QUOTE : ring. Like other powerful objects, such as the Sorcerer’s Stone, the Deathly Hallows are subject to one of Rowling’s cardinal rules: they belong to those who seek them not for gain, but to protect others. At different points in his life, Snape is each of the brothers in the tale. In youth, he was combative. After Lily died, he wanted to join her in death. But for his second chance in life, he has been keeping his true self hidden, not for personal gain but in order to protect others. According to Dumbledore, that is the essence of the Cloak of Invisibility, “the true magic of which, of course, is that it can be used to protect and shield others as well as its owner.” (HP/DH, 716)