Why Did Dumbledore Let Snape Kill Him
Upon learning that he had no more than a year to live, and in an attempt at preventing a humiliating and agonizing death, Dumbledore requested Snape to kill him when the time came. He wanted Snape to remain a trusted member of the Death Eaters, as well as to prove Lord Voldemort his loyalty and show him that he hadnt failed.
Also, being familiar with the fact Lord Voldemort has ordered Draco Malfoy for killing him, Dumbledore wanted to protect Dracos soul. He knew Draco wouldnt be capable to fulfill the task. As a good teacher, he has always been, he didnt want to allow the committed murder affects one of his students in any way.
Snape Has The Most Incredible Character Journey Of The Entire Series
Aside from a few twists here and there, most characters in Harry Potter remain on a single trajectory. We like them, and Rowling keeps giving us reasons to keep liking them. The roller coaster of emotion provided by Snape’s character journey is thus unmatched across the franchise. Snape is immediately viewed as the villain by Harry and his friends. Added to this is the later revelation of his Death Eater past. Once Voldemort resurfaces, then, it comes as no surprise when Snape returns to the Dark Lord.
Snape is hated by most people in the wizarding world. Despite this, we find ourselves enjoying his endearing qualities but we still remain uncertain about how we truly feel about him. After Snape kills Dumbledore, we align ourselves with Harry in his hatred of Snape. Then, we learn the truth about Severus Snape, and it flips everything around. It’s the most dramatic character arc in the entire series: Snape goes from being hated by every single person in Hogwarts to having Harry’s child named after him. You can’t do more of a 180 than that.
Dumbledore Asks Snape To Kill Him
The first and ultimate reason why did Snape kill Dumbledore is because Dumbledore himself asks Snape to kill him. It is because Dumbledore is already dying and will die eventually after all. So to prevent humiliating and painful death, Dumbledore asks Snape to kill him instead. So Snape actually shows him mercy and loyalty.
Dumbledore is dying because of the curse of the Marvolo Gaunts ring, which is also a Resurrection Stone and one of Voldemorts horcruxes. Anyone who has the courage to wear it, will be cursed to death in an instant. Dumbledore made a mistake by put on the ring to redeem his family and made amend for his past. Then he gets cursed. Anyone shouldve been dead instantly, but because of his poweras well as Snapeshe can slow down the curse, although he will still die anyway.
Not only dying because of the ring, Dumbledore was also dying because he had to drink a potion in order to destroy Voldemorts horcrux.
Furthermore, Dumbledore wants to save Draco Malfoy as well, because actually Draco is the one who was ordered by Voldemort to kill him. Knowing that Draco does not have the courage to do that, Dumbledore asks Snape to kill him.
Beside, Dumbledore wants to save the Elder Wand. The Elder Wand is the strongest wand ever exists, and the way to get it is to kill the former owner. Since Dumbledore trusts Snape, he wants Snape to get the wand.
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Yes Dumbledore Did Ask Snape To Kill Him So Draco Wouldnt
Dumbledore did indeed ask Snape to kill him, so that Draco wouldnt either succeed and maim his own soul, or more likely fail and be killed by the Dark Lord for his almost inevitable failure.
All the same, try. I am concerned less for myself than for accidental victims of whatever schemes might occur to the boy. Ultimately, of course, there is only one thing to be done if we are to save him from Lord Voldemorts wrath.
Snape raised his eyebrows and his tone was sardonic as he asked, Are you intending to let him kill you?
Certainly not. You must kill me. – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33
Dumbledore didnt want Draco to do it and harm his soul, but he also didnt want to die at the hands of someone who would prolong his death and make it more painful. He preferred that Snape kill him quickly, and since it was done as an act of mercy, Snapes soul would remain intact.
Its clear that Dumbledore did both ask and expect Snape to kill him, and this was always his plan.
After you have killed me, Severus
You refuse to tell me everything, yet you expect that small service of me! snarled Snape, and real anger flared in the thin face now. – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 33
So yes, Dumbledore did indeed ask Snape to kill him to spare Draco the Dark Lords wrath or a maimed soul because of Dracos own attempts to kill Dumbledore.
Dumbledore Did Not Seem To Credit Snape With Real Emotions
In one of the most defining moments in the entire series, the potions master is taken aback to learn that Harry must die and Dumbledore wonders if he had, after all, grown to care for the boy. Snape then casts a Patronus that proves his undying love for Lily Potter and it is then that Dumbledore finally seems moved.
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What is strange is that Dumbledore is astonished that Snape might have grown to be fond of Harry–that is not very surprising because he did a very good job of hiding it even if he did care. But upon seeing Lily’s Patronus, Dumbledore is shocked again–“After all this time?” It seems that he had not credited Snape with any sincere emotions at all, even though it had been Snape’s love for Lily that had brought him to Dumbledore all those years ago!
