What triggered ancient magic? WAS: Re: James and Intent

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 187048

Potioncat:
I had to hunt for the post that Alla and I were discussing. Boy, it's hard to do that with this system! Here's the comment:

> Alla earlier:
> 
> Oh sure, it seems reasonable to me, I am not disputing that.  After all, it is not like he did not go to Dumbledore eventually. I am not seeing that it was an act of  great love, you know? I see that he wanted this woman for years, did not realize that couple whom he sold to Voldemort would not be couple he does not know (as if this makes any better, Snape dear), but oh so familiar to him couple. So, I see him still wanting Lily and running to his boss begging for her life.

 
> Alla more recently:
> 
> Sure I agree with that, however, I would say that even though it is completely possible to want a person without loving such person, to me if we are talking about romantic love, if one loves a person, one generally wants her or him as well. It had been my experience anyway.

Potioncat:
There still is a difference between how we see Snape's feelings for Lily. Yes, in romantic love, a person wants the other person. Generally they want each other. But in this case, romantic love hasn't worked out, or perhaps Severus's love for Lily had never become a romantic love. Yet he still has a love for her. A love for an old friend. So I don't think he had "wanted" her all those years.

I also don't think he "wanted" her all those years after. But, once he killed DD and severed his ties to the Order and now had no source of strength for his mission, he went to 12GP for a token of Lily, as a source of strength. Which explains too why he tore off James and Harry. And he wouldn't be the first person to remove someone from a photo.


> 
 
> Alla:
> But that is sort of my point, because to me if courtly love is the model, then Snape would be thinking about how to make lady happy and do whatever she wants, you know?

Potioncat:
I see what you mean. So perhaps courtly love is a basis rather than a model. Courtly love was also public and accepted. (If I'm correct.)

Or, here's a better example of a type of love.

Sirius sat in Azkaban all those years without ever trying to clear his name, but when he saw Harry was in danger from Pettigrew, he escaped. It was his love of Harry that motivated his risk. Certainly he hadn't been wanting Harry all those years.

I know, it's not the same thing exactly as what Severus felt or did for Lily, but I think it's closer than a desire-oriented version.