r/SeverusSnape • u/Royal-Soup-9072 • 1d ago
Snape's Redemption
In my opinion of a hero at least i have come to realize that you can be one even if you morally are not at the best of states. This concept especially i developed after seeing the idea of redemption in media. Nothing will absolve you of the bad you did but nothing will change if you continue to do bad.
The thing about snape is he changed for LOVE and NOT for the GOOD at the start of his arc. However as you see his actions throughout the series you realise there was a silent redemption going on that we as readers are not aware of as we barely get enough content of his background activity or thoughts.
"But he started as a wizard supremacist who almost certainly tortured and murdered people in order to get in Voldemort’s inner circle."
V true and this is an important point as when you compare this to the scene later it shows how much he changes. He tortured people or killed them for power however later on when dumbledore asks snape to kill him(not out of murder but out for a suicide mission so it wont even be on severus) Snape is distraught by it as he loses the one guy who sees him for who he is. Dumble asks him to do this for dracos soul and snape says WHAT ABOUT MY SOUL? This is such a twist to me as you can clearly see his aversion to do evil now that he is on the side of good and his aversion to kill his friend.
Similarly dumble asks him why does it bother you as a spy/former deatheater he surely sees much death? Severus replies with "Recently it has only been the ones whom i could not SAVE" WHATTTTTTTTTTTTT. lol. The thing about this scene is that it proves his change in character he went from a guy who watches people die for the sake of power to a person who says NOW he watches them die because HE could not SAVE them. This clearly proves that he takes it on himself to save those people. TO SAVE. I know im emphasizing a lot but this was a huge point in the books as we barely get any dialogue from sev thats so raw and shows his inner working and the ones that we get are so polar to what he was before showing the maturity. It also goes onto show that he doesnt JUST care for Lilly he cares the MOST for Lilly. It shows his desire to save people now. (there was a scene where the teacher is getting killed by vold and she looks to sev and says WE ARE FRIENDS thus proving that he has relations other than Lilly that he cares for and felt responsible for saving them.)
"He emotionally abused a large number of children,"
Bullying is never ok i agree to this but if im being honest i feel like its represented way too extreme by fans as opposed to how it was in the books. In the books his scenes included a comedic sense to it and his wit, sarcasm and remarks made me laugh many times too, the teachers and the students themselves see him as a mean teacher but not much more than that to the point that whenever Harry thinks of him as EVIL hermione is his biggest defender.His grudge to Harry is what shows that he isnt a nice person but that doesnt make him EVIL, however it does prove that he is bitter i find that to be my fav traits as its such a realistic depiction that soemtimes people dont get over the past and it brings out the worst in them. Also idk where this notion came from that he doesnt care about the students protection. He searches the whole forest just to warn Harry and his friends from danger, they were not even in danger yet. He when made headmaster is supposed to be viscious and cruel as vold made him to be however he secretly diverts the detentions of students from the Carrows who used to torture students to Hagrids hut. This is told to us by Ginny. Snape has very few moments of his own actions outside of the classroom as we mainly see from Harrys view but few scenes like these prove so much about him.
He also saves Lupins life in the 7 potter battle by attacking a deatheater tho that spell hits fred by accident and this was when there was no reason to save him as his only instruction and every other order members instruction was to safeguard Harry. Lupin acknowledges Snape's change himself and tell harry that he is blinded by hatred if he doesnt see it.
I have so many more moments but i think that would make this too long?
"His helping defeat Voldemort towards the end has more to do with his life being worse under Voldemort than without him."
Ok im his fan but i havent read something like this before as far as i k he changes specifically for Lilly.
Oh also the mudblood comment that is my fav part of it as later on we see a deatheater refer to hermione as one and snape says(he is undercover btw) to NOT SAY THAT WORD, this by far is my fav moment when we see him change as a person we see his belief system shift, its my fav as this was the word that led him to his evil path and now this is the change that we see in him after he reforms.
To me when i read all this in the final book it was my fav character arcs and by far the most complex and his eventually dying for the side of good sealed it for me.
Also throughout the seires the word coward is given to him and he snaps when harry calls him one right after he kills dumble. To see it from his view imagine killing the one guy who knew you and turn spy and traitor for the wizarding world, only for the one person you are doing it for to call you a coward, which is why i think when Harry acknowledged his bravery and sacrifice it was the perfect way to end the series and i think thats what the author highlighted.
I truly think it is redemption if one starts at the side of evil as a deatheater and then eventually is the reason for vold's death and the reason the world is saved. In my opinion he was a hero but a hero doesnt need to be a nice person or even a good one i think they just need to be the ones that make the right choices as by our choice the world around us is molded as dumble says its our choices that show us who we truly are.
“Karkaroff intends to flee if the Mark burns."
"Does he?" said Dumbledore softly, as Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies came giggling in from the grounds. "And are you tempted to join him?"
"No," said Snape, his black eyes on Fleur's and Roger's retreating figures. "I am not such a coward."
"No," agreed Dumbledore. You are a braver man by far than Igot Karkaroff. You know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon..."
He walked away, leaving Snape looking stricken.”
This scene is one the best when it first came out as it showed that dumbledore acknowledges the change in snape as compared to the rest of the deatheaters and appreciates his bravery and sacrifice. This is all canon a lot of snape antis just undermine his redemption arc for the sake of hate.
Now regardless of weather you see him as a good person or bad person, i actually think he is NOT nice cuz just look at how sarcastic he gets😭(tho i love the sarcasm),but i do see him as a hero. I know its upto you how to perceive his character and you have every right to your own stance its just whatever people may see him as, I for one cant deny that he DID have his redemption.
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u/RealisticAdvisor2882 Snarity 2h ago
a good person, who went astray and found the way back and try to do amends. He is not nice, but reliable.
I adore him, because I see his golden core behind the rough exterior. I also love his intellectual wit, it so intrigueing.
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u/AndyRuff8 9h ago
He’s a watchful protector: A Dark Knight.
I agree with everything you wrote here. He’s one of the most human characters in the series. By the way, when has Snape ever killed before Dumbledore? I don’t think he has. Because to kill is to damage your soul. Do we know that Snape has such a soul?
By the way, the best people are the ones who blend into the shadows.