Snape

[Scarlet Lioness]

Well, in the end it did turn out that Snape was good and that he WAS in love with Lilly Potter...hard to beieve after the shock at the beginning of the book.

Was this unexpected for everyone? or was this really just hidden beneath everything and you kind of realised, but then you didn't?

What'd everyone think of Severus Snape?

[DucksRMagical]

I had no idea he was in love with Lily! But now looking back, there were clues in the other books.

I used to hate Snape, but now I think he was a great character. He was so brave to be pretending to be a Death Eater.

[Augusta Longbottom]

I wasn't the least bit surprised...felt sure of it since OotP that Snape loved Lily. Never had a single bit of doubt over whether or not Snape was good or evil. I felt from day one he was good.

[Phinea Rogue]

I was surprised that JKR made Snape love Lily, but it was because it often appeared in many theories or fanfictions and therefore in the end, it wasn't a big suprise, just an... unpleasant surprise (for me). I was also hoping for him to be somewhere in between. It doesn't mean I didn't want him to be good, but again, most people thought him good, I expected something more original - for example Snape working for himself only and only in the end realising (why dying) that he did wrong - something like that.

[Broccoli]

I was pretty much sure Snape was good and had killed Dumbledore on his request. His love to Lily wasn't a big surprise either.

Shouldn't there be Snape's portrait in the Headmaster's office? I kind of expected Harry to talk to him in that last scene.

[GodrictheGriffon]

I always new that Snape was good, had a crush on Lily, and was one of the bravest people in the Series.

[Augusta Longbottom]

Broccoli, I was disappointed there was no mention of Snapes portrait when Harry reentered the Headmaster;s office with ron and hermione at the end. Surely JKR could have mentioned Harry glancing at it, and perhaps Harry's eyes meeting Snapes and him finally feeling the look in those eyes, that Snape had always cared for him.

[choki]

How did Snape felt looking at Harry?
Harry has Lily's eyes but James' overall features.
The eyes of a loved one and the face of a person who 'stole' her away.
What a mixed feeling... perhaps the loathsome look he gave Harry all the time was due to James but at the highest point, one look into Harry's eyes... Snape kinda left him alone

[witchsnape]

I always thought that Snape was in love with Lily, Im not sure that he likes Harry so much though as Im sure he reminds him of James too much.
What a brave man though.

[June]

Revelations of Snape from Ms Rowling's perspective - food for thought, I think...


Q: Do you think snape is a hero?

J.K. Rowling: Yes, I do; though a very flawed hero. An anti-hero, perhaps. He is not a particularly likeable man in many ways. He remains rather cruel, a bully, riddled with bitterness and insecurity – and yet he loved, and showed loyalty to that love and, ultimately, laid down his life because of it. That’s pretty heroic!



Q: Jaclyn: Did Lily ever have feelings back for Snape?

J.K. Rowling: Yes. She might even have grown to love him romantically (she certainly loved him as a friend) if he had not loved Dark Magic so much, and been drawn to such loathesome people and acts.

And that's going to fuel all those Snape-Lily fanfics...



Q: Lily detested Mulciber etc. If Snape really loved her, why didn’t he sacrifice their company for her sake?

J.K. Rowling: Well, that is Snape’s tragedy. Given his time over again he would not have become a Death Eater, but like many insecure, vulnerable people (like Wormtail) he craved membership of something big and powerful, something impressive. He wanted Lily and he wanted Mulciber too. He never really understood Lily’s aversion; he was so blinded by his attraction to the dark side he thought she would find him impressive if he became a real Death Eater.



Q: How come none seemed to know that lily and snape were friends in school? They were obviously meeting for chats, etc. Didnt James know their past?

J.K. Rowling: Yes, it was known that they were friendly and then stopped being friends. Nothing more than that would be widely known. James always suspected Snape harboured deeper feelings for Lily, which was a factor in James’ behaviour to Snape.



Q: Why was snape so badly groomed?

