“After all this time? Always.” – Severus Snape, Harry Potter Series

Severus Snape is a significant character in the Harry Potter series written by JK Rowling almost 14 years back. An exceptionally skilled wizard, his sarcastic, controlled exterior hid deep emotions and anguish. He was a part of the faculty at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and taught Defence Against the Dark Arts to students at the school. In the series, he is pretty hostile to Harry due to his resemblance to his father, James Potter. This is mainly because James bullied Snape during their school years, much before Harry arrived on the scene. Additionally, Lily chose James Potter {over Snape}, which only fuels Snape’s hostility towards Harry. 

As the series progresses, the character of Snape becomes multi-layered. A central mystery in the entire series was about Snape’s true loyalties. In the seventh book, Lord Voldemort kills Snape, which is the last book of the series, and it is at this time, his back story is revealed. Although he was interested in the Dark Arts and supported Voldemort’s ideology of supremacy for pure-blood wizards, his devotion and love for Lily Evans, a Muggle-born witch, compelled him to betray Voldemort and the Death Eaters {name given to Voldemort’s followers}. In other words, Snape was a successful agent for Albus Dumbledore despite being a Death Eater himself. 

Motives & Actions 

Severus Snape is one of the most significant problems in the Harry Potter universe. Sarcastic, rude, and mean to his most vulnerable students, yet respected by his colleagues, Snape was also one of the truest confidantes of Dumbledore. In addition, Snape was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix as a Death Eater.

He was instrumental in warning Dumbledore about Voldemort’s attack on the Potters. Although he was not successful in saving Lily Potter, her death was pivotal in making him a double spy till the end of his life.

To understand Snape’s motives, we must go back to his childhood. On January 9, 1960, Snape was born to Eileen Prince and Tobias Snape. His mother was a witch, while his father was a Muggle {non-magic folk}, although Snape did not enjoy a happy childhood. This is mainly because Snape’s father disapproved of magic, so Snape hated Muggles. Add to that, Snape’s father physically and verbally abused his mother, which added to Snape’s dislike for the Muggle population and later his bitter attitude. Snape projected his hatred of his father on all Muggles and Muggle-borns, with Lily being the exception.

These childhood experiences played a vital role in framing Snape’s character and are probably the origin of his dislike for the Muggle population and his bitter and cruel attitude in his later life {most notably at Hogwarts}. That being said, Snape’s childhood was, without a doubt, dominated by poverty and lovelessness, which is why, like Harry and Voldemort, he considered Hogwarts his true home. 

Another critical role in the life of Severus Snape was Played by Lily Evans {later Lily Potter}. She was Snape’s neighbor, and they both met when they were children, at the age of nine. Watching Lily perform unknown magic for a while, Snape finally introduced himself to her. Snape liked Lily from the start, but she only regarded him as a friend. He also met Petunia {Lily’s sister}, who he disliked mainly because of her cruel attitude towards him and because she was a Muggle.

Later, when both Snape and Lily go to Hogwarts, he remains infatuated with her, even when she does not reciprocate his feelings. Later, Lily goes on to date and marry James Potter—this breaks Snape’s heart, and they never stop loving her, even after her death at the hands of Voldemort. This, as revealed, is one of the most essential pillars of Snape’s life, as it changed the course of his story and eventually that of the series. 

It’s almost like Snape created a butterfly effect across the entire series. It was Snape who overheard the prophecy that eventually changed the lives of Harry Potter and Voldemort forever. The prophecy was a catalyst for everything; it led to the death of Lily, his one true love, and Snape spent the entire course of Harry’s (and his own) life trying to rectify his mistakes. Snape could be seen as the greatest instigator of the story’s events if you consider it.

Character Growth

There is no doubt that Severus Snape is a great character. At the same time, it hurts to know that he lived a very isolated and lonely life. This is why he garners much love and empathy from the Harry Potter fandom. He is tortured, and that is why readers have such a severe emotional investment in his life. We all have faced bullies at some point, so we sympathize with Snape. More importantly, his story of unrequited, abandoned love. His patron was a doe! The biggest reason this hits home is because we have all been there. We all know what it feels like to care for someone who does not give you the attention you want from them. 

Additionally, he was an incredible double agent. He worked for Voldemort and Dumbledore in a manner that no one in the book could. Some fandom members believe they paint Snape as some sad, tormented martyr. However, that is far from the truth because Snape made his choices and dealt with the consequences of his actions. 

Overall, Severus Snape did not have much character growth in the series. This is because, till the end, he was as stoic and hostile as he had been. The only difference is that we could understand his motives and reasons. We must realize that despite everything, Severus Snape was terrible, and no one should think he was a good person. The point is that Snape is not a hero and should not be called one. He was a man burdened by real demons who made wrong choices. He eventually paid for them with things that were dear to him. 

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Impact on The Series & Conclusion

Both critics and readers widely acclaim Snape’s character. Rowling described him as a gift of a character with a straightforward story. Elizabeth Hand of The Washington Post called Snape’s life “heartbreaking, surprising, and satisfying.” IGN listed Snape as their 4th top Harry Potter character, praising his impact and character development.

The most crucial lesson Snape teaches is that no one is purely good or evil. All of us are born with our own set of quirks and complexities. Whether seen as a mean professor or someone driven by motives, there are always two sides to the story. As Dumbledore says: “It is our choices that show who we truly are.”

In conclusion, Snape made terrible choices but spent his life repairing his worst mistake. He doesn’t need pity because he owns his mistakes and tries to rectify them. This makes him an exceptional human and far more interesting than a martyr.