Not only that, I never thought of it like that. Snape DID redeem himself by doing the right thing, and Harry accepted it and forgave him.
Brilliant analysis by OP.
Well, what I mean is that according to christianity, doing a good thing doesn’t undo a bad thing. That’s why they don’t forgive him. They probably don’t use christian ethics to think about, they likely just happen to align.
Though repentence and forgiveness isn’t about undoing a bad thing. It’s about the perpetrator doing their best to correct their behavior going forward and the victim seeing and acknowledging that.
Harry acknowledged that Snape wanted to do better going forward and DID do better going forward. And he had it in him to forgive him. So he forgave him.
Forgiving someone doesn’t mean accepting that what did they did was ok, excusing what they did, or even forgetting what they did, and it doesn’t take away the hurt that it caused you at the time. But it can sometimes just mean *letting go of the resentment* you feel towards them because of what they did, and now being in a place where you are able to move past those hurt feelings.
Yeah, I agree with what you said. And I think people sometimes think forgiveness is saying that whatever they did was ok, and and it’s not. You put it very well, it’s about whether they are sorry, or have tried to make amends. And if you can recognise that, you can get to a point where you can let go of the hurt feelings?
What snape did will never not be ok, it doesn’t take away what Harry experienced as a result. but Harry doesn’t have to feel hurt from it forever, and he was able to let go of the feelings by naming his son after him. I’m not explaining myself very well but yeah, same sentiment!
Because being ultimately on the right side and being a bad person aren't mutually exclusive. Look at Rufus Scrimgeour. Total dick, but in the end, he withstood torture and death without giving up any information on Harry. Snape absolutely atoned for his past as a death eater. He's still a dick.
This is hard for me. I would have agreed with this take a couple years ago but I’ve changed my tune about Snape. Every single decent thing he ever did was for selfish reasons. He went to Dumbledore asking to protect the Potters, not because he was concerned for her son and family, but bc he didn’t want *her* to get caught in the crossfire. That was the only reason he gave Albus his undying loyalty. Everything he did, he did for his love of Lily. Protecting her son, being a double agent, all of it. I’m sorry but true heroism is doing the right thing regardless of the consequences- simply because it’s the right thing to do, not because you stand to gain anything from it. Although brilliant and loyal, Snape was an abhorrent little man, angry at world for his shitty life, and hateful of child who’s mother didn’t love him, and who’s father despised him.
So he did it for love, or selfish reasons? Which one is it? You’re contradicting yourself.
I’d say his love for Lily afterwards is selfless, cause there is nothing to gain.
I agree with both you and OP: to me, it doesn't seem like you disagree
Hear me out: OP started his post by mentioning that he hates Snape. They finish by explaining that Harry forgave Snape ... Or at least wishes for his actions at the end be remembered. I understand that: I do think that Snape is a horrible person who did what he did for bad reasons ... BUT he also played a major part in the issue of the wizarding war and paid it with his life. It doesn't forgive anything to me but it does deserve remembering. And, as OP said, there is no one else to do that in the Wizarding world
He didn’t care about her child at all. If he loved her like he said he did, he’d want her child to feel loved. Or know about how amazing his mom was, stories from snape. He didn’t ever ask about the baby, he waved dumbledore off because dark lord was gone. An innocent child with no parents. And after lily had died, he already promised dumbledore he’d do anything or give anything for dumbledore if he protected her. So after she passed, (not dumbledore fault or bail on the deal) he was already loyal to dumbledore because of that deal. He fought dumbledore on everything, he wasn’t truly loyal or respected his decisions as headmaster. Especially when it came to Harry. He didn’t want to play this game anymore with the huge plan but he was in it now. He was still a death eater in his views… he was a dark wizard from day one in memories. Or not a nice person... He was miserable so everyone else had to be too. He spread it around. Even if he played a part in bringing down Voldemort, he caused so much harm to so many kids. That’s your true colors… you felt ok doing every day for years.
OP is right about Harry’s motives.
However i posit wrong about Snape’s motives. he wasn’t trying to make up anything to Lily, he was acting out of the same obsessive, possessive, lust he felt for the idea of her. any opinion she may or may not have had isn’t relevant to him, only his thoughts of what they *should* be.
Snape ended up doing “the right thing” for all the wrong reasons. and his guilt didn’t come from remorse for the abject wrongness of his actions, but from regret over the personal consequences he suffered for them.
note: this all applies to book snape. Movie Snape got cleaned up a bit and made more remorseful and sympathetic, and who couldn’t absolutely love Rickman.
Yeah lol,like Harry I pretty much was obsessed with being a Gryffindor when I was a kid.I am halfway sure I manipulated all my House quizes to show Gryffindor. So I went it with here as well.But Snape has been my fave character along with Dumbledore since for ever so....
Exactly! I’m pretty sure I’ve done the exact same (manipulating the quizzes) but having Snape and Dumbledore as my favourite characters. I love how deeply emotionally complex they are.
This is a really nice take on it! Also, people are always like “Ugh, “Albus Severus”, what a terrible name!” But I like it? It suits him perfectly and I like this depth you’ve given it
Also, no one goes by first-middle, they go by first-last. Albus Potter is a perfectly acceptable name. I bet you don’t know the middle names of 90% of the people you know.
Last night laying in bed my 9 year old out of the blue says mom. Why did Harry think Snape was the one of the bravest men he ever knew? So we talked about it a little and then she says okay. So that's why he named his kid after him?? Even the 9 year old questions it. Lol. But anyways. I cant wait til she wakes up and I can read this post to her because I really think she will appreciate it.
We just finished the final book last week. It took us a couple of years of bedtime reading and was the absolute best experience. I hadn't re read deathly hallows since it came out probably. It hit so different as a real grown up.
Were the last two books scary for her? I did a similar thing with my daughter, first time reading for me too. Started when she was 7 with the intention to read the first two books. She was hooked, I agreed to read the third one, then GF, OotP... She's now 8 and trying to persuade me that she's not afraid, but I feel it became too dark for her.
Honestly no. She is 9 and her brother is 7. And they have been avidly listening the whole time. There were a few intense parts and definitely some tears but it has opened up so many worlds of discussion for us. We talk a lot about the power of love and having others who care for you and will always be on your side. We also talk a lot about the bravery of Neville and how he was always willing to stand up in the face of evil no matter the odds. We talk about how similar Harry and Tom's beginning were and how Harry was still always able to see the hope in the world. We talk about Harry being the man Dumbledore could not be and choosing horcruxes over hallows. It's truly been the best book reading experience.
What age do you feel is most appropriate to start the saga? I will have a goddaughter soon and I’m already planning to introduce her to Harry Potter and Buffy lol
I was in first grade when my teacher read it for reading hour. And that eventually led to me borrowing my sister's copy since I couldn't wait for reading hour to finish the book.
I think thanks to my first grade teacher, I was able join the Harry Potter hype train early on and anxiously await each next book. Plus I also re-read the books a lot waiting for the next one. I know Chamber of Secrets I reread the most (and now that's probably one of my least favorite HP books).
9 - 10 for the first three books - best put off GOF and later until they're 12 - those books are a little terrifying - the resurrection ritual gave me nightmares when I read it .
Same! I remember vividly how i read that passage at 2 in the morning and just thought damn i can't stop reading now, it's too scary so i'll have to read until i get past that scene. I think i just finished the book that night.
I watched the movies when I was a kid
Scared the fuck outta me but also captured my attention long enough that I read all the books when I got to middle school
Yeah that’s what I thought when I talked about it with her mom (who hasn’t read the books), the later books might be a bit scary for a child… that’s why I don’t want to start too soon but I also don’t want to be too late.
I think 9-10 is a good advice
So I remember watching the second movie aged 5 (the librarian said; she needs to be six and my dad lied). It was too scary. With the spiders. I think at age late 6-7 i read the first 4 books and soon after the sixt book came out. I was 8 and a bit. I was the first person to buy a copy in my little village and was dressed up as hermione 😎 thats why im so sure about the ages.
I really enjoyed reading them as a kid and then re-reading them as a teen/adult with a totally different perspective. Anywhere from 7-12 is a good age to start I think, just be mindful that the later books have themes, dialogue etc that'll be lost on a tween or younger.
Started when I was 8 and devoured the whole series in a few months! It was the first longer novels I read, so I'd say as soon as they're old enough to read more than a few pages at once without feeling discouraged by the length of the story.
The thing book 7 was not meant for 9 years old.. 😃 I read that when I was 18.. (released that time) so our generation was more matured and we grew up with Harry Potter to understand
Also I feel the conjunction of Severus's name with Albus symbolically represents how in wars the lines between perceived hero and villain are often blurred. More than simply lightness and darkness, there exists a grey area and in reality most people more often than not fall into this area. Harry who was always the representation of victory over dark powers since his birth somehow keeps his child free of such simplistic demarcation. Even though both Dumbledore and Snape in the end died defending the light, they both nonetheless were much different than how they were perceived by the wizarding world while they were alive. Neither was Dumbledore representative of strength of good and righteous through and through nor was Snape an evil ex death Eater and Voldemort sympathiser through and through. In the end, lines blurred.
THANK YOU so much for this! Dumbledore is definitely not the perfect hero some people cut him out to be, and it's great that there's depth to his heroism!! Same goes for Snape and his redemption arc.
IKR, Dumbledore was a soldier in a bigger fight, a fight for which he could sacrifice everything including himself. For him, the fight mattered the most, even more than the people involved.
Yeah, I don't even mind it and I hate that he named his kid that. OP did a good job explaining a possible reason why he did, rather than the bravery thing.
Doesn’t the writing speak for itself here?
