After reading HBP, it seems to me that there is more to the story of Snape's involvement with James and Lilly's deaths. The key scene here is from book five in which Harry snoops into Snape's memories in the pensieve. James is torturing Snape with Snape's own curse when Lilly makes him stop. Snape's reaction is not to thank her, but to call her a filthy mud-blood. Couple this information with our new knowledge that Lilly was a very good potions student and some interesting things start to surface. I think that Snape was in love with Lilly and was tutoring her, possibly even letting her use the Half Blood Prince copy of advanced potions. When James used the upside downy curse on him, he knew that Lilly had betrayed him and let James in on his deepest secrets.

So we have Snape in love with a woman who is in love with another man, who just happens to be Snape's enemy. That would tick me off pretty severely.

This leads to Snape's overhearing the prophecy and revealing it to
Voldemort. I think that he saw it as an opportunity to get James and Harry out of Lilly's life and free her up for himself. He may have even bargained with Voldemort, due to the fact that this information was so useful, to spare Lilly. It has been said that Voldemort gave her the chance to escape but she refused. Voldemort killed Lilly and Snaped finally realized how foolish he had been. He came to Dumbledore and begged forgiveness and probably vowed to kill the man that killed his only love. As much as Dumbledore always talks about the power of love, I think this is a very valid reason as to why he trusts Snape completely.

I hope that I am not just repeating old theories, but I didn't see this anywhere else.

An interesting theory, and I must say, I really like it. But there is one thing that bothers me. Even though Dumbledore believed him, it is set in stone that Snape betryaed him and Snape killed him.

Except for that one little detail, I really like you theory.

He did kill him, but I don't think it was a betrayal. I has been discussed everywhere that this is exactly what Dumbledore wanted. On top of this, think about how nasty it would be to have Harry using his own spells at him, similar to James, and calling him a coward. Harry, in Snape's eyes, is the embodiment of all of the rotten things that James did to him in the past. That is why he hates Harry so much. Imagine now if this is true. Snape just killed the one person in his life that actually cared for him in order to protect Harry. Harry returns the favor by trying to kill him and call him a coward. That is why he lashed out at Harry. Yet on top of all of this, he protected Harry from the Death Eaters and even tried to teach him a bit.

Snape is definitely still on the good side.

But Slughorn says over and over that Lily Evans was one of the brightest students he had, so why would she need Snape to tutor her in potions when she was obviously such a good student.

Well, it's sure that it was not Snape himself who Taught Levicorpus to James. However, I really doubt he was in love with Lily. Snape likes to call himself "Prince", which is his mother's maiden name, the name of the wizard parent. He became a Death Eater, they don't like muggles at all. And, even if he was fond of Liliy while at school and even if he told her of the curse, do you think she would tell James? Why, she definitely was not fond of him at school, they got together later, only once James proved more "serious". And even if she knew Levicorpus, I guess she also realized that if she told James about it, he certainly would love to use it on innocent people just for fun, which she didn't approve of. So it's impossible that James learned it from from her. But what if Snape thought so? What's more: Lily seems uninterested in harmful charms. She might not want to learn such one or just quickly forget it after having learned.

How could James learn Levicorpus? There are some possibilities:
1) he invented it himself, indepentetly from Snape,
2) he "borrowed" Snape's book to check what he had written in it, and Snape didn't notice.

Maybe she was a good student because of the help she received from Snape. Perhaps she wanted to be an auror but needed work on her potions. How else would James have known Snape's own secret hex?

Snape hated Mudbloods as he thought of Lily, so I doubt that he would tutor her and James probably knew Snape's curse because Lupin said that both Snape and James cursed each other at every opportunity so James could just have copied the curse if Snape used it on him.

I know the spell had non-verbal written beside it, but there could have been on instance that Snape said the curse out loud.

I just really think that there is more to that pensieve scene than Harry seeing that his dad was not the nicest of guys, especially with Snape. Snape's reaction to Lilly standing up for him looks to me like she thought Snape was misunderstood and actually a good person. The fact that Snape bit her head off for it shows that he was offended for some reason. What better explanation than that she gave his secrets to his enemy? I don't think she necessarily told James about it, but I do think it is possible that she had the book and that James looked at it. (perhaps without her permission)

The thing that really pushed me toward this is that Snape specifically screams that Harry was doing just exactly what his father had done in the past when he used that spell. It is something that deeply offended him which makes me doubt that James came up with the hex himself. It could be that James stole Snape's book, but it is a lot juicier this way.

Keep in mind also, that Snape is a Mud-Blood himself. Him calling her a mud-blood is a defensive thing. I'm sure he probably has heard it plenty from all of his darker pals. Besides, the way J.K. usually shows that people like each other in her books is by having them hate each other. They are kids after all.

aby he called her a filthy-mudblood because james had just used his own curse on him and he assumed lily had taught it to james because snape had let lily use his notes or book, which is why she was so good at potions, and snap felt betrayed by lily

Wouldn't it be a weird thing to ask Voldemort if he could save a Mudblood? Wouldn't that be suspicious?

The following was a post made by Snape For President 2008 in a thread which has now been closed.

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This is my theoy. It ties Snape, Lilliy and the Color of Harry's eyes.

