. ́˖𝒮𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓊𝓈 𝒮𝓃𝒶𝓅𝑒 Ω. ���

He was insecure, vulnerable, and longed to be part of something better. As a child, the grim normality of working-class suburbia, compounded by his neglectful Muggle father, instilled in him a disdain for the ordinary. This urgent desire to be part of something powerful and important was what drew him into Lord Voldemort's inner circle. Snape's bitterness and resentment toward the world were further exacerbated by the relentless bullying he endured at school, causing him to withdraw even more. Snape was not a prejudiced individual, despite the Death Eaters' beliefs in pure-blood superiority; rather, he was anti-Muggle, presumably due to his bitter experiences with his father and Petunia Evans, but he harbored no ill will toward Muggle-borns. His rationale for reprimanding Lily Evans as a Mudblood was to avoid appearing weak in front of his fellow Death Eater students, who held views of royal supremacy.

Severus Snape was a slender teenager of slightly above-average height, with unusually pale skin that contrasted sharply with his long, black hair, almost always greasy and falling haphazardly over his face. His features were striking: a prominent, slightly aquiline nose, thin lips that rarely curved into a smile, and deep, intense black eyes whose gaze was difficult to hold. His somewhat yellowed and uneven teeth contributed to the unkempt appearance that many used as a source of ridicule.

Although he tried to wear the uniform properly, he never looked as impeccable as some of the other students. He walked with slightly hunched shoulders and a quick, almost nervous gait, as if trying to navigate the corridors unnoticed. His movements were restrained and somewhat awkward in social situations, especially when he was surrounded by too many people or became the center of attention.

He projected a cold and distant image, but this facade stemmed more from discomfort than arrogance. He preferred to hide behind bookshelves or remain silent rather than engage in trivial conversations. To most, he was a strange and reserved young man; to those who took the time to observe him closely, he was simply an extraordinarily intelligent young man who never learned to feel truly comfortable among others.

Snape was eager to leave behind a house he wasn't happy in. He entered the school in 1971, being sorted into Slytherin House. While on the train, he met Sirius Black and James Potter, and it was then that the hateful relationship that would last until their dying days began. The Marauders nicknamed him Snivellus ("Snivellus" in the original version, a combination of the English word "Snivel," meaning "to whine," and the name Severus), and their attacks and fights were very common. He and Lily remained friends until the fifth year, despite her belonging to Gryffindor and him to Slytherin, although both despised each other's friends. Severus knew more about the Dark Arts when he entered school than many of the older students, which earned him a circle of friends that included the then prefect Lucius Malfoy, and his classmates Avery and Mulciber, who already fantasized about becoming Death Eaters at school.

According to Horace Slughorn, Snape was also noted for his mastery of Potions, a subject in which Lily Evans also excelled. He was also in love with Lily until James cast the Levicorpus Charm on him and pulled down his trousers; and Snape, in a moment of desperation, called Lily a "Mudblood" after James suggested that it was only because she had "helped" him by demanding that James leave Snape alone that he had been freed from being pestered by James. This led to the couple breaking off their friendship on the very night of this incident, when they argued in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. Lily refused to accept Snape's apology for what he had said to her, nor to remain his friend, given that Snape already called all other students who shared that condition "Mudbloods", and that he had nothing against continuing to keep in touch with those who wished to join the Death Eaters.

Lucius Malfoy was a Slytherin prefect when Snape began attending Hogwarts, and the two were in the same social circles, which included other future Death Eaters.

Unlike her Malfoy relatives, Bellatrix Lestrange did not invest any of her faith in Snape.

During her time at Hogwarts, she was a member of a "gang of Slytherins who would later become Death Eaters." This gang included Bellatrix Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, Avery, Mulciber, Evan Rosier, and Wilkes. Lily Evans couldn't understand how she could be friends with them, as they had a "wicked sense of humor." It's unknown how close Snape was to the members of this gang; however, he seemed somewhat defensive when Lily spoke ill of Mulciber and Avery, implying at least some level of intimacy with them.

The Marauders were a group of four Gryffindor boys with whom Severus developed a bitter and antagonistic relationship throughout his school years. The group consisted of James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin. Severus and the first two Marauders took an instant dislike to each other when they first met in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Throughout their time at Hogwarts, the Marauders (except for Lupin) and Snape relentlessly harassed each other. The Marauders never missed an opportunity to play a cruel prank on Snape, and vice versa.

However, James Potter ended up saving his life when Sirius told Snape how to get into the Shrieking Shack. Snape glimpsed Lupin transforming into a werewolf before James shoved him through the tunnel. Snape didn't believe James was acting nobly. Rather, he saw it as a self-serving act to prevent himself and the rest of the Marauders from being expelled from Hogwarts, and the incident only made him hate James more than ever. He also came to resent Lupin, believing he had been involved in Sirius's prank.

Snape's friendship with Lily Evans was probably the only thing that truly brought joy to his life. He met Lily at a very young age, recognizing her one day as a witch while she and her sister Petunia were playing in the park near their home; she had flown from the swings and made a flower grow from a bud. Longing to escape his humbling family life, Snape immediately tried to befriend her. Despite the fact that Lily came from a Muggle family, he never truly saw her as one of them because he was in love with her.

They spent their time talking about magic and the wizarding world. Lily even asked if being a Muggle-born in the wizarding world mattered, to which Snape replied that it didn't matter at all. In 1971, they were both accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and maintained a close friendship until around their fifth year, despite being sorted into different houses. Snape was very disappointed that they weren't in the same house and were separated because of it.

During this time, Snape began associating with people who embraced Dark Magic and pure-blood supremacy, which caused great difficulties in their friendship. Lily was offended by many of the views Snape was beginning to adopt and disliked the qualities of her new classmates.

Snape met Petunia Evans during his childhood. She was Lily Evans's sister, but Petunia was a Muggle, unlike her sister. Snape and Petunia didn't like each other much from the moment they met. Petunia, who despised anything out of the ordinary, looked down on him because of his poor economic status and because he was an oddball. Snape, on the other hand, looked at her with pity because she was a Muggle, and because she made disparaging remarks about her clothes.

Snape's relationship with Dumbledore was one of close, but not unwavering, trust. Dumbledore was Snape's headmaster at Hogwarts and was impressed by Snape's academic abilities. Snape likely didn't feel genuine loyalty to Dumbledore as a student and may have resented the latter's failure to stop the torturous bullying Snape endured at the hands of the Marauders. Despite this, he agreed to keep Remus Lupin's lycanthropy a secret when the headmaster ordered him to (though probably for self-serving reasons). Before allying with Snape, Dumbledore viewed him with, in his own words, disgust, due to Snape's selfishness.

After endangering Lily's life by delivering a prophecy to Lord Voldemort (not knowing at the time that it referred to his son), Snape turned to Dumbledore to keep her safe.

McGonagall was Snape's Transfiguration professor when he was a student and probably admired his brilliance.