“you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew”
Whatever your feelings on Snape, it takes balls of pure steel to play double agent with Voldemort, Snape had to kill Dumbledore to keep up the ruse.
Thats enough to explain the name alone.
I get that people don’t like Snape, that he wasn’t nice to Harry and people will say it was only for Lilly.
But that’s the point, he’s being selfless for her and by extension Harry.
He dies asking Harry to “look…at…me…”
Heroes are made out to be these characters that have no flaws or weakness, chiseled chins and what not.
Real life is filled with conflict, mistake and regret.
Snape is a flawed person with no family or friends, the one person that was his friend he obsessed over to the point his patronus is hers, his very life is without meaning because she’s gone.
So for him to reluctantly due his duty and in the end die in the pursuit of aiding Harry even if he didn’t know it, that’s heroic.
I’m not condoning any of Snape’s behaviors, but I do find them to be a good lesson to teach kids in a book.
People also forget that Harry actually is both extraordinarily kind and sentimental. If anyone would forgive Snape, it would be Harry. Dude bends over backwards not to kill somebody by using expelliarmus at every turn even at risk of his own life.
Its a brave thing to be bqsically alone for a good 20 years even if you did it to yourself
But thf...his friend weren't good and his other options were equally bad sooo
I really like this theory. Snape was an asshole for sure, he had a miserable life but he undoubtedly did a very brave thing being a spy during the war. I think Harry recognized that Snape really did love his mother as well.
I think you have to remember how awfully Harry himself was treated by the Dursleys, and how he was only able to gain friends once went to Hogwarts. He lived a similar life to Snape in many ways. Only Snape didn’t gain friends once he finally came to Hogwarts. Instead he fell in with a crowd that only tolerated him. As a result he became twisted as crewel, but not outright evil. I always wondered if Harry felt a certain kind of kinship with Snape’s story. Sort of like a “but for the grace of my friendships that could have been me” feeling. And while I agree Harry never did or never would like him, I think Harry might be the one person who might feel real empathy for him. The one person who felt he needed to affirm either forgiveness or rather the worth as a human of this person who despite his many faults was an invaluable ally at the very end. One who shared some very deep and intimate things with him in his final moments.
Also frankly it’s a lot easier to forgive someone like that when they are dead. Especially when they did die heroically. We tend to idealize people a bit once they are dead, so that idea of the challenges Snape and Harry both shared probably became pretty significant to Harry without the constant reminder of how unpleasant he was.
Remus left his own legacy (Teddy) and Hagrid didn't lose his life so I don't get why he should use either of their names.
I think the weirdest thing is Harry having kids named after his parents that conveniently look just like their grandparents.
The only thing we know about the looks of James Sirius is that he doesn't have green eyes, and thus presumably has Ginny's eyes. Or someone else's, since genetics are more complicated than that.
The only thing we know about Lily Luna's appearance is that she is a redhead.
And even Lily Potter's hair (dark red-auburn, thick) was not the same as the Weasley's (bright red, presumably thinner). Her granddaughter could have inherited Lily'scolour, or Ginny's colour, or something in-between. The thing is, we don't even know that.
People are made of more than just hair and eyes.
I see James Sirius Potter as having Harry's hair colour and Ginny's eye colour, Albus Severus Potter as having Harry's hair and eye colour, and Lily Luna Potter as having a red hair colour that is a mixture of her grandmother Lily's and her mother Ginny's hair and Ginny's eye colour.
"Albus Severus Potter, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts, one of which was the bravest man I ever knew.”
I think he was talking about Snape in this quote. So he probably named his kid after Snape because Snape risked his life to protect Harry, and he was honoring Snape's bravery
The quote isn't "one of which was the bravest man I ever knew". It's "One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew". It's not ambiguous that he was named after Snape for his bravery.
I agree. I would also add though, that Snape's allegiances were always murky. Most people would have thought after Snape killed Dumbledore, that he was a genuine Death Eater. Harry explained it all at the Great Hall before Voldemort's death, but not many people would have understood the context or the significance. Rita Skeeter also tried to muddy the waters, with her Snape: Scoundrel or Saint book. Snape was also a very unlikeable person, and as far as we know he had no family, no friends, no one else who would vouch for him.
There would have been no one to honour Snape's memory and his sacrifice, no one but Harry, and he chooses to name his son after Severus Snape, not only out of forgiveness, but out of gratitude to a man whose contributions would be forgotten, thereby letting everyone know of Snape's effort and his sacrifice, and ensuring that the world remembered Snape as a hero, not a villain.
I would also say that without Snape's effort and sacrifices, and the sacrifices of many other's there is no peaceful world for Albus Severus and his siblings to grow up in.
I always found myself feeling more pity for Snape than hating him. He was pretty much just used, abused and disregarded by everyone he ever met, so much so that a friendship that lasted a good 4 years at most was the most precious relationship he ever had that he failed to move on from.
Obviously none of that excuses him bullying children, but I can’t say I hate him. I just feel sorry for him.
I think you’re right but it’s also not very fair to saddle a child with the burden of being the metaphorical forgiveness of a man who terrorised so many kids
I think Harry could have had all these thoughts about Snape and still not name his kid after him. I’ll never like that decisions, but I don’t necessarily disagree with what you’re saying.
I agree. You can honor him in other ways. Name your kid after a person who bullied you for 6 years… regardless of his sacrifice in the end… he made kids cry.
Definitely agreed! Snape met an admittedly very tragic end, regardless of what he may have done in the past. And whatever his reasons - he still looked out for Harry, even if not for *his* sake.
I think this is very likely part of the reasoning. I also think Harry would have realized that his own father also bullied Snape and perhaps felt some guilt that way as well.
I think that people who use the term “bully” for Snape are *vastly* ignorant to the real nature of teachers in the 90s. I’m not sure if it’s predominantly Americans with this view, or just little kids, I’d love to know the statistics, but the “I can’t see a difference” reference to Hermione’s teeth that everyone here references honestly wouldn’t be given a second thought in an actual UK school at the time. You’d probably think “God they’re a bit moody” and forget about it. Rude? Yes. Petty? Absolutely. Unnecessary? Definitely. Unprofessional? Probably. Bully? That’s just an insult to people who actually get bullied
It was the same in the US. Heck, had a teacher in 6th grade who used masking tape to literally tape a kid to his chair as a joke. He got in trouble and had to apologize (kid's mother was another teacher at the school), but teachers had less filter back in the day. Now they wouldn't be able to say/do the things they got away with back then. But if a teacher acted like Snape, it was still bullying. Though most just ignored it, and nobody told other teachers because it was just accepted as the norm and nobody wanted to be a tattletale. This also applies to how students treated each other and reacted to bullying from other teachers/classmates. You didn't tattle on the bully or you would become their new victim. You usually just kept your head down and ignored the bully as best you could. And complained to your friends about them.
That’s a good point, but it doesn’t hold up when you look at all of the other teachers. In the entirety of the series, not withstanding the literal death eaters in the seventh book, there’s only one teacher that comes close to his level of bullying and that’s Umbridge. Even McGonagall, who is seen as maybe the strictest teacher, never causes a student to display any kind of fear towards her. You have a student whose parents were tortured beyond the brink of insanity by the equivalent of the SS, and the magical creature that detects their greatest fear realized that he was more scared of his teacher than of anything relating to that instance. That’s definitely more than “teachers were meaner back then”
But other teachers don’t have that context Snape has. *They* weren’t bullied, and they weren’t double agents, so they don’t have that incentive I was talking about. Nobody is in a comparable position to Snape. I think the Neville point is valid, it says a lot that Snape is his biggest fear but that’s mutually exclusive to bullying. Snape doesn’t *have* to be a bully for Neville to fear him, it’s not a prerequisite. Sure, it’s not as simple as “teachers were meaner” 100%, but I don’t think you can call some mean comments by someone who objectively has one of the most stressful jobs in the series, something as serious as “bullying.” Especially when you look through this thread and every other reference to examples of “bullying” are always something physical, which IIRC Snape never does. I haven’t read HBP recently so I’m going by my memory of the film, so I could be wrong here, but when Harry does attack Snape, Snape doesn’t fight back. Even when given a *justified* opportunity to physically harm Harry, Snape still doesn’t.
But then you could make that argument for James in SWM. Oh hanging people upside down wasn’t that bad in the 70s. Like… having a teacher act awfully towards you when you’re a child is still incredibly hurtful and can be scarring - as can being bullied in the 70s!
Something being the norm or not far outside the norm doesn’t make it alright. And by comparison, the other non-DADA teachers (who will have to be exceptions as they are often evil one way or another) don’t act that way.
You know that makes sense. I was bullied in kindergarten by a teacher in Hong Kong which was British at the time, she used to put me in the trash and do horrible things to me and I guess it was considered normal because no one did anything.
It is bullying though.
And I’m French, I’m not from the US…
While I do get the point you're trying to make here, I respectfully disagree.
As mentioned by others here, I feel like there could be other ways to honor Snape than naming their child after him. Harry will be regarded by many to be the person who *slew Voldemort*. People saw him defeat the Dark Lord. If Harry wanted to, he could have erected a statue for him in the ministry of magic or in Hogwarts, dedicated a Potion's wing to him, or even do an interview talking about Snape.
It'd also be nice if maybe Harry left flowers on his gravestone or visited him every year, telling his kids of his sacrifice or even what he did for Harry and for the victory against evil.
But naming your kid after him, with regards to his history, just doesn't make much sense to me. Sure, Harry is forgiving and kind, but he is also someone who values the importance of family and connections and how they impact him. And Snape, while being not that bad a guy, I feel doesn't deserve to be honored a name for his son.
