Severus Snape

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? Yes. I'm the Half Blood Prince."

- Severus Snape

Severus Snape (January 9, 1960 - May 2, 1998) is an anti-hero from the Harry Potter franchise. He was the Potion Teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and a double agent between Dumbledore's and Voldemort's sides, whose allegiance remains a mystery for the major part of the story. Although bitter, unfair and abusive, it is revealed that he was siding with Dumbledore since the murder of Lily Evans-Potter, the love of his life.

He was portrayed in the films by British actor Alan Rickman.

Childhood
During his childhood, Snape lived in a village that was right next to the home of the Evans family. Snape dared to speak with the young Lily Evans (Harry's mother, who later married James Potter and got murdered by Voldemort, while trying to protect Harry) with whom he was in love with. He revealed that she was a witch who became his best friend, spending hours describing the magical world around her. It can also be assumed that he was abused as a child, as shown my by his memories.

Hogwarts Years
When he was a student at Hogwarts, Snape harboured a bitter and reciprocated hatred for the Marauders: James Potter (Harry's father), Sirius Black (Harry's godfather), Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, due them bullying and abusing him on their part. Snape was sorted in the Slytherin house and eventually became friends with people like Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy and grew to share their extremist ideals, drifting away from Lily.



Teaching at Hogwarts


"You were seen by no less than seven muggles. Do you have any idea how serious this is? You have risked the exposure of our world. Not to mention the damage you inflicted on a Womping Willow that's been on these grounds since before you were born!"

- Snape in The Chamber of Secrets.

Snape taught Potions at Hogwarts and became the Head of Slytherin. Because of his hatred of James Potter, he also hates his son Harry Potter. (Who was a constant reminder of the loss of Lily's affection.) Snape always searched ways after ways to give Harry dentention.

Dumbledore's Death
At the end of Harry's sixth year, he killed Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts at the Astronomy Tower. Dumbledore fell from the tower. (This scene could be compered to The Lion King in which Simba's father, Mufasa, is thrown off a rock by his brother Scar.) Snape left Hogwarts together with Bellatrix, Draco Malfoy, Fenrir Greyback and others. But Harry then follows them and attacks Snape with one of the spells he read about in the potions book of the Half-Blood Prince. Snape dodges the spell and reveals to Harry that he is he Half-Blood Prince. This is because his father is a Muggle, which made him a Half-Blood Wizard, and his mother was called Eileen Prince.

Truth Revealed and Death
It was revealed that Snape was actually a double agent. Before Lily was killed by Voldemort along with her husband, Snape did everything he could in his power to protect Lily since he loved her so much. He even became Dumbledore's double agent and he kept this a secret from Voldemort. As Dumbledore's agent, his job was to attend the Death Eater's meetings and report everything back to Dumbledore on the Death Eaters plans so that Snape and Dumbledore can make arrangements for a course of action that must be taken if necessary. He was gravely wounded by Voldemort because he thought that Snape was the true master of the Elder Wand. Before his death, Snape revealed his true nature to Harry as to why he joined the Death Eaters and the reason of it. After learning the truth about Snape, Harry completely forgives him and names his second child Albus Severus Potter in honor of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. He tells his son that Severus was one of the bravest people he had ever known.



Trivia

 * Snape is portrayed by Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter movies.
 * Another part of him of being an anti hero is due to him being an extremely biased teacher, who blatantly favoured students of Slytherin, in which he was the head of the house; while unfairly punishing and verbally abusing every other student, especially Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville.