I Read Your Post About Regulus But I Gotta Say, Im Not Totally On Board. Just Cause He Was The Good Son

I read your post about Regulus but I gotta say, I’m not totally on board. Just ‘cause he was the ‘good son’ doesn’t really mean he was loved, you know? A lot of the time, being the perfect heir—joining the Death Eaters keeping up the family’s image is more about duty than being genuinely cared for. It doesn’t mean he was happy even if his parents were proud of him for it.

I believe the reason fans create headcanons for characters like Draco and Regulus, imagining that they joined the Death Eaters due to torture or coercion, is because they don’t have a clear understanding of Voldemort's position within the pure-blood society. They assume that from the beginning, Voldemort was seen as a snake-like, crazed terrorist and murderer by the wizarding world.

But as I’ve explained in this post, Voldemort, especially during the First Wizarding War, was a charismatic and influential leader, almost like a celebrity. He rose to power with promises of restoring greatness to the wizarding world, and as mentioned in the books, much of the wizarding society supported him. For many, especially the youth, joining the Death Eaters wasn’t seen as shameful or horrifying. On the contrary, it was exciting and prestigious, like getting accepted into an elite university.

Regarding your argument, I think fans are free to create their own theories and headcanons about their favorite characters. However, it's important to remember that these are just fan interpretations, not canon. It doesn’t make sense to compare fan-made headcanons with the canon traits of another character like snape. We could create similar headcanons for any character. For instance, we could speculate that Harry Potter suffered sexual abuse from his uncle, or that Percy Weasley was the result of an unwanted pregnancy, which is why Molly never seemed to favor him. But in the end, what truly matters in analyzing canon characters is the author's intent and the clues provided in the actual story. This is especially important when discussing side characters like Regulus Black, where we have fewer details. We need to focus on the purpose the author had in creating the character and the information given in the story.

J.K. Rowling didn’t intend for Regulus Black to be a victim of abuse or neglect. She didn’t suggest that he joined the Death Eaters because his mother tortured him with the Cruciatus Curse. If that had been the case, Rowling would have left clear hints throughout the seven books. But that’s not the story she wanted to tell. Instead, she portrayed Regulus as the favored son of a fanatical pure-blood family, loved and admired by his parents, to the point that it made his older brother jealous. She wanted to show how deeply Voldemort’s ideology had permeated wizarding society, to the extent that young people idolized him like a celebrity. The fact that Regulus willingly offered his house-elf to Voldemort for a dangerous mission tells us a lot. It shows how much Voldemort trusted him and how far Regulus was willing to go to prove his loyalty. But as Rowling mentioned in interviews, Regulus wasn’t ready for the harsh reality of the Death Eaters’ world. He quickly realized that the real Voldemort was far from the idealized image he had in his mind. At that moment, Regulus transformed from a misguided teenager into a brave man, trying to make amends for his mistake by sacrificing his life.

Reducing his story to that of an abused teenager takes away the depth of his character and diminishes the impact of his redemption arc.

Unfair Comparisons (part 3)

Here are descriptions of two boys from HP books. It’s hard to believe, but Harry Potter fans claim that boy number one had a very tragic and difficult childhood, suffering abuse, violence, and neglect from his family. These hardships caused him to experience a tough and insecure adolescence, eventually leading him to join the Death Eaters under pressure. On the other hand, fans claim the boy number two is a racist and a professional killer, who in his youth tried to join the Death Eaters in order to freely torment Muggles with dark magic.

1- Regulus Black:

Beneath this was a collection of yellow newspaper cuttings, all stuck together to make a ragged collage. Hermione crossed the room to examine them. ‘They’re all about Voldemort,’ she said. ‘Regulus seems to have been a fan for a few years before he joined the Death Eaters ...“

He was younger than me, said Sirius, ‘and a much better son, as I was constantly reminded.’ ‘But he died,’ said Harry. ‘Yeah,’ said Sirius. ‘Stupid idiot … he joined the Death Eaters.“

2- Severus snape:

Suddenly Harry’s mind was teeming with memories that were not his — a hook-nosed man was shouting at a cowering woman, while a small dark-haired boy cried in a corner. …

Two girls were swinging backward and forward, and a skinny boy was watching them from behind a clump of bushes. His black hair was overlong and his clothes were so mismatched that it looked deliberate: too short jeans, a shabby, overlarge coat that might have belonged to a grown man, an odd smocklike shirt.

"Oh yes, they’re arguing", said Snape. He picked up a fistful of leaves and began tearing them apart, apparently unaware of what he was doing. "But it won’t be that long and I’ll be gone". "Doesn’t your dad like magic?" "He doesn’t like anything, much", said Snape. 

One of the boys sharing the compartment, who had shown no interest at all in Lily or Snape until that point, looked around at the word, and Harry, whose attention had been focused entirely on the two beside the window, saw his father: slight, black-haired like Snape, but with that indefinable air of having been well-cared-for, even adored, that Snape so conspicuously lacked.

