Although no one within the Harry Potter universe may have realized it at the time, Lily Evans made one simple choice when she was still just a teenager that literally changed the course of wizard history in many ways. When she was a young girl she was the only real friend of Severus Snape, and Snape always harbored a deep love for Lily. And although she was one of the few people at Hogwarts who was entirely unimpressed by him, her fellow Gryffindor James Potter was also deeply infatuated with her as well.
Obviously Lily ultimately chose James Potter over Severus Snape, and Lily and James got married and had their only child, Harry Potter. But Lily could have just as easily made another choice, and despite some of Snape's more obvious negative qualities she certainly did have strong feelings for him as well.
Updated September 24th, 2021 by Hilary Elizabeth: Lily Potter's love life isn't just about romance. Although no one in the world understood it at the time, the person she fell in love with literally altered the course of Wizard history. This list has been updated with a few additional reasons why Lily might have been better off with Severus, and why James was the right choice all along.
Team James: Because They're More Alike Than Lily And Severus
Although Snape and Lily had a significant friendship, it's hard not to wonder if it was more a matter of coincidence than real feeling. Lily and Severus seem to have developed a bond because they were the first magical people they really connected to, but in terms of their actual personalities, they couldn't be more different.
However, when it comes to James and Lily, they seemingly have a lot more in common. They were both popular, charming, and outgoing, and they were both ferociously defensive friends.
Team Snape: Because Lily Could Help Him Grow
Severus was never the type of person to develop deep relationships with others. His family life was terrible, he didn't have many friends, and whatever camaraderie he found with the Death Eaters was superficial when he was still committed to the cause and a straight-up lie once he became a spy.
Although Snape grew up into adulthood, in the end, it seems like his friendship with Lily was the deepest connection he had to another person. If they had become a couple, it may have led to even greater personal development for Severus.
Team James: Because He Didn't Need Lily To Grow
On the other side of that coin though, the fact that Snape may have become a more mature individual through a relationship with Lily isn't exactly a reason they should fall in love. Lily's life shouldn't be determined by the fact that she could be a positive influence on someone else.
And, that is a pretty pointed reason why James was a better option for her. Yes, he did become a better man with Lily, but he didn't become a better man because of her. It was his choice to evolve and be kinder.
Team Snape: Because Their Relationship Could Have Been More Mature
One of the most interesting speculations to make about the Marauder generation of Harry Potter characters is who they would have become as adults. Yes, they were of age when all of these life-changing events occurred, but Lily began dating James in what was essentially her senior year in high school, and they both died in their very early twenties.
Most people develop far beyond the person that they are in their teens and young adulthood, and it's possible if not probable that Lily could have loved the man Severus became more than she loved James.
Team James: Because They Have Similar Ideals
James and Snape both had their less than stellar moments while they were at Hogwarts, but the sides that they took in the Wizarding War were essentially good versus evil.
While people can obviously change, the fact that James and Lily were both willing to risk their lives to defeat the Dark Lord says a great deal about them, and through that lens, it's easy to understand how they ended up together and why Lily never fell for Severus.
Team Snape: Because Of The Prophecy
There are some more legitimate reasons for Severus and Lily to have ended up together, but this is one of the most obvious. Severus Snape overhearing Professor Trelawney's prediction about the boy who lived set a series of events in motion that resulted in Lily's death and Harry's anointment as the chosen one (among other things), but if Snape had been with Lily then none of that would have even happened in the first place.
Some might argue that things had to happen in the way that they happened in order for Voldemort to be defeated anyway, but in a grotesque way, Lily would likely still be alive if she had chosen Snape over James.
Team James: Because He's A Ride Or Die Friend
Young James Potter undeniably had quite a lot of unappealing teenage boy qualities, but his fierceness as a friend definitely wasn't one of them. James demonstrated that he could be absolutely awful to people that he didn't like, but he didn't reject kids like Peter Pettigrew just because they weren't what everyone would consider cool.
And when it comes to Sirius and Remus, he went out on a limb for them many times. His family essentially adopted Sirius when the Black family rejected him, and he financially supported Remus when he couldn't find any employment as a result of his lycanthropic condition.
