Although Harry is a very good wizard, he does rely on luck quite often. Snape has proven in the books that he can beat Harry and is much older and more experienced with magic than Harry is. So if we put them in a duel without outside forces, Snape would easily win.

-Nick
HJP

Harry's said not to be a very good pupill. Then he's young and his story with Voldermort made him famous, but it didn't make him that much of especially powerful... at least when he's a child.

Snape to win !

I agree with Lily_Potter, Snape would most likely win. Since he possesses a different wand to Voldemort, thus there is no connection between him and Harry, so Snape's spells would have great effect on Harry. I reckon Harry would end up dead on the floor

Yeah, Harry is taugh but the last time they've tried to have a decent duell Snape beat Harry. I mean Harry was doing his best and Snape was blasting him with curses and avoiding every spell Harry could cast. And he didn't even used Dark Magic or tried to kill him...

It's a tough call because Harry did defeat the most powerful dark wizard of all. But I think that Snape knows more about Harry's weaknesses and would use them to his advantage.

Snape would win because he has had more experience about spells and the Dark Arts but you can never know until we watch HBP But we already know what happens

I'm gonna be different and say Harry. I really do think Harry would win. I think it would be very close, but Harry is good at fighting. He doesn't have as much training and doesn't have as much experiance, but Snape underestimates Harry. I think Harry is just as powerful, just not as trained. I dont know, I just think he would win.
~jyliiibean

To be honest, Snape would destroy Harry.
Harry isn't anything amazing at magic, he got lucky and used his friends. Snape new more dark magic than sixth years when he arrived at Hogwarts, so I think his ability is way higher than Harry's.

Harry is decent, better than his grade but he isnt that great of a duelist.

snape easily has more experience over harry and i'd say even have a kind of intimidation aura against harry that would make harry go aggro.

Snape, he's been through so much, what with Lilly and all, he wouldn't be afraid to give his all. He's a powerful wizard, an excellent potioneer, an experienced occlumens, and a much older wizard who has learned far more than Harry. He did love Lilly, but if they were forced to fight Snape would win.

If Harry had to fight Snape I believe Snape would win. He has many years of wizarding experience, and I think has better control of his responses. He also would probably be able to anticipate Harry's next move, and be very good at non verbal spells. I can imagine only a formal duel more so than a fight to the death. Can't see either one killing the other, even Harry doing that push comes to shove. I think Snape, being a healer, would be patching up Harry afterwards.

Snape would win. He is an extremely powerful wizard with many years of experience dealing with the Dark Arts. Harry is still just a boy, and he hasn't even completed his formal Hogwarts training yet. Harry is very talented, but Snape is a wizard of prodigious skill. In my opinion, the only two wizards capable of besting Snape in a duel are Dumbledore and Voldemort. Any other witch or wizard to engage Snape in one-on-one magical combat would more than likely be defeated.

Snape would win hands down, not only did he demonstrate this in HBP he is just genrally a much mopre skilled and advanced wizard who has had much more experiance with dark magic and is properly undercontroll. He also must be exeptionally good at magic of pretty much all kinds or else Voldy would have killed him eons ago. Plus I think Snape puts more energy into his fights because of his past and it is a good way to release pent up anger or energy.

Severus Snape would win and not just because he was a far more superior wizard than Harry but because if love was the strongest magical power able to defeat the Dark Lord, Snape of all people would understand that and not underestimate that branch of magic. If it was love protecting Harry, Snape would find a way around it IF it came down to a duel between both of them.

Snape all the way

that is an interesting question. Im not sure which one would win. Snape does know darker stuff than Harry, but Harry is really good at defending himself. Plus Snape wouldnt kill lilly's son so Harry does have that going for him. Ithink that they would have had an awesome duel.

This isn't hard... Snape. Harry would have to learn a lot, I mean a lot to even remotely compare to Snape in terms of wizarding ability. Here's how I would rank characters in the Harry Potter series by magical ability.

1. Dumbledore
2. Lord Voldemort
3. Snape
4. Mad Eye
5. Bellatrix or McGonogall (cant decide)