J.K. Rowling: Hmm. Good question. Poor eyesight? Did he look in the mirror and believe he was gorgeous as he was? I think it more likely that he valued other qualities in himself!

[Scellanis]

Snape's Portrait... He was headmaster for less than a year, either he didn't have time to get one done, presumably it needs to be painted and magically enhanced, we don't know how long that takes or its maybe still being made or not been delivered yet.

Was Dumbledore's portrait in the office before he died? Perhaps paintings only get put in there after the headmaster/mistress has resigned/left the position and therefore there hadn't been time to do it yet.

[Athena Appleton]

Well, in the end it did turn out that Snape was good and that he WAS in love with Lilly Potter...hard to beieve after the shock at the beginning of the book.

Was this unexpected for everyone? or was this really just hidden beneath everything and you kind of realised, but then you didn't?

What'd everyone think of Severus Snape?

I've posted an apology.

I thought all the "Snape is good!" and "Snape loves Lily!" shippers were bonkers.

I mean, I felt I had some pretty decent facts to back up my "Snape is lying to the Order and Dumbledore" theory, and reading that Snape really did love Lily, really did not have a problem with "Mudbloods", was truly a spy for Dumbledore, and especially that he killed Dumbledore at Dumbledore's request, just floored me.

[Athena Appleton]

Revelations of Snape from Ms Rowling's perspective - food for thought, I think...


Q: Do you think snape is a hero?

J.K. Rowling: Yes, I do; though a very flawed hero. An anti-hero, perhaps. He is not a particularly likeable man in many ways. He remains rather cruel, a bully, riddled with bitterness and insecurity – and yet he loved, and showed loyalty to that love and, ultimately, laid down his life because of it. That’s pretty heroic!



Q: Jaclyn: Did Lily ever have feelings back for Snape?

J.K. Rowling: Yes. She might even have grown to love him romantically (she certainly loved him as a friend) if he had not loved Dark Magic so much, and been drawn to such loathesome people and acts.

And that's going to fuel all those Snape-Lily fanfics...



Q: Lily detested Mulciber etc. If Snape really loved her, why didn’t he sacrifice their company for her sake?

J.K. Rowling: Well, that is Snape’s tragedy. Given his time over again he would not have become a Death Eater, but like many insecure, vulnerable people (like Wormtail) he craved membership of something big and powerful, something impressive. He wanted Lily and he wanted Mulciber too. He never really understood Lily’s aversion; he was so blinded by his attraction to the dark side he thought she would find him impressive if he became a real Death Eater.



Q: How come none seemed to know that lily and snape were friends in school? They were obviously meeting for chats, etc. Didnt James know their past?

J.K. Rowling: Yes, it was known that they were friendly and then stopped being friends. Nothing more than that would be widely known. James always suspected Snape harboured deeper feelings for Lily, which was a factor in James’ behaviour to Snape.



Q: Why was snape so badly groomed?

J.K. Rowling: Hmm. Good question. Poor eyesight? Did he look in the mirror and believe he was gorgeous as he was? I think it more likely that he valued other qualities in himself!

Where did you find that interview?

[Phinea Rogue]

It's on mugglenet:

http://www.mugglenet.com/app/news/full_story/1156

[DDforever]

Snape wasn't "good"

Snape was never good, he was redeemed by his actions, by his love for Lily, but During a Q&A with Meredith Vieira, JK and fans a little boy asked "Would Snape have done these things if he didn't love Lily?". And JK said no, he wouldn't of. So technically Snape isn't good. Like all Rowling's characters he is redeemed or defeated by love.

I actually like it better that way. I always had faith that Dumbledore wouldn't have allowed himself to be killed, I felt sure that Snape and he had discussed it before hand. To find out though that once again in a way love and Harry's mother turned out to be the ultimate protection, there was something even more powerful about that.

Maybe it is just me, but I like the idea better that Snape being not exactly good could still be redeemed by love.