Why is snape good

With all of this, it seems that the answer is clear: Snape is a good person. Unfortunately, things are a lot more complicated than they appear. Few promises are more ominous than the Unbreakable Vow. Severus Snape is certainly a complicated character in the world of Harry Potter. On the one hand, he clearly has done some good things. He protected Harry from Voldemort and Harry, in the end, is grateful. I am sure the Dark Lord would have liked for Harry to have an accident but Snape goes a step further to insure Harry's safety.

He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Some would argue that this situation isn't one that proves Snape's goodness, because he owed something of a debt to James, but I would contend that Snape paid that debt when he agreed to be a spy for Dumbledore.

Time and time again Snape helps Harry from coming to any kind of harm, like at the end of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Dumbledore comes to Snape's defense. Even though Snape protects Harry from some things he is still playing a complex double-agent role and his entire world is full with the enormity of that task, so these true color moments are immediately forgotten by the continuance of Snape's hateful behavior.

Snape left his life of malevolence only to remain in darkness for the sake of the greater good. That is why he has to define that his life really does serve a good purpose. The truth about Snape's duality hinges on his connection with Albus Dumbledore. If Dumbledore didn't trust Snape implicitly then we could be certain that Snape is categorically evil. Even though the relationship between this odd couple is a cryptic one, it lends further proof that Snape is good.

If Dumbledore didn't trust Snape there would be no reason to have Snape as a double agent. He would be of no use to Dumbledore or the Order. It is because of these secrets that we have everything we need to accept Snape as good.

Snape and Dumbledore do in fact have a clandestine association. There seems to be things that only the two of them know about. Why does Dumbledore keep secrets with Snape? Why doesn't he share these mysteries with everyone? This, I think, is probably THE question, the most important part of the riddle pun intended. A good example of this was when Dumbledore hid Snape's knowledge of the prophecy from Harry. Pretty firm with him. It is in that argument that the most curious part of their relationship occurred, the secret plan that was never shared with the others, their plan for Snape to kill Dumbledore.

What is more interesting than the killing itself is when the killing occurred. I don't think this murder was because of an order that Voldemort had given, but of a planned reaction to the information Snape had given Dumbledore. There was a moment's silence. Bellatrix watched, her wand upon their clasped hands, her eyes wide. I believe that after that Snape told Dumbledore about this plan they intended to use it to their advantage.

After all, if Snape was going to kill Dumbledore out of hatred or because he thought it would please the Dark Lord, then he would have done it at the beginning of Half-Blood Prince :. He raised his blackened, burned-looking hand.

Marvolo's ring. And a terrible curse there was upon it too. It would have been easy enough for Snape to do, killing Dumbledore when no one else was present to see it, but he didn't. He waited for an opportunity to murder Dumbledore in front of a crowd of very valuable witnesses.

That is why Dumbledore told Harry what he did when they returned from the cave:. Do nothing else, speak to nobody else, and do not remove your cloak. Dumbledore had seen the Dark Mark over the castle, he knew the Death Eaters were there waiting for him.

He also knew that Draco Malfoy was dangerously involved. This would be the opportune moment for Snape to fulfill his Unbreakable Vow by killing Dumbledore in front of key Death Eaters and securing his place at Voldemort's side.

These actions had to be kept secret because Snape had to remain evil. His mission and Dumbledore's plans are not over yet. Everyone needs to think that Snape is a Death Eater because he is going to save Harry in the end.

His dualistic character insures that no one would see it coming, because Lord Voldemort would never predict betrayal coming from the man who murdered Dumbledore. That is why Dumbledore has chosen Snape as Harry's savior. Someone needs to be on the inside of the Dark Side because Voldemort always has help.

If we follow the pattern of the former books, it can be deduced that in the Deathly Hallows Voldemort will have a trusted helper or helpers. That's why I've rounded up the top six reasons why he'll forever be the best character in the film franchise. The late Rickman nailed the role with his perfectly delivered lines, dry humor, and facial expressions. His performance constantly kept us guessing Snape's true motives.

It wasn't until Snape's death that we realized Dumbledore had been right to trust Snape. Of all Rickman's moments throughout the films, my favorite is from Order of the Phoenix , when Umbridge inquires about his desire to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

Look at this classic performance:. Even as a student, Snape is ahead of his time. While in school, he invented spells, including Levicorpus and Sectumsempra, and amended procedures to improve various potions Just look at his personally annotated copy of Advanced Potion Making! And as he grew older, his knowledge of potion brewing, spells, transfiguration, and charms only expanded with years of experience and experimentation. He was capable of brewing highly complicated potions such as the Wolfsbane Potion and Veritaserum, as well as using nonverbal spells and performing wand-less magic.

He also is a Dark Magic genius. It's his deep understanding of the Dark Arts that enables him to slow the spread of the curse from Marvolo Gaunt's ring on Dumbledore's hand. Lastly, Snape is arguably the best Occlumens. After all, he did perfectly conceal his thoughts from Voldemort, the best Legilimens, for years. While Headmaster of Hogwarts, Snape has access to Dumbledore's office, which has a lot of invaluable instruments, including the pensieve and Dumbledore's portrait.

Yet, he never gives such tools to Voldemort. Snape is also able to keep the Death Eaters, especially the Carrows, in check regarding the torture they inflict upon the students. For example, when Ginny, Luna, and Neville try to steal the sword of Gryffindor, Snape punishes them by sending them into the forbidden forest with Hagrid. He turns to face Lupin, acting as a shield for Harry, Ron, and Hermione before Sirius appears in his werewolf state to suppress Lupin.

It may seem typical for a Hogwarts professor who wants to keep his job to offer protection to his own students, but if Severus Snape was truly as wicked as he seemed, he would not have put himself directly in the line of danger for them. Yet again, Severus Snape is the victim here of a perplexing red herring. Dumbledore was already dying as the result of a curse put on his ring when he learned that Voldemort Ralph Fiennes had enlisted Draco Malfoy to kill him.

The professor is feared by most non-Slytherin students due to his staunch disciplinary tactics and ominous aura, but throughout the series, he has shown a particular disdain toward the boy and everything he stands for. Truly, it is out of an inner conflict that rests within himself. He grew bitter upon learning that Lily preferred James Potter, a man who publicly ridiculed and humiliated him as a student, over him.

Every time Severus Snape looked at Harry, he saw both a man he hated and the woman he loved. The burden this perfect storm of memories would conjure is unimaginable for most of us.