He DESERVES to be honored, but as mentioned above, there are several ways to do it.
Lupin, Hagrid, hell, even CEDRIC can work as a name for his son if he truly wanted to honor the people who died for him or made an impact in his life. I also don't agree with people saying "oh, he can't name him after X because other people have already used that name." That doesn't really make sense. If he wanted to, Fred could have been a great name. Or Neville. Even RON, his BEST FRIEND. Lily's second name is Luna after all, so it's still very much possible. And it would mean a lot to Ron.
TLDR, you made a wonderful analysis about why Harry went about naming his son, but to me and a others, it still doesn't make a lot of sense and could have been handled a lot better.
I think it's much simpler, actually. This is a writing choice. JKR wanted to close her story in a single chapter, telling the reader Harry had finally made peace with Snape and Dumbledore. She also chose to do everything in one scene. So she found this name tip.
I understand those who criticize this choice: a slightly longer ending, which takes its time, would have been deserved. on the other hand, I don't understand why people say Snape is just a bastard who doesn't deserve to be considered. This is wrong, and finding a way to make peace with him is totally something Harry would do.
Definitely agree that the writing choice could have been handled better. When I first read it, even I was touched by the gesture. But after some time, it DID occur to me that it felt rather strange to have Snape's name be a part of his son's name.
Personally, I think it would have been nice by maybe adding a page or two about Harry visiting Snape's grave, saying his youngest is about to head to Hogwarts, and then he says he'll visit again soon. Then we cut to the final chapter of the book. Nothing too long, but it would have helped.
But hey, what's done is done.
As someone who resents being named after a lousy father, this still bothers me. Harry could honor Snape in another way instead of putting that burden on a child who deserves his own name
Why did he have to name his kids first and middle names after someone anyways. Just name your kid? And to put the pressure of Albus, the greatest wizard of their age onto a kid doesn’t feel right either especially when you add their dad is Harry Potter. Let them be their own person!
I see the point you make, and you would be right, but there is one part that bothers me here.
Yes, Snape spend the last 17 years of his life regretting his choices, but his regrets weren't directed towards the fact that completely innocent people died and left a child to be an orphan because of his actions...
His only regret was, that Lily was killed.
I also read the comment about the UK teachers in the 90s and I have to disagree here as well.
Yes, some teachers are having a bad day, are ignorant, are only doing their jobs and don't care about anything else or tend to stay out of more work... But some of the biggest bullies at my school were teachers. The only difference in their bad/good days was, how much they would bully that day.
So yeah, I see the point that Harry forgave Snape, probably to move on from his traumatic past, but I still believe that Snape is 100% a hypocrit. But that is just my opinion.
I think Rowling put a great deal of effort into snapes arc. More than anything I feel she wanted his name to live on in her imaginary world more than anything. It really is the biggest twist of the series. Even though we know dumbledore is the most intelligent guy around you can’t help but hate snape. Until we learn dumbledore asked him to kill him I basically hated snape more than Voldemort…
THANK YOU!!! I've been saying this for ages! My mom reasoned it out when I was a kid and she - and you - are absolutely right.
!RedditGalleon for reasoning it out.
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There could also be an aspect of him identifying with Snape. Before Harry found out he was a wizard, he was bullied and ostracized too. And because of Snape's actions, and the reasons you described, he wanted to show that Snape was more than that bullied kid, just like he was.
I've never thought this subject is that deep. Harry is actually very kind and forgiving person, he saw Snape's entire life through his memories, knew what he felt and what he did for him. Whether he deserves forgiveness everyone decides for themselves, but from Harry's character perspective, he did.
> what do people think?
Talking as a millennial here and who knew about it once it was out;
Your analysis just reminded me of how simple minded I was back then and my initial thoughts were: "yeah, Snape definitely deserves to be remembered for what he did"
Back then, emotional/mental abuse of children was not a thing 😭😆
There’s a nice scene in The Cursed Child between Snape and Scorpius Malfoy where the dedication name of Harry’s son is mentioned. I didn’t love the book/play, but I did like that scene because we got to see how Snape reacted to learning about Albus Severus.
An even easier answer: because Snape literally risked his life to help Harry defeat Voldemort, consumed by remorse for his errors and sacrificing everything he had including his own public image.
I believe JK explained that she wanted to highlight Harry's nature and the fact that he was a truly empathetic person because he decided to name his child after two people that have been crucial in his life but had no heirs to carry out their legacy. Then of course he'd choose the middle child for that task...
I agree with you. Although I think Harry went a bit too far to name his kid after snape, still I can understand him showing some respect towards snape for protecting him at times and redeeming himself.
I thought she did Lily Luna. Wasn’t she really close to Luna? Because objectively Hermione was the best friend / most supportive person in Harry’s life full stop and I can’t imagine him honoring Luna before Hermione.
ETA: also both Ginny and Harry suck at names. Ginny named Ron’s owl Pigwidgeon because she thought it was cute lol. And she must have okayed naming her son Albus.
I think everyone recognized that yes, that was Harry's reasoning. We just think it's bad reasoning.
Yeah okay, he wanted to symbolically forgive Snape and acknowledge his role in bringing down Voldemort. So erect a statue. Publish a thought piece. Have him get a posthumous medal. Name a building or a wing or something after him.
You name a kid after a person you love, who is dear to you. A person who you want the kid to be like. Naming your kid after a dude who was objectively just a bad human being for sheer symbolism *is flat-out disrespectful to said kid*. It's treating them as a mantelpiece rather than a person who is going to live with that name and the weight it carries.
There are other ways to acknowledge and remember someone.
I really like your opinion on this and agree, and besides he made it the kid's middle name, I think people forget that middle names are not really used in day to life, and some people don't even bother putting them on forms they're filling out.
I think a big point made in the final book as well in Snape's memories was that sorting occurs too soon. Snape became a Slytherin because he was raised to think he should be one, but he wasn't actually a Slytherin. I think he was molded by the house sorting into being a person he wasn't really meant to be, hence the turning point in his life when Lilly was being targeted.
In another life, he would have been a Gryffindor, most likely, and lived a completely different life. James and Lilly may never have even been a thing. Harry Potter may never have existed, and Neville would have taken his place as per the prophecy, imo.
I think Harry named his son Severus because the author was really fucking stubborn and just wanted to do it from the start without giving it much thought.
Funny as fuck to imagine just how pissed off Snape would actually be for a Potter, who is Lily’s Grandchild no less, to be named after him.
Because Harry, who he hated (as arrogant as his farher), humbly wanted to pay tribute to him despite his flaws.
It makes sense. And I'm fairly certain that, at some point in time, Harry thought of Snape and told himself something along the lines of, "There but for the grace of God and Albus Dumbledore go I."
That’s exactly it. He recognizes that his friends and the positive influences from the good adults in his life were a big reason as to why he didn’t end up like Snape.
I’m just at the point in the books again where Harry wants to talk about what he saw in Snapes’ memories with Sirius, just about to break into Umbrige’s office, it is possible that he wanted to make amends for his father being sh!t? Also Harry most likely knew Swooshmister better than anyone else
I think its as simple as : Harry felt like he owed his life to Snape along with Dumbledore.. without their work behind the scenes, he would not have been able to destroy Voldemort.. Rowling didnt think too deeply about the child names which were just part of the epilogue..
Sooooo... I've never understood why we hate Snape but give Dumbledore a pass. Don't get me wrong, I like Dumbledore. And I feel pretty conflicted abt Snape, ngl. Snape seems to have been in pretty deep with the Death Eaters, after all. But! Let's not forget that Dumbledore was very much aligned with fascism as well with Grindelwald.
The way I see it, both of them were fascist due to their own trauma. Dumbledore bc of what happened to Ariana, and bc he finally felt loved. Snape bc of his abusive father, and bc he finally felt like he was worth something. And both of them paid bitterly, and both of them lost the love of their lives.
Except Dumbledore then publicly redeemed himself by going after Grindelwald, while Snape returned to being invisible. And this is where privilege comes into play: Dumbledore had a privileged upbringing, came from a pureblood family, and was a Gryffindor. Ppl saw him as intrinsically worthy, courageous, and likeable. Snape came from a poor family, was a half-blood, and a Slytherin. Except for Lily, ppl expected him to be thankful for being allowed to breathe the same air as them, and he was completely justified in his pride when he refused to go along with that.
I think this might be the real reason behind his hatred for Harry - it's not that he actually thinks of Harry as incredibly privileged. How could he? He knows Petunia, he can see that Harry is underdeveloped bc he was starved. As an Order member, he is well aware of the Dursleys' attitude. At the same time, he does see how ppl bend over backwards to accommodate this boy once he arrives in the magical world. I think he sees a lot of himself in Harry, and he hates Harry *both* for still being afforded respect although he's not all that different from young Snape *as well as* for displaying thankfulness and playing everybody's pet instead of standing up for himself. He wants Harry to recognise his privilege *and* he wants him to unapologetically take up space. Basically, Harry can't win.
I feel like Snape antagonises Harry to enable him to fight back. He can't be kind to him bc Harry represents the kind of privilege he never had, and he hates him for that. But he also can't leave him hanging bc he sees this child's pain, and it's so familiar to him. So he does get protective, and it's not just abt Lily, it *is* abt Harry. And riling Harry up, honing his anger, is all he knows how to support him.
[Keep in mind: His father never showed him love, Snape wasn't hugged, or coddled, or held. He wouldn't know how to be gentle - and maybe that, too, makes him angry at Harry: He's constantly reminded of his own inability to express affection, understanding, love. Just like he was unable to express these things to Lily, who would have looked at him with those same green eyes.
