While through most of the series Snape seems to be horrible to Harry and possibly trying to get him into Voldemort's hands, it's revealed at the end of the series that Snape was actually helping watch out for Harry.
“After all this time?” “Always,” said Snape.” Snape's 'him' is italicized, and then he produces a Patronus the same of Lily Potter's. This indicated that Snape cared for Lily, and cared for Harry because Lily would have wanted it.
He strongly dislikes Harry and often insults him by insulting his father James. As the series progresses, it is revealed that his treatment of Harry stems from Snape's bitter rivalry with James when they were in school together.
Why didn't Snape tell Harry he was protecting him?
Snape even said that he didn't want anyone to find out that he was protecting Lily's child, “especially Potter's son” (pg. 679 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) because of his hatred for James. Instead of providing Harry a safe haven from his abusive home with the Dursleys, he tormented Harry over an old grudge.
All The Times Severus Snape Protected Harry Potter
Did Lily ever forgive Snape?
She missed Snape, but she knew she could never forgive him. Snape never stopped trying to make amends. But Lily remained steadfast. She could not, would not, forgive him.
While through most of the series Snape seems to be horrible to Harry and possibly trying to get him into Voldemort's hands, it's revealed at the end of the series that Snape was actually helping watch out for Harry.
The fact Snape and Lily were only friends, and she only saw it as such, reveals a lot about his refusal to respect her boundaries. It seems his love was an ongoing obsession with her that lasted long after her death.
This jinx was used by Quirinus Quirrell on Harry Potter's Nimbus 2000 in early November 1991, during a Quidditch match. It was an attempt to murder Harry for Lord Voldemort. No one in the stands detected Quirrell of using this jinx, except Professor Severus Snape, who attempted to save Harry with a counter-curse.
In his fifth year James saved Severus Snape from a near-fatal prank that Sirius Black played on him, which involved luring Snape to the Shrieking Shack where Remus Lupin was in his werewolf form. As such, Snape owed James a life debt, although they hated each other.
His father was neglectful and sometimes abusive, which may have contributed to Snape's disdain for Muggles. At some point during his school years, he decided to reject his father's name entirely, giving himself the moniker "The Half-Blood Prince" with his mother's maiden name instead.
Having loved Lily all his life, Snape agreed to make amends for her death by acting as a double agent to keep Harry safe. He risked his life every day, as the slightest notion that he was betraying Voldemort would have had horrific consequences.
With Harry and Hermione despondent after the events in Godric's Hollow and Ron trying desperately to find his way back to them, it was Snape's Patronus – the Silver Doe that was somehow familiar to Harry, perhaps because it recalled his mother's own Patronus – that brought them back together.
Why does Dumbledore say "Lily" when Snape casts his Patronus?
By confirming to Dumbledore that he is still in love with Lily, this shows that Snape cannot overcome the past, nor the grief of Lily's death. The fact that Snape is still in love with Lily could likely explain why his Patronus is a doe.
Snape loved Lily deeply: through their years at Hogwarts; through her marriage to another wizard, James Potter; through his time as a Death Eater; and long after her murder at the wand of Lord Voldemort.
Snape only dueled a few times in the franchise, but each time he did, his skill was evident. He easily held off Harry in Half-Blood Prince, especially since Harry had tried to use several spells that Snape had invented himself.
Draco is in his own house. He is his godson and the child of his good friend Narcissa and fellow former death eater Lucius. He is fond of Draco if you could call it that. He doesn't like Harry at all.
One with a severe dislike of Lily's former best friend. Let's get into your points one by one, though I would like to say first that I'm not sure if that quote from Lily about James making her sick really matches up with her being the 'submissive one'. - Yes, Lily knows James is a bully. That is why she loathed him.
A doe. And in his final battle with Lord Voldemort, Harry explained the significance of this to his adversary, and to us: 'Snape's Patronus was a doe,' said Harry, 'the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children'.
Did Snape betray Voldemort because he killed Lily?
Following Voldemort's fall, Snape never attempted to find his old master, having switched sides ever since the Dark Lord had targeted Lily and this allowed him to avoid time in Azkaban as Dumbledore staunchly defended him.
He promised to protect Draco Malfoy from harm and guide him whilst he attempted to perform the task the Dark Lord had asked him to do: to kill Albus Dumbledore. Snape was actually a double agent working for Dumbledore, who requested Snape to kill him anyway to spare him of a painful and humiliating death.
The biggest indicator that Severus Snape cared for Harry Potter was his eternal love for Harry's mother, Lily. And the strong feelings that Snape felt for Harry's mother carried on with his feelings towards Harry. Harry resembled so much of his mother's personality, as well as her physical appearance.
When Harry critically injured Draco Malfoy with the Sectumsempra curse, it was actually enough to have him expelled, as Professor Minerva McGonagall stated Harry was lucky not to have been, due to Snape giving lenience to prevent others from finding out that he was the one who invented the curse.
