Snape's Memories In Harry Potter Had A Deeper Twist That's Been Slept On For 16 Years

Snape's memories contained many plot twists in Harry Potter, but a subtle detail within the Pensieve revealed a tragic truth about the character.

Severus Snape's memories in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows contained many of the series' greatest twists, but some subtler revelations were included as well. Though the Potions Master had been an antagonist for most of Harry Potter, the scenes following his death revealed that he had once loved Lily Potter and had dedicated himself to protecting her son. Though this didn't entirely redeem him for his past misdoings, it was a moment of clarity and understanding for Harry, which is something Severus Snape had initially not wanted.

When Severus Snape learned that Lily was dead, he fully understood that it was his own fault. He had been the one to tell Lord Voldemort about Trelawney's Chosen One prophecy, which is what led the villain to seek out the Potters, to begin with. To make amends, he agreed to help Albus Dumbledore keep Harry safe—under one condition. Snape told the Hogwarts headmaster that Harry was never to know the truth about his past with Lily, to which Dumbledore replied, "I shall never reveal the best of you," and he kept his word. In the end, it was Snape himself who revealed the truth to Harry.

Snape's Memories Prove He Wanted Harry To Know The Best Of Him

As far as Harry could tell throughout Harry Potter, Severus Snape had always hated him. This was undoubtedly true—Harry looked so much like James Potter that Snape struggled to separate his hatred for one from the other. Still, his true feelings toward Harry were far more complicated. The Boy Who Lived was a constant reminder of everything Snape had done wrong in his life (and everything he continued to do wrong). However, Harry was still Lily's son. Though Snape's struggle with these feelings was his most vehemently kept secret, he decided in his final moments that he wanted Harry to know about them.

The final missions that Dumbledore had assigned to Snape were to kill him when the time came and to tell Harry the truth about being a "pig for slaughter" once Voldemort had begun to keep Nagini the snake close. This means that when Harry approached the professor as he lay dying, the only memories he needed to pass on were these. They would prove that Snape was on Harry's side and tell Harry what he needed to do next. However, at that moment, knowing that both he and Harry were about to die, Snape decided to tell the boy the complete truth—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The fact that Snape gave Harry memories of his childhood with Lily, his conversations with Dumbledore regarding his inadvertent hatred toward Harry, and his determination not to let the Boy Who Lived know the truth indicates that the man had decided in the moments before his death that he wanted Harry to understand who he had been. This is touching to consider. As a double agent, Snape would have known long ago that his efforts would go unappreciated and that he would be remembered as a villain (he may have even thought he deserved such a legacy). However, his very human desire for Lily's son to know the best of him changed the Harry Potter character's story at the last minute.

Why Snape Hadn't Wanted Harry To Know The Truth About Lily

Despite the touching nature of Snape's final change of heart, it's frustrating to remember that he could have told Harry from the beginning. It would have been so valuable for the orphan to know someone who had grown up alongside his mother. He could have heard stories about Lily, about her prowess at potions, or her kind heart. Harry could have even learned the truth about why she had died and had some time to process and forgive Snape for his part in it. However, Severus Snape was full of faults, the most prominent being jealousy, pride, and selfishness.

When Snape made Dumbledore promise never to reveal the truth in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book, he specifically said that he couldn't stand for anyone, "especially Potter's son," to see this gentler side of him. The sad truth is that this exact thinking is why Snape went down the path of darkness. He couldn't stand for James Potter or any of his other abusers to see that he was weak. Lily had warned him against this, but he wouldn't listen. Ultimately, it took his own death before Severus Snape realized that his love for Lily had never been a weakness.

What Might Have Happened If Voldemort Hadn't Killed Snape

Voldemort killing Snape before he had a chance to talk to Harry had never been the plan. In the Deathly Hallows book especially, it's clear that the double agent was desperate to get to the castle and find Harry. Ultimately, it was just good luck (or perhaps destiny) that Harry was there when Voldemort murdered Snape, which allowed the man the opportunity to not only deliver his message from Dumbledore but also reveal the truth about Lily and his complex morality. Still, this begs the question—how would things have gone down if Snape had had the opportunity to find and talk with Harry as he had initially planned?

Without the clarity of death, it's difficult to imagine Snape being able to swallow his pride and tell Harry the whole truth. When interacting with the boy, Snape had always been fixed behind a snide mask, and it's unlikely that would have changed just because he was finishing his mission. The professor may have filled a vial with memories containing only the essential information and passed it on to Harry, knowing the boy couldn't resist looking at them. Of course, it's touching to imagine these two having a heart-to-heart. However, this wasn't in Snape's character until he had nothing to lose.

Snape's Change Of Heart In Deathly Hallows Was His Final Redemption

Since the conclusion of the Harry Potter series, Snape's redemption has been a topic of debate. The character behaved so poorly throughout Harry's years at Hogwarts that it's tough to forgive him just because he had once loved Lily. Additionally, his jealous behavior regarding his childhood best friend has come across as disturbing to some, raising questions about whether he would have even cared had James and Harry died so long as Lily survived. Ultimately, this is the entire point of Snape's character arc in Harry Potter—he was never fully good or bad.

The important part of Snape's ending is that, before he died, he decided to reveal the better parts of himself. This didn't eliminate the darkness that so naturally existed inside him. It only added another layer of complexity to Snape's character and further enforced the themes of Harry Potter that people aren't inherently good or bad—their morality comes down to who they choose to be at any given moment. Snape may not have always made the right choices, but Harry decided to remember the man for the slivers of good that Lily had inspired in him.