Who Is The Half-Blood Prince? (Explained) 

Harry Potter has been a part of almost everyone’s childhood. However, out of all the fantasy books, one of the best has always been the 6th book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Have you ever wondered who the Half-Blood Prince really is? 

The Half-Blood Prince is Professor Severus Snape. He gave himself the alias because he wanted to abolish his father’s side. So, instead, he used his mother’s last name, “Prince,” and the fact that he is an actual half-blood.

Professor Snape has always been a character shrouded with mystery. At times he seems like the antagonist in the books, but he ends up helping Harry and his friends a couple of times in the books and the movies. So, what made him take up this alias, and what were his true intentions in the franchise?

 Who Is The Half-Blood Prince?

The Half-Blood Prince is a nickname Snape came up for himself during his younger years. The name first appeared during the 6th book when Harry received a copy of Advanced Potion-Making, which was the old textbook Snape owned and annotated while he was a student at Hogwarts. 

Curious as to who the author belonged to, Hermione researched and found out that the nickname was actually a play on the author’s surname and his blood status as a wizard. She managed to learn of a witch with a similar surname, Eileen Prince. However, Harry had said that he was sure the book’s author was male.

Who Are The Parents of Severus Snape?

Severus is the only child of Eileen Snape, who was a witch, and Tobias Snape, a muggle. According to Eileen’s Wikipedia page, she would constantly fight with her husband. In one dream, Harry saw Snape’s memory of his mother getting physically abused by his father.

Currently, it is unknown what has really happened to Snape’s parents. They no longer reside in their old house, and Snape does not speak about them much in the books or the film.

Why is He Serving as The Potions Master?

It is heavily hinted that potions may have been Snape’s specialty. If people have guessed that he was the Half-Blood Prince, an early hint was in his potion textbook. His textbook included notes, annotations, and even corrections to potions, charms, and curses. He managed to figure these out on his own as a student. Even Horace Slughorn had said in his class that there was only one student who managed to make a successful Draught of Living Death, and it was hinted that the student may have been Professor Snape during his younger years.

Why Did Snape Join The Death Eaters?

It was never revealed in the books why Snape joined the Death Eaters. However, in a Web Chat, J.K. Rowling had said that joining the Death Eaters was Snape’s attempt to win back the affection of Lily Evans.

Lily, who later gives birth to Harry, was one of Snape’s close childhood friends before entering Hogwarts. However, by the time the two entered the school, Snape was sorted into the Slytherin House, a rival house of Lily’s own house. He also got involved with several bullies in the Slytherin House who, at that point, were pure-blood supremacists. This put his friendship with Lily, who was a muggle-born, under strain. The two eventually ended their friendship after Snape called Lily a mudblood.

Whose Side is Snape on?

He aligned himself with Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix and was severely loyal to Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore trusted him to the point he even requested Snape to be the one to kill him so Lord Voldemort would trust Snape more. Snape agreed and promised the headmaster that he would make sure no harm would come to the students when the Death Eaters will attack the Ministry of Magic and the school.

Snape also fought during the Battle of Hogwarts but ultimately was murdered by the hands of Lord Voldemort. He killed Snape because he believed Snape was the master of the Elder Wand. However, the actual new master of the wand was Harry Potter.

Is Snape The Bad Guy in The Books And Movies?

Snape is a gray character in the series. He is neither a hero nor even a villain and seems to better fit into the anti-hero role. At the point you think Snape has finally done it and has become one of the scariest villains in the books, he reveals to Harry and the viewers his true intentions regarding his acts through his concealed memories. Despite Snape’s cruel treatment towards Harry, he has always put himself in harm’s way to protect Harry at all costs.

What is Snape’s Relationship with the rest of the Death Eaters?

Snape became a member of a group of Slytherin wizards who would later become the Death Eaters. The members were; Bellatrix Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, Avery, Mulciber, Evan Rosier, and Wilkes. In comparison, his relationships with the other members of the Death Eater aren’t clear. However, readers assumed he was relatively close to Mulciber and Avery during his childhood.

How Was Snape as a Double Agent?

Snape joined Albus Dumbledore’s side after Snape pleaded to Dumbledore to save the Potter family after he leaked the prophecy to Voldemort. Dumbledore agreed under the condition that Snape must now serve him as a spy. Unfortunately, even with the hidden, the Potter family was still found.

However, Harry managed to survive. Snape has dedicated most of his life to ensuring that Harry was protected in honor of Lily’s memory.

What Happened After Snape’s Death?

Snape met his unfortunate end at the hands of Lord Voldemort because Voldemort believed that killing him would make him the master of the Elder Wand. However, Harry was the true master and watched the scene while hiding. While he was dying, Snape revealed the truth about his intentions.

After his death and the defeat of Voldemort, his portrait was not immediately placed in the Headmaster’s Office. However, Harry Potter pleaded for his portrait to be placed so people would know him of his heroism. Even Rita Skeeter published a book regarding his life in his honor.

In the book’s epilogue, 19 years after the war, Harry named one of his sons, Albus Severus, after Dumbledore and Snape. The name was chosen as a means to honor two wizards who had greatly influenced Harry’s life.