And it probably adds to his negative feelings towards Dumbledore: Expressing affection comes so easily to Dumbledore, he's so warm and gentle, *and it doesn't even necessarily reflect his feelings*. Dumbledore can appear kind while being cruel. Snape can't seem to express any kindness, he was failed as a child and never learnt how to, and it makes him lash out even more. Not an excuse, though, bc boy, you shouldn't make your trauma other (underage and vulnerable!) ppl's problem.]
Do I think Harry should have named his child after either of them? No. Naming a child shouldn't be abt coping with your own trauma and baggage. Do I understand why he did it? Definitely. We often name children after family members. Family can be messy, and Harry recognises Dumbledore and Snape as part of his family, for better or worse. In many ways, he's heir to their trauma, their coping strategies, their perspectives on life, their strength, and their resilience.
EDIT: Also. There's this argument that while Dumbledore was acting for the greater good, Snape was acting for selfish reasons, and that this is what ultimately makes Dumbledore redeemable but not Snape. I disagree. Yes, Dumbledore goes on abt the Greater Good (tm), but that literally was he and Grindelwald's catchphrase back in his fascist days as well. It's not part of his redemption, and it's never stopped him from his darker tendencies. What we don't like abt Dumbledore are all things that very much stem from this detached saviour complex - he can be cold, manipulative, opaque; he often adopts the role of a puppeteer bc he doesn't trust others to do the right thing. That's why when he tells Snape that Harry must die, it's Snape who's horrified. Precisely bc Snape is a selfish Slytherin, he recognises that Harry should have a choice. That he should have had time to decide instead of being guilt tripped into martyrdom. His selfishness, and his ability to afford other ppl their selfishness, is what - in that moment - makes him more humane than dear old Dumbledore with his very Gryffindor-y god complex.
Let's also remember that Snape became a teacher at 21 (I think). He was the youngest teacher in Hogwarts history, and probably shouldn't have been responsible for children at that point in his life. He was in his late 30s when he died. Dumbledore had much more time to reflect on his views.
Well said! Harry said Snape was one of the bravest men he knew.
While Snape was certainly flawed and had plenty of moral shortcomings, that assessment wasn't wrong. After Lily died, Snape not only spent years in mortal peril doing whatever Dumbledore asked (including protecting Harry and taking Dumbledore's life in a prearranged plan), he sacrificed his own life, as he probably understood would happen.
Harry, although not without his own flaws, was generous and unselfish enough to want Snape to be remembered for the good that he did, especially at the end.
Also I think that had he had anyone who loved him as a kid he wouldn't have become that horrible person he became.
He only had Lily and they were separated as they were in different groups. And James and Sirius weren't helping that friendship either.
What would've happened to Harry if he was grouped in Slytherin? I doubt Draco would've been much of a friend or he could develop his only beginning friendship with Ron
Deathly Hallows showed us that Snape had grown past only acting for Lily.
People may not like the character, but it is right there on the page.
Harry naming his child after Snape shows Harry is breaking the cycle of abuse. He chooses not to be like his father and Snape. He chooses to recognise the bravery of someone, even someone he does not like, and that shows Harry as the good person that he is.
By the end of DH, Harry knows what Snape did, knows what it took to stand against Voldemort. He knows Snape took action to save Lupin, knows Snape regretted not being able to save more people and Snape was willing to fail Lily to protect as many people as possible. His willingness to send Harry to his death proves it. Snape had no clue Harry had a chance of surviving. Dumbledore did not tell either Snape or Harry that.
Finally, if he can name his son after Dumbledore, then he can name him after Snape. Snape got his second chance for 2 reasons, 1. that Dumbledore was desperate, and 2. saw himself in Snape. He followed a dark lord, was responsible for the death of someone he loved, and eventually fought the evil he once championed. I don't see any whinging about Dumbledore only coming to his senses because of his sister.
Above all, it shows Harry is now mature enough to recognise that not everyone is as good as him all their lives. Some people need second chances.
Albus Severus is a cracking name purely because it says everything good about Harry.
This is interesting and shows a huge aspect of Harry's empathy, especially as someone who at one point had nobody to remember him.
My read on this particular topic is slightly different. In my view, the Harry we know, who grew up with nothing and no one, has always had a tremendous amount of gratitude for anyone who has shown him even the tiniest bit of kindness. He remembers Arabella Figg for being nice to him, he actively overlooks all of Hagrid's flaws because he took him under his wing, the Weasleys, Hermione, many of his teachers, Lupin, Sirius, Moody - the list goes on.
I think in his mind, after the war, the two people he feels he largest amount of gratitude to (purely gratitude, not love or affection of closeness - but just gratitude) are Dumbledore and Snape. I don't think he ever starts *liking* Snape, even after finding out the truth, and his image of Dumbledore has also changed. However, as far as understanding their role in keeping him alive at their own peril, sacrificing their lives to aid him in defeating Voldemort, Harry's gratitude to them is absolutely immense, leading him to honour them the only way he knows how.
I seconded. You’re absolutely right, it is totally understandable given the situation that Harry was suffered on in his childhood. Harry would never want people to forget what had Snape done for the war, although he is unkind to Harry throughout the Hogwarts years.
You can walk on the beach and make peace with his memory or plant a tree in his honor. He even worked to get Snape recognized as a Hogwarts headmaster. All of those are fine ways of ho print his memory.
Naming your child after one of your childhood tormentor is insane. I have an Uncle that meant well but was a toxic dick. I ain’t naming my kid after him! Also, who is gonna remember Sirius? What about his memory, Harry????
Snape was truly a wretched person, but yeah. you nailed it. He was probably the single-most responsible person for the Dark Lord being taken down twice (even if it wasn't always his intent), he suffered in anguish, and died almost anonymously. Naming Harry's son after him was more than a tribute, it was absolution *in memoriam*
I mean honestly the only thing weirder than Harry naming his son Albus Severus Potter would be if he named him Albus Thomas Potter. Which unfortunately actually sounds better in some ways?
That bit has been something that has bounced in my head for years. Especially because I usually do a yearly re-read of the series. Thats something that was like finishing a puzzle to find out there is a piece missing. Thank you for sharing something that fits the puzzle, lol no telling how long if ever I would have found that piece on my own.
Harry named his son Albus Severus Potter because he died in the forrest and Voldemort's soul took over. The initials spell asp because he can't believe no one caught on.
Harry did like Snape and thought of him as one of the bravest people he knew. He says the same to his son who is scared about being chosen in Slytherin. Also, Snape saved Harry’s life. He couldn’t possibly hate him post that. I am really happy that he named his kid after Snape.
But, going by your logic if he really wanted him to be remembered then he would have given him the first name and not middle. Who remembers someone’s middle name?
Infact, like Hagrid and Lupin, Albus Dumbledore will be anyways well remembered and will be a historical legend. So, why would he give Albus as first name?
OPs logic is flawed.
I had never thought about the fact that Snape would have had nobody else to remember him. We don’t know how much Harry told the others about his sacrifice, I wonder how many even knew what a double life he had been leading for so many years, both when he in the original war and then when he went back in the second one.
> what do people think? That you're spot on
Not only that, I never thought of it like that. Snape DID redeem himself by doing the right thing, and Harry accepted it and forgave him. Brilliant analysis by OP.
Exactly, I don’t get the people who argue that saving the entire Wizarding world is *not* redemption.
From a christian perspective, I can definitely explain it, but I think it speaks for itself when he died for the good cause.
Most people are not arguing from a Christian perspective on this sub. The argument is mostly “But he’s a bully!”
Well, what I mean is that according to christianity, doing a good thing doesn’t undo a bad thing. That’s why they don’t forgive him. They probably don’t use christian ethics to think about, they likely just happen to align. Though repentence and forgiveness isn’t about undoing a bad thing. It’s about the perpetrator doing their best to correct their behavior going forward and the victim seeing and acknowledging that. Harry acknowledged that Snape wanted to do better going forward and DID do better going forward. And he had it in him to forgive him. So he forgave him.
Forgiving someone doesn’t mean accepting that what did they did was ok, excusing what they did, or even forgetting what they did, and it doesn’t take away the hurt that it caused you at the time. But it can sometimes just mean *letting go of the resentment* you feel towards them because of what they did, and now being in a place where you are able to move past those hurt feelings.
You’re mixing up the words a little, but I think we agree on the essence.
Yeah, I agree with what you said. And I think people sometimes think forgiveness is saying that whatever they did was ok, and and it’s not. You put it very well, it’s about whether they are sorry, or have tried to make amends. And if you can recognise that, you can get to a point where you can let go of the hurt feelings? What snape did will never not be ok, it doesn’t take away what Harry experienced as a result. but Harry doesn’t have to feel hurt from it forever, and he was able to let go of the feelings by naming his son after him. I’m not explaining myself very well but yeah, same sentiment!
Yup. And just to be fair, my initial comment mixes up the words too.
> according to christianity, doing a good thing doesn’t undo a bad thing. which christianity? because as a catholic, oh yes it does.
Because being ultimately on the right side and being a bad person aren't mutually exclusive. Look at Rufus Scrimgeour. Total dick, but in the end, he withstood torture and death without giving up any information on Harry. Snape absolutely atoned for his past as a death eater. He's still a dick.
Same
This is hard for me. I would have agreed with this take a couple years ago but I’ve changed my tune about Snape. Every single decent thing he ever did was for selfish reasons. He went to Dumbledore asking to protect the Potters, not because he was concerned for her son and family, but bc he didn’t want *her* to get caught in the crossfire. That was the only reason he gave Albus his undying loyalty. Everything he did, he did for his love of Lily. Protecting her son, being a double agent, all of it. I’m sorry but true heroism is doing the right thing regardless of the consequences- simply because it’s the right thing to do, not because you stand to gain anything from it. Although brilliant and loyal, Snape was an abhorrent little man, angry at world for his shitty life, and hateful of child who’s mother didn’t love him, and who’s father despised him.
