ByNina Starner/July 24, 2020 4:35 pm EST
The Harry Potter books and movies are filled with unforgettable characters, from students like Hermione Granger and bullies like Draco Malfoy to professors like Minerva McGonagall and the villainous Lord Voldemort. However, of all of the characters in Harry Potter, few are as fascinating as Severus Snape, the Slytherin potions master who seems like one of the cruelest villains for nearly the entire series.
Played by the late, great Alan Rickman in the films, Snape is a mysterious and unforgiving figure who, as a professor, favors Slytherin students and discriminates against Gryffindors, especially Harry and his group of friends. However, if you've read the books or watched the films, you know there's much more to Severus Snape than meets the eye. From lifelong vendettas to his long-lost love and his true allegiance, here's the entire, fascinating backstory of Severus Snape, explained in full.
Spoilers for the Harry Potter film & books to follow!
Severus Snape had a troubled childhood
Born to Muggle Tobias Snape and witch Ellen Prince, young Severus Snape has a difficult childhood due to a strained and often angry relationship between his parents, which Harry personally witnesses when he accidentally glimpses one of Snape's private childhood memories. However, Snape's life takes a turn when he meets a young Lily Evans, who lives nearby. Quickly, the two become close friends, and Snape tells Lily, a Muggle-born witch, about Hogwarts and their future there together.
Despite Snape and Lily's bond, they still argue, especially when her sister, Petunia — Harry's bitter Muggle aunt — gets involved. Ultimately, the tension between Snape, Lily, and Petunia comes to a head when Petunia, jealous of Snape's and Lily's respective magical abilities, spies on the two friends. When Snape accidentally injures Petunia using magic, she calls Lily a "freak," while Lily reveals that she and Snape saw a letter that Petunia wrote, begging Hogwarts to accept her as a student. By then, the damage is done, and Lily and Petunia are divided forever, thanks partly to Snape.
A divide grows between two childhood friends
Upon their shared arrival at Hogwarts, Lily is furious at Snape for sabotaging her relationship with her sister, and matters only get worse from there. At the Sorting Ceremony, Lily is sorted into Gryffindor, while Snape ends up in Slytherin, ensuring that the two friends are separated for their entire tenure at Hogwarts.
While Snape and Lily try to remain close despite their differences, Lily disapproves of Snape's friends — all of whom later become Death Eaters under Voldemort — while Snape can't stand James Potter, one of Gryffindor's most popular students, who's clearly carrying a torch for Lily. It's especially bad since James has a penchant for bullying Snape. Though Lily assures her friend that she can't stand James, an altercation with the young bully ends in nastiness when Snape calls Lily a "Mudblood," a horrible slur referring to Muggle-borns ... and it effectively ends their friendship forever.
Though Snape begs for her forgiveness, particularly because Lily was defending him against James, he can't justify hurting Lily, and she gives up on him for good.
Severus Snape's biggest regret
After Snape and Lily leave Hogwarts, the space between them only grows as Snape joins Voldemort, the Dark Lord, to help him overtake the wizarding world, while Lily joins the resistance fighters of the Order of the Phoenix. However, when Snape eavesdrops on Dumbledore'smeeting with Sybill Trelawney, who prophecies Voldemort's fall at Harry's hands, he begs Dumbledore to save Lily, James, and Harry at any cost, promising anything in return — though this comes after Snape asks Voldemort to spare only Lily, disgusting Dumbledore.
No matter how hard Dumbledore tries, Voldemort slaughters Lily and James, leaving only Harry alive and Snape bereft. In the horrible aftermath, Dumbledore convinces Snape that the only way to show his love to Lily is to protect Harry, the only part of her that survives, and make sure that her death and her sacrifice to save Harry's life won't be in vain, especially when Voldemort resurfaces to attack Harry. Snape begs Dumbledore never to tell anybody that he's protecting Harry, and the heartbroken wizard agrees to the painful task.
Harry's first year at Hogwarts
During Harry's first year at Hogwarts, the young wizard immediately gets on Snape's bad side, which is likely in large part due to the fact that Harry looks strikingly like his father, James, whom Snape detested during school. On top of that, Snape finds Harry to be arrogant and mediocre, as well as a boy who breaks rules to gain fame and glory. But even so, he sticks to his promise and helps Harry survive a harrowing first year at Hogwarts.
