Snape’s past and some thoughts about that Most of Snape’s past is in the dark with some few flickers of light Mrs Rowling graced us with. Most of what we know is described in the small scene Harry watches during his occlumency lessons in Goblet of Fire when he looks into Snape’s pensieve. We see that Snape gets tortured by Sirius Black and James Potter at the afternoon of his Defence against the Dark Arts O.W.L and then we see glimpses of his childhood where his father was obviously abusing him.

What does that tell us about Snape? The young Snape? He very likely wasn’t enjoying a happy childhood- which is a striking similarity to Harry. His parents or at least his father didn’t appear very caring and loving. Snape lives the life of a recluse mostly and he seems not a very social person who has trouble interacting with people. His defence seems to be the way of attack mostly. Maybe that is one of the reasons he enjoys torturing Neville so much. It is often found in abused people that they take over behaviour structures from their abusers in lack of other options. Maybe there was a time when Snape was very small and couldn’t do anything about the beatings and abusing and today being grown up and obviously a powerful wizard he despises these traits that once made him the perfect target for his father in others. Maybe Neville embodies the young Snape- probably not in his clumsiness but in the fact that he is easily scared and intimidated by others who are more powerful.

In light of the scene between Sirius and Snape we can also understand why he hates Gryffindors so much. Sirius humiliated him in front of others, tried to make him appear small and powerless again when he wasn’t and generally was very much like Snape’s father in many ways. He obviously enjoys hurting others, physically or mentally, when he is in control and for some obscure reason that is never fully explained Snape seemed to deserve this treatment in Sirius’ eyes. Now, I am not particularly fond of Sirius I admit but I try to understand him. Why was it that he hated Snape that much? Just because he was a Slytherin? Or because he tried to get the Marauders expelled? That seems not like a reason that justifies a hatred that was shown in Prisoner of Azkaban when he and Snape meet in the Shrieking Shack. Snape gets almost insane with rage and obviously he is ready to get Sirius killed by the Dementors. Normally Snape shows a behaviour that is controlled and cool without baring any emotion and I figure he likes being in control. That he looses his demeanour like this shows how much rage is still in him after all these years.

Clearly Snape’s dislike for Harry is because he is still angry that it was James Potter who saved him from Lupin in werewolf form and he hates to feel the obligation to be grateful to somebody who mimicked the behaviour of his father so many times- it doesn’t matter here if James did so for real or just in Snape’s eyes. Fact is that in all likelihood James and Sirius copied unconsciously Snape’s father and this makes Snape maybe project some of his hatred against his father on them. It would explain at least partially his behaviour in PoA and later throughout the story.

Now there is the topic of Lilly Potter. Many suggested that Snape was in love with her. We have no prove that he was in the books so far but if he was he obviously “”lost” her to James Potter at some time. He also insults her as a mudblood which is really the only time we get a slight prove that once in his life he believed in the racism that Lucius Malfoy shows regarding to bloodlines. But it is more likely that he threw that insult at Lilly because he didn’t want to be saved by her. He was 15 years old after all and in the middle of his adolescence where a masculine ego is very fragile. Nowhere in the story does he ever insult Hermione in this way; he calls her foolish Girl and know-it-all but never indicates that she is worth less than other witches because she is muggle born. I have trouble believing that Snape falls for things like this- granted he was a Slytherin and as such is inclined to believe in certain prejudices but from his behaviour I believe he didn’t truly think Lilly Potter was worth less because she was muggle born.

All in all there is much left to the speculation. We never get a glimpse into Snape’s mind and all the characterizations are from Harry’s point of view so they are clearly not objective. Snape remains a mystery but at least some of his behaviour appears understandable if you keep the fragments of scenes from the pensieve in mind.


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