
Harry Potter · Character
Severus Snape
Also known as Professor Snape, Snape
- Major
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 6
A stern adult wizard with sallow skin and greasy black hair that falls around a sharp-featured face dominated by a large hooked nose. His cold black eyes lack any warmth and peer out intensely like dark tunnels, while his thin lips frequently twist into a sneer. Dressed in flowing long black robes and a billowing cloak, this tall and slender man carries an air of dark authority and brooding menace as he sweeps through the dungeons and classrooms of Hogwarts.
- Gender
- male
- Age
- adult
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 6
- Books
- 3
Severus Snape emerges as a menacing, physically imposing Potions Master whose sallow complexion, greasy black hair, and billowing black robes create an aura of sinister authority. Across the first three books, his character remains consistently antagonistic toward Harry Potter, driven by unresolved grudges against James Potter and a suspicious nature that leads him to bully and undermine the young wizard. While maintaining his professional role under Albus Dumbledore, Snape's interactions reveal deepening layers of resentment and professional tension, particularly as his suspicions about Harry intensify with each passing year at Hogwarts.
Description
A stern adult wizard with sallow skin and greasy black hair that falls around a sharp-featured face dominated by a large hooked nose. His cold black eyes lack any warmth and peer out intensely like dark tunnels, while his thin lips frequently twist into a sneer. Dressed in flowing long black robes and a billowing cloak, this tall and slender man carries an air of dark authority and brooding menace as he sweeps through the dungeons and classrooms of Hogwarts. Severus Snape is a thin man with sallow skin and greasy shoulder-length black hair that hangs lankly around his gaunt face. A hooked nose dominates his features while his black eyes glitter with sharp intelligence or malice, and his thin lips frequently curl into a sneer or flicker with a triumphant smile. He wears long black robes that ripple around him as he glides through dimly lit spaces like a large and malevolent bat, his entire demeanor creating an aura of sinister authority. A thin man with sallow skin and shoulder-length greasy black hair framing his face, Severus Snape has piercing black eyes that glitter with malice or fanatical triumph. His prominent hooked nose features long quivering nostrils, while his thin mouth curls into nasty sneers or twisted smiles that bare uneven yellowish teeth. A muscle often twitches at the corner of his thin mouth; he wears billowing black robes that swish as he strides, his entire bearing menacing and full of suppressed rage or triumph.
Connections
Family & partnersFriends & mentorsRivals

Albus DumbledorePotions professor
Snape maintains a professional relationship as Potions professor under Dumbledore's authority, though underlying tensions emerge as he resents some of the headmaster's decisions, particularly those involving Harry Potter.

Harry Potterconflicting source relationships
Snape's antagonism toward Harry evolves from initial bullying based on resemblance to James Potter, to professional teacher-student hostility where he actively seeks to undermine Harry's activities, culminating in deep-seated animosity with constant suspicion and bullying throughout the early books.
Story so far
BOOK 1Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
- Introduced as the stern Potions Master with cold black eyes and a hooked nose who sweeps through Hogwarts in billowing black robes
- Bullies Harry Potter from their first meeting, immediately suspecting him due to his resemblance to James Potter
- Establishes his reputation as a teacher who favors Slytherin students and shows open disdain for Gryffindors
BOOK 2Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Continues his antagonistic relationship with Harry, pushing for a Quidditch ban after the rogue Bludger incident
- Maintains his gliding, bat-like movement through the castle while wearing his signature black robes
- Demonstrates his sharp intelligence and malice through his interactions with students and staff
BOOK 3Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- His animosity toward Harry deepens as he constantly suspects the boy of rule-breaking and misbehavior
- Shows visible signs of suppressed rage with twitching muscles and twisted smiles during confrontations
- Works under Dumbledore's authority while resenting some of the headmaster's decisions regarding Harry
- His physical presence becomes more menacing with quivering nostrils and bared yellowish teeth during moments of triumph or anger
Key events
- Book 2
Ch. 11Harry Speaks Parseltongue at Dueling ClubDuring the first Dueling Club, Harry instinctively speaks Parseltongue to calm a snake conjured by Malfoy, leading to accusations that he is Slytherin's heir. - Book 3
Ch. 17Shrieking Shack ConfrontationHarry, Ron, and Hermione confront Sirius Black in the Shrieking Shack; Lupin arrives and reveals Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew, the true traitor who betrayed the Potters.
Gallery
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Appearances
Meet Severus Snape in Bookworm
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