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The Story Of Severus Snape Is One Of The Most Heartbreaking In The Series
Snape’s story is one of the most heartbreaking you’ll find. Born to a troubled household, his only solace is Lily, his childhood friend. Upon becoming students at Hogwarts, they are sorted into separate houses. Snape becomes a pariah at school, and is bullied by other students. Later, Lily ends up marrying Snape’s bully. His heartbreak leads him down a dark path that eventually leads to Lily’s death and a ravaged wizarding world.
Snape is forced to return to the man who killed the love of his life and pledge his allegiance to him. This double life results in Snape’s total alienation. Snape is then forced to kill Dumbledore, his only confidant. Completely alone and cut off from any allies, Snape is killed by Lily’s murderer. He dies in a boat shed, staring into the eyes of the woman he loves in the face of his childhood tormentor. He is utterly alone in the world in his final moments.
It’s a lot to process. Piecing Snape’s life together will make your eyes well up with tears and your heart bleed staring into Alan Rickman’s sad eyes only amplifies the experience. Severus Snape’s story is its own epic tale within an epic tale, nearly loaded with more sorrow than we can handle.
Why Did Dumbledore Kill Himself
Dumbledore needed to prove to everyone that Snape was not his spy. Killing Dumbledore accomplishes just that. Furthermore, by killing Dumbledore while he looked weak, it makes Snape appear even stronger in the eyes of Voldemort. Dumbledores supreme consideration at his time of death was to ensure Snapes survival.
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Is Draco Malfoy Evil
7 He could cause a lot of damage with dark magic Draco may have been the epitome of evil for a long time in the Harry Potter series, but things turned around for the better. Even still in adulthood, Draco has the ability to effect the world negatively, but he no longer acts on it as he used to, or as his father did.
What’s Up With Severus Snape And The Marauders
Potterheads have always wanted to know a bit more about Snape’s interactions with The Marauders, a group of four Gryffindors who liked to break the rules and created the infamous Marauder’s Map. As I’m sure you’re already aware, James Potter was a member of The Marauders, and he and Snape had some serious beef. Given all the drama, fans took it upon themselves to make a surprisingly good and action-packed short film on called Severus Snape and the Marauders. The film was an instant success, catching the attention of Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, BBC America, Time, and more. It seems that fans just can’t get enough of Snape!
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Snape’s Legacy Lives On
After giving his life to defeat Voldemort, Harry is able to return to the realm of the living and face Voldemort one last time, and as the true master of the Elder Wand, he brings the Dark Lord down for good. In the aftermath of the battle, Harry gets the chance to live out his life, get married, and have children, and his second youngest son, Albus Severus, carries on Snape’s legacy, especially as Harry tells his son that he named him for two of the bravest men he’d ever met.
Ultimately, Albus Severus as detailed in the Tony Award-winning play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is sorted into Slytherin just like one of this two namesakes, eventually becoming close friends with Scorpius Malfoy and setting off on a time-bending adventure befitting his father and both of the men for whom he was named. Snape may have been a villain throughout his life, but Harry made sure to remember him as a hero.
When Harry Thought Snape Ignored His Message About Sirius
Hes got Padfoot at the place where its hidden!Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harrys cryptic warning about the safety of Sirius seemed to fall on selectively deaf ears. But Snape, an Order of the Phoenix member, must have understood the code, right? Say what you will about the Potions master, we can all agree that he was no fool. So why didnt he heed Harrys warning?
Did Snape despise Sirius so much that hed let him be tortured and killed? Of course not, but under no circumstances could they have brought that up in front of Dolores Umbridge. Unbeknown to Harry, Snape made contact once the students left with Umbridge and they ought to have returned to the news that good old Snuffles was safe and sound. Tragically, things didnt go as planned and Sirius left Grimmauld Place to fight alongside the Order, losing his life in the fray.
Whether it was for ignoring his message or for goading Sirius earlier on, Harry partially blamed Snape for his godfathers death. Perhaps it was easier than facing the pain of his loss.
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Harry’s First Year At Hogwarts
During Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, the young wizard immediately gets on Snape’s bad side, which is likely in large part due to the fact that Harry looks strikingly like his father, James, whom Snape detested during school. On top of that, Snape finds Harry to be arrogant and mediocre, as well as a boy who breaks rules to gain fame and glory. But even so, he sticks to his promise and helps Harry survive a harrowing first year at Hogwarts.
