The Reality of Snape: A Pause

Today is the anniversary of the renowned book and movie series ‘Harry Potter’ by J.K. Rowling. So, what better day to write this post. I tried writing ‘a pause’. It is a form of a writeup in which I analyse a particular movie scene which is very iconic and powerful. So, basically you pause and reflect on that.

Movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2)
Scene: Severus Snape gives his tears in a bottle before dying, for Harry to see his memories in a pensieve and realize the truth about himself and Snape (towards the end).

Dazed after witnessing Hogwarts getting ravaged in the battle with the Dark Lord and wounded physically and mentally by the loss of his loved ones, Harry staggers back to Dumbledore’s office, clutching Snape’s tears in his hand, perspiration and confusion imminent on his face. He dives into the pensieve and is introduced to Snape’s childhood love, his mother, Lily. United by love yet divided by circumstances, Snape, an introverted Slytherin, watches in denial as Lily is introduced to James Potter in Gryffindor. It hurts as hell, as you see your only love in the arms of another man, the man who bullied you. It’s a war, we understand Snape.

Your changing allegiance to Dumbledore and agreeing to be a spy is a testament to the fact that you loved her enough to protect her child. The same Severus who cries holding lily’s corpse close to him, risks his life everyday to protect the boy because there is something that reminds him of Lily, Harry’s eyes. A storm rages inside him as he realises the true prophecy, that a part of Voldemort lives inside Harry, and when the time comes, the boy must die.

“So, you’ve been raising him like a pig for slaughter?! , Snape asks Dumbledore.
Don’t tell me Severus, that after all this time you’ve begun to care for the boy”

‘Expecto Patronum’

Snape casts his Patronus to guide Harry one last time, and Dumbledore is shattered, because the Patronus is same as Lily’s.

“Lily? After all this time.
Always. ”

This scene is enthralling to the core as we witness Snape’s eyes wild with fire, his breaking down, to protect the only thing that he vowed to protect in his life, the only mortal connection to his love, lily’s child. And the realisation that Severus Snape is not a villain, but a man, living behind the veil of torturous resolve, in the name of love.

Do tell me your views on the movie and the writeup in the comment section below. Y’all should definitely read and watch ‘Harry Potter’. Hope you like it !