As it turns out, the magical Sorcerer's Stone, which can make gold and create eternal life, is hidden deep within Hogwarts, and Snape is one of the several professors charged with protecting it. Though Harry, Ron, and Hermione are convinced that Snape is working with Voldemort to try to steal the stone, it turns out that Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, is the one actually searching for the magical item as he's possessed by the weak, bodiless spirit of the Dark Lord. And, in fact, Snape is working against him to protect Harry. Though Dumbledore tells Harry that Snape protects him as a debt to James, he doesn't divulge anything further, and the enmity between Harry and Snape continues.
A schoolboy feud against Sirius Black
As Harry begins his third year at Hogwarts, he receives an alarming piece of information. Sirius Black, a wanted murderer accused of killing 13 wizards with a single curse, has escaped Azkaban — the wizarding prison — and is apparently hunting Harry. As Harry tries to grapple with this horrifying news, he also grows suspicious of Snape, who keeps providing a mysterious potion to Professor Lupin, that year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, every month.
When the year draws to a close, Harry and Sirius come face to face, flanked by Ron, Hermione, and Lupin, and a shocking realization comes to light. Though Harry believes that Sirius— James and Lily's best friend— sold them out to Voldemort, the truth is that Peter Pettigrew, who was friends with all three, actually betrayed James and Lily and worked for Voldemort. Though Snape is handed the truth about Sirius on a silver platter, his hatred of the wizard clouds his judgment, as Sirius was once his schoolyard rival. As a result, he refuses to help bring down Pettigrew and tries to arrest his old enemy.
However, Snape isn't a stick in the mud all the time. Even though Harry, Ron, and Hermione attack him so that he doesn't turn Sirius in, he shows up at the last minute and tries to protect our heroes when Lupin turns into a werewolf (hence the monthly potion) and attacks everybody there. Of course, when Sirius eventually escapes, Snape is livid, creating even more tension between him and Harry.
Private lessons between Snape and Harry go horribly wrong
In Harry's fifth year, now that Voldemort has officially returned, it's more important than ever for "the Boy Who Lived" to protect himself against the Dark Lord, who's skilled in the art of legilimency (meaning that he can delve into Harry's thoughts at any time). To help Harry learn to defend his mind, Dumbledore asks Snape to teach Harry the art of occlumency, which guards your mind against invading forces. However, the lessons quickly go awry. When Harry has difficulty shutting off his emotions to practice occlumency, Snape doesn't help anything, and their tension hits a breaking point when Harry inadvertently invades Snape's mind and sees a memory of his father, James, cruelly bullying Snape for no reason.
Furious, Snape kicks Harry out of his office and refuses to continue teaching him, but in the end, when Harry is convinced that Voldemort has captured Sirius, Snape goes out of his way to check on Sirius and alert the Order of the Phoenix about Harry's vision. Snape, however, doesn't join the Order in this particular fight against Voldemort at the risk of exposing his cover as a double agent for Dumbledore. At the end of Harry's fourth year, after Voldemort officially returns, Snape returns to his former master at Dumbledore's orders.
The identity of the Half-Blood Prince is revealed
During Harry's sixth year, the Boy Who Lived finds himself completely consumed by a few mysteries. For example, why is Draco Malfoy acting weirder than normal? And who is the mysterious previous owner of Harry's used potions textbook? It used to belong to someone who went by the nickname of "the Half-Blood Prince," and this mysterious student scribbled quite a few notes in the pages that help Harry unlock the secrets of some truly powerful potions.
Well, both roads ultimately lead to Snape. Despite Ron's and Hermione's doubts, Harry is correct that Voldemort himself has enlisted Draco with a task, though he doesn't know that task is until it's too late. Plus, Snape is the so-called Half-Blood Prince. In other words, he was the potions genius who's been helping Harry excel at the art of potion-making all year.
In the midst of all of this, Harry and Dumbledore work together constantly to understand Voldemort's life and uncover his secrets, but their mission comes to a screeching halt when they return to Hogwarts after a night away to find the school overtaken by Death Eaters ... including Draco, who's been tasked by Voldemort with killing the headmaster. However, when the young bully corners a weakened Dumbledore, it seems like the wisened wizard is able to convince his terrified student to spare his life. And that's whenSnape shows up and does the job himself. Horrified, Harry tries to chase Snape, but he disappears with his fellow Death Eaters.