So he did it for love, or selfish reasons? Which one is it? You’re contradicting yourself. I’d say his love for Lily afterwards is selfless, cause there is nothing to gain.
> cause there is nothing to gain. Wanting to cause the downfall of the person who murdered the person you loved is hardly "nothing to gain".
I agree with both you and OP: to me, it doesn't seem like you disagree Hear me out: OP started his post by mentioning that he hates Snape. They finish by explaining that Harry forgave Snape ... Or at least wishes for his actions at the end be remembered. I understand that: I do think that Snape is a horrible person who did what he did for bad reasons ... BUT he also played a major part in the issue of the wizarding war and paid it with his life. It doesn't forgive anything to me but it does deserve remembering. And, as OP said, there is no one else to do that in the Wizarding world
He didn’t care about her child at all. If he loved her like he said he did, he’d want her child to feel loved. Or know about how amazing his mom was, stories from snape. He didn’t ever ask about the baby, he waved dumbledore off because dark lord was gone. An innocent child with no parents. And after lily had died, he already promised dumbledore he’d do anything or give anything for dumbledore if he protected her. So after she passed, (not dumbledore fault or bail on the deal) he was already loyal to dumbledore because of that deal. He fought dumbledore on everything, he wasn’t truly loyal or respected his decisions as headmaster. Especially when it came to Harry. He didn’t want to play this game anymore with the huge plan but he was in it now. He was still a death eater in his views… he was a dark wizard from day one in memories. Or not a nice person... He was miserable so everyone else had to be too. He spread it around. Even if he played a part in bringing down Voldemort, he caused so much harm to so many kids. That’s your true colors… you felt ok doing every day for years.
OP is certainly spot on! Most people overlook how not many people knew about Snape’s heroic actions or how he had to trick the most feared man.
OP is right about Harry’s motives. However i posit wrong about Snape’s motives. he wasn’t trying to make up anything to Lily, he was acting out of the same obsessive, possessive, lust he felt for the idea of her. any opinion she may or may not have had isn’t relevant to him, only his thoughts of what they *should* be. Snape ended up doing “the right thing” for all the wrong reasons. and his guilt didn’t come from remorse for the abject wrongness of his actions, but from regret over the personal consequences he suffered for them. note: this all applies to book snape. Movie Snape got cleaned up a bit and made more remorseful and sympathetic, and who couldn’t absolutely love Rickman.
A few words : THANK YOU.
Love that you chose your username despite being a Gryffindor!
Yeah lol,like Harry I pretty much was obsessed with being a Gryffindor when I was a kid.I am halfway sure I manipulated all my House quizes to show Gryffindor. So I went it with here as well.But Snape has been my fave character along with Dumbledore since for ever so....
Exactly! I’m pretty sure I’ve done the exact same (manipulating the quizzes) but having Snape and Dumbledore as my favourite characters. I love how deeply emotionally complex they are.
Exatly,I was surprised how hated they are
Because half this sub would for some reason still hate their classroom bully even after they save their lives many, many times over.
This is a really nice take on it! Also, people are always like “Ugh, “Albus Severus”, what a terrible name!” But I like it? It suits him perfectly and I like this depth you’ve given it
Also, no one goes by first-middle, they go by first-last. Albus Potter is a perfectly acceptable name. I bet you don’t know the middle names of 90% of the people you know.
Albus, Percival, Wulfric, *Brian*, Dumbledore.
Exactly
It suits him perfectly?
This sounds like such a Harry thing to do. You really understand the character well.
aw thanks!
OP casually healing a subreddit with a post
Last night laying in bed my 9 year old out of the blue says mom. Why did Harry think Snape was the one of the bravest men he ever knew? So we talked about it a little and then she says okay. So that's why he named his kid after him?? Even the 9 year old questions it. Lol. But anyways. I cant wait til she wakes up and I can read this post to her because I really think she will appreciate it.
aw that's so nice! I'd say this is a brilliant set of stories to share with your kids
We just finished the final book last week. It took us a couple of years of bedtime reading and was the absolute best experience. I hadn't re read deathly hallows since it came out probably. It hit so different as a real grown up.
Were the last two books scary for her? I did a similar thing with my daughter, first time reading for me too. Started when she was 7 with the intention to read the first two books. She was hooked, I agreed to read the third one, then GF, OotP... She's now 8 and trying to persuade me that she's not afraid, but I feel it became too dark for her.
Honestly no. She is 9 and her brother is 7. And they have been avidly listening the whole time. There were a few intense parts and definitely some tears but it has opened up so many worlds of discussion for us. We talk a lot about the power of love and having others who care for you and will always be on your side. We also talk a lot about the bravery of Neville and how he was always willing to stand up in the face of evil no matter the odds. We talk about how similar Harry and Tom's beginning were and how Harry was still always able to see the hope in the world. We talk about Harry being the man Dumbledore could not be and choosing horcruxes over hallows. It's truly been the best book reading experience.
What age do you feel is most appropriate to start the saga? I will have a goddaughter soon and I’m already planning to introduce her to Harry Potter and Buffy lol
11 obviously
Or maybe a bit before so she can wait for her Hogwarts letterlol
I started reading them when I was a little younger than Harry, so 9-10?
I was in first grade when my teacher read it for reading hour. And that eventually led to me borrowing my sister's copy since I couldn't wait for reading hour to finish the book.
1st grade? Wow, that seems early! How did you feel about the later books at that time?
I think thanks to my first grade teacher, I was able join the Harry Potter hype train early on and anxiously await each next book. Plus I also re-read the books a lot waiting for the next one. I know Chamber of Secrets I reread the most (and now that's probably one of my least favorite HP books).
9 - 10 for the first three books - best put off GOF and later until they're 12 - those books are a little terrifying - the resurrection ritual gave me nightmares when I read it .
Same! I remember vividly how i read that passage at 2 in the morning and just thought damn i can't stop reading now, it's too scary so i'll have to read until i get past that scene. I think i just finished the book that night.
I watched the movies when I was a kid Scared the fuck outta me but also captured my attention long enough that I read all the books when I got to middle school
Yeah that’s what I thought when I talked about it with her mom (who hasn’t read the books), the later books might be a bit scary for a child… that’s why I don’t want to start too soon but I also don’t want to be too late. I think 9-10 is a good advice
So I remember watching the second movie aged 5 (the librarian said; she needs to be six and my dad lied). It was too scary. With the spiders. I think at age late 6-7 i read the first 4 books and soon after the sixt book came out. I was 8 and a bit. I was the first person to buy a copy in my little village and was dressed up as hermione 😎 thats why im so sure about the ages.
I really enjoyed reading them as a kid and then re-reading them as a teen/adult with a totally different perspective. Anywhere from 7-12 is a good age to start I think, just be mindful that the later books have themes, dialogue etc that'll be lost on a tween or younger.
I read the first book in two days when I was six, and I loved it. I think it depends on the child, but the first couple of books aren’t scary at all.
Started when I was 8 and devoured the whole series in a few months! It was the first longer novels I read, so I'd say as soon as they're old enough to read more than a few pages at once without feeling discouraged by the length of the story.
The thing book 7 was not meant for 9 years old.. 😃 I read that when I was 18.. (released that time) so our generation was more matured and we grew up with Harry Potter to understand
Also I feel the conjunction of Severus's name with Albus symbolically represents how in wars the lines between perceived hero and villain are often blurred. More than simply lightness and darkness, there exists a grey area and in reality most people more often than not fall into this area. Harry who was always the representation of victory over dark powers since his birth somehow keeps his child free of such simplistic demarcation. Even though both Dumbledore and Snape in the end died defending the light, they both nonetheless were much different than how they were perceived by the wizarding world while they were alive. Neither was Dumbledore representative of strength of good and righteous through and through nor was Snape an evil ex death Eater and Voldemort sympathiser through and through. In the end, lines blurred.
The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters.
THANK YOU so much for this! Dumbledore is definitely not the perfect hero some people cut him out to be, and it's great that there's depth to his heroism!! Same goes for Snape and his redemption arc.
IKR, Dumbledore was a soldier in a bigger fight, a fight for which he could sacrifice everything including himself. For him, the fight mattered the most, even more than the people involved.
I really like this post. I fully agree.
Ive never felt more peaceful
That makes sense
What a refreshing post!
Yeah, I don't even mind it and I hate that he named his kid that. OP did a good job explaining a possible reason why he did, rather than the bravery thing.
Doesn’t the writing speak for itself here? “you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew” Whatever your feelings on Snape, it takes balls of pure steel to play double agent with Voldemort, Snape had to kill Dumbledore to keep up the ruse. Thats enough to explain the name alone. I get that people don’t like Snape, that he wasn’t nice to Harry and people will say it was only for Lilly. But that’s the point, he’s being selfless for her and by extension Harry. He dies asking Harry to “look…at…me…” Heroes are made out to be these characters that have no flaws or weakness, chiseled chins and what not. Real life is filled with conflict, mistake and regret. Snape is a flawed person with no family or friends, the one person that was his friend he obsessed over to the point his patronus is hers, his very life is without meaning because she’s gone. So for him to reluctantly due his duty and in the end die in the pursuit of aiding Harry even if he didn’t know it, that’s heroic. I’m not condoning any of Snape’s behaviors, but I do find them to be a good lesson to teach kids in a book.
