The Boy Who Lived and the Girl Who Died

The Boy Who Lived and the Girl Who Died

Before Harry Potter even arrives at Hogwarts, Severus Snape already hates him. Why? All the teachers think that it is because he hated Harry's father, James Potter. However, the real reason why Snape hates Harry even before he arrives at Hogwarts or has done anything to provoke Snape's ire is because of the fame that Harry gained from Lily's death. Proof thereof is in the three questions that Snape asks Harry on the first day of Potions class.

The three questions that Snape asks Harry on the first day of Potions class and the responses after Harry says he doesn't know contain hidden clues as to the real reason why Snape hates Harry initially. Thus, the second question is, "Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" After Harry says he doesn't know, Snape says, "Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" This foreshadows how Harry next encounters the bezoar in a book--the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book. The third question is, "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" After Harry says he doesn't know, Harry says, "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" Harry's response to the wolfsbane question foreshadows how Hermione is the one who does Snape's werewolf essay in Book 3, finding out everything there is to know about werewolves, including the wolfsbane potion.

Now we return to the first question, "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" The asphodel and wormwood question, as other people have written, is an expression of Snape's grief over Lily's death. And what does Snape say after Harry says he doesn't know? "Tut, tut--fame clearly isn't everything."

Hereafter, whenever Snape mentions Harry's fame, it is with Lily's death in mind. For example, in Prisoner of Azkaban, after he catches Harry coming back from Hogsmeade, he launches into a tirade.

"So," [Snape] said, straightening up again. "Everyone from the Minister of Magic downward has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences."

To appreciate how serious the situation is, we must remember that this is all taking place only about a week after Sirius Black has actually gained entrance to Gryffindor Tower, and Ron has awoken to find Sirius Black standing over him with a knife! Any of the other teachers would have reacted like this. Everybody assumes that Sirius was after Harry and only got Ron's bed by mistake. There are new security measures in place, and all the teachers are very uptight, when Harry goes and does something like this. Snape is so livid because he thinks that he is protecting Harry for Lily's sake, and Harry is endangering her sacrifice. In fact, Snape's reaction is not so different from Lupin's reaction to the incident. "Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them--gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks."

Snape has spent 10 years before Harry actually arrives at Hogwarts hearing accolades about the "Boy Who Lived," all the time knowing that it was at the cost of Lily's death. I have heard that some fathers, if their wife dies in childbirth, will hate the baby. Something similar is probably going on in Snape's case. He may even hold Harry responsible for Lily's death. Whatever else Harry may have done later to remind Snape of James, he initially hates Harry because he associates Harry with Lily's death. After all, what is the very first remark that Snape makes to Harry during roll call on the first day of Potions?

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new--celebrity."

This is the very first thing that he says to Harry, and the asphodel and wormwood question was also the first of the three questions that Snape shoots at Harry. These two things express Snape's overarching attitude toward Harry for the whole series.