There are so many unanswered questions about Snape’s role in the Harry Potter series. Many of these revolve around whether or not Professor Severus Snape was actually a member of the Death Eater team. If you’re an avid reader of the Harry Potter series, you may have asked yourself this very question. Was Severus Snape a Death Eater? If he was, that would mean that he was in on all of Voldemort’s plans and almost killed Harry on purpose several times to bring him to Lord Voldemort. However, if he wasn’t a Death Eater, then why did he act like one? Does that mean there is something even more sinister at play here? Keep reading to find out!
Was Snape A Death Eater?
No, Snape was not a Death Eater. Snape joined the Order of the Phoenix at a young age and quickly became one of its most valuable members. He risked his life in the company of Harry’s mother, Lily Evans, who was a fellow member. Snape also took part in many perilous missions for the Order, including the Battle of Hogwarts.
Why Was Not Snape A Death Eater?
1. Snape’s Death
Despite his many years of service to the Order, he never received a single mark on his arm. In fact, he was protected by Harry Potter’s mother, Lily Evans. This is because Snape was a spy for the Order and Voldemort did not want to kill him in case he revealed any crucial information to Harry or his friends.
2. Jealousy
Snape hated Harry’s mother so much that he tried to kill her with a curse when she was just a baby. He was also jealous of James Potter, Lily Evans’ boyfriend, who also shared the Potters’ secret with Harry and his friends. If Snape was not a Death Eater, then why would he go through all that trouble to try and kill Lily Evans? We know that Snape loved Voldemort and wanted him to win over Harry Potter but why would he go out of his way to try and kill Lily Evans?
3. Hate towards Dumbledore
Snape had been taught by Albus Dumbledore and was constantly being put down by him. He even had to sit alone in the dungeons at Hogwarts. If Snape was not a Death Eater, then why would he be so angry with Dumbledore? In addition, what kind of teacher would ignore his students’ questions and make them feel so inferior?
4. Snape’s Love for Lily Evans
Snape was an incredibly jealous person who could not stand to see any male attention on Lily Evans, even if it was her boyfriend James Potter. He tried so hard to kill her when she was only a baby and then tried to kill her again when she grew up. However, many people believe that Snape’s love for Lily Evans may have been what kept him from joining Voldemort’s ranks as a Death Eater.
5. His Motivation
If you love someone or something deeply, you can be driven by jealousy towards those who are close with them or have some sort of influence over them in the dungeons and was taught by a man who hated him. This is why he was so angry with Dumbledore and wanted to kill him. Snape had also been encouraged by Voldemort to hate Dumbledore even more so that he would be more likely to side with Voldemort.
6. Snape’s Love for Lily Evans
Snape loved Lily Evans very much and would have died for her, just like his father did. He showed this love through his actions, not just in front of Harry’s friends but also in front of Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
7. His Anger at Dumbledore
Dumbledore had been the one who told Snape that James Potter was dead, which lead to Snape’s hatred towards him. We know from canon that Snape was jealous of James Potter because he had a happy family life with Lily Evans and their son Albus Severus Potter (Harry).
8. His Favouritism Towards Harry Potter
Instead of being angry at Dumbledore for telling him that in a cupboard under the stairs for most of his childhood. If Snape was not a Death Eater, then why did he hate Dumbledore so much? Was it because Dumbledore had him locked up in the cupboard under the stairs?
9. Snape’s Fears
Snape was terrified of Lord Voldemort and would do anything to avoid his wrath. He was also scared of Harry Potter and when he finally met him, he tried to kill him with a curse. If Snape was not a Death Eater, then why would he be so scared of Harry Potter?
Why Did Aas Snape Call A Death Eater?
He was a member of the Dark Arts group, The Death Eaters
The Death Eaters were a group of dark wizards and witches who served Voldemort and attempted to bring him back to power. Snape was a Death Eater during his younger years. He was Sorted into Slytherin House in his younger years and was recruited by Voldemort to join his group. The Death Eaters were the group that tortured Neville’s parents into insanity, killed Dumbledore, and caused many other dark and evil deeds in the wizarding world. They were an evil group that used dark magic, and Snape was one of their members.
He constantly supported the Dark Lord and his methods
Throughout the series, Snape constantly supported and defended the Dark Lord. He also seemed to support his evil and cruel methods. He did not seem to care one bit about the innocent people who were being tortured and killed. He even seemed to enjoy being cruel to other students. He constantly bullied Harry and put him in danger. Snape constantly bullied and harassed Harry throughout the series. He constantly picked on him for being a Gryffindor and for not being a Slytherin. He even told other students that he hoped that Harry would “disappear” soon. This shows that he had no remorse or care for Harry at all. He ruined lives and never apologized for any of it. Snape consistently ruined the lives of many people throughout the series. He caused most of the Slytherin friendships to crumble, including Draco Malfoy’s friendship with Hermione. He even caused his own best friend’s death. He also caused the death of one of Harry’s closest friends. He never once apologized for any of these things.
He had already been assigned to assassinate someone by the Dark Lord
There are many different theories about Snape being assigned to assassinate either Dumbledore or Harry. This would make sense because Snape was a Death Eater, and he would have done as the Dark Lord ordered. The only problem with this theory is that we know that the Dark Lord was trying to keep Harry alive as long as possible. He seemed to think that Harry was more useful alive, than dead. So, it is unlikely that he would have wanted Snape to kill Harry. This leaves Dumbledore as the only likely target. This would also make sense because Dumbledore was the one person that Voldemort feared the most. It would make sense for the Dark Lord to want to get rid of him.
He constantly bullied Harry and put him in danger
Snape bullied Harry throughout the series. He often put him in danger by making his classes harder and by trying to get him in trouble. He even tried to convince the wizarding world that Harry was a liar and a fraud, which could have gotten him killed. He even tried to get Harry killed at one point by trying to send him on a mission that he knew would put him in danger. He tried to send him to an area where he knew Voldemort and his Death Eaters were. He knew that this would be extremely dangerous and likely to result in Harry’s death.
He ruined lives and never apologized for any of it
There are many different ways that Snape ruined lives throughout the series. He did as much damage as he could to Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, and many other people. He even gave his own friend the wrong potion and ended up killing him. He never even apologized for any of these things. He seemed to enjoy ruining people’s lives and was extremely happy when he was able to do so.
Final Words
Throughout the Harry Potter series, there are questions about whether or not Snape was a Death Eater. Some fans have suggested that Snape was actually a spy for the Light side. They believe that he was working for Dumbledore the entire time and that he was just pretending to be a Death Eater. The Death Eater theory certainly does make a lot of sense, but it’s also possible that Snape was just a really dangerous follower of the Dark Lord who didn’t need to be a Death Eater to get dangerous tasks done. Whether or not Snape was a Death Eater is one of the biggest mysteries in the Harry Potter series.
