Snape's Patronus

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 160853

zgirnius wrote:
> <snip> The memory (or thought, it can be a happy thought) does not
have to be 'nice', it just has to make the user happy. For example,
Harry cast the Patronus for extra credit on his DADA OWL by imagining
that Umbridge was sacked.
> 
> On the other hand, we also have Rowling's assertion that Snape was 
> loved. Memories of that person would presumably be happy ones in the 
> more usual sense. <snip>
> 
> And, of course, if Dumbledore is right about Snape, the day he went 
> to Dumbledore with his story about Voldemort and the prophecy, and 
> was believed/trusted, would be another.
> 
> Just another thought about Snape and Patronuses: If he was
completely unable to cast one, would he open himself up to a rather
humiliating retort from a fellow Order member who must know, by
criticizing the 'weakness' of Tonks'? She could have just replied, "At
least *I* have one."

Carol adds:
Just an additional note to keep this from being an "I agree" post.
Dumbledore tells Harry that the Order members have much more effective
methods of communication than Umbridge's fireplace, and the context
makes it clear that he's referring to Snape. Almost certainly, snape
used his Patronus to communicate first with Sirius Black and later
with all the Order members who happened to be at 12 GP at the time to
tell them that Harry was headed to the MoM to "rescue" Black. (I think
he must have communicated with Dumbledore as well or he wouldn't have
known that DD was coming to 12 GP and Black needed to wait for him.)
At any rate, though we don't see Snape casting a Patronus here, it's
likely that he did so.

As for Snape's alternate method of handling Dementors, I love
Potioncat's idea that he doesn't want to reveal his Patronus to the
students, but I also believe that casting a Patronus to communicate
(or to show off and have fun in the RoR) is a very different matter
from casting one when you're faced with a foul being determined to
suck out both your happiness and your soul. I'm hoping that Snape's
alternate method will prove valuable in Book 7 and will help, along
with other puzzle pieces, to show HRH that Snape's loyalties lie with
Dumbledore.

Carol, loving zgirnius's last paragraph