Okay, Hear Me Out: Snape WAS Still Protecting Harry (Even in Retrospect!)

PriyaWatches here! So, I finally got around to watching "Return to Hogwarts" (I know, I'm late!). It was such a nostalgia trip, I almost cried when they showed the Great Hall again. But something kept nagging at me throughout – Snape. Specifically, Alan Rickman as Snape. Seeing the cast talk about him, and then the snippets of him in the films... it made me rethink something I've always wondered. We all know Snape was secretly protecting Harry because of Lily, right? But watching everyone reminisce, and remembering the pressure Rickman must have been under knowing Snape's true motives... I think it goes deeper. Even after Lily was gone, even after he was supposedly 'bitter' and 'resentful', his protection was still rooted in something more. I think he genuinely saw a part of Lily in Harry, a vulnerability, a need for protection. It wasn't just about fulfilling a promise. Maybe it was about trying to redeem himself, to be worthy of her memory through Harry. Remember the scene where Harry finds Snape's memories? Yeah, that broke me. But seeing it again in the context of the reunion, and hearing Daniel Radcliffe talk about Rickman... it solidified my theory. The way Snape always positioned himself, the subtle (and not-so-subtle) interventions, the sacrifices he made... it all points to a profound, albeit twisted, form of… dare I say… love? Or at least, a deep-seated need to protect that went beyond just obligation. Maybe I'm reading too much into it! But I think the reunion gave us a fresh lens through which to view Snape, and Rickman's performance. It was like everyone knew how complex the character was, and it shines through even more now. Thoughts?