Professor Severus Snape

Professor Severus Snape was an exceptionally skilled wizard who served as the Potions Master, Head of Slytherin House, Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, and ultimately Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A character of profound complexity and moral ambiguity, Snape was a former Death Eater who acted as a crucial double agent for Albus Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. His actions were driven by a lifelong, unrequited love for Lily Evans, the mother of Harry Potter. Throughout the series, he presented a facade of cruelty and bitterness, especially towards Harry, while secretly working to protect him and ensure the downfall of Lord Voldemort.

Severus Snape was born on 9 January to Eileen Prince, a pure-blood witch, and Tobias Snape, a Muggle, making him a Half-Blood wizard. He grew up in a derelict Muggle street called Spinner's End in Cokeworth. His childhood was unhappy, marked by his parents' frequent arguments. As a boy, he met and befriended Lily Evans, a Muggle-born witch living in the same town. He was the one to inform Lily of her magical nature and introduced her to the concept of the Wizarding World, eagerly awaiting their attendance at Hogwarts.

At Hogwarts, Snape was sorted into Slytherin House, while Lily was sorted into Gryffindor House. His prodigious talent in Potions and the Dark Arts became immediately apparent. He developed a bitter rivalry with James Potter and Sirius Black, who frequently bullied him. During his school years, he began referring to himself as “The Half-Blood Prince”, a title derived from his mother's maiden name and his half-blood status. His fascination with the Dark Arts and his association with aspiring Death Eaters strained his friendship with Lily. Their friendship ended permanently in their fifth year after Snape, humiliated by James Potter, unthinkingly called Lily a “Mudblood”.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Snape joined Lord Voldemort and became a Death Eater. In his capacity as a spy for the Dark Lord, he overheard part of a Prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney to Albus Dumbledore, which foretold the birth of a child with the power to vanquish Voldemort. He relayed this information to his master, unaware that Voldemort would interpret it as referring to the son of Lily and James Potter. Horrified that he had marked Lily for death, Snape sought out Dumbledore and begged him to protect the Potters. In exchange, he agreed to become a spy for Dumbledore against the Death Eaters.

Following Voldemort's first downfall, Dumbledore vouched for Snape's change of allegiance, allowing him to avoid a sentence in Azkaban. Dumbledore appointed him as the Potions Master at Hogwarts, a position he held for over a decade. Snape was a strict, feared, and deeply biased teacher who showed blatant favoritism towards his own Slytherin students while frequently penalizing students from other Houses, particularly Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom of Gryffindor. Despite his repeated requests, Dumbledore consistently denied him the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.

Snape continued his role as a double agent for the Order of the Phoenix upon Voldemort's return. He fed Voldemort a mixture of true but useless information and carefully constructed falsehoods, all while secretly aiding the Order. On Dumbledore's explicit orders, Snape killed the Headmaster atop the Astronomy Tower to spare Draco Malfoy from the task and to cement his own position as Voldemort's most trusted servant. Following Voldemort's takeover of the Ministry of Magic, Snape was appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts. In this role, he covertly worked to protect the students from the cruel reign of the Carrows, Alecto and Amycus, who were appointed as teachers by Voldemort. His final act was to ensure Harry Potter received his crucial memories, which revealed the entire truth of his allegiance and Dumbledore's plan. He was killed in the Shrieking Shack by Voldemort's snake, Nagini, because Voldemort mistakenly believed Snape was the master of the Elder Wand.

Snape is consistently described as a thin man with sallow skin, a large, hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair. His most prominent features were his cold, black eyes, which were described as empty tunnels. He typically dressed in sweeping black robes, which made him resemble an “overgrown bat.” His personality was severe, sarcastic, and cruel. He was a man defined by deep-seated bitterness and a capacity for holding lifelong grudges, most notably against Harry Potter for his resemblance to his father, James Potter. However, beneath this intimidating exterior, Snape was a person of immense, albeit reluctant, courage and was capable of profound and enduring love. His actions demonstrate a sharp, analytical mind and an unparalleled ability for deception and subterfuge.

• Potions: Snape was a Potions master of genius level. He was capable of brewing highly complex potions such as the Wolfsbane Potion and made significant improvements to standard recipes, as documented in his copy of Advanced Potion-Making.
• Dark Arts: He possessed a vast and profound knowledge of the Dark Arts. He was skilled enough to create his own dark spells, such as the dangerous Sectumsempra curse.
• Occlumency and Legilimency: Snape was a supremely accomplished Occlumens, able to completely shield his thoughts and true allegiance from Lord Voldemort, the most powerful Legilimens known. He was also a skilled Legilimens himself.
• Spell Creation: As a student, Snape invented numerous spells and jinxes, including Levicorpus, Liberacorpus, Muffliato, and the aforementioned Sectumsempra.
• Dueling: He was a formidable and highly skilled duelist, capable of single-handedly holding his ground against multiple opponents, including Professor Minerva McGonagall.
• Patronus: His Patronus took the form of a doe, the same as Lily Evans', symbolizing his unending love for her.
• Non-verbal magic: Snape was highly proficient at casting spells non-verbally, a sign of a powerful and disciplined wizard.

• Wand: The wood, core, and length of Snape's personal wand are unknown in the canonical books.
• Advanced Potion-Making: His old Hogwarts textbook, which he filled with his own handwritten annotations, potion-making shortcuts, and invented spells. Harry Potter used this book in his sixth year, believing its creator was a mysterious figure known as “The Half-Blood Prince”.

• Lily Evans: The central figure in Snape's life. His deep, unrequited love for her was the motivation for his entire life's path after her death, from turning spy for Dumbledore to his final sacrifice.
• Albus Dumbledore: Snape's handler and the only person who knew his true allegiance for many years. Their relationship was one of tense, calculated trust. While Snape resented Dumbledore for his ultimate plan for Harry, he carried it out faithfully.
• Harry Potter: A deeply complex and antagonistic relationship. Snape outwardly despised Harry, seeing in him the arrogance of his father, James. Yet, he was bound by his love for Lily to protect him, often in secret. Harry's perception of Snape changed completely after viewing his memories, leading him to name his second son Albus Severus Potter in his honor.
• Lord Voldemort: The Dark Lord Snape served and ultimately betrayed. Snape successfully deceived Voldemort for years, a testament to his incredible skill in Occlumency and his unwavering nerve.
• James Potter: His schoolyard rival and tormentor. Snape's hatred for James was lifelong and was transferred to his son, Harry.

• Severus: A Latin name meaning “stern,” “strict,” or “severe,” which perfectly describes his demeanor as a professor. It is also the name of a Roman Emperor, Lucius Septimius Severus.
• Snape: The name of a real village in Suffolk, England. J.K. Rowling has confirmed she took the name from this location (J.K. Rowling interview). The word “snape” can also mean to rebuke or snub, fitting his personality.

• J.K. Rowling has stated that she planned Snape's true loyalties and backstory from very early in the writing process. She famously shared the secret of Snape's love for Lily with actor Alan Rickman before it was revealed in the books to inform his portrayal in the film series (J.K. Rowling interview).
• In the films, Snape is portrayed by the late Alan Rickman. While Rickman was significantly older than the character's age in the books (Snape died at 38), his performance is considered iconic and definitive by many fans.
• It is stated in a J.K. Rowling interview, but not in the novels, that Snape was the godfather of Draco Malfoy (J.K. Rowling interview).