Throughout most of the Harry Potter franchise, Severus Snape was the Potions professor with a knack for bullying students he didn't like. While he had a sudden redemption arc before his death in the final installment, for many fans, it didn't make up for his prior actions.
Many of Snape's decisions serviced Dumbledore, but he also did irredeemable things throughout his tenure at Hogwarts. Although some fans grew to love Snape, others still felt he was one of the worst Harry Potter characters and didn't deserve vindication. From relentlessly mocking his students to only acting out of his own selfishness, there are many occasions where Snape was awful.
10 Snape Mocked Harry For No Reason
During Harry's first ever Potions lesson, he took notes on Snape's speech about "bottling fame" and "brewing glory." For many students, magical or not, writing down important points was essential to remembering information for tests and homework.
Instead of simply asking what Harry was doing, Snape automatically assumed the boy was ignoring him. He called Harry out, inappropriately mocking him for being a "celebrity" who thought he was too good to pay attention in class. Snape openly hated Harry from the get-go when he'd done nothing wrong.
9 Snape Called Lily A Slur
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Severus met Lily Evans as a kid, and they quickly became friends, even as they separated into different houses. The Marauders often bullied Snape physically and mentally, but Lily always stood up for him and held the other boys accountable. However, one day he got too embarrassed and called her a Mudblood.
The term was a Wizarding World slur for those with Muggle blood. He supposedly "loved" Lily, yet he called her something unforgivable without a thought and drove her directly into James' arms. Of course, it's human nature to lash out when angry or embarrassed, but there's no excuse for calling someone he cared for a horrible, harmful name.
8 Snape Asked Questions, But He Didn't Accept The Answers
Snape, like most teachers, asked questions throughout the class to keep the students engaged, but he often didn't let anyone answer them. For example, during the main characters' third year, Snape asked about werewolves, knowing the kids hadn't covered the topic.
Hermione tried to respond, practically jumping in her seat to get his attention. However, he instead called her an "insufferable know-it-all" when she spoke out and proceeded to take points from Gryffindor. Purposefully asking questions the students wouldn't know and punishing those who did know wasn't a very effective teaching method.
7 Snape Hated Harry Because Of James
James Potter wasn't kind to Severus, as he often teased the Slytherin boy and encouraged his friends to do the same. Although he was a bully as a kid, James was a great father who gave his life to protect Harry and deserved for others to remember him as a hero.
However, Snape held a grudge against James for the rest of his life, even carrying it over to Harry when his father was no longer around. A decade-old, one-sided grudge was no reason to treat Harry the way he did, and Snape was clearly in the wrong.
6 Snape Was A Real Death Eater
During the Second Wizarding War, Snape pretended to be on Voldemort's side to get information for Dumbledore, and he had good intentions and was instrumental in stopping Voldemort's takeover. However, during the First Wizarding War, Snape was indeed a loyal Death Eater who served Voldemort until he learned about the Dark Lord's plan to kill the Potters.
Regardless of Snape's change in heart years later, he had no hesitation about joining Voldemort's morally corrupt group during his first rise and aided in innocent people's murders. If Voldemort had spared Lily, Snape likely would've remained a loyal follower until the end.
5 Neville Feared Snape More Than Anyone Or Anything
During the main characters' third year, Remus Lupin introduced the students to Boggarts, anonymous creatures who appeared as the seer's greatest fear. As Neville stepped up to the cupboard, it produced a Severus Snape lookalike, who bullied the student so profusely that he was paralyzingly afraid.
Bellatrix Lestrange tortured Neville's parents into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse, and even she wasn't scarier than Snape. Professors should've been sources of guidance and support for their students, and Snape was the complete opposite, especially to Gryffindor kids.
4 Snape Was Alarmingly Obsessed With Lily
Severus had a crush on Lily when they were young, which eventually became a deep obsession. He even had the same Patronus, a doe, which he showed to prove his "love" for her. Some fans have romanticized Snape's relationship with Lily, but he was manipulative and mean to her as they grew older.
During Snape's later Hogwarts years, he delved into the Dark Arts and pureblood ideology and then got mad at her, a Muggle-born, when she didn't support his beliefs. They could've developed a beautiful romantic relationship if he hadn't put so much weight on Voldemort and learning the Dark Arts, pushing her farther and farther away.
3 Snape Bullied Hermione About Her Appearance
During the main characters' fourth year, Draco accidentally struck Hermione with Densaugeo, a charm that made the victim's teeth grow extraordinarily large. She already had buck teeth and was insecure about them. After the hex hit, Snape told her he "saw no difference," insulting her appearance and mercilessly damaging her self-esteem.
It was a wildly inappropriate thing for an adult, much less a professor, to say to a 14-year-old girl who was likely already dealing with body-image issues. Luckily, Madam Pomfrey reduced Hermione's teeth to a size even smaller than the originals, and she no longer needed braces or felt insecure.
2 Snape Created A Terrible Curse
While in school, Snape used his talents to create new spells, many of which incorporated Dark Magic. His most prominent spell was Sectumsempra, a curse that cuts the victim over and over and drains the victim's blood through every hole in their body. This spell was so dangerous that the Ministry should've outlawed it, and he should've faced punishment for creating it.
Instead, the spell went unnoticed, and Harry discovered it in Snape's old Potions textbook. He then used it on Draco without knowing what it did, almost killing him. Ultimately, there was no good reason for Snape to create such a harmful Dark Magic spell.
1 All Snape's Choices Were For His Benefit
Snape's decisions were in his best interest, whether good or bad. For example, Snape relayed Harry's prophecy to Voldemort, but when he realized the Dark Lord planned to kill the Potters, he begged Voldemort to spare Lily and kill James and baby Harry instead. It was pretty harsh to willingly sacrifice a one-year-old baby to save a woman who didn't return his love.
Additionally, when Snape decided to flip on Voldemort after the First Wizarding War, it wasn't because it was the right thing to do or because he didn't want to see an evil wizard in power. Instead, he did it because Voldemort broke his promise not to kill Lily, and he wanted revenge. Every decision he made from then on was out of spite and allegiance to himself and Lily, not what was right.