Editing Severus Snape (section)

==Characterisation==

===Outward appearance===
Snape is described as a thin man with sallow skin, a large, hooked nose, and yellow, uneven teeth. He has shoulder-length, greasy black hair which frames his face, and cold, black eyes. He wears black, flowing robes which give him the appearance of "an overgrown bat".<ref name="The Potions Master">{{HPref|book=1|chapter=8}}</ref> The youthful Snape had a "stringy, pallid look", being "round-shouldered yet angular", having a "twitchy" walk "that recalled a spider" and "long oily hair that jumped about his face".<ref name="Snape's Worst Memory" />

In the chapter illustrations by [[Mary GrandPré]] in the American editions of ''The Prisoner of Azkaban'', ''The Order of the Phoenix'', and ''The Half-Blood Prince'', Snape is depicted with a moustache and [[goatee]], long black hair, and a receding hairline.

===Personality===
Snape is generally depicted as being cold, calculating, precise, sarcastic, and bitter. 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. In particular, James and Sirius bullied Snape, which according to Alan Rickman caused the already lonely boy to further "shut himself in".<ref name="French Interview Translation" /> Rowling further described the young Snape as insecure and vulnerable: "Given his time over again [Snape] would not have become a Death Eater, but like many insecure, vulnerable people he craved membership of something big and powerful, something impressive.[...] [He] was so blinded by his attraction to the dark side he thought [Lily] would find him impressive if he became a real Death Eater."<ref name="Bloomsbury chat">{{cite web |title=Web Chat with J.K. Rowling 30 July 2007 on Bloomsbury.com |url= http://www.raincoast.com/harrypotter/pdfs/webchat-jkr.pdf |access-date=2 October 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928135035/http://www.raincoast.com/harrypotter/pdfs/webchat-jkr.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 28 September 2007}}</ref>

The adult Snape, on the other hand, is portrayed as very self-assured and confident of his abilities, to a degree that Rickman described as "full of himself."<ref name="Interviews Transcripts" /> Director [[David Yates]] said Snape is a character with gravitas, authority and power.<ref name="David Yates"/> Snape typically displays a very calm and collected demeanour, rarely at a loss for words or taken off guard. His temper, however, is sometimes short where Harry is concerned and positively flares when dealing with his erstwhile tormentor Sirius, or when accused of cowardice. His otherwise impassive and aloof attitude seems to stem from his belief that people who cannot control their emotions are weak.<ref name="Occlumency" />

Like some other prominent members of Slytherin house, Snape is shown to be a clever and cunning wizard.<ref name=" The Elder Wand " /><ref name="Padfoot Returns"/> He is intelligent and has a keen, analytical mind. In an interview, Rowling adds that Snape is immensely brave,<ref name="Final Chapter" /> and when asked if she considers Snape a hero, replied: "Yes, I do; though a very flawed hero. An [[anti-hero]], perhaps. He is not a particularly likeable man in many ways. He remains rather cruel, a bully, riddled with bitterness and insecurity—and yet he loved, and showed loyalty to that love and, ultimately, laid down his life because of it. That's pretty heroic!"<ref name="Bloomsbury chat" />

===Magical abilities and skills===
All seven novels show Snape to be a very powerful wizard and to have been outstanding while a student. He specialises in potion making and has talent and passion for the Dark Arts. Sirius claimed that Snape knew more hexes and curses as a first-year student at Hogwarts than most seventh-years knew.<ref name="Padfoot Returns">{{HPref|book=4|chapter=27}}</ref> Particularly gifted in potion making, Snape added major improvements to his Potions textbook while still a student. 

Also as a student, Snape shows a rare gift for discovering new spells. Lupin describes [[Sectumsempra]] as Snape's "speciality" in ''Deathly Hallows.''<ref name="Fallen Warrior">{{Cite Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|chapter=5}}</ref> Snape is shown using this spell as a teenager against Harry's father James<ref name="Snape's Worst Memory" /> and in the aerial battle in the last novel when he accidentally hits [[George Weasley]] (acting as a Potter decoy) with it while actually aiming for a Death Eater who was trying to attack Lupin, permanently severing George's right ear. Despite Sectumsempra's deadly power, Snape can also heal the wounds it causes.<ref name="Sectumsempra" /> Snape is adept at reversing or containing potentially fatal damage from other dark curses as well, due to his vast knowledge of Dark Arts, as he does when Dumbledore<ref name="The Prince's Tale" /> and then [[Katie Bell (Harry Potter)|Katie Bell]]<ref name="The Secret Riddle">{{HPref|book=6|chapter=13}}</ref> are cursed.

