Snape is over Lily. He’s been coming to grips with losing his love for Lily ever since Harry gave Snape his (incorrect) explanation for Lily’s treatment of him. The moment he kissed Rianne is the moment he finally decided to stop living and grieving for Lily and start living for himself.
The question is what it means for him to live for himself. Dumbledore’s trust in Snape is based on his knowledge of Snape’s undying love for Lily. If Dumbledore were to find out that that love no longer exists, he would (gently, perhaps) kick Snape out of the Fellowship. He would know that there was no longer any reason to trust him. And if Snape has gotten over Lily, he’ll probably feel no real compulsion to help Harry in any particular way.
Quirrell, being a smarter Voldemort, knows what was driving Snape when he was working for Dumbledore, and he now knows that it’s driving Snape no longer. That’s why he had that little conversation with him in the woods; he knows that Snape is now a free agent who might once again be a blood purist loyal to Voldemort.
Voldemort would not likely welcome Snape back into his fold once Voldie reveals himself, but now that he knows Snape’s loyalties are up for grabs, he won’t hesitate to manipulate him and use him however he can until then.
We’re told so during their conversation in the woods.
No, there is only one person who holds so much power over you, and who would be most perturbed to find you executing any plot without his knowledge. Your true and hidden master, Albus Dumbledore.”
“What?” hissed the Potions Master, the anger plain upon his face.
“But now, it seems, you are moving on your own; and so I find myself most intrigued as to what you could possibly be doing, and why.”
Quirrell may not know about his love for Lily, but I consider that highly unlikely, since Snape apparently still asked Voldemort not to kill her. Quirrellmort would certainly have put two and two together by now.
But that passage explicitly tells us that Quirrell knows that Snape is no longer acting under Dumbledore’s orders.
Snape didn’t make an Unbreakable Vow to protect Harry. He makes one with Narcissa in the sixth book, promising to help Draco in his plot to kill Dumbledore. But Snape’s protection of Harry in canon is always grounded in his love for Lily.
Snape is over Lily. He’s been coming to grips with losing his love for Lily ever since Harry gave Snape his (incorrect) explanation for Lily’s treatment of him. The moment he kissed Rianne is the moment he finally decided to stop living and grieving for Lily and start living for himself.
The question is what it means for him to live for himself. Dumbledore’s trust in Snape is based on his knowledge of Snape’s undying love for Lily. If Dumbledore were to find out that that love no longer exists, he would (gently, perhaps) kick Snape out of the Fellowship. He would know that there was no longer any reason to trust him. And if Snape has gotten over Lily, he’ll probably feel no real compulsion to help Harry in any particular way.
Quirrell, being a smarter Voldemort, knows what was driving Snape when he was working for Dumbledore, and he now knows that it’s driving Snape no longer. That’s why he had that little conversation with him in the woods; he knows that Snape is now a free agent who might once again be a blood purist loyal to Voldemort.
Voldemort would not likely welcome Snape back into his fold once Voldie reveals himself, but now that he knows Snape’s loyalties are up for grabs, he won’t hesitate to manipulate him and use him however he can until then.
How?
We’re told so during their conversation in the woods.
Quirrell may not know about his love for Lily, but I consider that highly unlikely, since Snape apparently still asked Voldemort not to kill her. Quirrellmort would certainly have put two and two together by now.
But that passage explicitly tells us that Quirrell knows that Snape is no longer acting under Dumbledore’s orders.
If it’s anything like canon in this regard, Snape made an Unbreakable Vow to protect Harry. His loyalties aren’t up for grabs.
Snape didn’t make an Unbreakable Vow to protect Harry. He makes one with Narcissa in the sixth book, promising to help Draco in his plot to kill Dumbledore. But Snape’s protection of Harry in canon is always grounded in his love for Lily.
Huh. I just reread that scene in Deathly Hallows after you mentioned it and you’re absolutely right.
I was sure I remembered an Unbreakable Vow in that scene. I wonder what else I could be misremembering… O.O Scary thought.
Are you perhaps thinking of the Unbreakable Vow Snape swore to protect Draco in Half-Blood Prince?