A question about Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, containing *SPOILERS*!?

Question

Dumbledore: Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?
Snape: For HIM? 'Expecto Patronum!'
From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe...
Dumbledore: After all this time?
Snape: Always.

Why does Snape conjure the Patronus? And what is Dumbledore reffering to when he says "After all this time"? I believe he is speaking of Snape's ongoing affection for Lily, but how does that relate to a patronus? Isn't a Patronus meant for fighting off dementors?

And also, what did you think of the book?! I thought it was great.

I was absolutely devastated at Snape's death, because I'd always known he was good and loyal to Dumbledore. And when he died, and looked into Harry's/Lily's eyes...tragic.

Many people say they are dissapointed, with "unnecessairy deaths" and such, but all in all, I think they contribute to the story as a WRITING piece all together. Think of Romeo and Juliette; Had they both survived, would it be what it is today?

Answer 1

Snape conjures the Patronus to show that it is the same as Lily's was, which shows that he truly cared for her and that he misses her. By saying "After all this time" Dumbledore is referring to how terrible Snape had treated Harry in the past (which Snape does because Harry reminds him of James). Patronuses are also used to send messages to other people.

I loved the book. I was really emotional over Fred's death. It was also sad that Tonks and Lupin died leaving Teddy behind, and that's parallel with Lily and James' death leaving Harry. I always believed Snape was good...Dumbledore was too good of a wizard to trust anybody. I was hoping that Dumbledore was still alive...but the book was still fantastic.

Answer 2

Snape conjures the patronus as an answer to Dumbledores question. In other words, no, he doesn't care about Harry, but about keeping faith with Lily. I'm reading between the lines a bit, but I see the patronus as being connected to the happy memory that the person uses to conjure it. Snapes happiest memory, is Lily..A patronus is a shield...it works on dementors because it is a happy memory...they feed off of sorrow, etc...happy? Scares them! And yes, Dumbledore was talking about him still loving Lily.

It was a good and fitting end to the series. I was glad to see she closed the loop with the last chapter. Nineteen Years Later....I don't know if I could;d have stood another Robert Jordan type series! You know...I agree with the deaths contributing. After all, how can you find the sweet, happy ending if there is no sorrow to make it sweeter?

Answer 3

I'm pretty sure that a patronus is a symbol of the persons feelings. Harry's was a stag because he thought a lot about his father. Tonks' patronus changed into a werewolf when she was in love with Lupin. Dumbeldores was a pheonix because that was probably who he cared the most for. Snape's patronus was a doe because James (a stag) was married to Lily (a doe).
I was also devistated by Snapes death. It would have been awkward if he had lived though.
I really liked the book. I thought that it was amazing.

Answer 4

Here Snape replies with a "For 'HIM' " referring to Harry, which is in a kind of sarcastic manner as all that he done till now had never been for Harry, rather for his mother Lily whom he had loved all his life but had been unable to save so by default, he considered protecting Harry and working for the light side as some kind of retribution to kind of make up for it.

By the Patronus, which for him took the form of a Silver Doe represented his love for Lily because I think Lily's Patronus also took the form of a doe too considering the fact that her husband, James' patronus was of the male form, of a stag.

By Dumbledore saying "After all this time", I think this refers to Snape still being in love with Lily even after so many years of her death.

Overall I though that the book was great and the best of the lot except the last chapter/epilogue seemed weird and somewhat out of place.

Answer 5

Well, I'm pretty sure a persons Patronus appears in the form that means most to them. Example; Harry's Patronus is a stag (His fathers Animagus form). In book 6, Tonks' Patronus changes into a "large dog" Which Harry later finds out was a werewolf, representative of Remus Lupin.

So, I think Snapes patronus took the form of a Doe because that's what Lily's patronus was. He conjured the Patronus to show that it was Lily he cared about, never Harry.

And yeah, the book was awesome. =D
It and book 6 are my favorite books ever.

Answer 6

Because Snape's patronus changed to a doe just like Lily's. He always loved her :( . So sad! Your right about the death thing too.

Answer 7

Snape conjured the Patronus to show Dumbledore that it was the same one as Lily's. Meaning that he had loved her all this time.
And I absolutely loved the book too. It was awesome. Sad and happy at the same time.
And good point about Romeo and Juliet.

Answer 8

Did you notice how Harry's Potter Patronus was a stag, like his father's Animagus? And how Tonks's Patronus changed after she fell in love with Lupin? It seems that Patronuses are linked to a person's emotions, whatever makes them happy. So it makes sense that Snape's Patronus would reflect his feelings for Lily. And Patronuses can also be used for other things, like communication.

Answer 9

Because the patronus is connected with the person feelings, the form. I think that this book is great but there was too much unnecessairy deaths.

Answer 10

snape never cared for harry, but looked after him out of an undying love for lilly. the patronous was the same as hers, the doe. Patronus is the most useful for fighting dementors, but ti likely has other applications.

I loved the book, I love all the books.