Severus Snape's nickname, the Half-Blood Prince, was a clever description of his half-blood lineage. Snape chose the name as a tribute to his mother and to distance himself from his muggle father, drawing an interesting parallel between this character and Lord Voldemort.
Why did Snape reveal he was the Half-Blood Prince?
His father was a muggle.
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.
He had the ability to tiptoe on both sides of the conflict, acting as an important ally for both Dumbledore and Voldemort. Snape's love for Lily Evans and his skill as a wizard allowed him to play both sides as a double agent, ultimately aiding Harry Potter in defeating Voldemort.
Snape's troubled childhood and abusive upbringing shaped his cruel and cold demeanor as an adult. His negative experiences with his muggle father and neglectful witch mother contributed to his decision to join the Death Eaters.
Why did Snape help Voldemort in Half-Blood Prince?
snake served voldemort at first because he was interested in the dark arts. after hearing part of the prophecy he went and told voldemort. after voldemort declared he was coming after harry, snape pleaded with voldemort to spare lily.
What is special about Snape being the Half-Blood Prince?
Snape was born to Eileen Prince, a witch, and Tobias Snape, a Muggle, making him a half-blood (hence the name, "Half-Blood Prince"). This is rare for a Death Eater, as remarked in the last book, though Voldemort himself also had a Muggle father.
He joined Dumbledore to ensure Lily's protection, and after her death, her son Harry's. Albus Dumbledore's relationship with Severus Snape showcased an unusually strong trust and loyalty.
Severus Snape was on his own side, really. That meant he allied with Dumbledore because he was planning to do what Snape deemed right and proper. It may look like Dumbledore is controlling Severus, but he was way too brilliant of a wizard to allow anyone to control him.
Snape's childhood wound, emotional neglect, loss of his best friend, and unrequited love for Lily compounded, and he succumbed to the dark side in Harry Potter. He found himself spying for Lord Voldemort, but all this came to a screeching halt when the Dark Lord marked the Potters for death.
As much as people romanticize Snape's infatuation with Lily, the fact she did not love him back romantically is ignored. 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.
However, there were a select few that had his trust, and whom he treated with respect. This included Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape. No matter what Snape did as a spy, Voldemort never figured out he was not on the Dark Lord's side.
In the heat of the moment, Snape lost control and called Lily the forbidden word. He called her a mud-blood by accident because he was frustrated that lily did not like his closest friends. He did not mean it.
Despite Snape killing Dumbledore, it is learned that they had a special agreement for him to do so. When he died, it was revealed that his deep strong love for Lily Evans caused him to redeem himself, joining Dumbledore's cause for her protection (and, after her death, that of her son) from Lord Voldemort.
The movies follow the books closely enough that they aren't really separate universes, except for the fourth movie. There isn't any truly compelling evidence that Snape is Harry's father, because all the points you raise are explained. Snape hated Harry because Harry reminded him of the man who "stole" Lily.
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.
How can Snape be in Slytherin if he is half-blood?
Because Slytherin was NOT the house for ONLY pure-bloods. If that were the case, then Slytherin would NEVER have a full house. Look, Slytherin house IS willing to accept half bloods. There are even reports of rare muggle borns entering their house.
By Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it's a stretch to call Draco a villain anymore. We just watched — or read — him struggle to reconcile his choices and morals in The Half-Blood Prince. He can no longer justify his actions, and is far more aware of the evil he was born and raised into.
That fan theory about Snape being a vampire? Not true... On a few occasions while reading the books, you'll come across descriptions comparing Snape to a bat, be it Professor Quirrell calling him an 'overgrown bat' in Philosopher's Stone, or his figure being called 'bat-like' when it's revealed he can fly unaided.
Summary. As a character, Severus Snape was often misunderstood. Many believed he was a villain, and weren't convinced he was actually working for Dumbledore. Snape killed Dumbledore in an effort to protect Draco Malfo and spare him from the emotional trauma of murder.
McGonagall later learned that Snape was secretly Harry's protector and had killed Dumbledore at Dumbledore's request. McGonagall then made a controversial decision to add Snape's portrait in the Headmaster's Office as a testament to his bravery.
The alias Snape gave to himself was not just some randomly generated name but was one that was steeped in truth. Half-blood referred to a witch or wizard born from a magic lineage and muggle pairing, so Snape was clearly referencing his own family tree.
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.
Originally Answered: In the Harry Potter series, why didn't Lily marry Snape? The simple answer: She didn't love him. The more complicated answer: He proved again and again that he wasn't willing to listen to Lily, respect her or her views, or love her in a healthy way.
