no question (was Doing it for Lily? was Re: Snape and Harry and expulsion LONG

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 188865



> Alla:
> Really? Well, I disagree. Plain meaning of Dumbledore asking Snape to convey the information which will lead to Harry's death and Snape doing it, means to me that Snape indeed doing it on Dumbledore's request. I am sure Snape can do mental gymnastics and convince himself that he is doing for Lily as well, since she would be happy if WW is saved, but to me that just does not fly. His boss asked him and that's what he does, it is very simple to me.

Potioncat:
People aren't static; relationships, commitments and plans all evolve over time. 

We see a distraught Severus commit to living so that he can protect Harry to honor Lily's sacrifice. He's doing this for Lily at Dumbledore's urging.  During Harry's years at Hogwarts we see Snape trying to keep Harry safe. (Not that he has the best approach.) His main role is to keep Harry safe from LV; and in a few  years we will see Snape resume his role as double agent. His protection of Harry becomes making efforts to defeat the DEs. Defeating LV wasn't what he agreed to that first night. He follows DD's orders to that end. He even agrees to kill DD—and that certainly wasn't in the promise that first night.

In the conversation in which DD finally tells Snape that Harry must die, Snape says three times that he had been protecting Harry for Lily—with the final declaration the Patronus and "Always". (Three is a powerful number in Biblical terms---Do you love me, Peter?)

Imho, while the methods and outcomes changed over the years, Snape's motive was to protect Harry for Lily.  At the point in HBP that DD tells Snape what Harry must do, Snape's role becomes to protect Harry and to provide Harry with the tools to defeat LV. I think he's still doing it for Lily, and I think Lily approved of Snape's decision.  Lily, James, Remus and Sirius were supporting Harry as he went to face LV.