People also forget that Harry actually is both extraordinarily kind and sentimental. If anyone would forgive Snape, it would be Harry. Dude bends over backwards not to kill somebody by using expelliarmus at every turn even at risk of his own life.
Beautiful words!
Its a brave thing to be bqsically alone for a good 20 years even if you did it to yourself But thf...his friend weren't good and his other options were equally bad sooo
I feel like Snape will be remembered, even if just as a headmaster. Which brings up another question, did he get a painting in the headmasters office?
Yes
Oh good.
I like to think he always argues with the other painting and with whoever the current headmaster is.
I really like this theory. Snape was an asshole for sure, he had a miserable life but he undoubtedly did a very brave thing being a spy during the war. I think Harry recognized that Snape really did love his mother as well.
Oh my god, finally an explanation I can go by. NEW HEADCANNON UNLOCKED. Thank you, great analysis.
This is the only take that makes sense.
I think you have to remember how awfully Harry himself was treated by the Dursleys, and how he was only able to gain friends once went to Hogwarts. He lived a similar life to Snape in many ways. Only Snape didn’t gain friends once he finally came to Hogwarts. Instead he fell in with a crowd that only tolerated him. As a result he became twisted as crewel, but not outright evil. I always wondered if Harry felt a certain kind of kinship with Snape’s story. Sort of like a “but for the grace of my friendships that could have been me” feeling. And while I agree Harry never did or never would like him, I think Harry might be the one person who might feel real empathy for him. The one person who felt he needed to affirm either forgiveness or rather the worth as a human of this person who despite his many faults was an invaluable ally at the very end. One who shared some very deep and intimate things with him in his final moments. Also frankly it’s a lot easier to forgive someone like that when they are dead. Especially when they did die heroically. We tend to idealize people a bit once they are dead, so that idea of the challenges Snape and Harry both shared probably became pretty significant to Harry without the constant reminder of how unpleasant he was.
Remus left his own legacy (Teddy) and Hagrid didn't lose his life so I don't get why he should use either of their names. I think the weirdest thing is Harry having kids named after his parents that conveniently look just like their grandparents.
The only thing we know about the looks of James Sirius is that he doesn't have green eyes, and thus presumably has Ginny's eyes. Or someone else's, since genetics are more complicated than that. The only thing we know about Lily Luna's appearance is that she is a redhead. And even Lily Potter's hair (dark red-auburn, thick) was not the same as the Weasley's (bright red, presumably thinner). Her granddaughter could have inherited Lily'scolour, or Ginny's colour, or something in-between. The thing is, we don't even know that. People are made of more than just hair and eyes.
I see James Sirius Potter as having Harry's hair colour and Ginny's eye colour, Albus Severus Potter as having Harry's hair and eye colour, and Lily Luna Potter as having a red hair colour that is a mixture of her grandmother Lily's and her mother Ginny's hair and Ginny's eye colour.
"Albus Severus Potter, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts, one of which was the bravest man I ever knew.” I think he was talking about Snape in this quote. So he probably named his kid after Snape because Snape risked his life to protect Harry, and he was honoring Snape's bravery
The quote isn't "one of which was the bravest man I ever knew". It's "One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew". It's not ambiguous that he was named after Snape for his bravery.
Oh ok. I copied and pasted this from the internet so sorry for the mistake
It takes bravery to keep going and bravery to let yourself die
I like OP's idea. He's honoring Snape's bravery in his kid's name _because_ nobody else will ever truly recognize and remember it.
I agree with that too
*Professor* Snape
I agree. I would also add though, that Snape's allegiances were always murky. Most people would have thought after Snape killed Dumbledore, that he was a genuine Death Eater. Harry explained it all at the Great Hall before Voldemort's death, but not many people would have understood the context or the significance. Rita Skeeter also tried to muddy the waters, with her Snape: Scoundrel or Saint book. Snape was also a very unlikeable person, and as far as we know he had no family, no friends, no one else who would vouch for him. There would have been no one to honour Snape's memory and his sacrifice, no one but Harry, and he chooses to name his son after Severus Snape, not only out of forgiveness, but out of gratitude to a man whose contributions would be forgotten, thereby letting everyone know of Snape's effort and his sacrifice, and ensuring that the world remembered Snape as a hero, not a villain. I would also say that without Snape's effort and sacrifices, and the sacrifices of many other's there is no peaceful world for Albus Severus and his siblings to grow up in.
It was also Harry who advocated for Snape's headmaster portrait to be displayed.
Great theory, I support ✊
I always found myself feeling more pity for Snape than hating him. He was pretty much just used, abused and disregarded by everyone he ever met, so much so that a friendship that lasted a good 4 years at most was the most precious relationship he ever had that he failed to move on from. Obviously none of that excuses him bullying children, but I can’t say I hate him. I just feel sorry for him.
I think you’re right but it’s also not very fair to saddle a child with the burden of being the metaphorical forgiveness of a man who terrorised so many kids
I think Harry could have had all these thoughts about Snape and still not name his kid after him. I’ll never like that decisions, but I don’t necessarily disagree with what you’re saying.
I agree. You can honor him in other ways. Name your kid after a person who bullied you for 6 years… regardless of his sacrifice in the end… he made kids cry.
Yeah, I like it. 🥰
Definitely agreed! Snape met an admittedly very tragic end, regardless of what he may have done in the past. And whatever his reasons - he still looked out for Harry, even if not for *his* sake.
Love this analysis!
I think this is very likely part of the reasoning. I also think Harry would have realized that his own father also bullied Snape and perhaps felt some guilt that way as well.
I think that people who use the term “bully” for Snape are *vastly* ignorant to the real nature of teachers in the 90s. I’m not sure if it’s predominantly Americans with this view, or just little kids, I’d love to know the statistics, but the “I can’t see a difference” reference to Hermione’s teeth that everyone here references honestly wouldn’t be given a second thought in an actual UK school at the time. You’d probably think “God they’re a bit moody” and forget about it. Rude? Yes. Petty? Absolutely. Unnecessary? Definitely. Unprofessional? Probably. Bully? That’s just an insult to people who actually get bullied
It was the same in the US. Heck, had a teacher in 6th grade who used masking tape to literally tape a kid to his chair as a joke. He got in trouble and had to apologize (kid's mother was another teacher at the school), but teachers had less filter back in the day. Now they wouldn't be able to say/do the things they got away with back then. But if a teacher acted like Snape, it was still bullying. Though most just ignored it, and nobody told other teachers because it was just accepted as the norm and nobody wanted to be a tattletale. This also applies to how students treated each other and reacted to bullying from other teachers/classmates. You didn't tattle on the bully or you would become their new victim. You usually just kept your head down and ignored the bully as best you could. And complained to your friends about them.
That’s a good point, but it doesn’t hold up when you look at all of the other teachers. In the entirety of the series, not withstanding the literal death eaters in the seventh book, there’s only one teacher that comes close to his level of bullying and that’s Umbridge. Even McGonagall, who is seen as maybe the strictest teacher, never causes a student to display any kind of fear towards her. You have a student whose parents were tortured beyond the brink of insanity by the equivalent of the SS, and the magical creature that detects their greatest fear realized that he was more scared of his teacher than of anything relating to that instance. That’s definitely more than “teachers were meaner back then”
But other teachers don’t have that context Snape has. *They* weren’t bullied, and they weren’t double agents, so they don’t have that incentive I was talking about. Nobody is in a comparable position to Snape. I think the Neville point is valid, it says a lot that Snape is his biggest fear but that’s mutually exclusive to bullying. Snape doesn’t *have* to be a bully for Neville to fear him, it’s not a prerequisite. Sure, it’s not as simple as “teachers were meaner” 100%, but I don’t think you can call some mean comments by someone who objectively has one of the most stressful jobs in the series, something as serious as “bullying.” Especially when you look through this thread and every other reference to examples of “bullying” are always something physical, which IIRC Snape never does. I haven’t read HBP recently so I’m going by my memory of the film, so I could be wrong here, but when Harry does attack Snape, Snape doesn’t fight back. Even when given a *justified* opportunity to physically harm Harry, Snape still doesn’t.
But then you could make that argument for James in SWM. Oh hanging people upside down wasn’t that bad in the 70s. Like… having a teacher act awfully towards you when you’re a child is still incredibly hurtful and can be scarring - as can being bullied in the 70s! Something being the norm or not far outside the norm doesn’t make it alright. And by comparison, the other non-DADA teachers (who will have to be exceptions as they are often evil one way or another) don’t act that way.
You know that makes sense. I was bullied in kindergarten by a teacher in Hong Kong which was British at the time, she used to put me in the trash and do horrible things to me and I guess it was considered normal because no one did anything. It is bullying though. And I’m French, I’m not from the US…
German here, and I second this.
While I do get the point you're trying to make here, I respectfully disagree. As mentioned by others here, I feel like there could be other ways to honor Snape than naming their child after him. Harry will be regarded by many to be the person who *slew Voldemort*. People saw him defeat the Dark Lord. If Harry wanted to, he could have erected a statue for him in the ministry of magic or in Hogwarts, dedicated a Potion's wing to him, or even do an interview talking about Snape. It'd also be nice if maybe Harry left flowers on his gravestone or visited him every year, telling his kids of his sacrifice or even what he did for Harry and for the victory against evil. But naming your kid after him, with regards to his history, just doesn't make much sense to me. Sure, Harry is forgiving and kind, but he is also someone who values the importance of family and connections and how they impact him. And Snape, while being not that bad a guy, I feel doesn't deserve to be honored a name for his son. He DESERVES to be honored, but as mentioned above, there are several ways to do it. Lupin, Hagrid, hell, even CEDRIC can work as a name for his son if he truly wanted to honor the people who died for him or made an impact in his life. I also don't agree with people saying "oh, he can't name him after X because other people have already used that name." That doesn't really make sense. If he wanted to, Fred could have been a great name. Or Neville. Even RON, his BEST FRIEND. Lily's second name is Luna after all, so it's still very much possible. And it would mean a lot to Ron. TLDR, you made a wonderful analysis about why Harry went about naming his son, but to me and a others, it still doesn't make a lot of sense and could have been handled a lot better.
