Name: nott theodore (Signed) · Date: 19 Jul 2019 01:46 PM · For: Obsession

Hey mel!  Here for the HC finale again.

 

So, I think you probably know already that I'm not a big fan of Snape, and I don't tend to seek out stories about him alone.  I should probably have more sympathy for him than I do, but when stories try to depict his feelings for Lily as true love, I struggle.  Even though this was a dark piece, quite heavy and creepy to read, I think that you portrayed Snape's character and especially his feelings for Lily very accurately here.

 

His "love" for Lily is definitely an obsession.  And you captured that completely - the way that he's creeping round behind her, watching what she does and who she talks to at different times in the day.  It's so creepy, especially since she's said that she doesn't want anything to do with him.  You managed to colour all of Snape's thoughts in this with a really dark, possessive tone and I think choosing to tell this story in first person was effective for that.  I didn't feel any more sympathetic towards him, but I did feel like I understood him better from reading this.

 

There's something so twisted about his logic in this, but I can see how he might follow that line of thinking.  He's desperate and obsessed, and he's trying to see a way that he might be able to possess Lily - he can't imagine not being capable of gaining her, and so he looks for an explanation of what she's interested in, how he might gain her notice and respect.  Joining the Death Eaters, who really are everything she stands against, is a terrible idea, but following his twisted logic it kind of makes sense - if she's attracted to power and he becomes powerful then she'll be attracted to him, too.  Of course it's the weakest excuse possible to justify joining a group like that, not to mention flawed and misogynistic, but I could understand how he might have been willing to join the Death Eaters if this was his thinking.

 

This was so dark and creepy, and it offered a view of Snape that I don't often see but that I really enjoyed seeing you explore.

 

Sian :)