Severus Snape's true allegiance
Rather than attending Hogwarts for his seventh and final year, Harry continues the work he started with Dumbledore and hunts down Voldemort's horcruxes, objects containing pieces of the Dark Lord's soul. However, what he doesn't know is that Snape is secretly helping him.
Now Voldemort's apparent right-hand man, Snape is named the new headmaster of Hogwarts, which puts him in the perfect position to silently help Harry with the aid of Dumbledore's moving portrait, painted after his death. With Dumbledore's help, Snape manages to hide the Sword of Gryffindor in a forest for Harry to find, enabling him to destroy horcruxes (because the sword is strengthened by basilisk venom) and keep track of Harry in general, quietly assisting him in his mission to weaken Voldemort enough to finally bring him down. While all of this is going on, Snape's master is seeking out the Elder Wand, the wizarding world's most powerful wand and one of the legendary Deathly Hallows, to make sure he's undefeatable when the time comes to face off against Harry once and for all.
Snape's noble death
Snape stays by Voldemort's side throughout the Battle of Hogwarts, which turns out to be a fatal mistake. After hours of slaughter, Voldemort comes to a realization. The Elder Wand, which he stole from Dumbledore's tomb, won't work for him because he isn't the true "master" of it. Because Snape killed Dumbledore, Voldemort believes the wand will obey Snape, so he must defeat his right-hand man. And before Snape can beg for his life, Voldemort uses his pet snake and horcrux, Nagini, to murder him.
Unbeknownst to both Voldemort and Snape, Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been hiding and watching the entire scene unfold, and when Voldemort leaves the room, Harry rushes forward to try to save Snape. In his dying moments, Snape asks Harry to look at him — clearly a reference to Lily, in that Harry's eyes resemble his mother's — and gives him a vial of memories. When Harry explores them, he learns everything he needs to know. Snape served as a double agent for his entire life to protect Harry. He also learns that Snape's doe Patronus, after Lily's own Patronus, appeared to Harry in the woods and guided him towards Gryffindor's sword.
Plus, Snape was never the true master of the Elder Wand, due to the fact that Dumbledore, who was dying of a terrible curse, asked Snape to kill him when the time came. This way, Draco's soul would be spared. And finally, Harry learns that he is the final horcrux, as part of Voldemort's soul imprinted on him during childhood, and he must sacrifice himself to bring down Voldemort.
Snape's legacy lives on
After giving his life to defeat Voldemort, Harry is able to return to the realm of the living and face Voldemort one last time, and as the true master of the Elder Wand, he brings the Dark Lord down for good. In the aftermath of the battle, Harry gets the chance to live out his life, get married, and have children, and his second youngest son, Albus Severus, carries on Snape's legacy, especially as Harry tells his son that he named him for two of the bravest men he'd ever met.
Ultimately, Albus Severus — as detailed in the Tony Award-winning play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child— is sorted into Slytherin just like one of this two namesakes, eventually becoming close friends with Scorpius Malfoy (Draco's son) and setting off on a time-bending adventure befitting his father and both of the men for whom he was named. Snape may have been a villain throughout his life, but Harry made sure to remember him as a hero.
FAQs
What was Snape's backstory? ›
He was a half-blood wizard. He was a Death Eater in the First Wizarding War before defecting and being a double spy for the Order of the Phoenix in the Second Wizarding War. Snape had loved Lily Potter and was determined to save her only child, Harry Potter, for who she gave her own life to protect.
Why did Snape conjure Lily's Patronus? ›So, when it comes to the pair having the same Patronus, we want you to know that it's all because of love. If you recall, "The Prince's Tale" chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows virtually confirms that Snape's unrequited love for Lily influenced the shape of his Patronus.
Why did Snape call himself The Half-Blood Prince? ›Snape was born to Eileen Prince, a witch, and Tobias Snape, a Muggle, making him a half-blood (hence the name, "Half-Blood Prince"). This is rare for a Death Eater, as remarked in the last book, though Voldemort himself also had a Muggle father.
