Ashwinder :: To bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses

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~*~Severus Snape: the Man and the Mystery~*~
by Jinni
~Spoilers for OotP~

What do we know about the dour Potions Master of Hogwarts, Severus Snape?

The answer, surprisingly after five books, is ‘not much’.

Now Head of the same house that he was in during his own years at Hogwarts, Severus Snape plays favorites with the children of Slytherin. They are depicted as above-reproach in his eyes. He does not take points from them nor assign detention. They are the children of Death Eaters, supports of the Dark Lord.

And he, himself, is also a supporter.

Or, should we say – former supporter?

At some point, due to reasons that have not yet been made clear, Snape turned his back on the Dark Lord, choosing instead to become Dumbledore’s spy. Dumbledore publically defended Snape after the original uprising, leading one to wonder when exactly it will be that Voldemort figures out that Snape is, once again, spying from within the ranks.

Snape was in the same year at Hogwarts as the Marauders and Lily Evans. He was teased and taunted by the Marauders, for what appears to be no reason other than they did not like him, or perhaps all Slytherins in general. Harry believes for a while that Snape hates him simply because James Potter saved Snape from certain death at the hands of a very wolf-Remus Lupin. Only later do we find that Snape never would have been put in that position had the Marauders not contrived it. His hate, therefore, becomes reasonable. Who wouldn’t detest their childhood tormentors? The very men that tried to kill him?

The Snape family has, as of yet, not been spoken of in the books, though we may assume that they are as pureblood as the Malfoys. While Snape’s attitudes and prejudices would indicate that he was raised in a household that bred that type of thing, we can only offer up vague assumptions.

Thank goodness for fanfic. Writing Severus in a unique way may prove difficult, as many plots have been hashed and rehashed time and again until they are well worn and bloody from use. But that doesn’t make those plots any less enjoyable when written well. Just keep in mind what you –do- know about Snape, and go from there.

One of the more popular themes in the fandom is that of lost love. Severus and Lily, for example. She is his love, the one that he cannot possibly have, doomed to die. Thanks to a very popular challenge (Severitus’ Challenge) there are also many, many fics with this pairing. . .all culminating in Harry being Severus child.

Have to admit, there’s a certain amount of vicious irony with that scenario.

Dark Severus is just as easy to write as Reformed Severus. Is he really spying for the Order? Or is he playing both sides to his own end? As of this time, who really knows? Canon hasn’t given us much to play with in the way of actual facts, though our imaginations are free to run wild.

And what about Snape’s family? Brothers. . .sisters? Are his parents still alive and, if so, what do they think about their darling little boy? Are they proud that he’s a Death Eater or is he considered the black sheep of the family? Or maybe they just don’t know. . . Is there a sibling waiting at any moment to stab him in the back, perhaps a more loyal follower of the Dark Lord than Severus could ever be?

Anything’s possible in fanfic.

Keep that in mind.

Mix fact and fantasy, truth and mystery – and come up with the Severus that most works for who you feel that he is.

Dark, stern, sexy. . . Just depends on how you view it.