Why Do Snape and Lily Have the Same Patronus?
A Patronus is a magical protective shield in the Harry Potter universe, extremely powerful and very difficult to cast. It is the only protection from the fierce Dementors. It comes in the form of an animal and every magician has its own protector. Some can summon them pretty easily, but some never succeed. It takes a lot of practice, concentration, and skill.
Sometimes wizards have the same Patronus, mostly due to various reasons. One of the most discussed is definitely Severus Snape’s and Lily Potter’s Patronus, a doe.
Snape and Lily have the same Patronus because of Snape’s great love for Lily. His feelings for her were strong and very deep and it all had a great effect on his Patronus taking the form of Lily’s.
But, there is more to this beautiful, but heartbreaking reason. Let’s dive into the article and take a deeper look at why do Snape and Lily have the same Patronus.
Summoning a Patronus
When summoning a Patronus, the magician’s mind should be as calm as possible, in order to visualize and think of the things that make them happy. When cast properly, this charm becomes extremely effective and therefore one of the most useful and glorious of all.
A Patronus is a magical form of hope and happiness and it will come to the caster when it senses his or her truest feelings. That’s why Snape’s Patronus easily transformed into the form of a doe.
Death Eaters and a Patronus Charm
J.K.Rowling revealed in 2007 that Severus Snape was the only Death Eater who could cast a Patronus. It’s because the others mostly fought alongside hideous creatures such as Dementors. But as Snape was an intelligent and highly skilled wizard, which was also required for successfully summoning a Patronus, he managed to perform the spell without problems.
But he wasn’t a typical Death Eater, but also a kind and good soul (although we couldn’t see that too often), which was an even more important fact in this situation. Although he hid that very well, there was a lot of kind heartedness and love deep inside him which was expressed through this charm.
The relationship between Snape and Lily Potter
Severus Snape’s love for Lily was pure and innocent, but only at the very beginning. It slowly grew to be more obsessive and possessive. He was aware that Lily didn’t share his feelings, but never stopped loving her and this strength and connection is also expressed through the form of their Patronus.
They became close friends in their early childhood, but everything changed when they arrived at Hogwarts. Snape was shy and weird and Lily was a witty teenager who wanted to experience her school days in a different way. She soon forgot about him, met James Potter and fell in love with him. But Snape has never stopped loving her.
His love is unconditional but secluded, forever to remain hidden and only visible through this animal which comes to rescue in the most important situations. The difference between his and James’ love for Lily can be seen in their Patronuses. James’ was Lily’s companion, a stag to her doe, whereas Snape’s showed his obsessiveness and overall protection.
Similarities and differences between Snape and Lily Potter
Being friends from when they were kids, it might make us think that Snape and Lily Potter were also similar. But in fact, they were pretty different, which they started noticing during their teenage years, especially Lily. She perceived Severus as someone greatly intelligent and highly skilled. She saw their relationship as something platonic, never giving him any reason to think that she might be in love with him.
Lily was a curious girl who knew magic, but wanted to learn more and Snape was a poor, bullied soul who saw an escape in her, a shield to protect him from a very harsh outside world. Things changed when they arrived at Hogwarts where bullying continued and Lily wasn’t there for him to the extent as before. That’s when their differences started to show.
Can wizards actually have the same Patronuses?
Since there is a limited number of animals in the world, it is pretty certain that two magicians might have the same Patronus. It happens mostly with individuals who have similar characteristics since each Patronus reflects the magician it aids.
Another famous example of two magicians with the same Patronus is Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks’. Tonks’ original Patronus was a jackrabbit, but when she fell in love with Lupin, her Patronus changed its form to a wolf, which was Lupin’s form of a Patronus Charm. Once again we can see that true love is the reason for the same Patronus.
