The Hidden Tragedy Of Snape's Sacrifice Is He Died At 20, Not 38

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.

So trueee!

Like- there are so many characters who have done so much worse in the series!

Haters be like “Snape was just as bad, worse even than James, because he bullied students.”

Honestly, Snape’s behaviour gets blown so out of proportion. Because other than verbal barbs and once threatening a toad, Snape didn’t really do anything. He didn’t put students in deliberate danger, didn’t hex students, didn’t assault anyone. Snape gives students detention and they have to clean. McGonagall gives students detention and they wind up in the Forbidden Forest!

One time, he threw a jar at Harry after Harry *checks notes* oh yeah, looked into Snape’s memories without permission and witnessed his worst memory of being assaulted.

So no, I don’t want to hear the “he bullied students” argument. When in context, he was no worse than any other teacher and far worse had been done to him.

𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

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(Severus Snape x Reader)

Day 1: Warmth

Day 2: Garden

Day 3: Haunt

Day 4: Torn

Day 5: Pillow (headcannon)

Day 6: Roots

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People don't like Snape because he's the most realistic person in the book. There, I said it.

Specifically, people who don't like Snape and think he deserved his bullying and claim that he's a completely evil man.

They don't like the fact that their worst behaviour is mirrored at them. That this is actually how they would be if they went through this sort of bullshit.

Humans aren't as good as we think we are. We all think we'd be the sassy, funny, ultimately good Harry Potter. We think 'Oh, I'd never be like Snape, I'm better than that'.

But truly? Humans can be serious assholes.

Hurt people hurt people. Even without trying.

Snape's not evil. He's a broken human, and if you don't understand that, then you probably don't understand humans

Chaos Club

Barty, teaching Bellatrix to drive: Okay, you're driving and Narcissa and Regulus walk into the road. Quick, what do you hit?

Bellatrix: Oh, definitely Regulus. I could never hurt Cissy.

Barty, massaging his temples: The brakes. You hit the bloody brakes.

Self-indulgent Slytherin!Lily (+same age Narcissa) AU comic inspired by a post going around a bit ago on how Snape has mad scientist vibes and likely experimented on himself.  He’s just all about self-improvement, huh?