Harry Potter Moment of the Week (#22)

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Snape Moment

I'm a huge fan of Snape, not all of his choices mind you, just the idea of redemption that his character embodies.  Here's a man that has had every opportunity to make bad decisions and he makes them.  He's drawn every short straw life could offer him, a bad home environment, being bullied at school, not many friends, ect.  So when he finally makes the right choice, in his mind it's too late, but Dumbledore makes it work.  He uses Snape as a spy and ultimately, Snape helps the Order bring down the reign of Voldemort.

One of my favorite moments with Snape is from The Deathly Hallows, when he's explaining to Lily what it means to be a witch or a wizard.

Two children sat facing each other, cross-legged on the ground.  Snape had removed his coat now; his odd smock looked less peculiar in the half light.
"...and the Ministry can punish you if you do magic outside school, you get letters."
"But I have done magic outside school!"
"We're all right.  We haven't got our wands yet.  They let you off when you're a kid and you can't help it.  But once you'r eleven," he nodded importantly, "and they start training you, then you've got to go careful."
...
"It is real, isn't it?   It's not a joke?  Petunia says you're lying to me.  Petunia says there isn't a Hogwarts.  It is real, isn't it?"
"It's real for us," said Snape. "Not for her.  But we'll get the letter, you and me."
"Really?"  whispered Lily.
"Definitely," said Snape, and even with his poorly cut hair and his odd clothes, he struck an oddly impressive figure sprawled in front of her, brimful of confidence in his destiny.
"And will it really come by owl?"  Lily whispered.
"Normally," said Snape. "But you're Muggle-born, so someone from the school will have to come and explain to your parents."
"Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?"
Snape hesitated.  His black eyes, eager in the greenish gloom, moved over the pale face, the dark red hair.
"No," he said. "It doesn't make any difference."

This moment reminds me of his innocence.  At one point, he was just a boy trying to make a friend.  In this moment, Snape decides to put aside anything he might have been taught about being pureblood, rather than Muggle-born.  Even though he hesitates, it's clear that he's decided that, for Lily, it doesn't matter.  He's confided much in her and the fact that she's Muggle-born doesn't bother Snape, although it's almost certain that it would bother his family.