SEVERUS SNAPE

here’s a thread of quotes/details from the books that show he was not the villain of the story.. he was a strong, skilled and powerful wizard but still a human being with flaws, who made mistakes and tried to make up for them.

as always, I don’t expect you to either change your mind about him or to fall madly in love with him. this is just my POV about a man I adore too bits and means a lot to me. so, please, let’s just respect each other’s opinions.
peace & love

His voice trailed away; she was not listening, but had stretched out on the leafy ground and was looking up at the canopy of leaves overhead. He watched her as greedily as he had watched her in the playground.
“How are things at your house?” Lily asked. ↴

↳ A little crease appeared between his eyes. “Fine,” he said.
“They’re not arguing anymore?”
“Oh yes, they’re arguing,” said Snape. He picked up a fistful of leaves and began tearing them apart, apparently unaware of what he was doing.

{DH ch. 33}

“Doesn’t your dad like magic?”
“He doesn’t like anything, much,” said Snape.
“Severus?” A little smile twisted Snape’s mouth when she said his name.

{DH ch. 33}

“Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?”
Snape hesitated. His black eyes, eager in the greenish gloom, moved over the pale face, the dark red hair. “No,” he said. “It doesn’t make any difference.”
“Good,” said Lily, relaxing.

{DH ch. 33}

“Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from
Dumbledore.”
“So what?”
She threw him a look of deep dislike. “So she’s my sister!”
“She’s only a —” He caught himself quickly; Lily, too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him. ↴

↳ “But we’re going!” he said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. “This is it! We’re off to Hogwarts!”
She nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled.

{DH ch. 33}

“You’d better be in Slytherin,” said Snape, encouraged that she had brightened a little. [...]
“Who wants to be in Slytherin? [...]” James asked.

{DH ch. 33}

SLYTHERIN TRAITS: Cunning, Ambition, Resourcefulness, Fraternity, Determination, Leadership, Self-Preservation Lineage.

Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from James to Sirius in dislike. “Come on, Severus, let’s find another compartment.”
“Ooh…” James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice; James tried to trip Snape as he passed. “See ya, Snivellus!”

{DH ch. 33}

“Leave him alone,” Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. “What’s he done to you?”
“Well,” said James, appearing to deliberate the point, “it’s more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean...”

{OoTP chapter 28}

“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not interested.”
“I’m sorry!”
“Save your breath.”
It was nighttime. Lily, who was wearing a dressing gown, stood with her arms folded in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

{DH ch. 33}

“Hide them all, then,” he croaked. “Keep her - them - safe. Please.”
“And what will you give me in return, Severus?”
“In — in return?” Snape gaped at Dumbledore, and Harry expected him to protest, but after a long moment he said, “Anything.”

{DH ch. 33}

“I have given evidence already on this matter” Dumbledore said calmly. “Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort’s downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am.”

{GoF ch. 30}

“Is this remorse, Severus?”
“I wish … I wish I were dead. …”
“And what use would that be to anyone?” said Dumbledore coldly. “If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear.”

{DH ch. 33}

There was a long pause, and slowly Snape regained control of himself, mastered his own breathing. At last he said, “Very well. Very well. But never — never tell, Dumbledore! This must be between us! Swear it! I cannot bear … especially Potter’s son … I want your word!” ↴

↳ “My word, Severus, that I shall never reveal the best of you?” Dumbledore sighed, looking down into Snape’s ferocious, anguished face. “If you insist …”

{DH ch. 33}

“What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

{PS ch. 8}

MEANING: I bitterly regret Lily's death.

“Snape was trying to save me?”
“Of course,” said Quirrell coolly. “Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn’t do it again.”

{PS ch.17}

“I’ll make it,” Lockhart butted in. “I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep —”
“Excuse me,” said Snape icily. “But I believe I am the Potions master at this school.”
There was a very awkward pause.

{CoS ch. 9}

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape,” said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. “He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself [..] I don’t want any of you youngsters to worry -you’ll still have your Potions master when I’m through with him, never fear!” ↴

↳ Snape’s upper lip was curling. Harry wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at him like that he’d have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

{CoS ch. 11}

“It has happened,” she told the silent staffroom. “A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself.”
Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. [...] Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, “How can you be sure?”

