The Harry Potter series has brought us some of the most beloved and memorable characters in Young Adult fantasy. The trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione are icons of heroism, friendship, and comion to a whole generation of readers. We love to hate the dark villains like Voldemort, Malfoy, and Umbrage, and who could forget the wisdom of Dumbledore, or the wit of McGonagall or the kindness of Hagrid?
Then there is Severus Snape, arguably the most complicated and controversial character in the whole franchise. When he is first introduced, Snape is mean and treats Harry and his friends horribly. Only at the very end do we learn the sad truth about Snape’s life and loyalties. However, 15 years after the main books were completed, many fans are still not satisfied with certain aspects of Snape’s story. His actions and motivations throughout the series still beg questions.
Updated on March 22nd, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: With the Harry Potter franchise celebrating its 20th anniversary, many fans have looked back on the beloved movies. This means that many characters are getting reappraised. One of the most controversial characters that fans look back upon is Severus Snape.
Why did Snape protect Harry Potter? That came down to his past with Lily Potter, but it also brings up a lot of other questions. Snape was always cruel to Harry, so even protecting Potter might not give him the right to redemption at the end. Much of his story comes down to several questions that the books and movies never really answered about the conflicted and tragic tale of Severus Snape.
Why Didn't Lily's Good Heart Rub Off On Snape?
Lily Evans and Severus Snape met when they were both youngsters before either of them attended Hogwarts. Snape’s home life was miserable and Lily’s sister Petunia thought she was a freak. Snape and Lily might have been the first magical friends either of them ever had. Lily was always kind and noble, but Snape was mean and self-centered.
It seems as though Snape’s friendship with Lily never inspired him to become a better person. We see that Lily told Snape her concerns about his interest in the Dark Arts and his pre-Death Eater friends. However, Snape’s love never seemed to lead him to listen to her.
Why Did Dumbledore Believe Snape Genuinely Defected?
We don’t see what interactions Dumbledore and Snape may have had while Snape was still a student at Hogwarts. Did Dumbledore ever know about Lily and Snape’s friendship? Did he have any inkling of Snape’s real feelings for Lily? Was there anything to make him believe that Snape was telling the truth when he pleaded with Dumbledore to save the adult Lily’s life?
Dumbledore says flat out in the book that Snape’s sole concern for Lily as an object of his love disgusts him. Perhaps Dumbledore still had his reservations about Snape until he saw how he acted after Lily ed away.
Why Should Adult Harry's Tolerance Of Slytherin Be Inspired By Snape?
Harry did learn that Snape risked a lot to secretly help Harry throughout his adventures, but Snape was still a total jerk to him. Slughorn might have been materialistic, but at least he still fought against Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry even gains some respect for Draco by the end of the series.
Harry tells his son Albus that he shouldn’t worry about being sorted in Slytherin, and that Snape, who was a Slytherin, was probably the bravest man he ever knew. Couldn’t he have also told little Albus that the stigmatization and stereotyping of Hogwarts Houses was a bad idea in the first place?
What Happened To Snape's Mother's Family, The Princes?
Snape’s mother was Eileen Prince. Eileen came from a family of Pureblood witches and wizards in England, as Hermione discovers in Half Blood Prince. Who were her mother and father? Did Eileen have any brothers or sisters? What about her extended family?
If they were a Pureblood family at the time of the story, they would have certainly been married to other Pureblood families, like the Blacks or the Malfoys. However, no other of the family are mentioned. The fate of Eileen Prince herself is never revealed either. If Snape was the only member of the family in his generation, the Princes may have gone extinct with him.
What Did Eileen Prince And Tobias Snape Ever See In Each Other?
We know next to nothing about the witch Eileen Prince and the muggle Tobias Snape besides the fact that they were married and they are Severus Snape’s parents. Based on young Snape’s words and his memories, Tobias was clearly abusive to Eileen and her son. However, it's unknown whether he was always this way.
Perhaps there was some genuine love between them in the beginning. Fans have speculated that the revelation of Eileen being a witch hurt their relationship. It is also possible that Eileen’s family disapproved of her marriage to Tobias since he was a muggle. Both scenarios have happened in the series before with other couples, but neither excuses Tobias of abusing his wife and son.
Why Did James Potter Save Snape's Life?
James Potter and Severus Snape disliked each other almost immediately. They argued over which House was best even before they were sorted into rivals Gryffindor and Slytherin. Their hatred only grew over their shared years at Hogwarts.
Eventually, James’ friend Sirius set Snape up for a life-threatening prank. He led him to the entrance to the Whomping Willow and would have let him enter the Shrieking Shack while Remus Lupin was in werewolf form. However, James intervened when he heard what Sirius had set in motion. Perhaps this was the beginning of James finally maturing into the more responsible man that Lily fell in love with.
Why Did Dumbledore Tolerate Snape's Bias And Abuse Of Students?
Snape was a horrible teacher. He was certainly knowledgeable of his subjects, but he belittled and bullied most of his students. Neville was so frightened of Snape that he became Neville’s Bogart. Snape also mocked Hermione’s uneven teeth after she took a curse in the face.
He even sabotaged Harry’s potions work at least once during his fifth year, and he singled out flaws in Harry’s work even if the Slytherin’s work was poorer than Harry’s. We must also assume that Dumbledore thought this behavior from Snape was acceptable because he never did anything about it. J. K. Rowling has said that Dumbledore thought that tough teachers were a necessary life lesson, but it’s still very harsh.
Did Snape Really Never Think The Prophecy Could Involve Lily?
Up until he heard Sybil Trelawney’s prophesy, Snape was a Death Eater. However, he still had an all abiding love for Lily. The prophecy described a boy born at the end of July to parents who had thrice defied Voldemort.
It seems like there were only ever two boys who the prophecy could refer to - Harry Potter or Neville Longbottom. Snape is shrewd and well-informed throughout the series. Did Snape never deduce that Lily Evans and her son could be one of the families that Voldemort targeted if he reported the prophecy? It seems like Snape forgot his love for Lily until after he told Voldemort.
How Did Snape Become So Good At Occlumency?
Snape’s ability to conceal his true thoughts was crucial to his mission to spy on Voldemort for Dumbledore. If the Dark Lord suspected Snape’s true loyalty even for a moment, he might have ended Snape without a second thought.
However, we never find out how Snape became so skilled. Occlumency requires you to be cool and detached from your emotions. However, we see Snape driven by bitterness and vindictiveness throughout the series when it comes to Harry and his friends. Was he really that good at compartmentalizing when the Order of the Phoenix or the Death Eaters were around? Perhaps the abuse from his father and heartbreak with Lily taught him a lot about shutting down emotions.
How Did Snape Invent The Sectumsempra Spell?
Snape devised many of his own curses during his time at Hogwarts. The most notorious was Sectumsempra. This spell could cut into opponents as though they were being slashed with an invisible sword. However, we never find out how Snape invented such a powerful and dangerous spell.
According to Sirius Black, Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in the seventh year, so his knowledge of the Dark Arts was extensive. The problem here is really about the lack of lore in general about how spells are invented in the Harry Potter series. Did Snape just decide one day that he would like to make his enemies bleed and wham, so Sectumsempra was made?
