Snape finding Lily's Letter

[va32h]

No: HPFGUIDX 174115

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at ...> wrote:
I've been reading this thread, trying to imagine the 
> explanation coming up in the story and failing to think of a 
> legitimate reason why it would.  

va32h:

Had I been JKR's editor, I would have suggested she scrap the scene 
with Snape tearfully holding the letter entirely. It's too maudlin. 

I would have structured the whole revelation of Lily/Snape differently, 
actually.

Instead of Snape's memories - I'd use Lily's words. As the Dursleys 
leave, Petunia hands harry a bundle of papers - no explanation, no 
tears, perhaps a simple sentence "I ought to have given these to you 
years ago."

The bundle contains letters, letters home from Lily during her school 
days. Letters that talk about her friend Sev ("remember him mummy, that 
odd little boy that used to live down by Spinner's End?"). And 
eventually mentioning the end of their friendship in 5th year, for 
unelaborated reasons. Other letters would be to Petunia - describing 
her marriage, the birth of Harry, etc. 

Yes - it removes the big Surprise!Snape/Lily! but I think it would have 
added something more. As Harry learns that Dumbledore is seemingly less 
than Harry believed him to be, Harry would also be questioning his 
feelings about Snape and Petunia. His mother liked Snape? She and 
Petunia corresponded? The world has gone topsy-turvy!

Skipping ahead to Snape's death, when Harry does get the memories, 
instead of scene after scene, Harry would describe brief, whirling 
impressions that reflect situations described in Lily's letters. Then 
he would land is SWM, and realize the significance of that. I would 
keep all the other memories intact, except the one where Portrait!
Dumbledore tells Snape to tip Voldemort off about the escape from 
Privet Drive. It makes no sense, since Snape wasn't headmaster yet, and 
we already knew Snape gave this info, from chapter 1. And of course, 
ditch the goopy "Snape cries over photo of Lily" business. Or, if they 
must have Snape crying over something, let it be a photo of himself and 
Lily as first years, that he has been carrying around for the last 20 
years.

Hey - I figure if we readers have to fix all the plotholes ourselves, 
we may just as well go ahead and rewrite the things we don't like.

(which would also mean that in my alternate universe, Fred lives and 
Charlie dies - sorry Charlie!)

va32h