Severus Snape is a complicated character. He has done a lot of awful things, and, even though he does get a redemption arc, this doesn’t completely excuse all of the horrible ways he treated people. Throughout the Harry Potter series, Severus Snape was a bit of an enigma. Harry could never quite tell if he was a good guy or if he was evil. It wasn’t until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that everything was revealed. During Harry’s years at Hogwarts, Snape definitely wasn’t the best professor, but some of his quotes from the early years of the series are revealing.
We’ve put together a list of the ten best Severus Snape quotes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
10. “LIBRARY BOOKS ARE NOT TO BE TAKEN OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL. GIVE IT TO ME. FIVE POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR.”
If there’s one thing about Snape that’s hard to excuse, it’s how he treated most of his students. While he might have treated Harry poorly because of misplaced anger at James Potter, he also treated other students poorly without having any real reason. He would often makeup rules and take points from students just to be cruel. This quote is just one instance of a time when Snape took points from Gryffindor just because he wanted to.
9. “YOU DON’T WANT ME AS YOUR ENEMY, QUIRRELL.”
Throughout Sorcerer's Stone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione believe it’s Snape that is trying to steal the sorcerer's stone. They are convinced he is the bad guy, and it's easy to see why. He seems like the sort of character who would do something like that. Also, when Harry overhears part of a conversation between Snape and Quirrell, it gives him the impression that Snape is bullying Quirrell. One thing’s for sure, hearing Snape say this line would be intimidating.
8. “FIGHTING IS AGAINST HOGWARTS RULES, HAGRID. GIVE POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR, WEASLEY.”
This is another instance where Snape is a really unfair professor. He only ever is kind or invested in Slytherins, and Draco Malfoy is by far his favorite student. When Ron and Draco get into a small fight, Snape, of course, blames Ron and takes points from Gryffindor.
He never keeps things equal, however, as he doesn’t take points from Draco in this instance or any other in the series.
7. “WE’LL HAVE ANOTHER LITTLE CHAT SOON, WHEN YOU’VE HAD TIME TO THINK THINGS OVER AND DECIDE WHERE YOUR LOYALTIES LIE.”
This is another quote from when Snape is talking to Professor Quirrel. Harry interrupts this to mean that Snape is trying to get Quirrell to come to the dark side and help him get to the stone. However, the truth is the opposite as it’s Quirrell who is trying to get the stone and Snape who is trying to protect it. But, Snape definitely would sound intense when saying this line.
6. “AS THERE IS LITTLE FOOLISH WAND WAVING HERE, MANY OF YOU WILL HARDLY BELIEVE THIS IS MAGIC.”
This is from the first time that Harry has a potion’s lesson with Snape. During this first class, Snape gives somewhat of a speech about the practice of potions making. What he has to say about potions is actually somewhat deep, and he makes many good points.
While positions might not be as dramatic as doing a spell, positions in the Harry Potter world can do a variety of things. They seem especially essential for medicinal purposes.
5. “HANGING AROUND LIKE THIS, PEOPLE WILL THINK YOU'RE UP TO SOMETHING.”
Snape definitely has his eye on Harry throughout the series, and this starts even in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Even this early on, Harry mentions how he gets the sense Snape can read minds which, as we learn later on in the series, he can. This gives this quote extra meaning as Snape probably knew they were planning to try and rescue the stone.
4. “MR. POTTER, OUR NEW CELEBRITY.”
This quote is one that is somewhat iconic and associated with Snape. However, it’s actually not from the books and is only a movie addition. Even if it’s not from the books, it’s a great quote, and the way Alan Rickman delivers this line is perfect.
While Snape might not have said that in the books, it still gets to the essence of how he treats Harry in the first potions lesson.
3. “TUT TUT, FAME CLEARLY ISN’T EVERYTHING.”
This quote is also from the first potions lesson that Harry has as a first year. It’s similar to the above line in that Snape is making fun of Harry’s celebrity status. Snape is very unfair in this instance as he insinuates that Harry is attention-seeking. He also tries to make a full of him for not knowing things that most first years don’t know. Clearly, this is just Snape having a vendetta, and it’s rather pathetic.
2. “I CAN TEACH YOU TO BOTTLE FAME, BREW GLORY, EVEN STOPPER DEATH…”
With this line, Snape goes further into the amazing things that potions can do. He points out that potions making can produce results that wand waving can’t. The potions in the Harry Potter world can be extremely powerful and potent. They can make someone fall in love, make someone have good luck, and regrow bones. It’s no wonder Snape wants his students to take the class seriously.
1. “WELL? WHY AREN’T YOU ALL COPYING THAT DOWN?”
When Snape first meets the first years, he definitely makes a strong impression. Having Snape as a professor, especially as an eleven-year-old, would definitely be terrifying. He expects his students to read his mind and know what he wants from them, and he never has any patience or affection for his students. He might be a great potion’s master, but this definitely doesn’t make him a good teacher. It’s also amazing that he never gets in trouble for how poorly he treats his students.