Skil<!-- Yes, there is only one 'l' in skilful in British English, which we use in this page-->ful in the arts of [[Legilimency]] and especially [[Occlumency]], Snape is able to both access the minds of others and protect his own thoughts—indeed, though Snape does not care for the term himself, Harry forms the uncomfortable impression early in the series that the Potions Master is able to "read minds." Being an Occlumens, Snape is able to keep his betrayal from Voldemort, who is himself described as being "the greatest Legilimens" in history.<ref name="Spinner's End" /> According to Rowling, Snape is the only Death Eater capable of producing a full [[Patronus Charm|Patronus]], which, like Lily's, is a doe.<ref name="Bloomsbury chat" /> 

Snape is a talented duellist, able to hold off by himself (if only briefly) a group of three Hogwarts professors that included former duelling champion [[Filius Flitwick]]. Professor McGonagall later implies that Snape learned to fly without the use of a broom, a rare skill previously displayed only by Voldemort.<ref name="The Sacking of Severus Snape" />

===Family===
Snape's family background is mostly shown in flashbacks during the course of the last three novels. 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. Snape spent his early childhood living with his parents in a small house in [[Spinner's End]]. Snape's family was a poor one and he is described as wearing ill-fitting clothes "that were so mis-matched that it looked deliberate". As a child, Snape was apparently neglected and his parents often fought with one another. Snape was very eager to leave his home to go to Hogwarts.<ref name="The Prince's Tale" /> Towards the end of the last novel, Harry draws parallels between his childhood, Snape's, and Voldemort's.<ref name="The Forest Again">{{Cite Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|chapter=34}}</ref>

===Loyalties===
Snape's true loyalty was one of the most significant questions in the series up until the end of the final instalment, ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows''. Although the first five novels depict him as unfair and vindictive towards Harry and his friends, he invariably ends up protecting or otherwise helping them when they or their allies are in danger. Several characters express doubts about his loyalty, but Dumbledore's trust in him is generally taken to be the final word. Curiously, the same thing appears to happen in the opposite side, when we see how Bellatrix Lestrange mistrust Snape and only the word of Voldemort seems to protect him from the suspicions of the other death-eaters.<ref name="Spinner's End"/> The sixth novel, ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'', departs from that model. In the second chapter, Snape claims to have been working for Voldemort ever since the latter's return, and only pretending to help Dumbledore.<ref name="Spinner's End"/> By killing Dumbledore toward the end of the novel, Snape seems to place himself firmly in Voldemort's camp.<ref name="The Lightning-Struck Tower"/> Rowling maintains this impression through the early chapters of the seventh novel. However, near the climax of the book, Snape leaves Harry his dying thoughts (to be viewed in the Pensieve) and ultimately reveals to Harry that he had been loyal to Albus Dumbledore throughout the series.<ref name="The Prince's Tale" /> Snape's fierce devotion to and love of his childhood friend Lily, Harry's mother, is the foundation of that loyalty.<ref name="The Prince's Tale"/>

After ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', Snape's loyalty was a matter of intense debate among the fans. The issue was given special attention in the marketing campaigns on behalf of the last book, ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows''. "Is Snape Good or Evil?" was one of the questions in [[Scholastic Corporation|Scholastic Inc]].'s seven-question series, part of its marketing campaign for the book.<ref>{{cite web |title = Scholastic asks "Is Snape Good or Evil?" |url = http://www.hpana.com/news.19880.html |date = 1 May 2007 |access-date = 18 March 2008 |archive-date = 20 August 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080820035306/http://www.hpana.com/news.19880.html |url-status = live }}</ref> As part of the [[Waldenbooks]] marketing campaign, two free stickers, one that said "Trust Snape" and another that stated "Snape Is A Very Bad Man" were available with the book. [[Borders (retailer)|Borders]] published a separate book on the topic, ''The Great Snape Debate,'' containing essays and arguments from both sides of the debate.<ref>{{cite web |title = Severus Snape: Friend or Foe? |url = http://www.bordersmedia.com/harrypotter/snapepanel/default.asp |access-date = 18 March 2008 |archive-date = 25 March 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080325041331/http://www.bordersmedia.com/harrypotter/snapepanel/default.asp |url-status = usurped }} Link includes video.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = The Great Snape Debate – Borders Exclusive |url = http://www.bordersstores.com/search/title_detail.jsp?id=56815939 |access-date = 18 March 2008 |archive-date = 20 February 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080220003939/http://www.bordersstores.com/search/title_detail.jsp?id=56815939 |url-status = live }}</ref>