Is credence related to Snape? ›Yeah, there are some similarities between them like they both were half blood and what u said but they are not related in any way. Also, Queenie was a naturally born legillimen while Snape had acquired that skill.
What is Snape's big secret? ›Warner Bros. Severus Snape is one of the most divisive characters in the entire "Harry Potter" series. He was a double agent, so many character details were kept a secret. His mother was a witch and his father was a Muggle, leading to the moniker "The Half-Blood Prince."
What happened in Snape's worst memory? ›In Snape's memories, he learns that his father was a bully, unfairly tormenting Snape in particular.
Why is Snape's Avada Kedavra blue? ›As for everyone's favourite child-bullying adult, Snape's Killing Curse was 'blue' due to the cyanish background of the film scene. It was actually green, but the camera and effects made a bluish overlay which overlapped the green spell.
What was Snape's original Patronus? ›A doe. And in his final battle with Lord Voldemort, Harry explained the significance of this to his adversary, and to us: 'Snape's Patronus was a doe,' said Harry, 'the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children'.
How did Dumbledore know Snape loved Lily? ›Severus Snape's Patronus was also a doe, which symbolized his love for Lily. Snape uses his doe Patronus to show Dumbledore that he never fell out of love with Lily, his childhood best friend.
Did Voldemort know Snape was a Halfblood? ›As long as you weren't muggle-born, you could join the Death Eaters. Also, Voldemort went to school way before Snape, so he probably didn't know about the whole “Half-Blood Prince” thing.
Why did Voldemort accept Snape if he was half-blood? ›
Voldemort recruited him and likes him because Snape had the same kind of feelings toward his Muggle father that Voldemort had toward his own. Snape's father was not a nice man. He was often abusive towards Snape's mother which is why he took the pseudonym “Half Blood Prince” to begin with.
Why did Voldemort hate Muggles? ›His viciousness to Muggle-borns is connected: Riddle may be half-blood, but Muggle-borns can claim no wizarding heritage, therefore to him they are as low as Muggles themselves. Riddle also hates Muggles because they remind him of his childhood and the Muggle father who deserted him.
Does Dumbledore know that Credence is his brother? ›Grindelwald also apparently lies to Credence at the end of The Crimes of Grindelwald by implying that Dumbledore wants him dead (“Your brother is trying to kill you”) — an obvious lie on Grindelwald's part, since as far as we know, Dumbledore doesn't even know who Credence is.
Is Tom Riddle in Fantastic Beasts? ›Another way that Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore's timeline sets up Fantastic Beasts 4 involves the infamous Tom Riddle/Voldemort.
Can Credence be Snape's father? ›However, there is one Potter character where a shared bloodline would not be a stretch: Snape. Recall that, as the “Half-Blood Prince,” Snape was born to a witch and a Muggle. His mother Eileen Prince was born in the 1930s. As Fantastic Beasts is set in 1926, the timing checks out for Credence to be her father.
What was Snape's mental illness? ›“Schizoid personality disorder
Some people type Severus Snape as someone with Schizoid personality disorder. People with Schizoid personality disorder don't enjoy or want social relationships and don't really have close friends.
It was Snape who overheard the prophecy that would go on to define Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter's lives for years afterwards. The prophecy can be seen as the catalyst for everything; it led to the death of Lily, his great love, and Snape spent the entire course of Harry's (and his own) life trying to make amends.
What was Snape's fear? ›His love for Lily Potter and his anger over her death clouded his fear against Voldemort.
Who is Snape's least favorite student? ›Harry also happened to be Snape's least favorite student.”
What was Snape's last thing before he died? ›12. Snape's Last Words. In the [Deathly Hallows] book, Snape's dying words to Harry were "Look at me". Right then we did not realize the significance of his words but in the very next chapter when Harry goes through Snape's memories in the Pensieve, he comes to know how much Snape loved Lily.
Who said it's that Mudblood Avada Kedavra? ›
Goyle: "It's that Mudblood, AVADA KEDAVRA!" Peeves: "We Did It, We Bashed Them, Wee Potter's The One!
Why Harry didn't use Avada Kedavra on Bellatrix? ›Harry didn't use that spell because he cannot bring himself to kill anyone. He is not a killer. Just like in the muggle world, it is very difficult to bring one's self to kill another human being.