J.K. Rowling: Well, that is Snape's tragedy. Given his time over again he would not have become a Death Eater, but like many insecure, vulnerable people (like Wormtail) he craved membership of something big and powerful, something impressive.

I love both Regulus and Severus, and I believe they were both brave boys who made mistakes and tried to make up for them by risking their lives. But there’s something in the fanbase that bothers me regarding these two characters. It’s that Snape’s story is erased from him and given to Regulus Black. I haven't found any evidence of Regulus being tortured or forced to join the Death Eaters, as described in the books. He willingly joined Voldemort because he was fan of voldemort. Moreover, according to Sirius, Regulus was well-liked within his family, and his parents not only didn’t mistreat him, but they actually loved him more than Sirius.

I’m tired of constantly seeing people say that Regulus was a saint while Snape was a sadistic murderer. I can’t believe people can read these lines from the books and still claim that Regulus was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse and abused by his family in childhood, which forced him to join the Death Eaters due to his traumatic upbringing. But Snape? Oh, apparently, he was born to be a racist, torturer, sadist, and murderer from day one.

Aren’t you tired of these ridiculous double standards? Aren’t you fed up with constantly insisting that fanfictions and TikTok videos are canon?

Snape Artists Deserve Better

Since joining the Snape fandom, I’ve noticed something that really stands out. Compared to other character-based fan communities, the Snape fandom feels overlooked. There’s also a lot of negativity aimed at him, mostly stirred up by Marauders fans and "Snaters." This creates a tough environment, especially for artists and creators who focus on Snape. Unfortunately, their work doesn’t receive the recognition or support it deserves, which can be really discouraging.

I’ve seen so many amazing Snape artworks—pieces that have clearly taken tons of effort and time—get completely ignored. Meanwhile, similar artwork of the Marauders (including characters we barely know anything about like Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas… ) gets thousands of likes and shares in just a few days, quickly spreading across social media platforms. This isn’t just about Tumblr Art, either. The same thing happens with Snape videos on TikTok. They often don’t get the attention they deserve, no matter how well-made.

What’s worse is that even casual Harry Potter fans—those who aren’t part of the Snape or Marauders fandoms—are afraid to post anything about Severus Snape. They worry about the backlash they might face. If they decide to write about him, draw him, or make a video, they often feel like they need to constantly explain that they’re not "Snap supporter" or "Snape fan" and that they’re just creating art. Otherwise, they’ll get bombarded with nasty comments.

This whole situation has made artists hesitant to spend time on Snape-related content. They know it either won’t get the attention it deserves or they’ll face a wave of negativity that makes them regret ever posting it. It’s really sad to see so many talented artists being pushed away because of this toxic environment.

I totally feel for these artists, writers, and overall Snape content creators. Sharing your work takes a lot of courage, especially when you know it might be met with negativity. Art is meant for expression and creativity, so it's tough when those who put their heart into it feel like their work isn’t appreciated.

I don’t know how much longer this toxic atmosphere toward Snape, his fans, and the artists who create content about him will last, but it’s just not fair. Every artist deserves to share their work without fear and get the recognition and support they’ve earned.

The Hidden Tragedy of Snape's Sacrifice is He Died at 20, Not 38

Where does the idea of selfish Severus Snape and his possessive love come from? Do people really believe that Snape died in the Shrieking Shack at 38, at the hands of Voldemort? Do they honestly think that, until he was 38, he lived a normal, happy life, full of hope and dreams, right up until that last minute when everything was suddenly ripped away from him?

Snape didn’t just die in that moment. His life ended 18 years earlier, when he was 20 years old, standing on a hill in front of Dumbledore. That’s when he gave up everything—his freedom, his future, and his life—in exchange for the safety of the Potter family: James, Lily, and Harry.

From that moment on, Snape no longer lived for himself. He had no control over his own fate; his life had been bargained away to protect others. Every step he took after that was part of a long, ongoing sacrifice.

People say they don’t like Snape because he didn’t make up for his mistakes the way he should have, that his redemption arc wasn’t complete. Excuse me? I’m not sure what more a person can give than their life. What’s more precious than their time and youth? What’s more important than their freedom? Snape sacrificed all of that—what else did he even have left to give?

He was barely out of his teenage years when he chose to give up everything—his youth, his dreams, his ambitions, even his loyalty—for people who didn’t care about him. Yet, Snape stayed on that path with unwavering courage for the next 18 years, never backing down.

In truth, Severus Snape was a boy who lost his life at 20. The only thing is, they didn’t bury him until he was 38.

Marauders fandom logic when it comes to the werewolf prank is this: even if Snape had been killed, you couldn’t blame Sirius because he didn’t force Snape to go to the Shrieking Shack. It was Snape who wanted to stalk the Marauders and find out their secret It was his own fault...

If we’re going to blame Snape for following the Marauders and say he "deserved" to be killed by the werewolf prank because he was too suspicious, then shouldn’t Harry Potter also "deserve" to be killed by Malfoy’s curses in bathroom?

Or maybe Harry deserved the bullying and the worst things because he used his invisibility cloak to stalk Malfoy at Slughorn's party, trying to spy on him and eavesdrop secretly.

