Blog Post #2: Trusting Snape

SPOILERS!!! Don’t read unless you have finished the 7^th book!!!

I remember when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released. My friends and I were waiting for midnight to arrive so we could get our books, and there were employees handing out stickers and such. When we were offered some, I took a long, purple sticker thinking I would use it as a bookmark for my speed read of the book that night. On it were the words “Trust Snape!” which I thought odd. Turning to my friends I asked if Snape’s loyalties were really something to question at this point. I, much like Harry, was completely convinced that Snape was guilty and was baffled that this sticker was encouraging me to think otherwise.

Knowing what I know from the 7^th book however, I see Snape in a completely different light. At the beginning of the tale, when we meet him in the Great Hall, we immediately dislike Snape. He’s described as resembling a large bat. He dresses only in black robes and has ridiculously greasy hair that he hides his face behind. He picks on Harry, and really the entire Gryffindor house. In the second book he continues along this road. In the third book he wants to turn in Sirius Black who, through the story he and Lupin both tell, we have grown to love. In Goblet of Fire we see him and Karkaroff speaking in hushed whispers all over the school and first truly suspect Snape of being a Death Eater. He’s by far our least favorite Order member, even if he does swoop in to help Harry with Dumbledore at the last minute. Then to secure his place as our least favorite person he KILLS Dumbledore. We learn early on in the 7^th book that Snape has been named the new headmaster of Hogwarts, which we, along with Harry, this is horrible! I know I would have much preferred to see McGonagall as Headmistress.

But then we reach Chapter 33, The Prince’s Tale. We learn of Snape’s undying love for Lilly. How they were friends and how that friendship fell apart. How he came to Dumbledore, agreeing to spy on Voldemort as long as he could protect Lilly. How Snape agreed to protect Harry since he was unable to protect Lilly. That he was fulfilling a promise to Dumbledore when Snape killed him on the Astronomy Tower. How he protected Lupin from a Death Eater, but at the expense of George’s ear. How it was his patronus that Harry followed to the sword. Through all this we see that Snape’s actions were not fueled by hate for James and Harry, as we thought, but by his love for Lilly. After this realization it is near impossible for the reader to hate Snape. We, like Harry, must forgive him and carry this with us to our real relationships. People may be acting based on things we cannot know about them, and we should always be ready to forgive even our most hated enemies.