Severus Snape’s Doe Patronus in Harry Potter It was revealed that he was in love with Lily Potter and was the one who helped Harry find the sword of Gryffindor, but the meaning was much deeper than that. The moment when the professor showed Albus Dumbledore the form of his spectral guardian is among the most iconic scenes in the world. Harry Potter series, especially paired with actor Alan Rickman’s emotional delivery of the simple line “AlwaysHowever, the context of the books reveals how The scene of Snape’s Patronus reveal contained several layers of symbolism And heavily impacted Harry’s story.
Harry first learned about Patronuses in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanBut the movies simplified the explanation of how this spell worked. Only truly gifted wizards could produce a fully corporeal patronus – most could only emit a silvery mist from their walls. Furthermore, a wizard could not choose the form their patronus would take, but the animal would always have deep ties to the wizard’s soul. This meant that a patronus could change as a person’s emotional state changed – an essential detail that the Harry Potter Movies left out.
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Snape’s patronus was definitive proof that he was on Dumbledore’s side
Snape’s Doe Patronus held a key narrative reveal
The fact that a person’s patronus can change is important to Severus Snape’s story and is exactly what the emotional impact of the dose reveals in Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows was reduced in the movies. Even the most powerful wizard cannot control what form their Patronus will takeAnd the silver guards are, by their very nature, anti-darkness tools.
This is why Dumbledore had the Order of the Phoenix members use their patronuses to communicate – they always knew exactly where their messages were coming from and that they weren’t tampered with by Death Eaters. Therefore, when Snape threw his patronus after Dumbledore asked why he cared that Harry would have to sacrifice his life to stop Voldemort, it was a definitive way to prove that he was entirely on the side of good.
in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanDumbledore explains to Harry that his dead loved ones never really left him and that when he cast his stag patronus, it was, in a way, his father appearing to protect him. If the same logic was applied to Snape, his patronus changing into the same form Lily used to take was proof that she was still with him – and that could only be true if he was truly determined to protect her son.
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The form of Snape’s patronus proved that he accepted Lily’s choice
Snape wasn’t as bitter as he seemed
Snape’s Patronus was a doe, the same as Lily Potter’s. However, it is never clear if this was always the case or if her silver guardian changed when she fell in love. Given that in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceTonks’ Patronus is revealed to have changed into a wolf when she fell in love with Remus Lupin, it’s a reasonably safe assumption that something similar happened to Lily. Since James’ Patronus and Animagus form was a stag, Lily became a here to complement it – very romantic.
Of course, it is ironic that Snape’s patronus would also take the form that complemented that of his oldest enemy. The Harry Potter The series makes it clear that the Potions master despised James Potter so much that he could never bring himself to treat Harry with kindness. However, the fact that his patronus is changed to a doe indicates some level of acceptance. It’s unclear when the change happened, but since Dumbledore was surprised by the doe, it could mean that it only happened recently.
Snape never got over his hatred of James, however If his Patronus changed into the form that Lily only took when she fell in love, it would mean that he had come to accept the choices she had made.. At this point, he knew he was wrong to choose dark magic over his love for her, and Snape regretted the role his worst mistake played in her death until the day he himself was killed. His hatred for James was still there, but his Da Patronus said to Lily, “I accept that you did not choose me, and I will protect your son anyway.”
The patronuses of Snape, Lily and James mirror their roles in Harry’s life
The fact that James, Lily and Snape all have variations of the same Patronus is no coincidence. Patronuses are guardians and protectors, and that’s exactly the role each of these characters played in Harry’s life. Afterwards, Harry’s own Patronus took this form. Because he was protected by the three, he could protect the rest of the wizarding world.
This becomes even more impressive when you remember that, for better or worse, Voldemort would never have been defeated if it weren’t for James, Lily, and Snape. Although no one could have known it, the Dark Lord’s downfall began the day that Snape and Lily met when they were children and took several steps forward when the duo met James Potter on the Hogwarts Express. Snape’s hatred for James drove him to become a Death Eater, but his love for Lily brought him back again. Then, the sacrifices of all three allowed Harry to defeat Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter – and their patronuses reflected this perfectly.
What patronuses say about other characters
Snape’s Doe Patronus isn’t the only one that reveals key details
Expecto Patronum is one of the most narratively significant spells in the Harry Potter franchise, and not just because it’s how Harry finally wards off the Dementors in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Just as Snape’s Doe Patronus reveals a few hidden details about the Potions Professor, the Patronuses of many. Harry Potter Letters give away various aspects of them that are not directly stated elsewhere.
For example, Ron and Hermione’s patronuses are a Jack Russell terrier and an otter, respectively. Ron’s dog Patronus reveals just how loyal he is, and that his dedication to Harry and the fight against Voldemort should never have been in question. (Even when he waved during Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows). Hermione’s otter patronus is a reflection of her intelligence, but also the fact that she is caring and dangerous. For all that they are adorable, cuddly and known for how close they are to their friends, otters are predators and can be ferocious.
Other patronuses in Harry Potter Also provide hints about how powerful a witch or wizard is. A key example of this is the much-loved antagonist Dolores Umbridge. The extent of Umbridge’s power is never fully revealed, although at one point she is shown to manifest multiple cat patronuses, and it may not take much concentration to hold them. Umbridge is the only character seen to summon more than one Patronus, and the fact that she is able to do so with seemingly little effort hints that she is likely among the most powerful witches in Harry Potter (Which helps explain how she rose through the ranks of the Ministry of Magic so easily).
Snape’s Doe Patronus reveals just how loyal a character to Dumbledore and to Harry he truly was. His is one of several patronuses that appear in harry potter, And it is clear when examining them that each reveals some small but crucial information about the character who called them.