The Unloved Son (was Re: Could I be wrong about Snape being evil?)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 156677

> >>Sydney:
> > <snip>
> > On the level of what the heck is going on that makes Snape so    
> > crazy, I think that's SO about Lily.  Snape's attitude Harry     
> > just SCREAMS guilt to me, guilt that he's displaced onto James   
> > in exactly the same way that Harry's displaced his guilt over   
> > Sirius onto Snape.  That's called Irony.

> >>colebiancardi:  
> Why is it guilt over Lily?  I am one of those people that is not   
> following that cookie <grin>.  Sure enough, Snape doesn't mention 
> Lily to Harry like he does his father - maybe James ASKED Snape to 
> protect Lily at one time and Snape failed? 
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Hmm, I think it's more powerful if James doesn't figure into it in 
such an "aware" fashion.  IOWs I think the story packs more of a 
punch if James is unaware that Snape loves Lily and is spying in 
part because he's trying to protect her. That James not realize 
*why* Snape is so intent on warning him that someone close to him is 
a traitor. (Gosh!  Maybe James thought it was the dry "life-debt" 
thing.  Which would be a good reason to assume Snape isn't really 
putting his heart into it.)  

James, partly because he's not fully cognizant of Snape's motives, 
poo-poos the warning (especially if Snape specifically names Sirius) 
and wham-o, both James and Lily are killed.  It leaves such a lovely 
amount of guilt ("I should have done *more*!") and rage ("Why was 
James so *stupid*!) for Snape to wallow in, IMO.  

I don't think it's necessary that Snape have loved Lily 
romantically.  (Honestly I *hope* that's not how it was as I'm not 
too fond of how JKR writes her romance stuff or how she portrays 
her "romantic lead" females).  That Snape and Lily were just good 
friends for a time is enough.  And even that their friendship meant 
more to mostly friendless Snape than ever so popular Lily would be 
nice, IMO.  (A sort of Luna to Ginny of yester-year thing.)

But there are just so many delicious little hints lying around in 
the various books that there was *something* between Snape and Lily, 
and Slughorn really seemed to ring that same bell, that I'd hate for 
the Snape-Lily theories to go the way of Vampire!Snape.  

Betsy Hp