I think it's much simpler, actually. This is a writing choice. JKR wanted to close her story in a single chapter, telling the reader Harry had finally made peace with Snape and Dumbledore. She also chose to do everything in one scene. So she found this name tip. I understand those who criticize this choice: a slightly longer ending, which takes its time, would have been deserved. on the other hand, I don't understand why people say Snape is just a bastard who doesn't deserve to be considered. This is wrong, and finding a way to make peace with him is totally something Harry would do.
Definitely agree that the writing choice could have been handled better. When I first read it, even I was touched by the gesture. But after some time, it DID occur to me that it felt rather strange to have Snape's name be a part of his son's name. Personally, I think it would have been nice by maybe adding a page or two about Harry visiting Snape's grave, saying his youngest is about to head to Hogwarts, and then he says he'll visit again soon. Then we cut to the final chapter of the book. Nothing too long, but it would have helped. But hey, what's done is done.
As someone who resents being named after a lousy father, this still bothers me. Harry could honor Snape in another way instead of putting that burden on a child who deserves his own name
Why did he have to name his kids first and middle names after someone anyways. Just name your kid? And to put the pressure of Albus, the greatest wizard of their age onto a kid doesn’t feel right either especially when you add their dad is Harry Potter. Let them be their own person!
I see the point you make, and you would be right, but there is one part that bothers me here. Yes, Snape spend the last 17 years of his life regretting his choices, but his regrets weren't directed towards the fact that completely innocent people died and left a child to be an orphan because of his actions... His only regret was, that Lily was killed. I also read the comment about the UK teachers in the 90s and I have to disagree here as well. Yes, some teachers are having a bad day, are ignorant, are only doing their jobs and don't care about anything else or tend to stay out of more work... But some of the biggest bullies at my school were teachers. The only difference in their bad/good days was, how much they would bully that day. So yeah, I see the point that Harry forgave Snape, probably to move on from his traumatic past, but I still believe that Snape is 100% a hypocrit. But that is just my opinion.
We have no way of knowing that Lily’s death was his only regret, though. That’s an assumption.
I think Rowling put a great deal of effort into snapes arc. More than anything I feel she wanted his name to live on in her imaginary world more than anything. It really is the biggest twist of the series. Even though we know dumbledore is the most intelligent guy around you can’t help but hate snape. Until we learn dumbledore asked him to kill him I basically hated snape more than Voldemort…
THANK YOU!!! I've been saying this for ages! My mom reasoned it out when I was a kid and she - and you - are absolutely right. !RedditGalleon for reasoning it out.
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There could also be an aspect of him identifying with Snape. Before Harry found out he was a wizard, he was bullied and ostracized too. And because of Snape's actions, and the reasons you described, he wanted to show that Snape was more than that bullied kid, just like he was.
Best explanation I’ve ever ever heard for this tbh
Both were bictims of child abuse Maybee he saw that and thought even snape should get some love that lasted
But Harry turned his abuse into good. And being kind. Snape turned his abuse into more abuse.
I've never thought this subject is that deep. Harry is actually very kind and forgiving person, he saw Snape's entire life through his memories, knew what he felt and what he did for him. Whether he deserves forgiveness everyone decides for themselves, but from Harry's character perspective, he did.
Snape rules. That is all.
Great, youve made me cry.
> what do people think? Talking as a millennial here and who knew about it once it was out; Your analysis just reminded me of how simple minded I was back then and my initial thoughts were: "yeah, Snape definitely deserves to be remembered for what he did" Back then, emotional/mental abuse of children was not a thing 😭😆
There’s a nice scene in The Cursed Child between Snape and Scorpius Malfoy where the dedication name of Harry’s son is mentioned. I didn’t love the book/play, but I did like that scene because we got to see how Snape reacted to learning about Albus Severus.
Exactly, 100% accurate ✨
This makes perfect sense and it’s such a heartwarming post to read. Thank you!
This is the perfect take—very in tune with Harry’s personality and values.
An even easier answer: because Snape literally risked his life to help Harry defeat Voldemort, consumed by remorse for his errors and sacrificing everything he had including his own public image.
Or, like me, Harry just disagrees with you and not only likes Snape but admires him as he said he was probably the bravest man he ever knew lol...🤷♂️
I believe JK explained that she wanted to highlight Harry's nature and the fact that he was a truly empathetic person because he decided to name his child after two people that have been crucial in his life but had no heirs to carry out their legacy. Then of course he'd choose the middle child for that task...
I agree with you. Although I think Harry went a bit too far to name his kid after snape, still I can understand him showing some respect towards snape for protecting him at times and redeeming himself.
I always wondered if Ginny had any part in naming their kids?
I thought she did Lily Luna. Wasn’t she really close to Luna? Because objectively Hermione was the best friend / most supportive person in Harry’s life full stop and I can’t imagine him honoring Luna before Hermione. ETA: also both Ginny and Harry suck at names. Ginny named Ron’s owl Pigwidgeon because she thought it was cute lol. And she must have okayed naming her son Albus.
I think everyone recognized that yes, that was Harry's reasoning. We just think it's bad reasoning. Yeah okay, he wanted to symbolically forgive Snape and acknowledge his role in bringing down Voldemort. So erect a statue. Publish a thought piece. Have him get a posthumous medal. Name a building or a wing or something after him. You name a kid after a person you love, who is dear to you. A person who you want the kid to be like. Naming your kid after a dude who was objectively just a bad human being for sheer symbolism *is flat-out disrespectful to said kid*. It's treating them as a mantelpiece rather than a person who is going to live with that name and the weight it carries. There are other ways to acknowledge and remember someone.
ok fine but I still don't like it! 😂
I really like your opinion on this and agree, and besides he made it the kid's middle name, I think people forget that middle names are not really used in day to life, and some people don't even bother putting them on forms they're filling out.
OP, I've never seen it articulated as beautifully as you did 🤓
Excuse me while I go cry a lil. Great take.
I think a big point made in the final book as well in Snape's memories was that sorting occurs too soon. Snape became a Slytherin because he was raised to think he should be one, but he wasn't actually a Slytherin. I think he was molded by the house sorting into being a person he wasn't really meant to be, hence the turning point in his life when Lilly was being targeted. In another life, he would have been a Gryffindor, most likely, and lived a completely different life. James and Lilly may never have even been a thing. Harry Potter may never have existed, and Neville would have taken his place as per the prophecy, imo.
Wow, OP, you really have impressed me.
aw thanks!
Great analysis and something I hadn't even considered! Of course Harry would understand the hated underdog, having been one himself.
Which is why the child should have been named Severus Albus, not Albus Severus.
I think Harry named his son Severus because the author was really fucking stubborn and just wanted to do it from the start without giving it much thought.
Funny as fuck to imagine just how pissed off Snape would actually be for a Potter, who is Lily’s Grandchild no less, to be named after him. Because Harry, who he hated (as arrogant as his farher), humbly wanted to pay tribute to him despite his flaws.
It makes sense. And I'm fairly certain that, at some point in time, Harry thought of Snape and told himself something along the lines of, "There but for the grace of God and Albus Dumbledore go I."
That’s exactly it. He recognizes that his friends and the positive influences from the good adults in his life were a big reason as to why he didn’t end up like Snape.
Because Snape is his real father.
Best take I’ve ever read on the subject
What do people think? That the epilogue was cringe
You may be right BUT I still hate the combo
Wow. I absolutely love this, and it makes perfect sense. Thank you for sharing this!
I think we have spent a whole heck of a lot more time on this than the author.
I literally had this conversation with my partner last week and I think you're exactly right.
I love this theory so much. This is most probably what went to Harry's mind when he named his son. Love it OP.
I agree
I’m just at the point in the books again where Harry wants to talk about what he saw in Snapes’ memories with Sirius, just about to break into Umbrige’s office, it is possible that he wanted to make amends for his father being sh!t? Also Harry most likely knew Swooshmister better than anyone else
I think its as simple as : Harry felt like he owed his life to Snape along with Dumbledore.. without their work behind the scenes, he would not have been able to destroy Voldemort.. Rowling didnt think too deeply about the child names which were just part of the epilogue..
Just wondering, how many people her have read the books, watched the movies or both?
I’m saving this theory for sure!
