Summary
When rereading theHarry Potterbooks, it’s clear that the twists and turns surrounding Snape’s character were planned from the beginning. Severus Snape was always an intriguing character in Harry’s story, with his moral alignment remaining uncertain until the very end. However, as early asHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, subtle hints were being dropped about who Snape was and where his loyalties lay. Though easy to miss the first time around, rereading theHarry Potterseries reveals the ways in which Snape’s big twist was foreshadowed.
Snape’s twist was revealed at theend ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—he had once been best friends with Harry’s mother, Lily Evans. However, the two had a falling out when Snape continued to align with pure-blood ideology. Without Lily’s good influence, Snape’s path toward Darkness was accelerated, and he became a Death Eater shortly after leaving Hogwarts School. Eager to impress Lord Voldemort, Snape passed on an overheard prophecy about a boy who would become the Dark Lord’s downfall, leading to Lily’s death. From then on,Snape became a double agent, which wasn’t easy to pull off.
Every Harry Potter Book, Ranked Worst To Best
Every reader of the Harry Potter series will rank the books differently, but some installments stand out as the best due to their superior writing.
Severus Snape’s Occlumency Leads Into The Character’s Biggest Harry Potter Twist
Snape Couldn’t Have Been A Double Agent Without Occlumency
Being a double agent in the wizarding world is no easy task. The only reason that Snape managed it is because he was a skilled Occlumens, meaning he had the ability to block his mind from being read. Lord Voldemort was likely the most skilled Legilimens—a wizard who can read minds—in the wizarding world, which meant that Snape couldn’t just make his mind empty to convince the Dark Lord he was on his side. Instead,Snape had to use Occlumency to clear his thoughts of anything incriminating while replacing those memories with new fake onesthat would earn the Dark Lord’s favor.
At this point, Harry already knew that Snape was working as a double agent for the Order of the Phoenix, though he didn’t fully trust that his Potions Master wasn’t actually on Voldemort’s side.
Snape explained this inHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixwhile givingHarry Occlumency lessons. At this point, Harry already knew that Snape was working as a double agent for the Order of the Phoenix, though he didn’t fully trust that his Potions Master wasn’t actually on Voldemort’s side. It wasn’t until Harry saw preciselywhatSnape was using Occlumncy to conceal—his unending love for Lily Potter and the regret he felt for his role in her death— that he fully trusted the man.
Snape’s Skill As A Legilimens Was Teased Long Before Order Of The Phoenix
Snape’s skill in Occlumency and Legilimency was key in his finalHarry Pottertwist, and though this skill itself wasn’t revealed untilHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it washinted at early inHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. At one point, during one of Harry’s early interactions with the Potions professor,Harry thought that it sometimes looked as if Snape was reading his mind, with piercing eye contact and uncomfortable focus. At this point in the story, the Boy Who Lived didn’t know much about magic, nor did the readers. Now, however, we know that Harry’s instincts were correct:
“Harry didn’t know whether he was imagining it or not, but he seemed to keep running into Snape wherever he went. At times, he even wondered whether Snape was following him, trying to catch him on his own. Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture, Snape was so horrible to Harry. Could Snape possibly know they’d found out about the Sorcerer’s Stone? Harry didn’t see how he could — yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.”
The Harry Potter Books Set Up Snape’s Story From The Very Beginning In Other Ways
It’s Clear When Rereading The Harry Potter Books That Snape’s Story Was Planned In Advanced
The secret ability that made Snape such an excellent double agent wasn’t the only thing theHarry Potterbooks set up early on. The truth about Snape loving Lily is spattered throughout the story. First,in nearly every interaction between Snape and Harry, Rowling would draw attention to the pair looking directly into each other’s eyes. This went beyond Legilimency, and the fact that Snape’s final words to Harry were begging the boy to look him in the eyes solidifies the matter. ThroughoutHarry Potter, Snape took every opportunity he can to look into Lily’s green eyes.
This is only the beginning. InHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Aunt Petunia said that she overheard “that boy” telling Lily about dementors when they were children. Harry assumes that she is referring to James, but it’s later revealed that Petunia has eavesdropped on Snape talking about Azkaban prison. Then, inHalf-Blood Prince, frequent references are made to Lily’s skill at potion-making, and the final reveal that Snape was the one behind Harry’s potion book is a subtle hint at their connection. Then, of course, there arethe questions Snape asked Harry during their first lesson, which can be decoded to point to regret over Lily’s death.
InHalf-Blood Prince, frequent references are made to Lily’s skill at potion-making, and the final reveal that Snape was the one behind Harry’s potion book is a subtle hint at their connection.
Overall, thehints about Snape’s twist endingwere highly subtle, but they stand out like a sore thumb when rereading the series. It’s evident that Rowling knew from the beginning what her plan was for the Potions Master, and this included his higher-than-average skill at Occlumency and Legilimency—it was all laid out from the very beginning ofHarry Potter.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
