The picture of Lily and Harry

[Katie]

No: HPFGUIDX 175014

McJuels:

<<<BIG SNIP>>>

 When Snape asked Harry to "Look at me!" I choose to believe
> that Snape was finally forcing himself to look at Harry and see
> him for who Harry is and not who his mother and father were.


> Colwilrin:
<<SNIP>>
> I disagree, however that he had Harry look at him at the end to see 
> Harry for himself.  I think that throughout his entire life, Snape 
was directed to act from his love for Lily.  In his last moments, he 
wanted to leave his life looking into the eyes of his beloved Lily.  
It was his last comfort, and I'd like to think that in those eyes 
some 
> forgiveness and comfort was given to him by Harry.
<<SNIP>>

***Katie:

Now, here's one of those circumstances where I think JKR intended one 
meaning, but I hope for another. I think JKR meant for us to think 
that Snape looking into Harry's eyes was supposed to be him wanting 
to look into Lily's eyes one last time. I prefer to believe that 
Snape *was* trying to look into Harry's, not Lily's, eyes, and tell 
Harry that he, Snape, was a good man. Of course, there is nothing in 
canon to support this, but I choose to believe that interpretation. 

I would be so disappointed in Snape if his dying moment was spent 
trying to do something as selfish as see Lily's eyes one more time, 
after all his selfless behavior...it would just be odd. Also, they 
weren't Lily's eyes - they were the eyes of a 17 year old boy whom 
Snape had loathed and tormented for 6 years. I would find that more 
than a little bit creepy. And since I do not usually find Snape 
creepy - I wouldn't like that. 

I also would hope, and this may be venturing into different 
territory, that even though Harry did not see Snape with the other 
dead ones, Snape had "gone on". I think the only reason we did not 
see Snape in that scene is because Harry (even though he had forgiven 
Snape by then) would not NEED Snape, the way he would all the people 
that loved him in life. However, I would hope that Lily and "Sev" 
would be reunited in friendship and that Snape would finally be able 
to have peace with James and Sirius and Lupin in the afterlife. I 
would hope Snape would be able to look into Lily's eyes himself, and 
see forgiveness and friendship there, and finally have peace. So, he 
wouldn't have needed to use Harry's eyes as a surrogate for Lily, 
because he would be seeing her soon.

Katie, hoping Snape wasn't all creepy, selfish, and obsessive in his 
last moments of life.