Snape/Lily love or obsession

[julie]

No: HPFGUIDX 172888


> > 
> > Julie:
> > What obsessive side? The obsessive side where he stalked her 
around
> > town, where he begged her over and over to take him back, where 
> he  left

> 
> Alla:
> 
> No, I find the word used just the possible sign for future 
> developments, not a pretty one, no, but if used alone of course I 
> won't accuse ten year old of stalking.
> 
> The strongest evidence to me of obsession is Snape searching Sirius 
> room, taking a **private** letter from one friend to another, 
> tearing apart that letter, taking with him the part where Lily 
> signature was AND in addition to this, doing something so much 
> creepier - tearing apart the photograph that does not belong to him 
> either and **KEEPING** it.
> 
> I am half expecting as I mentioned  before to see the police 
finding 
> many pictures of Lily in his room

Julie:
That is one interpretation, and I doubt I'll change your
mind. But it is the only time we see him even in possession
of a picture of Lily, so it's just as likely that he's never
had a picture of her and he reacts emotionally to this picture
because of that fact. Additionally, why wouldn't he just take
the part of the picture that means something to him? He hated
James--and the feeling was completely mutual. Why would Snape
want a picture of him, or of baby Harry, who he really didn't
know? 

Also, while the picture isn't Snape's, the person it belonged to
is dead. You can say it is Harry's picture since Harry inherited
the house, but no doubt Harry has been given many pictures of
his mother, so it's not as if Snape is taking something that
he knows is incredibly valuable or irreplaceable.

So if it's a crime it's a very minor one, certainly not worthy
of your horror that he was **KEEPING** the photo, IMO ;-) And
as we don't know if Snape has any other photos of Lily or how
many (never did see him with a camera either), keeping the 
photo also doesn't indicate in any concrete way whether Snape
*loved* Lily or was merely *obsessed* by her. Though I think
the bulk of his actions point to the former (to me).

> Julie:
> <SNIP>
> > So, love or obsession, you ask. Both, I say. First love, and 
> later, on  top 
> > of that
> > love, obsession with his chosen path to redemption.
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Both, maybe. But I disagree that creepy signs are not there.
> 

Julie: 
Fair enough. Creepy to me would be actual canon that Snape 
stalked her movements, actual canon that he hoarded numerous
pictures of her, or similar sort of things that would strongly
indicate creepiness, rather than a couple of canon points 
that can easily fit with either love or obsession.

> > Lisa:
> <BIG SNIP>
> >  But what did he do, when faced presented with the 
> > opportunity to harm someone he found annoying?  He attempted 
> murder-
> > by-Lupin.  
> <HUGE SNIP>
> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Attempted murder is not in canon and judging by Lily's reaction, I 
> would really say it was not that IMO.
>
Julie:
Attempted murder is not in canon, but real danger to Snape's 
life is in canon, evidenced by the life debt to James. No 
need for that if James hadn't actually saved him from possible
death. I personally don't think Sirius intended Snape to die,
but I don't really blame Snape for believing that, given the
mutual hatred they all had for each other. I feel certain if
the shoe was on the other foot, Sirius would fully believe
Snape had been trying to murder him.

I was truly surprised BTW that the Prank came *before* the
Worst Memory. I know a lot of readers assumed the Prank is
what turned James around and made him attractive to Lily (me
included). Lily really did dislike James, at least through 
fifth year. I wish we had been told *what* exactly motivated
James to change from being such an arrogant toerag who hexed
students in the hallways just for fun (even though without
dark spells) to a boy Lily could like and eventually love.
Perhaps his motivation was Lily herself. (Yep, this would
mean James was willing to change for Lily, while Snape didn't
have enough desire or courage to do so. But we already know 
that, as this is part of the whole Snape package. Snape blew
it big time, and he knows it. He's been paying for it one
way or another ever since.)

Julie