Abendroth Blutjager's Guide to Harry Potter

Monday, July 23, 2007

Remaining Questions: Snape's Patronus

Well, I don't see much point in typing up chapter-by-chapter overviews or teasers, like I had started with chapter one....

I guess I want to pose questions I still have about the series.

This will still take several posts, and then I might abandon this blog. If I do that I will begin a new one that makes a fresh attempt to answer those very questions. In time, Jo might put much of our remaining doubts to rest. However, the blog will still be here, so that I (and others) could return to it at any time.

So, let's begin with Snape's patronus. I was under the impression (the first time we see the silver doe in the forest) that it was Snape's patronus, and that the doe represented Lily herself. Well I turned out to be correct about it being Snape's patronus. However, Harry tells Voldemort that Snape's patronus was the same as Lily's patronus. This means Lily's patronus was also a silver doe.

Two questions here:
1. How did Harry learn the form his mother's patronus takes? Where is that mentioned?
2. Previously in the series, Harry is told by an Order member (was it Albus or Remus?) that no two patronuses can be the same, so how could Snape have the same patronus? True, two does don't have to be identical does, and if they spoke they would have different voices, but still....

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6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I knew when the doe Patronus showed up that it had to be Snape's. The doe is the wife of the stag. :)

Why Lily's Patronus would be a doe is beyond me, though. And you are right, no two Patronuses are alike. Maybe JKR didn't mean that no two Patronuses could be the same animal. Maybe Lily's doe differed from Snape's. Maybe Snape's had greasy hair. LOL

9:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There is the posibility that Snape changed his patronus when Lily died...we do have evidence that they can be changed, tonks.
just a thot...geezer

6:39 PM  
Blogger Arran Walker said...

Yeah, geezer, but we don't know when Snape started casting the Patronus spell. Seems Lily was the best thing that ever happened to him, even though the relationship failed. I would think his Patronus would somehow reflect his love for her, even before she died....

8:39 AM  
Blogger ellisej said...

Can anyone remember where in the book that is, I've been looking for it to use, but can't remember where it is...thanks.

12:07 PM  
Blogger Arran Walker said...

Ellize, what part are you looking for? Snape's doe shows up in DH, in the chapter called "the Silver Doe". Harry being told that no two Patronuses are the same is probably from somewhere in OotP, maybe in a chapter set at #12 Grimmauld Place.... The bit about Tonks's Patronus changing is mentioned by Snape in HBP, when Tonks walks with Harry from the train to the gates of Hogwarts. Sorry, I wish I could help more, but I'm just not sure what bit you are asking about.
Hope this helps. :)
Arran

4:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think that as Tonks changed to show a wolf showing her love for Lupin, so too did Snapes change to show his love for Lily. Just as Dumbledore asks 'after all this time' and Snape replies 'always'. He has loved Lily right up to the point of his death and I believe his patronus reflects this. Also, when using the expecto patronum charm, we know that they have to think of happy thoughts? So maybe by thinking of Lily that is why it took that from?

Caitriona

6:05 AM  

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