For the Love of Snape

          The final chapters of Harry Potter, to put it shortly, amazed me. Rowling’s ability to tie the entire plot, one containing so many nuances, into a neat bow astounded me. I feel that one of the most poignant elements of the ending is the memories of Severus Snape. Seeing into Snape’s past, and being shown that he has been a force for good for the entire series made me think deeply about the impression of a person, and how that differs from who they are. Simply because Snape did not like Harry, I thought that he would end up a Death Eater, right up until the end. Being shown his conversations with Dumbledore in the Pensive dramatically altered my feelings toward the character, more so than any other during the final chapters. We see that Snape, while he puts on a stony front, is motivated by love more than anything else. Where we would have believed him to be a truly evil person had his memories not been shown, seeing that his love for Lily was his main motivator proved Snape once and for all to be fighting for good. His motivation becomes shockingly clear once we hear how he begged Voldemort not to kill Lily.

            Snape gives the series one of its main cultural impacts, showing the world how even someone constantly in the clutches of evil can hold on to their humanity, if their love is great enough. Snape shows that love can sustain you, and that it will keep you from the depths of depravity that those who live by fear descend into. Snape’s love and redemption show the best of what humanity is capable of, and his loyalty to Lily, and through her, Dumbledore, shows the bond of love can last past the mortal life, and be a force for good in the lives of others, even after a person has passed.