Team Snape: Because They Were Genuine Friends
Lily Evans was really the only friend that Severus Snape ever had, but he was her genuine friend from the jump. He always harbored a crush on her and eventually he acted like a complete ass because she didn't feel the same, but for quite a while there he was a wonderful and sincere friend to her.
Snape taught her all about the world of magic, and Lily showed Severus some kindness and caring when he had no friends and when his parents were apathetic jerks. Lily undoubtedly made Snape a better person, but their relationship was far from being one-sided.
Team James: Because He's Heroic
James and Lily were both students in Gryffindor, so it goes without saying that they have some natural bravery and boldness in them. But being brave doesn't necessarily mean that someone will also be good. And despite his missteps as an arrogant young boy, James did more than prove himself when it came time to stand up for what was right.
Both he and Lily were members of the First Order of the Phoenix and distinguished themselves as the (possible) subjects identified in the prophecy because they defied Voldemort three times over. James and Lily were sincere heroes from the very start, which makes them a perfect match.
Team Snape: Because She Could Have Brought Out The Hero In Him
James Potter certainly deserves some credit for being a good guy from the jump, but ultimately Severus Snape really has him beat in terms of heroism. Lily's death propelled Snape into becoming one of the most important and strongest heroes in the history of the wizarding world, and he was instrumental in bringing Voldemort's world crumbling down.
However, it would be really awesome if a woman didn't have to die in order to bring out the best in the man who loves her either. Lily and Severus didn't see eye to eye on the dark arts, but she could have shown Severus what greatness he was really capable of without perishing in order to do it.
Team James: Because He's Not Prejudiced Against Blood Status
James definitely isn't a man without flaws, but thankfully being bigoted or prejudiced doesn't seem to be one of them. As he demonstrated within his own friend group, he didn't reject Peter because he wasn't cool enough, he didn't reject Sirius because his family was dark wizards, and he didn't reject Remus for being a werewolf even though the entire wizarding world did.
And when Snape lashed out at Lily and called her a Mudblood, James didn't hesitate to jump to her defense even though she had done nothing but reject him. And who doesn't love a man who gives everyone a chance, even the underdogs and rejects?
Team Snape: Because Snape Would Die For Her
To be fair, James would (and did) willingly die for Lily too. But Snape loved Lily so much that he was willing to die just to avenge her. He would die just for the memory of her. Snape's love for Lily was so strong that losing her literally changed everything about him, and he was willing to dedicate the rest of his life to the destruction of the dark wizard that took her life.
Obviously, it was too little too late, but his devotion to Lily is far beyond what any average person would expect, and if Lily had chosen him then she would have had an entire lifetime to realize that.
Team James: Because Lily Made James A Better Person
James Potter was undoubtedly a good person at heart, but the childhood version of James was also a bit of a punk. James was an extremely popular and well-liked student at Hogwarts, but Lily Evans was one of the very few students who didn't seem to be the least bit impressed by him and wasn't willing to give him the time of day.
James always had it in him to be the great man that he became, but Lily made it clear that she wasn't going to settle for anything less, and when James decided to step his game up to woo her he also let his best qualities shine.
Team Snape: Because ALWAYS
If Severus Snape's devotion to Lily Evans wasn't apparent by the end of the entire Harry Potter series, there is one particular moment that undoubtedly sticks in the minds of every Harry Potter fan that makes his sincere and pure love for her completely undeniable.
As Snape is taking his last breaths he shares some of his memories with Harry, most notably the moment that Severus discovered that Lily had been killed and a moment where Dumbledore asks Snape if he still loves Lily after all this time. And of course, Severus responds with "always". It's easily one of the most heartbreaking moments of the series, and even the most hardened Snape hater couldn't deny how powerful it was.
Team James: Because Harry Had To Exist
Who knows where James and Lily's relationship would have gone if they had survived, but one of the biggest and most obvious reasons why they needed to be together when they were together was simply because Harry Potter wouldn't exist otherwise.
Theoretically, there may have been another wizard who could defeat Voldemort. For instance, Neville Longbottom could have been the chosen one and just as easily fit into Professor Trelawney's prophecy. But now that it's all said and done it's clear that Harry Potter lived up to every expectation of the boy who lived. And he wouldn't have lived at all if Lily hadn't chosen James over Severus.