OOP Chapter 2 Post DH look

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 182473

>Alla quoted:
> "I heard -- that awful boy -- telling her about them - years ago," 
> she said jerkily. - p.32.
> 
> Alla:
> 
> So who was absolutely positively sure that it was Snape?
> 
> I certainly entertained the possibility as very valid, but was 
„« willing to consider other candidates.

Potioncat:
Me! Me! At least, after the first reading, maybe the second or third.

It was so obvious that the awful boy was James, and Harry thought so, 
that it had to be someone else. My mind was open (heck, my mind is a 
sieve) to Sirius but I was 99% sure it was Severus. Just before DH 
came out, I figured out that Lily, Petunia and Severus knew each 
other as children---that the Evans lived near Spinner's End. My great 
regret in life is that I never wrote the post explaining it before DH 
came out.

Look at the quote. Isn't it great! Petunia's speaking jerkily, and we 
can see the gaps. Before DH, the reader/Harry can chalk it up to 
emotion. But now it looks as if she's almost saying "I heard Sev 
telling her about them when we were kids." And at each point, Petunia 
catches herself and changes the words.

> Alla:
> As I mentioned before, I was pretty sure by DH that Snape/Lily are 
> coming. I mean, I cannot say that I figured out as early as some 
> people on list did and I also cannot say that I was hundred percent 
> sure, but to me Snape talking obsenities (IMO) about James and 
being 
> silent on the subject of Lily was HUGE sign. But since I hated the 
> idea I was hoping for something else.

Potioncat:
There's an interview over at Leaky Cauldron that address among other 
things, Snape and Lily. This quote is very funny, and fits with what 
you're saying, Alla.

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2008/4/3/jkr-snape-and-dumbledore-
two-of-the-most-important-characters-in-deathly-hallows

"But then you have people, I had people as early as Prisoner of 
Azkaban, the third book. I remember a woman saying to me : ¡§I think 
Snape loves Lily¡¨. I was ¡§Oh my God what the hell did I give 
away ?¡¨. "

Potioncat:
It's no wonder she seemed to have such a hard time with questions 
about Snape's redemption and love. She knew some people were very 
close already. But you know it really wasn't Snape in love with Lily. 
It was more there had been friendship and later there was something 
of a vow or promise. But I can't see that he was in love with her the 
remaining two years at Hogwarts and the few years afterwards. Even 
with the silver doe in DD's office, I don't get a feel of romantic 
love, but more of devotion.

> Alla: 
> Hmmm, Petunia certainly seems to believe in souls existance. 
„« Interesting.

Potioncat:
I think that's a fairly standard belief in an English-based culture. 
Maybe I'm looking at it from an American viewpoint, but even those 
who do not participate in organized religion seem to have the belief 
of souls. 
> 
> 
snipping quote
 
> Alla:
> 
> I find this quote to be so interesting. I remember wondering 
whether 
> Muggle and WW world would ever meet each other on the larger scale 
> than some people going back and forth (parents, muggleborns) and 
this 
> one seemed like foreshadowing that it may be.
> 
> Till JKR said that it is not going to happen that is and then I was 
> thinking that maybe it is a warning against the chaos that may 
happen 
„« if it will happen.

Potioncat:
I think it's a modern thing. Our literature is rich with magical and 
non-magical interactions, but that comes from a time when people did 
believe in witches. Now that we have science, it's harder to put a 
witch in the story. (Not impossible.)  Or more difficult to have non-
magical people visiting witches. So when we do see them, the other 
characters don't know about the magic. So JKR keeps her Muggle 
society separate from her Wizarding one.

Many of our older stories have characters going to witches for 
magical help or for fortune-telling. But the non-magicals had to be 
careful. Witches took offense easily and might hex you over a small 
slight. So JKR continued that character-trait with her wizarding 
culture. Many on this list see the Wizarding World as an unfriendly 
place, but it is in keeping with what our (Muggle) culture has always 
said about magical folk.

Thanks again, Alla, for this thread!