powerful magical creature, "IN ACTION" anywhere in the books. 
Wherever it has appeared so far, it's been always quite passive 
(dead or petted by Lavender and Parvati). Totally unlike the 
phoenix, for example... so Book 7 would be the time - at least 
that's how I feel.

And now, a unicorn patronus would so totally satisfy Lily/Snape 
shippers!!! The unicorn would actually BE Lily, in a way:

* both the lily/fleur-de-lys and the unicorn are very, very eloquent 
traditional symbols of purity and innocence. I even saw a heraldic 
image of a unicorn feeding upon a fleur-de-lys. Both are dazzlingly 
white, shiny, and pure things...

* the unicorn is related to the feminine

* (I read this in a Mugglenet Editorial) - in Philosopher's Stone, 
Hagrid says that whoever slays a unicorn is doomed to live a half-
life, a cursed life...but we know that Voldemort was already leading 
that same kind of existence after the killing curse bounced back to 
him, repelled by the purity of a mother's love

* James and Lily could also fit in the "Lion and Unicorn" image 
since Lily at first found James to be no more dateable than the 
Giant Squib, but they ended up getting married and defying LV 
together.

If Snape's patronus truly is a unicorn, that wouldn't be so hugely 
revealing to the members of the Order, and they would have no way of 
knowing the Lily connection unless: a) Lily had the same patronus, 
and b) they knew what hers was. However, because of the symbology 
involved, the unicorn would give away a lot to the reader, hence 
Rowling's refusal to disclose it.

I can see a stag and a unicorn from HP's and SS's wands uniting (as 
their prototypes did when they were alive) to drive away dementors 
or some other evil force in Book 7.

-Alina