I think that Lilly felt sorry for Snape while at Hogwart's and befriended him. I think that Lilly may have also bestowed the title "Half-Blood Prince" on Snape as a way to make him feel better about himself. I think that Snapes' Patronus is a reflection of the nickname that he gave Lily.

I don't think that Lilly and Snape were ever "involved" but I think that Snape loved Lilly. Lilly, while she felt sorry for and truly cared for
Snape, loved James.

Here is the crux, (pun intended), of the theory.

I think that when Snape told Voldy of the Prophesy, he begged for Lilly's life. I think that Voldy decided to "throw Snape a bone" as it were, in payment for the info.

James, as we all know, would die no matter what. Lilly had a choice.

I think the gift of the choice was due to Snape, as well as the certian death of James.

As for Harry, I think that Snape could have cared less. Yes, he was the son of the woman he loved, but not His son.

When Voldy killed Lilly, I think Snape fell apart. He was betrayed in the most horrible way, because he loved Lilly more than anyone else.

That is why Dumbledore knows that Snape is loyal to the Order.

I think also that Snapes Boggart is Lilly's corpse.

As for Harry's eyes. I never believed that Snape could have held a grudge for James for so long. I am Snapes age, in the book, and all my grudges from school are long since faded. I would not ,as I believe Snape didn't, hold a grudge against an enemys child. Snape is too mature for that to be the case.

I think that when Snape looks at Harry, he sees Lilly's eyes, which reminds him of his hand in her death. That would be terrible, to be reminded daily of not only your worst sin, but of the betrayel of the person that you loved most.

Also, Snape may place some of the blame on Harry. Lilly died to protect Harry.


I'd be interested to hear feedback.

I totally agree with your theory vulturemort, that makes a lot of sense! and it explains alot! no wonder he hated James so much...
and (dramatic gasp) That would explain why voldemort told her to move. He tried to spare her life... And here are some reasons I think explain why Snape hates Harry,

1. Hes James son
2. He looks like james
3. lilly died to save Harry

Didn't Lupin say that the Levicorpus spell was a trend that year? Even if Snape had invented it, Lily wouldn't necessarily have told it to James, it might have just gotten around. Also, though Snape tutoring Lily may explain her ability in potions (Snape also unknowingly tutored Harry, and Slughorn thought he was brilliant as well), she might just naturally have been good at it, which could have been a reason Snape fell in love with her (if he did at all). He probably insulted her because he didn't want it to be known that greasy reject Snape was in love with beautiful Lily, which James would have made fun of him for to no end. Also, he was probably embarassed as it was, and would probably be made fun of more if he needed help from a girl (though i think there is nothing wrong with that, boys have their pride..). I think the idea that Snape may have been in love with Lily is highly intriuging, and it would explain a lot. I can't wait to see if we hear anything about it in the 7th book.

Amazing...I now, after years of struggling to understand why Dumbledore trusted Snape and kept going on to Harry as to why love is the greatest magic, etc, etc - finally believe him!

Excellent theories, much enjoyed reading them, believe it totally.

'when Snape looks into Harry's eyes, he sees the woman he loved'

*gasp*

Wonderful

I love the theory that Snape hates Harry because he reminds him about Lily's sacrifice- if he loved her, he'd feel hatred that she sacrificed her life for another man's kid.

What more, I guess that Sirius might have never known about that...

I'm with Vulturemort and company in this one. the theory explains alot.


MOD NOTE: Hi, just a note to remind you that one liners are not allowed on the forums. In future could you please add more for discussion. thanks.

Although i like all the theories i must add one bit that i disagree on

That is that Snape asked LV to spare lilly or that he wanted revenge on James remember LV had a choice of a few boys that the Prophacy ties with and he chose Harry so snape had no knowlage of who was being attaced and that is why he was working with DD because of him his love died

Zainsa,

I recently reread the section in which Harry confronts Dumbledore about Snape hearing the prophecy. Dumbledore says something about Snape having no idea that the chosen one was the son of someone that he "knew" and that he felt terrible when he found out. I think you may be right that Voldemort giving Lilly a chance to escape had nothing to do with Snape. Just the fact that it is Voldemort, it's unlikely that Snape would dare ask for mercy from him. This has always been a stretch, but it seemed to make sense. It is possible, that this still works, but I'm doubting it right now.

Severus Snape Translates To Pursues Evans, perhaps this is coincidental?

MOD EDIT: One-liner is not allowed on board. Please elaborate to allow others to respond to you. Thanks.

Thanks for reviving this post. I completely forgot about it. I love the reworking of the letters. Severus Snape is an interesting name. I believe that Severus was a Roman Emperor's name and Snape is the name of a village in England. So, it isn't just a jumble name like Tom Marvolo Riddle. However, it is an odd pair of words. Could it be that you are right and that JKR came up with the name in reverse. It could answer why the name is so oddly put together.

I've also been looking lately at the possibility that Snape is playing both sides in the war in order to get himself into a position to be the most powerful of all wizards. Everyone is discussing whether he is on the good side or the bad, and I thought it was worth our time to see if the answer was neither. Would his love for Lilly still make sense with that theory? I don't know. I guess it could be the tipping point for him in his decision to go totally evil. Perhaps he figured that he couldn't love anyone else again and also felt guilt for what he had done and decided to take out everybody. I'm still leaning toward the fact that he is good.

Interesting really, so yea, I guess Snae let Lily use his notes...Really good theory, I never noticed that.