Why is Harry not affected by Avada Kedavra? ›However, when Voldemort cast the Avada Kedavra spell, it only hit the horcrux because Voldemort was connected to it. Harry was left unscathed. When Voldemort cast the Avada Kedavra he hit the horcrux within Harry and killed a part of his soul and that was the reason why Harry was left undamaged and didn't die.
What is the rarest Patronus? ›1 Albatross
As the rarest Patronus in the Wizarding World possible, the Albatross represents an enormous bird that flies freely across any sea. This rare Patronus represents those who are simultaneously fearless, optimistic, happy-go-lucky, and ambitious.
Severus Snape's Patronus was also a doe, which symbolized his love for Lily. Snape uses his doe Patronus to show Dumbledore that he never fell out of love with Lily, his childhood best friend. Warner Bros.
What is Sirius Black's Patronus? ›Narcissa Malfoy's Very Dangerous Lie
But she was also a mother, which meant she was willing to risk everything to make sure her son was safe. When Harry survived Voldemort's Killing Curse for the second time, Narcissa pretended he was dead so she could get to Draco.
He would always resent Harry for being James' son instead of his. Snape even said that he didn't want anyone to find out that he was protecting Lily's child, “especially Potter's son” (pg. 679 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) because of his hatred for James.
Why did Snape become a Death Eater if he loved Lily? ›The only positive influence in his life, Lily, had essentially chosen James and allowed him and his friends to taunt and bully Snape. Even though he always loved Lily, Snape's love couldn't erase the pain and trauma from unrelenting adolescence. Snape joining the Death Eaters makes sense, as sad as it is.
Is Luna Lovegood a pure-blood? ›Wizarding world
Luna Lovegood is a Pureblood witch, who was sorted into Gryffindor House during Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.
Are all Death Eaters in Slytherin? ›
Peter Pettigrew, (a.k.a. Wormtail), is the only Death Eater known to have been in a House other than Slytherin (Gryffindor) while at Hogwarts.
Was Snape really on Dumbledore's side? ›Was Snape actually on Dumbledore's side? Knowing that Snape has been on the Dumbledore's side for all seven of the Harry Potter books reveals him as an extremely brave man and a truly skilled spy. Snape has had to face and deceive the terrifying Lord Voldemort constantly.
Who invented Avada Kedavra? ›History Of Avada Kedavra
The Killing Curse was created in the early Middle Ages by Dark witches and wizards. Primarily, the curse was used to quickly slay opponents during a duel.
During his final confrontation with Voldemort, Harry knew that he (Harry) was the Elder Wand's true master. He again cast Expelliarmus, ejecting the wand from Voldemort's hand into his own as the Killing Curse rebounded off his body, fatally striking Voldemort.
Is Ron a pure Blood? ›His first appearance was in the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as the best friend of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. He is a member of the Weasley family, a pure blood family that resides in "The Burrow" outside Ottery St.
Which Wizards are pure blood? ›"Pure-blood" is the term applied to wizards and witches who have no Muggle blood, Muggle-borns, or half-bloods at all in their family trees. They are the rarest of the three blood statuses, with J.K. Rowling stating that ten per cent of the wizarding community is made up of pure-bloods.
Why do the Malfoys hate Dumbledore? ›Lucius Malfoy had a strong dislike of Albus Dumbledore. This is due to two reasons – Dumbledore believed in Muggle rights which contradicted Malfoy's pure blood beliefs. In addition, Lucius was a Death Eater, so he believed that Lord Voldemort was a much more powerful wizard than Dumbledore.
Who is the heir of Gryffindor? ›Harry is the magical Heir of Gryffindor (and he's also a descendent of Godric), Neville of Hufflepuff, Hermione of Slytherin and Luna of Ravenclaw.
Is Credence actually Tom Riddle? ›However, after seeing the film, it's clear that Credence is probably not Tom Riddle, and here's why: Magic. Spoilers ahead. Tom Riddle Sr. is a Muggle — a No-Maj if you prefer. He's not magical in any way.
What is Leta Lestrange to Bellatrix? ›Born as Bellatrix Black, Bellatrix married into the Lestrange family, meaning she and Leta aren't related by blood. That makes Leta related to Bellatrix's husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, although that connection is no easier to find.
