Courtly love in Potterverse WAS: What triggered ancient magic

[mesmer44]

No: HPFGUIDX 187144

"pippin_999:wrote:
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> Carol:
> 
> JKR says in an interview that he thought that Lily would admire him if he joined the DEs. That sounds ridiculous; he knew that she hated Avery and Mulciber, the DE wannabes, and actually referred to Mulciber (the future Imperious specialist) as "evil." Could Snape, usually so logical (at least as an adult) really be that dim? 
> 
> Pippin:
> It's ridiculous if you think Snape loved a pure, idealized image of Lily. But I don't think his patronus shows us that. Harry's patronus does not change when his image of James gets deflated a bit. Though it is a symbol of James, it is  a projection of what's best in Harry, not James. 
> 
> Snape knows all too well that people are impressed by a show of strength, and he could see that Lily was impressed by James's power whether she wanted to be or not.
<SNIP>

Steve replies:  I agree w/ Pippin about what Snape's Patronus means and that Snape knows that people are impressed w/ a show of strength. I don't think JKR's comments, however off the cuff they may be (and what if she wasn't wearing cuffs when she said it?), are ridiculous at all. I think it's entirely plausible and quite possible that Snape thought Lily would admire him if he joined the DE's. Many boys and men in love are so hopeful that their love will eventually be returned that they believe that the object of their affection (and/or obsession?) will eventually admire them when they rise in status, become more powerful, and end up on the "winning" side.  Perhaps the smartest thing to do to impress Lily would have been for Snape to abandon his plans to join the DE's and to join the cause Lily was on. But canon shows Snape not doing this, whether or not he seriously considered it.

Is there canonic evidence of Snape mentioning in thought or dialogue that Lily's feelings toward Avery and Mulciber meant she wouldn't admire Snape becoming a DE? If not, than I see no valid reason to not consider Snape thinking as JKR says that he thought that Lily would admire him if he became a DE.