Secrets (Long) OLD POST REPOST

[sartoris22]

No: HPFGUIDX 186480

 Montavilla47:
> There's a lot of room between "completely" and "at all." Obviously,
> Snape isn't going to change completely. In fact, he's not to change 
> at all. It's our view that is intended to change. Hopefully, it will
> change in a direction that will make it seem plausible that Harry
> names one of his sons after the man. 


sartoris22:

I think it impossible for Snape to forgive James because he marries the love of Snape's life. We might argue that Snape should have "moved on," but that's a very modern concept that diminishes the power and pull of love. If Ginny, for some reason, fell in love and married Draco, would we expect Harry to "move on," get over it? Or if Draco married Hermione, would we expect Ron to eventually get over it? In agreement with Montvilla47, I think that,like Harry, we're supposed to change our view of Snape, although I'm sure that there are some readers who liked Snape before HBPor DH. 

We find out in OOTP that James and Sirius picked on Snape. This fact, at least momentarily, changes Harry's view about James. We discover in DH that Snape loved Lily, but his insecurity about being part Muggle, a trait he shares with Voldemort, compels him to hate Muggles, although he is in love with a Muggle, The fact is that Snape, in his own way, is capable of love, a somewhat romantic love. Then we find out that Snape is risking his life as a tribute to that love, which Dumbledore uses to convince Snape to be a spy. In DH, Dumbledore suggests that Snape is warming to Harry, and Snape responds by producing the patronous of the Lily's doe and saying "Always." Snape still loves LIly and doesn't like Harry, but it is curious that at the end of his life, Snape wants Harry to know this loving and courageous aspect of his personality, to reveal, as Dumbledore advices, the better part of himself. By the end of the book, Snape is revealed to be an even more complex character, and our feelings toward him are, in my opinion, supposed to change for the better.