Is credence Barebone Voldemort father? ›
Before Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them came out, it seemed like the story's only real Potter connection would be Newt Scamander's relation to Luna Lovegood and a Dumbledore name-drop.
Who is Tom Riddle's brother? ›| Merope Gaunt | |
|---|---|
| Hair color | Faded |
| Eye color | Dull |
| Related Family | Morfin Gaunt, Marvolo Gaunt, Tom Marvolo Riddle |
| Loyalty | Tom Riddle |
Hagrid knows Voldemort's name, identity and past.
Voldemort's past, as revealed by the books, is shrouded in mystery and guesswork. In fact, at the beginning of the series, barely anyone but Dumbledore and Hagrid knew that Voldemort was the charming, successful Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Grindelwald later loses the wand to Dumbledore in a duel in 1945.
Did Albus know Credence is his nephew? ›While Albus was unaware of the child, he said that the boy would have been a part of their lives had he known. Furthermore, he confirms a long-held theory that his sister Ariana, who died during a three-way duel between Albus, Aberforth, and Grindelwald, was an Obscurial like Credence.
Why does Credence look like Snape? ›Credence's costume and hair change are so similar to Severus Snape's that it foreshadows his path in Fantastic Beasts 3 — consequently ruining his ending. Grindelwald abused Credence's need for an identity, telling him whatever he wanted to hear to secure his loyalty in his war against Dumbledore.
Is Credence really Dumbledore's son? ›It is explained that Credence is the illegitimate son of Albus's younger brother, Aberforth (Richard Coyle). His real name is Aurelius Dumbledore. Aberforth's wife was murdered, and Aurelius was raised under the name Credance as an orphan.
Was Snape actually a Death Eater? ›Yes, Severus Snape was a Death Eater. He was a loyal agent for Voldemort who eavesdropped on Sybill Trelawney and Albus Dumbledore. Snape then reported the prophecy he had overheard to Voldemort.
How did Snape cause Lily's death? ›While we know Voldemort killed Lily, he did give her a choice. If she stepped aside and allowed him to murder Harry, he would spare her. Lily refused and sacrificed herself to save her son.
When did Snape's worst memory happen? ›Snape's Worst Memory is the twenty-eighth chapter of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Is professor Snape Harry Potter's father? ›
Why did Snape switch sides? ›He switched sides because he could not remain on the side of people who had murdered Lily Potter. He switched sides so that she didn't die in vain, and to help protect her son. And he wasn't a double agent, he was a triple agent.
Why didn't Snape go to Azkaban for killing Dumbledore? ›The correct reasoning is that there were no eye-witnesses to the fact that Severus Snape had killed Dumbledore except Harry Potter so they could not outrightedly arrest him. Furthermore, Snape escaped with the Death-eaters and was hidden and protected by the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort himself.
Why did Lily not forgive Snape? ›Lily ended up hating Snape for what he did at school, his obsession with the Dark Arts and his friends. Snape didn't like Harry, he hated Har..." In the book, it stated that Snape had always cared for Harry. Snape constantly abused and humiliated Harry.
What were Snape's dying words? ›12. Snape's Last Words. In the [Deathly Hallows] book, Snape's dying words to Harry were "Look at me". Right then we did not realize the significance of his words but in the very next chapter when Harry goes through Snape's memories in the Pensieve, he comes to know how much Snape loved Lily.
What was Snape's Patronus before Lily died? ›A doe. And in his final battle with Lord Voldemort, Harry explained the significance of this to his adversary, and to us: 'Snape's Patronus was a doe,' said Harry, 'the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children'.
Why did Harry's dad bully Snape? ›James disliked and then outright hated Snape from the moment they met because, as he tells Lily, “Snape existed.” So nothing Snape said to Lily contributed to something that was already extreme, according to James himself.
Was Snape's mom a pure blood? ›Eileen Snape (née Prince) was the mother of Severus Snape. She was a pure-blooded witch who married a Muggle man named Tobias Snape. It is said that she was the original owner of the advanced Potions book that her son and Harry Potter would later come to own.
Did Snape care for Harry or just Lily? ›It turned out that Snape was in love with Harry Potter's mother, Lily, ever since they were children, and this love lasted beyond her death and into his own final moments. This is why it's so surprising that Snape ended up becoming a Death Eater in the first place.