{CoS ch. 16}

“Ah, Severus,” said Lupin, smiling. “Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?”
Snape set down the smoking goblet, his eyes wandering between Harry and Lupin. [...] “You should drink that directly, Lupin.”
“Yes, yes, I will,” said Lupin. ↴

↳ “I made an entire cauldronful,” Snape continued. “If you need more.”
“I should probably take some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus.”
“Not at all,” said Snape.

{PoA ch. 8}

Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did. [...] Harry moved his eyes along the table, to the place where Snape sat. Was he imagining it, or were Snape’s eyes flickering toward Lupin more often than was natural?

{PoA ch. 8}

“I told you to shut up about my dad!” Harry yelled. “I know the truth, all right? He saved your life! Dumbledore told me! You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for my dad!"
“And did the headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life?” he whispered. ↴

↳ “Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Potter’s delicate ears?” Harry bit his lip. He didn’t know what had happened and didn’t want to admit it — but Snape seemed to have guessed the truth.

{PoA ch. 14}

Snape was slightly breathless but his face was full of suppressed triumph. “You’re wondering, perhaps how I knew you were here?” he said, his eyes glittering.“I’ve just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight so I took a gobletful along.”

{PoA ch. 19}

“It’s been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can’t deny it —”
“Then flee,” said Snape’s voice curtly. “Flee — I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts.” Snape and Karkaroff came around the corner.”

{GoF ch. 23}

Karkaroff’s Mark is becoming darker too. He is panicking, he fears retribution; you know how much help he gave the Ministry after the Dark Lord fell.” Snape looked sideways at Dumbledore’s crooked nosed profile. “Karkaroff intends to flee if the Mark burns.” ↴

↳ “Does he?” said Dumbledore softly, “And are you tempted to join him?”
“No,” said Snape. “I am not such a coward.”
“No,” agreed Dumbledore. “You are a braver man by far than Igor Karkaroff. You know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon..”

{DH ch. 33}

“Dumbledore happens to trust me,” said Snape through clenched teeth. “I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!”
“’Course Dumbledore trusts you” growled Moody. “He’s a trusting man, isn’t he? Believes in second chances. But me — I say there are spots that↴

↳ that don’t come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d’you know what I mean?” “Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him.

{GoF ch. 25}

“I merely thought,” said Snape, in a voice of forced calm, “that if Potter was wandering around after hours again […] he should be stopped. For — for his own safety.”
“Ah, I see,” said Moody softly. “Got Potter’s best interests at heart, have you?”

{GoF ch. 25}

“Harry … maybe Moody thinks Snape put your name in the Goblet of Fire!”
“Oh Ron,” said Hermione, shaking her head sceptically, “we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry’s life, remember?”

{GoF ch. 26}

“What made you think he’d really stopped supporting Voldemort, Professor?”
Dumbledore held Harry’s gaze for a few seconds, and then said, “That, Harry, is a matter between Professor Snape and myself.”

{GoF ch. 30}

“The only one against whom I intend to work,” said Dumbledore, “is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side.”
[...] Finally, Fudge said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, “He can’t be back, Dumbledore, he just can’t be …” ↴

↳ Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled. “There,” said Snape harshly. “There. The Dark Mark.”

{GoF ch. 36}

“Severus” said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, “you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready..if you are prepared..”
“I am,” said Snape. He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.
“Then good luck,” said Dumbledore.

{GoF ch. 36}

“Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked this easily — weak people, in other words — they stand no chance against his powers!”

{OoTP ch. 24}

“And a terrible curse there was upon it too. Had it not been -forgive me the lack of seemly modesty- for my own prodigious skill, and for Professor Snape’s timely action when I returned to Hogwarts, desperately injured, I might not have lived to tell the tale.”

{HBP ch. 23}

Dumbledore smiled. [...] “I am fortunate, extremely fortunate, that I have you, Severus.” “If you had only summoned me a little earlier, I might have been able to do more, buy you more time!” said Snape furiously.

{DH ch. 33}

“That boy’s soul is not yet so damaged,” said Dumbledore. “I would not have it ripped apart on my account.”
“And my soul, Dumbledore? Mine?”
“You alone know whether it will harm your soul to help an old man avoid pain and humiliation,” said Dumbledore.

{DH ch. 33}

“You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?”
“Don’t be shocked, Severus. How many men and women have you watched die?”
“Lately, only those whom I could not save,” said Snape. He stood up. “You have used me.”

{DH ch. 33}

“I thought …all these years … that we were protecting him for her. For Lily.”

{DH ch. 33}

From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe. [...] Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.
“After all this time?”
“Always,” said Snape.

