Severus Snape – the Prince in Disguise

When “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” magicked into theaters I was twelve years old and too young and silly to appreciate the depth and beauty of my favorite and most memorable character, Severus Snape. Although I was not yet in love with him, I never thought he was an evil person, and even found his sharp, acidly sarcastic tongue to be amusing. It was not until the second film, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” that Snape became the pinnacle of the “Harry Potter” world to me, and I began to delve into the books to read as much as I could about him. I believe Snape to be the most tormented and misunderstood of all the characters, torn between two worlds of light and dark. And though there is a part of him that is lulled by the darkness, he is strong enough to resist, because hidden deep down beneath his cold surface there is a love so powerful and true it keeps him fighting until the very end.

I was made fun of relentlessly for loving Snape, because everyone saw him as the ‘bad’ one, or the ‘ugly’ one. I found his grease-silk midnight hair, pallid skin and hooked nose, so brutally considered flaws, as beautiful and wonderful. So many people believe that his rough appearance reflects the hideousness within his soul, but I know there is nothing hideous about him; his appearance is cold, black, and lonely as winter, because this is what he feels in his heart, aching and sadness that he cannot escape. In his past Snape was tortured and humiliated each day, his soul grew bitter and poisoned, and this led him to the wrong side. Snape allowed the dark mark to be etched upon his skin because he wanted to belong somewhere, after so many years of suffering he found a place where he was welcome, but he realized the wickedness of his new friends and knew they were not a comfort. Until the end of his life Snape carried that burden of guilt and lost love weighing heavy on his soul, but instead of surrendering himself to madness, he transformed his sorrow into the greatest and most daring act of bravery.

It is true that Snape considers Harry with an embittered mind, but he should not be called evil for insulting Harry every chance he gets. Each time Snape looks at him, he either sees Lily or James, the visions of his past haunting him and filling him with emotions he cannot control. Lily refused Snape’s love, and James bullied and attacked Snape whenever he felt in the mood to do so. Snape does hold a deep grudge for this, but never puts Harry in harm and protects him fiercely. It is always Snape who sends guidance and help to Harry, in the Sorcerer’s Stone Snape keeps a close eye on both Quirrell and Harry to make sure they do not get into trouble. In ‘The Order of the Phoenix’ it is Snape who checks to see if Sirius is safe and then alerts the Order that Harry has gone to the Department of Mysteries, and Snape who leads Harry to the Sword of Gryffindor in the ‘Deathly Hallows’. Snape divides himself painfully between Dumbledore’s world and Voldemort’s, he is the one put in danger countless times, raising suspicion from other Death Eaters and always in the shadow of Voldemort’s wrath. If the Dark Lord had ever found out Snape was deceitful and secretly loyal to Dumbledore, it would have meant his immediate death, and all plans to save the life of Harry would have been ruined. Snape walked a treacherous line, always tantalized by the darkness but never faltering from what he knew was right.

There are scarce blissful memories in Snape’s past, but the one dream pure enough to keep him alive is his love for Harry’s mother, Lily. The moment he learns her life is in danger he can think only of saving her. Although she was happily married to James, his enemy since boyhood, Snape’s devotion to Lily never faded, never tarnished. His love was the rarest and most ardent kind; he was willing to sacrifice his life for hers, for without Lily his survival was meaningless. After learning of her death, Snape never forgave himself, he succumbed to the grief and self-loathing that lingered in his heart until the end, but agreed to protect Harry with what remained of his shattered life. Snape could never forgive himself for hurting Lily while they were in school, the memory of calling her a mudblood being one of his greatest regrets. The anger he feels towards himself blinds him from warmness towards Harry, but his love keeps him sane throughout every descent of evil and darkness, he never abandons the hope of Lily’s spirit living on.

Snape did not only lose Lily, his cherished love-he also lost his most trusted friend, a friend who begged to be killed by him, a friend who cared for him and understood the meaning of his suffering-Albus Dumbledore. In executing Dumbledore, Snape did not only keep Harry safe from harm by setting he and Dumbledore’s great plan into motion; he also protected Draco Malfoy from destroying his own soul, saving him from being a killer at too young of an age. His courage and loyalty is undying, Snape did not wish to murder Dumbledore, he was sickened by Dumbledore’s request, but recognized it was something that must be done in order for Harry to go on, and once again, protecting Lily’s child was of the highest importance to him. Throughout each school year, the professors and students were bewildered at Dumbledore’s continuous faith in keeping Snape employed at Hogwarts. Harry especially waited until the moment Snape would betray him, and thought he had discovered the truth that night on the astronomy tower, but like everyone else he was mistaken. There were deeper purposes beneath the art of Dumbledore’s death for Snape: a kindness, a respect for friendship, and an act of heroism.

Severus Snape was a bittersweet prince in disguise: led by pure love and fighting for what is everlasting and righteous. He sacrificed himself so that others could see the light, even though he himself struggled to seize a mere glimpse of it. By putting himself into a tantalizing game of darkness and light he created the chance for Harry, Hermione, Ron, and all of their friends to see a world where there was no threat of evil. Who could ever forget those coal-black robes billowing behind him as he stalked through the stone hallways? Never shall we forget the snarky sense of humor, the tiny curled lip of his mischievous smile, his poetry of bottling fame, brewing glory, putting a stopper on death, the smoke of potions brewing in the dungeons, the voice smooth and dark as velvet, the dive into his worst memory or the stuffed vulture hat upon his head as he stepped out of the closet in boggart-form? I won’t say farewell to Snape, he has taught me that beneath the surface there is so much more to be seen, and that from the deepest and most suffocating darkness there can be found the greatest beauty. For turning his pain into worthwhile and legendary braveness, for possessing a love more powerful than all evil against him, Severus Snape will be the most memorable character to me, always.


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