One Of The Hardest Things Ive Experienced As A Fan Of My Favorite Character Is Trying To Deny The Truth

One of the hardest things I’ve experienced as a fan of my favorite character is trying to deny the truth of his fate. I find myself imagining that, in the end, he gets what he truly deserved—that he breaks free from all the pain and finally finds peace. I read fanfiction and picture him smiling, feeling joy, and healing. Love reaches him at last, and the warmth of happiness surrounds him. But then, reality hits. I come across a post that reminds me none of this ever happened. The pain never released him. He never knew peace, never felt the happiness he deserved. In the end, he simply died—alone, unloved, and broken. All that remained with him was the heavy burden of his unfulfilled dreams, weighing on him until the very end.

My sister was listening to Eminem’s Mockingbird, and all I could think was: if Snape had ever been a dad, I 100% picture him as that line:

'I’m trying to give you the life that I never had.'

That’s just how I see him. I know, I know, he had so many scars and deep emotional wounds, but here’s the thing: Snape is one of those selfless men who would do anything for love and protection. So I can totally imagine his love for his child pushing him to break the cycle of pain that he inherited from his own parents.

Snape as a dad? Yeah, he’d have his flaws, but he'd still give everything to make sure his kid never faced the same trauma he did.

I honestly don't understand where the idea of Snape being ugly and him spending his entire life alone because he was "so ugly no one could love him" comes from. And I’m not just talking about Snaters here.

Even many Snape fans insist that any artwork of him or the actor chosen for his role must have a hideous, monstrous face. I constantly see posts where people demand a "disgusting, ugly Snape" because they say, “that’s canon Snape.”

Yes, Snape doesn’t fit conventional beauty standards, and he’s never described as handsome. But that doesn’t mean we should turn him into some kind of grotesque creature with zero appeal. This is yet another instance where Snape’s character falls victim to a black-and-white worldview. Just because someone isn’t described as beautiful doesn’t automatically make them hideous or unbearable to look at.

(Part of the idea that canon Snape must be ugly and repulsive seems to stem from the fact that he came from a working-class background and didn’t appear to have any romantic relationships. It’s as if people forget that the real obstacle between Snape and a romantic relationship with Lily was his obsession with the Dark Arts—not his looks, his clothes, or his lack of wealth.)

I can think of plenty of people in the real world who are like Snape. They’re not stunningly beautiful, but they’re not ugly either. They have average, normal faces, and some might even be attractive or "hot" depending on personal taste.

They’re not really drawn to the core of the Harry Potter series—the timeless struggle between good and evil. To them, the classic Harry Potter story feels too straightforward, maybe even dull. What they crave instead is drama, excitement, and the thrill of romantic entanglements between attractive teenage boys. That’s why they’ve reinvented the characters, crafting entirely new identities that align with their personal fantasies.

For them, being a Death Eater isn’t about the dark reality of supporting Voldemort; it’s an exciting, almost glamorous role—a group of charming, magnetic boys with deep, dramatic connections. Death Eaters become this edgy, rebellious clique, full of passion and intrigue. The only time they actually demonize the Death Eaters and paint them as brutal terrorists is when Severus Snape enters the picture. Suddenly, they’re monsters again—but until then, it’s all about their idealized, romantic version of the world, where the lines between good and evil are blurred to make way for their fantasies.

w h a t

Honestly- the Marauders fandom doesn’t make much sense. They add slytherin characters to the marauders friend group (which was really just the four canonically- James, Peter, Sirius and Remus.) Regulus and Sirius had a strained relationship for a good portion of their lives- the other slytherin’s would’ve joined the DE’s (Regulus did as well and was a Voldemort fantic.)

It would be more likely that Regulus, Evan, and the other slytherin members they added to the marauders would be friends with Lucius and possibly Severus rather than the marauders like they claim.

Let’s not forget the fact that the Marauders canonically don’t like the slytherin house and picked on Severus for wanting to be in it, why would they be so open to being friends with slytherin students when they absolutely despised the house??

Hey I just read your post and to be honest, I completely agree with you! It's refreshing to see someone challenging the notion that he was alone because he was ugly.

But now I'm curious: how do you picture Snape? Is there an actor you've always thought would have nailed the role?

Hey Anon!

Unfortunately, I don’t have a specific actor in mind who perfectly matches my vision of Snape, but there’s a lot of artwork out there that aligns really well with how I imagine him. I’ll try to include some of those in this post.

My top pick would definitely be @ kdrobz’s work. I think the way they portray Snape fits Rowling’s canon version of him so well, and I’m a huge fan of their art:

@ravmint has also captured him in a really compelling way. I absolutely love the expression in this art; it gives off a mix of sadness, detachment and underlying anger that feels spot on:

These are a few more pieces I found on Pinterest that I think really match canon Snape, though sadly I’m not sure who the artists are:

And here’s a female version of Severus Snape that matches my own vision:

Even in childhood, I knew the light was always yours, and even in death, it remains so. But the darkness was always mine, following me into my final breaths, just as it had shadowed me all my life.