One significant reason for Harry Potter's success is its abundance of intriguing characters. A lot of them are obvious heroes from the start, while others stand on the opposite side and never become more than villains. And then there are those who walk the fine line between the two, such as Severus Snape.
Snape first appeared in the books as a teacher at Hogwarts but it soon became obvious there was more to him. For a while, it looked like he was on the side of evil, only to be revealed as a hero. His life was far from perfect, though, and there are plenty of sad things about Snape.
Difficult Childhood
A person's childhood has a strong impact on what kind of person they turn out to be in the future, and what type of life they will lead. Childhood means joy and carelessness for many but that wasn't the case for young Severus Snape who deserved better.
He was born into poverty and his father was abusive, so the only joy Severus found was in studying and his friendship with Lily.
He Was Bullied
Even once Severus Snape entered Hogwarts, his life wasn't all roses and sunshine. In fact, he soon became the target of bullying - thanks to none other than James Potter and his group of friends.
And even though James didn't want Snape to die or get severely hurt, he still made his school years much more difficult than they had to be.
He Watched Lily Fall In Love With James
If Lily chose anybody other than James as her partner, Severus would probably still be unhappy about it but it's possible he would have accepted it better. But when Lily fell for the guy who was bullying Snape for years, it was understandable Snape felt disappointed and betrayed.
It would also explain his later hatred for Harry, but also his desire to protect the young boy. Snape hated Harry's father but loved his mother, and because of Lily, he didn't want Harry to die.
And Then He Lost Her
Some people might consider Snape's relationship with Lily obsessive, but he did step back as she went on with her own life, even if it meant Lily marrying a man who used to bully Snape. And while it's true that Snape went to the Potter's house after Voldemort's attack, it was a natural reaction.
After all, wanting to protect someone whom Snape loved feels like an obvious move. And losing Lily was hard on Severus, he still wanted her to remain alive and happy.
He Repeatedly Put His Life In Danger
Snape's life as a double agent who worked both for Voldemort and Dumbledore involved a lot of danger. He had to watch his every word and expression to make certain Voldemort and the Death Eaters wouldn't learn the truth about him.
Living in a state of constant anxiety would be no easy task for anyone, and even though Snape seemed to have handled it, he might have wished for a more peaceful life.
And No One Appreciated It
In walking the fine line between Dumbledore and Voldemort, right and wrong, good and evil, Snape risked his life on a regular basis. But considering the secrecy of his work, nobody besides Dumbledore knew Snape was a double agent - until Harry and his friends learned about it, of course.
That brought Snape the reputation of the traitor and bad guy, even though he was neither of these things.
He Had To Kill Dumbledore
Snape knew what was coming when he examined Dumbledore's injury and knew the Hogwarts headmaster didn't have long to live. But he was ready to keep trying to cure him, had Dumbledore not proposed another thing.
Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him which was the last thing Snape wanted to do, considering his respect for Dumbledore and their friendship. In the end, though, Snape went against his wishes and did kill Dumbledore, protecting Draco Malfoy in the process since it was Draco who was originally tasked to take Dumbledore's life.
He Never Got His Happiness
There's no denying that Snape could be cruel and he also mocked some of his students, bullied them even. But one still has to wonder how his personality could have been different if his life had been a little happier.
Snape knew very little happiness in life. He had only two close friends - Lily and Dumbledore - and he wasn't able to stop either of them from dying. So he must have been a very lonely person.
He Tried To Save Lily
This one is a bit of a moot point but could still count. When Snape learned about the prophecy and realized what it meant for Lily, the woman he never stopped loving, he tried to persuade Voldemort to spare Lily's life, but he failed.
On the other hand, Snape wasn't so keen on begging Voldemort to spare James or Harry. Either way, his effort to save Lily failed.
His Death
Snape's greatest wish was to defeat Voldemort but he never saw that happen since he died before Harry stood against Voldemort for the final time.
Many people died in the last battle but Snape's death felt more impactful since he was the one who helped to make sure that Harry would survive long enough to defeat Voldemort in the first place.