The Shocking Truth Behind Snape's Cruelty Towards Neville in Harry Potter

Neville Longbottom, a Gryffindor and classmate of Harry Potter, had an intense fear of Professor Severus Snape. This fear was so strong that Neville's Boggart, a magical creature that takes the form of a person's greatest fear, appeared as Snape. In the third Harry Potter book, "The Prisoner of Azkaban," Neville shared this revelation after Snape made a condescending remark to Professor Lupin about not giving Neville anything challenging in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

In the book, Neville turned red upon sharing this information, while in the movie adaptation, he timidly replied "Professor Snape" when Lupin asked about his biggest fear. During Lupin's first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, which focused on Boggarts and the "Riddikulus" spell to repel them, Neville excelled. However, in everyday life, Snape needlessly and persistently mistreated Neville, leaving the young wizard Harry Potter deeply affected.

In chapter 37 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, "The Lost Prophecy," Dumbledore informs Harry of the reason behind Voldemort's attempt to kill him. It turns out that a prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney in a room above the bar at the Hog's Head Inn, just before Harry's birth, played a crucial role. The prophecy spoke of a boy, born at the end of July, possessing the power to defeat Voldemort, whose parents had defied the Dark Lord three times. Interestingly, Trelawney's prophecy may not have actually referred to Harry Potter alone, as there was another wizard boy born to parents who served in the Order of the Phoenix. Both sets of parents had remarkably evaded Voldemort three times. While Harry Potter was one of the wizard boys, the other one was Neville Longbottom, the son of Frank and Alice Longbottom, who was often seen as clumsy and timid. Eventually, the truth comes to light, providing an explanation for Snape's mistreatment of Neville. It lies in Snape's enduring love for Lily and his dark past as a Death Eater, which is encapsulated by his profound declaration, "Always."

Harry And Neville Were Born At The End Of July

Prior to joining forces with the good side, Snape was a loyal servant of the Dark Lord, Voldemort, and a member of the Death Eaters. It was Snape who intercepted Trelawney's prophecy regarding the rise of a boy destined to vanquish Voldemort, thereby alerting the Dark Lord to its existence. While Snape was unable to hear the entire prophecy due to being caught and ejected from Hog's Head, he wasted no time in conveying the information he did manage to overhear to his master. In Chapter 37 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it is revealed that Voldemort embarked on a mission to eliminate baby Harry, mistakenly believing he was fulfilling the prophecy's terms. Had Snape been aware that Lily (and her unborn child) would be endangered as a result of the prophecy, he would not have divulged any details to Lord Voldemort. Furthermore, although both Neville and Harry were born in late July, it was Voldemort who singled out Lily's son.

The Greatest Regret Of Snape's Life

Though Neville was also a potential target for Voldemort, he ultimately marked Harry instead. According to Dumbledore in chapter 37 of "The Order of the Phoenix," Voldemort believed that Harry posed a greater threat to him. The Dark Lord chose Harry because he saw him as a half-blood, just like himself, while Neville was a pure-blood. The fifth Harry Potter book explains that Voldemort's decision to target Harry as a baby was based on incomplete information about a prophecy. Snape had only overheard the beginning of the prophecy, which predicted the birth of a boy in late July to parents who had defied Voldemort on three occasions. Voldemort was unaware of the remainder of the prophecy, which implied that attacking this boy could potentially transfer power to him and mark him as Voldemort's equal. As a result, due to Snape's limited knowledge of the prophecy, Voldemort did not take a more practical approach and wait to determine which of the two, Neville or Harry, appeared more dangerous.

Snape's mistreatment of Neville can be explained by his enduring love for Lily, the woman who brought joy and warmth into his life. Their story dates back to their childhoods, when Snape resided at Spinner's End, near Lily's home, before they both attended Hogwarts. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is revealed that Snape observed Lily's magical abilities from afar and even recognized her as special. Despite the jealousy of Lily's older sister, Petunia, Snape and Lily remained friends, discussing topics such as Hogwarts and Azkaban. However, their friendship slowly deteriorated as Snape became involved in the Dark Arts and associated with individuals practicing Dark Magic. The turning point came in their fifth year when, in an angry outburst, Snape insulted Lily by calling her a "Mudblood" while she tried to defend him against James Potter and his friends' bullying. Although he later apologized, Lily deemed his behavior inexcusable, believing he was committed to becoming a Death Eater. It is important to note that Snape's love for Lily was unrequited, and he continued to bear these feelings even after she married James Potter.

During the First Wizarding War, Lily and James were on one side, while Snape aligned himself with the opposing forces. However, when Voldemort targeted the Potters, Snape experienced a change of heart. He specifically implored his master to spare Lily's life and later sought Dumbledore's help in hiding the family. Although his concern for James and Harry was minimal, his main focus was on ensuring Lily's safety. Consequently, he switched sides. Despite his deep remorse for his actions towards Lily, he was constantly reminded of his terrible mistake through Neville, who could have been the chosen one instead of Harry. As a means of atonement, Snape mistreated Neville and subjected him to insults, as he represented the potential salvation of Lily's life.