Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

Harry Potter: 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesn’t Deserve Redemption

Contents

Severus Snape may have done a few decent things in his life, but did this Harry Potter character really deserve full redemption?

You Are Reading :[thien_display_title]

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

Severus Snape is one of the most popular characters in the Harry Potter franchise. However, he is one of the only main characters viewed as a hero, villain, and morally gray. His true allegiance isn’t confirmed until the final installment when Snape’s memories show that he was a double agent for Dumbledore. Given his large character arc, including the moments shown from his childhood and teenage years, Snape has been one of the most intriguing characters in the franchise. But did he truly deserve redemption?

While Snape’s actions certainly helped the light win the war, he was not a good person, and even his best actions could not be traced to him feeling like his previous actions or beliefs were wrong. For example, Snape changed sides after Lily’s death because Voldemort killed her. Had that not happened, Snape may never have changed allegiances. So perhaps, Severus Snape did not deserve redemption as much as the series itself has given him, even referencing Snape as one of the bravest people Harry ever knew.

10 Creating Dark Spells

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

“Sectumsempra,” for example, is a dangerous and dark spell written in the Half-Blood Prince’s potions textbook. Harry deeply relies on the Half-Blood Prince’s old textbook during Potions in his sixth year. With the book’s help, Harry’s abilities in Potions advance, even to the extent of beating Hermione in class. But, his obsession with the book becomes too much.

He depends and defends it continually, even though several spells are written in it that he’s never heard of, and Harry doesn’t actually know the Half-Blood Prince’s identity. In a fight with Draco, Harry uses “Sectumsempra” and watches, horrified, as Draco dangerously bleeds out on the bathroom floor. It was later revealed that Snape had created the spell. While Snape had claimed that he was the victim of the Marauder’s pranks, he obviously wasn’t as innocent as he made it seem.

9 Bullying Neville

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

Snape wasn’t kind to any of the Gryffindors or any student in general, but he certainly had it out for Neville. But, of course, Snape never had a true motivation for attacking Neville. He even threatened Neville’s toad Trevor’s life by wishing to use Neville’s botched potion on him.

See also  Hunger Games The 10 Saddest Things About Katniss

While Neville may not have been the most talented in Potions, Snape made a point of ridiculing Neville constantly and never once helping him. Snape had such a negative effect on Neville that Neville’s boggart turns out to be Snape.

8 Calling Lily A Mudblood

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

Snape’s friendship with Lily is a major part of his backstory, but there is no one to blame but himself for the way it ended. When James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were making a spectacle of Snape’s humiliation, Lily stands up for Snape and tells the Marauders off.

Snape, embarrassed and angry, does not react with kindness but with a lethal mistake to his friendship. In front of everyone, Snape calls Lily a “Mudblood,” the worst thing someone could call a Muggleborn.

7 Revealing Remus Is A Werewolf

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

As much pain and embarrassment as Remus and his friends may have put Snape through while in their Hogwarts years, this was not something Snape had any right to do. Snape held a massive grudge against Remus for years and took the opportunity to leak sensitive and personal information.

It was not Snape’s secret to tell, and it certainly should not have been decided by the Potions Master who knew the truth. Given how prejudiced wizards could be against werewolves, revealing Remus’s secret made it even harder for him to make a living.

6 Insulting Hermione

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

Snape didn’t need to make any comments about Hermione’s physical appearance. Described in the novels as having large front teeth, Hermione’s teeth grow even larger during a moment in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when Harry and Draco’s small duel end with Hermione’s front teeth enlarging.

It is embarrassing for Hermione, but not only does Snape show no empathy, but he actually sneers and claims he sees Hermione’s enlarged front teeth as no different from their normal size. However, when Hermione returns from the Hospital Wing later, her teeth have been shrunk even from their natural size. On a separate occasion, Snape also calls Hermione an “insufferable know-it-all.”

5 Agreeing With The Death Eater Agenda

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

Although Snape claimed to care for Lily, he was also intrigued by the Death Eaters, a group that had no desire to include Muggleborns in their society. Yet, that alone was not enough to deter Snape from their side.

Lily was not amused by Snape’s Death Eater friends or the darker spells he amused himself with creating. As young adults, Snape was involved in the Death Eaters. Snape was even the one that told Voldemort about the prophecy.

See also  Shane Black Admits The Predators Original Ending Didnt Work

4 He Obsessed Over Lily For Years

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

Obsession is not the same as love, and Severus Snape’s feelings toward Lily certainly did not work for either of them. Years after her death, Snape is still obsessed with her and seemingly never got over that Lily did not want to be with him romantically.

Snape ripped a photo of Lily with Harry and James to keep the portion with Lily for himself. Their time in Hogwarts together also was not great in his favor, as even then he began navigating toward a darker path.

3 Treatment Of Harry

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

Severus Snape treated Harry Potter horribly. He loathed Harry, and even protecting him was never about Harry himself, but about Lily. Snape bullied Harry throughout all of his years at school.

Snape insulted James to Harry’s face and continued to insult and ridicule him in private and public. It did not make sense how Harry could justify naming his son Albus Severus Potter despite the good things that Snape may have done.

2 Willing To Offer Up James And Harry To Die But Asked For Lily’s Life To Be Spared

Harry Potter 10 Reasons Severus Snape Doesnt Deserve Redemption

When Voldemort narrowed down the options for the Chosen One to be Harry Potter or Neville Longbottom, Snape got nervous that this could mean the end of Lily’s life. So, when Snape believed Voldemort would go after the Potter family, Snape had a request.

Snape wished for Lily to survive the encounter with Voldemort, seemingly having no issues allowing James and Harry, Lily’s husband and infant son, to die. It is unlikely Lily would have ever wanted anything to do with Snape if she knew about that, and it truly brought out Snape’s selfish side.

1 Feelings For Lily Are Not Equivalent To Redemption

Some fans believe that Snape earned redemption because he loved Lily. However, this doesn’t really work. Snape did not change sides in the war because he genuinely believed in it and changed his beliefs. Instead, Snape changes sides because Voldemort killed Lily.

Snape’s feelings for Lily in the past or throughout his life later are not equivalent to redemption. His actions during her life and after her death are not those of a good or reformed man. While Snape may be looked at as a layered gray character rather than a specific hero or villain, his feelings for Lily do not redeem Snape for his worst actions.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-reasons-severus-snape-doesnt-deserve-redemption/

Movies -