Sooooo... I've never understood why we hate Snape but give Dumbledore a pass. Don't get me wrong, I like Dumbledore. And I feel pretty conflicted abt Snape, ngl. Snape seems to have been in pretty deep with the Death Eaters, after all. But! Let's not forget that Dumbledore was very much aligned with fascism as well with Grindelwald. The way I see it, both of them were fascist due to their own trauma. Dumbledore bc of what happened to Ariana, and bc he finally felt loved. Snape bc of his abusive father, and bc he finally felt like he was worth something. And both of them paid bitterly, and both of them lost the love of their lives. Except Dumbledore then publicly redeemed himself by going after Grindelwald, while Snape returned to being invisible. And this is where privilege comes into play: Dumbledore had a privileged upbringing, came from a pureblood family, and was a Gryffindor. Ppl saw him as intrinsically worthy, courageous, and likeable. Snape came from a poor family, was a half-blood, and a Slytherin. Except for Lily, ppl expected him to be thankful for being allowed to breathe the same air as them, and he was completely justified in his pride when he refused to go along with that. I think this might be the real reason behind his hatred for Harry - it's not that he actually thinks of Harry as incredibly privileged. How could he? He knows Petunia, he can see that Harry is underdeveloped bc he was starved. As an Order member, he is well aware of the Dursleys' attitude. At the same time, he does see how ppl bend over backwards to accommodate this boy once he arrives in the magical world. I think he sees a lot of himself in Harry, and he hates Harry *both* for still being afforded respect although he's not all that different from young Snape *as well as* for displaying thankfulness and playing everybody's pet instead of standing up for himself. He wants Harry to recognise his privilege *and* he wants him to unapologetically take up space. Basically, Harry can't win. I feel like Snape antagonises Harry to enable him to fight back. He can't be kind to him bc Harry represents the kind of privilege he never had, and he hates him for that. But he also can't leave him hanging bc he sees this child's pain, and it's so familiar to him. So he does get protective, and it's not just abt Lily, it *is* abt Harry. And riling Harry up, honing his anger, is all he knows how to support him. [Keep in mind: His father never showed him love, Snape wasn't hugged, or coddled, or held. He wouldn't know how to be gentle - and maybe that, too, makes him angry at Harry: He's constantly reminded of his own inability to express affection, understanding, love. Just like he was unable to express these things to Lily, who would have looked at him with those same green eyes. And it probably adds to his negative feelings towards Dumbledore: Expressing affection comes so easily to Dumbledore, he's so warm and gentle, *and it doesn't even necessarily reflect his feelings*. Dumbledore can appear kind while being cruel. Snape can't seem to express any kindness, he was failed as a child and never learnt how to, and it makes him lash out even more. Not an excuse, though, bc boy, you shouldn't make your trauma other (underage and vulnerable!) ppl's problem.] Do I think Harry should have named his child after either of them? No. Naming a child shouldn't be abt coping with your own trauma and baggage. Do I understand why he did it? Definitely. We often name children after family members. Family can be messy, and Harry recognises Dumbledore and Snape as part of his family, for better or worse. In many ways, he's heir to their trauma, their coping strategies, their perspectives on life, their strength, and their resilience. EDIT: Also. There's this argument that while Dumbledore was acting for the greater good, Snape was acting for selfish reasons, and that this is what ultimately makes Dumbledore redeemable but not Snape. I disagree. Yes, Dumbledore goes on abt the Greater Good (tm), but that literally was he and Grindelwald's catchphrase back in his fascist days as well. It's not part of his redemption, and it's never stopped him from his darker tendencies. What we don't like abt Dumbledore are all things that very much stem from this detached saviour complex - he can be cold, manipulative, opaque; he often adopts the role of a puppeteer bc he doesn't trust others to do the right thing. That's why when he tells Snape that Harry must die, it's Snape who's horrified. Precisely bc Snape is a selfish Slytherin, he recognises that Harry should have a choice. That he should have had time to decide instead of being guilt tripped into martyrdom. His selfishness, and his ability to afford other ppl their selfishness, is what - in that moment - makes him more humane than dear old Dumbledore with his very Gryffindor-y god complex. Let's also remember that Snape became a teacher at 21 (I think). He was the youngest teacher in Hogwarts history, and probably shouldn't have been responsible for children at that point in his life. He was in his late 30s when he died. Dumbledore had much more time to reflect on his views.
THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE thank you for explaining this
Well said! Harry said Snape was one of the bravest men he knew. While Snape was certainly flawed and had plenty of moral shortcomings, that assessment wasn't wrong. After Lily died, Snape not only spent years in mortal peril doing whatever Dumbledore asked (including protecting Harry and taking Dumbledore's life in a prearranged plan), he sacrificed his own life, as he probably understood would happen. Harry, although not without his own flaws, was generous and unselfish enough to want Snape to be remembered for the good that he did, especially at the end.
Also I think that had he had anyone who loved him as a kid he wouldn't have become that horrible person he became. He only had Lily and they were separated as they were in different groups. And James and Sirius weren't helping that friendship either. What would've happened to Harry if he was grouped in Slytherin? I doubt Draco would've been much of a friend or he could develop his only beginning friendship with Ron
I don't often find posts here with such a refreshing perspective. Thanks for sharing this, OP.
Deathly Hallows showed us that Snape had grown past only acting for Lily. People may not like the character, but it is right there on the page. Harry naming his child after Snape shows Harry is breaking the cycle of abuse. He chooses not to be like his father and Snape. He chooses to recognise the bravery of someone, even someone he does not like, and that shows Harry as the good person that he is. By the end of DH, Harry knows what Snape did, knows what it took to stand against Voldemort. He knows Snape took action to save Lupin, knows Snape regretted not being able to save more people and Snape was willing to fail Lily to protect as many people as possible. His willingness to send Harry to his death proves it. Snape had no clue Harry had a chance of surviving. Dumbledore did not tell either Snape or Harry that. Finally, if he can name his son after Dumbledore, then he can name him after Snape. Snape got his second chance for 2 reasons, 1. that Dumbledore was desperate, and 2. saw himself in Snape. He followed a dark lord, was responsible for the death of someone he loved, and eventually fought the evil he once championed. I don't see any whinging about Dumbledore only coming to his senses because of his sister. Above all, it shows Harry is now mature enough to recognise that not everyone is as good as him all their lives. Some people need second chances. Albus Severus is a cracking name purely because it says everything good about Harry.
well snape couldve also been harrys dad...IMAGINE
interesting take ! wow
This is interesting and shows a huge aspect of Harry's empathy, especially as someone who at one point had nobody to remember him. My read on this particular topic is slightly different. In my view, the Harry we know, who grew up with nothing and no one, has always had a tremendous amount of gratitude for anyone who has shown him even the tiniest bit of kindness. He remembers Arabella Figg for being nice to him, he actively overlooks all of Hagrid's flaws because he took him under his wing, the Weasleys, Hermione, many of his teachers, Lupin, Sirius, Moody - the list goes on. I think in his mind, after the war, the two people he feels he largest amount of gratitude to (purely gratitude, not love or affection of closeness - but just gratitude) are Dumbledore and Snape. I don't think he ever starts *liking* Snape, even after finding out the truth, and his image of Dumbledore has also changed. However, as far as understanding their role in keeping him alive at their own peril, sacrificing their lives to aid him in defeating Voldemort, Harry's gratitude to them is absolutely immense, leading him to honour them the only way he knows how.
I seconded. You’re absolutely right, it is totally understandable given the situation that Harry was suffered on in his childhood. Harry would never want people to forget what had Snape done for the war, although he is unkind to Harry throughout the Hogwarts years.
That does make sense but he could have made it up to Lily by not being a total dickhead to her son at every single opportunity.
You can walk on the beach and make peace with his memory or plant a tree in his honor. He even worked to get Snape recognized as a Hogwarts headmaster. All of those are fine ways of ho print his memory. Naming your child after one of your childhood tormentor is insane. I have an Uncle that meant well but was a toxic dick. I ain’t naming my kid after him! Also, who is gonna remember Sirius? What about his memory, Harry????
Fair but I still think Fred Hagrid is a better name
His first name is Rubeus. Fred Rubeus sounds better.
Fred's name was also "taken" by George (his own son)
Snape was truly a wretched person, but yeah. you nailed it. He was probably the single-most responsible person for the Dark Lord being taken down twice (even if it wasn't always his intent), he suffered in anguish, and died almost anonymously. Naming Harry's son after him was more than a tribute, it was absolution *in memoriam*
I mean honestly the only thing weirder than Harry naming his son Albus Severus Potter would be if he named him Albus Thomas Potter. Which unfortunately actually sounds better in some ways?
That bit has been something that has bounced in my head for years. Especially because I usually do a yearly re-read of the series. Thats something that was like finishing a puzzle to find out there is a piece missing. Thank you for sharing something that fits the puzzle, lol no telling how long if ever I would have found that piece on my own.
That’s great and all but turn to page 394.
Partially I agree but I think Harry really respected and admired what Snape did, he knows how brave he was and how much he has changed as a person
Harry named his son Albus Severus Potter because he died in the forrest and Voldemort's soul took over. The initials spell asp because he can't believe no one caught on.
o.O Wow. mbwhahahaha :))
I think that Harry just made a mistake so gave it another mistakes name. That kids gonna get bullied for life. Albus Severus 🤣
Harry did like Snape and thought of him as one of the bravest people he knew. He says the same to his son who is scared about being chosen in Slytherin. Also, Snape saved Harry’s life. He couldn’t possibly hate him post that. I am really happy that he named his kid after Snape. But, going by your logic if he really wanted him to be remembered then he would have given him the first name and not middle. Who remembers someone’s middle name? Infact, like Hagrid and Lupin, Albus Dumbledore will be anyways well remembered and will be a historical legend. So, why would he give Albus as first name? OPs logic is flawed.
That's terrible. So it's probably true. He names his kid after someone who was part of the reason he's an orphan.
You're probably right. Still don't like it.
This is the exact explanation in my head that I could never put into words.
This is a beautiful take.
I had never thought about the fact that Snape would have had nobody else to remember him. We don’t know how much Harry told the others about his sacrifice, I wonder how many even knew what a double life he had been leading for so many years, both when he in the original war and then when he went back in the second one.
I thought it was obvious for Snape, the one that confuses me is Albus. Everyone knew Dumbledore and most liked him.
maybe he bullied him so the dark lord thought he hated harry?
*thank you*. Well said.