Hope you Brits don't mind a Harry Potter-loving Yank to crash your party!!
Here's my little essay on Snape that I posted on the US CB:
Finally finished the book 2 days ago, but was out of town and wasn't able to post my thoughts/interpretations until now!
I am totally in the Snape fan group with WDW Poly Princess, wvrevy, fabshelly, etc.
What an amazing ride!! The Snape storyline was a true Greek tragedy. He made me cry more than any other character in the book. In stark contrast to James Potter, an indulged, spoiled bully, Severus was neglected and unloved as a child, loses his one true and enduring love to his hated rival, and has to endure a lifetime of hatred and suspicion. Even in the end, Voldemort couldn't just kill him with a quick Avada Kadavra - he died painfully and slowly after being bitten by Nagini. What a horrible, tortured life . . .
I've always known that there was more to Snape. He, more than any other character in the series, was complex and multifaceted - anyone else was all good, or all bad. Before the last book, it was difficult to tell with Snape, and I'm sure that's what JK Rowling wanted.
I had an inkling that he was in love with Lily, and that he and Dumbledore had planned Dumbledore's death, but reading all those memories in the pensive, knowing that Snape wanted Harry to know the truth, at last, after he was gone, was just heartbreaking.
The story has always been about love . . . but in a way, it was more about Snape's great love for Lily, that existed long before Harry was born, that was the entire reason for the story. If Snape hadn't loved Lily so completely, Harry would never have been able to defeat Voldemort in the end.
The most heart-wrenching scene was Snape in Sirius' bedroom, tears pouring down his face, taking Lily's letter with her "lots of love" signature and her picture. And I do agree that Snape's last words, "Look . . . at . . . me" were so that he could look into Lily's eyes, one last time, as he died. It was very appropriate, then, that Harry and Ginny's second son, the only one of their children to have inherited Lily's green eyes, was named Albus Severus. And when Harry explained that he was named after a Hogwarts headmaster, who was not only a Slytherin, but "probably the bravest man I've ever met", I lost it again.
Now as for that one word reply, "Always" - bottom of page 687, US edition. I didn't catch it at first, but my DH says that when you read Dumbledore's lines before it, Snape's reply indicates that he has 'always' cared for Harry. So not only did he love Lily, but he really also loved Harry - but was never able to show it.
I am so glad Alan Rickman plays Snape in the movies. He is such a great actor, and I can't wait to see him bring the emotion of those scenes to life.
And as for the book in general, I loved how JK Rowling brought back so many characters from previous volumes for one last curtain call . . . Victor Krum, Ollivander, Harry's old Quiddich teammates Oliver Wood, Katie Bell . . . and Percy, of course, who has finally come to his senses and returned to the fold. A great, action-packed, roller coaster ride of a book, and a fitting finale to the series. Well done!!! (but I will admit that I will miss looking forward to having more adventures with Harry, Ron, and Hermione)
By the way, I didn't know if you had heard what JK Rowling said on the American TV show "Today". She mentioned that at the end, Harry and Ron were both working as Aurors, and have completely reorganized the Department, and Hermione is an officer in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
it's left an empty space now.
