I don't get it. Must be missing something. In the last Potter book (on pg. 687) Snape is furious with Dumbledore because Snape found out that the only reason why they have kept Harry alive all this time is to prepare him to welcome death by letting Voldemort kill him. Snape feels that Dumbledore has used him as a personal assistant and Dumbledore accuses Snape of "growing to care" for Harry after all. In return, Snape reveals his Patronus. Dumbledore says,"After all this time?" "Always." Can someone please explain that to me? That's the only part I don't get. There is nothing in any of the other books that says anything about his Patronus. Yes, I get that he loved Lily (Harry's mother) but James's (Harry's father's) Patronus was a Stag just like Harry's. I actually had bets with friends that Snape had a crush on Petunia since they have the exact same personality. Of course I lost my bet. Lol! And its a very freaky thought that Snape could've been Harry's father. ***Shudders*** I don't remember reading or hearing what Lily's Patronus was though...Perhaps THAT'S the key ingreadient I'm missing....?
Thank you to all who answered in such a surprising fast time. I just posted this question a little while ago. Didn't expect answers this quickly. I had a feeling Snape's Patronus definitely had something to do with Lily but at the same time it doesn't make sense. Remember when Harry had it bad for Cho? Why didn't his Patronus change to whatever hers was back then or now that he is involved with Ginny? I know it may sound like I'm picking on the small details but there's still so many questions that need to be answered. Tonk's Patronus changed when she told Lupin how she felt about him but he didn't want to return those feelings and everyone thought it was because she loved Sirius and blamed herself for his death. So how come Snape's Patronus didn't change at all when Lily died?
The funniest this is that I've had the last book since the day it came out. Actually, until recenty I've had books 4-7. Now that I have the 1-3 and read them all to truly comprehend the events in turn I'm still lost with just this 1 issue. I was hoping that somewhere in the 1st 3 books that Snape's Patronus was mentioned as to what it was before he met Lily but of course I ran into a dead end. If Patronus's run in the family, why wasn't Snape's Patronus like either of his parents? Dumbledore's was a phoenix like Fawkes and McGonagall's was a cat since she is an Animagus.