After all, Harry is the one who followed Malfoy, got suspicious, and tried to uncover what he was doing, right?

How can we justify praising Harry’s curiosity and bravery while condemning Snape for doing the exact same thing? The double standard is disgusting.

Just a reminder: Snape was a year younger than Harry during the werewolf prank.

I Was Bullied Too, So Why Didn’t I Turn Out Like Severus Snape?

I came across an anti-Snape post where someone shared their experience of being bullied in school. They said that even though they were bullied, they were able to overcome it, which is why they admired James Potter—because he changed and stopped being a bully. However, they hate Snape for not being able to move on from his past.

Everyone has the right to hate or love the characters based on their taste but What bothers me is how people often compare their own trauma to others' and disregard the genetic and environmental differences that shape us as individuals. I’ve decided to write a long post comparing my own life with Snape’s—two people who were both bullied as children. it was difficult for me to write this post, but I hope this comparison shows that not everyone who experiences bullying ends up the same. The variances in our upbringing and support systems play a crucial role in shaping who we become.

When I was seven years old, I was mocked and humiliated by a group of older girls on the school bus (they were eleven at the time). They made it clear that they bullied me because I was smaller and weaker than them. They treated me in a way that made me believe I deserved their bullying. I thought a weak and ugly girl like me was deserving of all their humiliation. They would mess up my hair, pull it, and ridicule me for having messy and ugly hair. Whenever I cried, they laughed. They didn't even let me be friends with other girls. To torment me further, they would point at me, whisper to each other, and giggle, making me feel even more isolated. I had allergies and a runny nose, and they wouldn’t let me wipe it, which they used as another reason to belittle me, saying I was disgusting. Even if there was an empty seat, they wouldn’t let me sit with them because I was "gross." I was terrified of them, hated school because of them, and cried every morning, begging not to go to school.

But why didn’t I turn out like Severus Snape?

1- I grew up like a normal child in every other aspect of my life. I was cared for and valued. I always had birthday parties with cake and gifts. I was praised when I got good grades. I had friends outside of school to play with, went on family vacations, and had fun times. From childhood to adulthood, I’ve had a safe home, enough sleep, good food, and a loving family.

2- I had parents who loved and cared about me. When my mother found out about the bullying, she went to the school and demanded they stop it. My parents also enrolled me in a private school to protect me from further bullying. When I started having nightmares and trouble sleeping, they took me to a child therapist.

3- My grandparents adored me. I would stay at their house when my parents were at work, and they made my childhood even more joyful. I always had safe arms to run to. Plus, my aunts and uncles cared for me and regularly took me to parks and other fun places, showering me with gifts and making sure I enjoyed my time.

4- My family had a respectable place in society, and I was never shamed or humiliated because of my family's circumstances. My father cared for me, my sister, and my mother, and he worked hard to provide for our needs. He respected my mother, and I never witnessed any abuse from him toward her.

5- My family had a stable income, and I always had new, appropriate clothes to wear. I never had to worry about poverty, hunger, or wearing hand-me-downs that would make me feel inferior to my peers.

6- My bullies mocked me, but they never caused me serious physical harm. I never feared for my life or sexual assault at school. The bullying was short-lived, lasting less than two years, and by the time I was a teenager, it had completely stopped. As I grew older, I made plenty of good friends and was popular among them. I have many fond memories from high school with my friends.

7- As a teenager, I didn’t worry about my future. My concerns were not about surviving a war, avoiding humiliation, or escaping poverty. I was free to plan my life, knowing I would go to university and study what I loved. Whenever I needed help, I knew I could count on my family—they were always there to support me.

8- I’m a psychology student, and studying this field has completely shifted my perspective on myself and others. It has allowed me to see the world with greater depth and empathy. I’ve become better at recognizing not only my own psychological wounds but also those of others, which has helped me connect with people on a deeper level. I've also sought therapy, both in-person and online, and have seen positive results. While I still struggle with some issues from my past—like feeling insecure about my appearance, doubting people’s motives, and having a hard time trusting—I’ve learned how to manage these feelings fairly well.

All of these factors combined have shaped me into someone different from Severus Snape. Yes, I was bullied, but I didn’t turn out like him because, unlike Snape, I was given numerous opportunities to grow, to experience love and joy, to heal, and to find pleasure in life.

Now, It’s much easier for someone like me to be kind and nice to others, to love people, to forgive myself and others, and to move on from those who don’t like me. It’s easier for me to see the world and people not as threats but with a more mature and balanced perspective. but I’m under no illusion that I am a better and more worthy person than Severus Snape or anyone like him who didn’t have the chance to heal. I simply know that I’ve been luckier, and for that, I’m grateful. But I never want to dismiss or belittle the suffering of others or blame them for their psychological struggles.

I can’t say for certain what I would’ve done in Snape’s exact situation or how bitter I might’ve become. But I’m certain of one thing: I could never be as brave or as selfless as Snape was, sacrificing his own life so readily for others. I know that I could never be a hero like him.