{DH ch. 33}

“[..] There was a tiny hole in her glove. Had she put it on, had she even held it in her ungloved hand, she would have died, perhaps instantly. Luckily Professor Snape was able to do enough to prevent a rapid spread of the curse —” ↴

↳ “Why him?” asked Harry quickly. “Why not Madam Pomfrey?” [...]
“Professor Snape knows much more about the Dark Arts than Madam Pomfrey, Harry.” said Dumbledore.

{HBP ch. 13}

Filch’s expression of outraged disappointment was perfectly predictable; but why, Harry wondered, watching him, did Malfoy look almost equally unhappy? And why was Snape looking at Malfoy as though both angry and … was it possible? … a little afraid?

{HBP ch. 15}

“Listen to me,” said Snape, his voice so low now that Harry had to push his ear very hard against the “keyhole to hear. “I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco —”

{HBP ch. 15}

“Dad and Dumbledore and all of them? They’ll say Snape isn’t really trying to help Malfoy, he was just trying to find out what Malfoy’s up to.”
“They didn’t hear him,” said Harry flatly. “No one’s that good an actor, not even Snape.”

{HBP ch. 16}

“Hagrid, why is Dumbledore angry with Snape?” Harry asked loudly….+]
“Well — I jus’ heard Snape sayin’ Dumbledore took too much fer granted an’ maybe he — Snape — didn’ wan’ ter do it anymore —” ↴

↳ “Do what?” “I dunno, Harry, it sounded like Snape was feelin’ a bit overworked, tha’s all — anyway, Dumbledore told him flat out he’d agreed ter do it an’ that was all there was to it. Pretty firm with him.”

{HBP ch. 19}

Snape half-lifted Malfoy into a standing position. “You need the hospital wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany “immediately we might avoid even that. … Come. …” He supported Malfoy across the bathroom.

{HBP ch. 24}

“Haven’t you noticed, Professor, how the people Snape hates tend to end up dead?”
“You have no idea of the remorse Professor Snape felt when he realized how Lord Voldemort had interpreted the prophecy, Harry. I believe it to be the greatest regret of his life and the reason ↴

↳ that he returned —”
[...] “Professor … how can you be sure Snape’s on our side?” Dumbledore did not speak for a moment; he looked as though he was trying to make up his mind about something. At last he said, “I am sure. I trust Severus Snape completely.”

{HBP ch. 25}

“He’s a double agent, you stupid old man, he isn’t working for you, you just think he is!”
“We must agree to differ on that, Draco. It so happens that I trust Professor Snape —”
“Well, you’re losing your grip, then!” sneered Malfoy.”

{HBP ch. 27}

“Fight back!” Harry screamed at him. “Fight back, you cowardly —”
“Coward, did you call me, Potter?” shouted Snape. “Your father would never attack me unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?”

{HBP ch. 28}

“Kill me like you killed him, you coward —”
“DON’T—” screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly demented, inhuman, as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them — “CALL ME COWARD!”

{HBP ch. 28}

“[...] And Severus, if you are forced to take part in the chase, be sure to act your part convincingly. I am counting upon you to remain in Lord Voldemort’s good books as long as possible, or Hogwarts will be left to the mercy of the Carrows.”

{DH ch. 33}

“Headmaster! They are camping in the Forest of Dean! The Mudblood —”
“Do not use that word!”
“— the Granger girl, then, mentioned the place as she opened her bag and I heard her!”

{DH ch. 33}

The snake’s cage was rolling through the air, and before Snape could do anything more than yell, it had encased him, head and shoulders, and Voldemort spoke in Parseltongue. “Kill.”
There was a terrible scream. ↴

↳ Harry saw Snape’s face losing the little color it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake’s fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor.

{DH ch. 32}

“Look … at … me. …” he whispered.
The green eyes found the black, but after a second,
something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to
vanish, leaving them fixed, blank, and empty. The
hand holding Harry thudded to the floor, and Snape
moved no more.

{DH ch. 32}

As you could see, I chose to post only fragments of the books, without adding my personal opinion, so here it is: Severus Snape was not a perfect man, not by a long shot, but he was more than the bastard, bullying Potions Master many people think.

I believe this thread was necessary to show a side of Severus you can see only by reading the books. Alan Rickman was an amazing and super talented actor but sadly they cut some things about Severus’ storyline.
I hope you enjoyed it.

xoxo
Daisy
#RIPAlanRickman #SeverusSnape