An Understanding between Harry and Snape

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 190799



> Kemper now:
> I can totally see where you all are coming from;  Snape can be a sarcastic d!<k.  And I would be with you (mostly, see below) on this if Snape said 'For him?!' with the exclamation mark, but it was only the lone question mark.
> 
> Grammar aside, the scene ends with Dumbledore questioning Snape:
> "After all this time?"
> It doesn't make sense to me that he is referring to Lily because Snape has already displayed to Dumbledore some sort of undying pining love for Lily by making a terrible sound (like a wounded animal) when he learned of her death.  It would be like DD was astonished that Snape still feels anything for her 'after all this time'.  What an offensive question that would be!  What DD seems astonished about and so questions, is Snape's feelings for Harry 'after all this time' being such an unrelenting d!<k to Harry.


Alla:

Well,it makes total sense to me precisely because Snape showed his feelings for Lily so many years ago. And Dumbledore thinking that Snape would still remember her after all those years as a surprise makes total sense to me as well - offensive? Sure. But totally in character for me for Dumbledore and of course in character for Snape as I see him. But again, let me stress, the reason that I do not see your interpetation is not because I accept JKR's statement that Snape hated Harry till he died as fully supported by canon, it is just the way they say things, Snape asking a question to me is a surprise, a shock, not an agreement with Dumbledore.

OMG, wait Kemper I think NOW I get it. You are reading it as if Snape self doubting himself here? Like he is thinking - For him? And he is answering himself - oh  yes,  I do care for him. Okay, I think only now I finaly got it in the grammatical context of this scene.

It is still something that I do not agree with, but as Mike said at least now I can see how this can be read your way, for the longest time it made no sense whatsoever to me. Sorry and thank you.