Severus Snape

Severus Snape is one of the most complex and contradictory characters. His personality combines a dark exterior with a deeply hidden, selfless inner world.

Severus Snape was born on January 9, 1960, to pureblood witch Eileen Prince and Muggle Tobias Snape (for which he later began calling himself the "Half-Blood Prince"). He grew up alone, amidst his parents' frequent quarrels.

Small fragments in the chapters "Occlumency"[3] and "The Prince's History"[4] suggest that Severus's father was a retarded individual with a penchant for domestic violence and possibly alcoholism. Even as a child, the boy notes that his father "doesn't particularly like anything." The fact that they live in the poorest part of the city, practically a slum, and that Severus apparently wears his mother's old sweaters, speaks to the family's financial situation.

Throughout his schooling, Snape had no suitable social circle. Through various circumstances, he became a member of a group that included Lucius Malfoy, Avery, Mulciber, and other Slytherins who later became Death Eaters. Snape was constantly bullied and harassed by James Potter and his cronies Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, who (along with Remus Lupin) called themselves the "Marauders." At the end of his fifth year, Snape nearly died as a result of Black's stupid prank—he was nearly mauled by a werewolf, who turned out to be Lupin, but Potter saved him (though Snape never believed James's intentions were sincere, despite understanding his duty to him). Headmaster Albus Dumbledore hushed up the incident. For a long time, Snape was protected by his friend Lily Evans, with whom he was in love, but she was deeply alarmed by Severus's fascination with the Dark Arts and his treatment of other Muggle-born students. She eventually broke off contact with him and, some time later, began dating James Potter.

When Lily and James died at the hands of Voldemort, Snape, upon learning of Lily's death, was devastated by grief; life had lost all meaning and color. But then Dumbledore asked Severus to help protect Lily's son from Voldemort, so that her sacrifice would not be in vain. For Lily's sake, he agreed, extracting Dumbledore's word that the headmaster would never reveal the secret of his love to anyone, nor that Snape was protecting James Potter's son. Dumbledore publicly declared Snape his secret agent, thereby saving him from prosecution, hired him as a Potions teacher at Hogwarts, and appointed him Head of Slytherin House.

Severus Snape has worked at Hogwarts since 1981. He likely succeeded Professor Slughorn in this position. In any case, during Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts (1991–1996), Severus Snape was Head of Slytherin House and Potions Professor. He made no secret of his dislike for students from other houses, especially Gryffindors, and took every opportunity to deduct points or impose disciplinary action against them.

Harry regarded him with a mixture of fear and hostility, suspecting him of involvement in many of the dark deeds going on at Hogwarts. Snape's constant nagging and caustic remarks turned the boy against the Potions professor. He barely noticed that the man's actions differed sharply from his pronouncements. The worst harm Harry had ever seen from Snape was points deducted and detentions. On the other hand, Professor Snape had repeatedly saved the boy's life.

It gradually becomes clear[7] that Professor Snape is a double agent: both Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort consider Snape to be their man. To all the Order of the Phoenix members' hints about Snape's possible betrayal, Dumbledore replies that he has long since sincerely repented.