As it turns out, the magical Sorcerer’s Stone, which can make gold and create eternal life, is hidden deep within Hogwarts, and Snape is one of the several professors charged with protecting it. Though Harry, Ron, and Hermione are convinced that Snape is working with Voldemort to try to steal the stone, it turns out that Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, is the one actually searching for the magical item as he’s possessed by the weak, bodiless spirit of the Dark Lord. And, in fact, Snape is working against him to protect Harry. Though Dumbledore tells Harry that Snape protects him as a debt to James, he doesn’t divulge anything further, and the enmity between Harry and Snape continues.
When Hermione Thought Snape Was Trying To Jinx Harrys Broom
Harry had a close call during his first Quidditch match when his Nimbus Two Thousand started a strange impromptu dance trying to knock him off. Meanwhile, Hermione noticed Professor Snape muttering with his eyes fixed on Gryffindors Seeker and, being Hermione, put two and two together. Being well-read on the subject of curses , she thought Snape was jinxing the broom and ran to Harrys rescue with her fiery spell.
What Hermione actually did was distract the real culprit as she sneaked up on Snape. The truth came out when Professor Quirrell admitted to Harry that hed jinxed the broom and claimed hed have gotten away with it too if it hadnt been for those meddling counter-curses. In other words, Snape tried to save Harrys life, and the only thanks he got was being set on fire. Harsh.
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Dumbledore Did Not Take Snape In Confidence Until Much Later On
We know that Snape was quite shocked that Dumbledore might have been bringing Harry up like a pig for slaughter. In the final moments, when Snape is mortally wounded, Harry finds out that the revelation that he would have to die had stunned Snape at the time.
It seems unfair that Dumbledore should not have kept Snape in confidence about Harry’s likely fate. For someone who had endangered his own life to keep Harry safe, to find out that the boy was never meant to survive in the first place and that Dumbledore had possibly known this all along, or at least much longer than him, would naturally have felt like a betrayal.
Why Does Snape Kill Dumbledore
Firstly, because it was an act of mercy for Dumbledore, as he was already dying, first from the curse he received when he put on the Gaunt ring, and second when he drank the potion from the cave with the locket horcrux. Snape also had to kill Dumbledore to remain a trusted Death Eater, and Voldemorts right hand.
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Snape Is The King Of Snark
Severus Snape is the absolute king of sass. The man is a straight-up savage. A prime example of this is in Prisoner of Azkaban, when he addresses Hermione by saying, “Ms. Granger, are you incapable of restraining yourself, or do you take pride in being an insufferable know-it-all?” We love Hermione, but Alan Rickman delivers this line so perfectly that our only response is to laugh. His snark is another delightful layer of characterization, and it makes him one of the most memorable characters in the series.
Snape, at heart, is a sensitive creature. But ultimately, he doesn’t much care what people think of him. This allows him to relentlessly drop truth bombs on those around him. This skill helps inject levity into otherwise cheesy moments, such as Harry’s reunion with Sirius Black. As the two are cheerfully hugging each other, Snape is in the background stating dryly, “I may vomit.” While the other teachers and parental figures around the main characters are loving nurturers, Snape steps into the frame and lets them know they aren’t all that. It’s refreshing, and often hilarious.
Does Snape Want To Be Death Eater
Snape never wants to become a Death Eater like Lucius Malfoy. Voldemort terrified him by saying that he would suck out his soul. With Harry Potter dead, Snape would be free from all danger. He would no longer need Dumbledores protection. And can marry with his love. He cared about her more than anything). Snape also hated Sirius Black. He hated him like poison for being such a bully when they were kids remember that Sirius was pretty much James Potter 2.0, so Snape probably blamed him for James bullying.
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Practically Every Time Snape Scolded Harry For Venturing Out Of Bounds
So Snape was cruel, biased towards his house, and downright rude to his students: this we cant deny. Calling poor Hermione an insufferable know-it-all, for example, was pretty terrible. But once we understood Snapes true motives, we learnt that there was far more to him not to mention giving context to his constant contempt for Harry Potter.
As we know now all too well, Harry was all that was left of Lily Potter, Snapes first and only love. And Lily died so that Harry could live.
To make matters worse, Harry looked and acted just like James Potter the one who tormented Snape for no good reason, the one who stole Lilys heart and the one who failed to protect her from Voldemort.
Seeing his spitting image strutting around Hogwarts and answering back with that same smart mouth must have been nothing short of infuriating. And yet No matter how much it tore him apart, Harry was a living reminder of Lily Potter. After all, Harry had her eyes.
Understanding Snapes perpetual bind helps us to appreciate his fortitude and courage through many a thankless task. His was a tragic tale of misunderstanding and the truth might have easily died with him. However, Snapes legacy lived on in Harrys son, Albus:
Albus Severus you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows