Chapter 33 discussion (Snape's Patronus)

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 184981

Zara wrote in
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/184922>:

<< It seems you believe that ALbus knew the form of Snape's Patronus.
What greates this impression for you? I walked away from "The Prince's
Tale" with the impression he might not have known this until Snape
showed it to him in their conversation following the argment in the
Forest. Albus's reactions ("After all these years?") suggested to me
this was news to him. If they'd been routinely using it to
communicate, I would find this an odd response. It would mean,
somehow, that Albus knew the form but had never particualrly
considered what this betokened abotu Snape's current emotions/motives. >>

To me, 'After all these years?' did not refer to Lily being Snape's
Patronus, but to Snape's interest in protecting Harry being only for
Lily's sake. I imagine that Albus was hoping, not just joking, that
Snape had developed some fondness for the boy after all these years,
which Snape would embarrassedly rather than angrily try to conceal by
muttering something about 'I thought you were the one who said that
all lives are valuable.'