Dumbledore: Patronus and Dementors

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 173773

> 
> Bart:
> Can you tell me why? The reason why I ask is because the same thing 
happened to me, and I asked myself, why do I KNOW that this is 
Snape's Patronus? I even went online to look for "doe" in the group 
archives...

Potioncat:
A lot of information about Patronuses came out around HBP. One of the 
threads that came up was whether we'd see Snape's Patronus and what 
it would tell us about him. Some of us imagined that a new Patronus 
would appear that somehow proved to the Order that Snape was loyal. 
(But wouldn't at first reveal it to us or to Harry.)

So I was on the look-out for a Patronus that reflected DD or Lily. 
Although we had guessed any number of animals, I knew that JKR is 
very good at surprising us. 

I suspected the doe was Snape's Patronus, was sure of it when Harry 
stated clearly that it was a Patronus. The fact that it didn't speak 
made it certain for me. We had already seen that a Patronus speaks 
with the voice of the caster.


>Bart: 
> I don't believe that Snape used the PPN (Phoenix Patronus Network). 
I don't have DH in front of me, but I believe that the scene where 
Snape shows his Patronus to Dumbledore comes well after the PPN was 
in place 

Potioncat:
No, I think he did. DD first comments on the Patronus system, without 
naming it, when he says Snape contacted the Order during OoP. Snape 
never taught it at Hogwarts, partly I'm sure to keep it secret. JKR 
also said that it was not taught at Hogwarts in general.

Bart:
(btw, the spelling above shows why I refer to the Transfiguration 
teacher as "Minnie the Cat"; it's MUCH easier to spell). Here are the 
nicknames I'm sticking with:

Potioncat:
I'm very intolerant of spelling errors and typoes...only I make so 
many that I have to keep it to myself. It's what kept me on moderated 
status in the beginning.