For many Harry Potter fans, this question lies at the heart of the series. Severus Snape is held to be JK Rowling’s most complex character, and mystery surrounds his background and motives. Painted as a villain from the very first page, and believed so by Harry, showing Snape as evil through and through would be an easy way out for Rowling. My view is that Snape’s ultimate redemption as an agent for Dumbledore makes for a more satisfying series.
At the end of the last book, Snape kills Dumbledore — an event that, for many readers, will have confirmed their view of Snape as the villain. But Snape’s fans suggest that Dumbledore may have agreed to die to save Harry. Many believe Snape’s hesitatation before killing Dumbledore was because he was forced to do so to maintain his critical cover.
Another theory is that Snape will redeem himself by helping Harry and possibly, ultimately, even killing Voldemort.
I believe Snape is, first and foremost, a spy. He is either a double or a triple agent, depending on whose speculations are most convincing, and the jury is still out about whether he is a loyal member of the Order of the Phoenix, or a Death Eater who never renounced his original ties.
Snape is the teacher everyone loathes and is apparently based on Rowlings’ former science teacher. His appearance gives the impression of the archetypal villain — with black eyes, black hair, black robes and pallid skin. He is a brilliant potions master, but has spent years coveting the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, which he finally gets in Half-Blood Prince. His antipathy towards Harry is well known, but at the same time, he has saved Harry’s life several times.
As the son of the witch Eileen Prince and the muggle Tobias Snape, Severus is a self-described half-blood. His childhood was unhappy, as Harry discovered during an occlumency lesson. Harry’s godfather Sirius Black tells us that as a first-year student Snape knew more hexes and curses than most seventh-years.
Snape attended Hogwarts as a contemporary of Harry’s parents, James Potter and Lily Evans. James and his friends relentlessly taunted and bullied Severus, despite Lily’s disapproval, and it is often suggested that Snape’s dislike of Harry stems from his dislike of his father. But Snape also owes a life debt to James, who saved his life when Remus was in his werewolf form.
A big question mark hangs over why Dumbledore never told anyone his reasons for trusting Snape. Could his trust in Snape have been an error?
Recent speculation has focused on Snape’s possible love for Lily Potter, after Rowling said in an interview that he had been loved, but without specifying by whom. While Snape regularly taunts Harry about his father, his mother has never been mentioned. Lily was in the same year as Snape, and, like him, was a brilliant potions student. Although Snape calls Lily a mudblood when she comes to his defence when James taunts him, this may be explained by the public humiliation he was being subjected to.
Fans contributing to the Leaky Cauldron website’s discussion forums have raised the possibility of Snape being in love with Narcissa, Draco Malfoy’s mother. This would explain why he had agreed to take the Unbreakable Vow, which binds him to protect Draco, help him carry out the task Voldemort has set and finish the task himself if Draco fails. Others have speculated that his mother, Eileen, was the person who loved Snape and that, if she was murdered by Voldemort, it could have turned Snape against the Death Eaters.