May 2nd is an emotional date for all Potterheads as it marks the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. Be it Fred, Sirius, Dobby, Dumbledore or Hedwig, all the deaths have been painful and hard to take in. The Battle of Hogwarts took away many beloved characters and even today we mourn their loss. As a mark of respect and tribute to the fallen JK Rowling has been apologizing to the fans for killing some characters. Since the past two years JKR has apologized for killing characters like Fred Weasley and Remus Lupin. This little tradition has given fans a lot of satisfaction and also some anticipation as to who Rowling will apologize for next. This year on the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts JKR tweeted again and apologized for killing…*wait for it*…none other than our very own Half Blood Prince Severus Snape!
Rowling tweeted:
“OK, here it is. Please don’t start flame wars over it, but this year I’d like to apologise for killing (whispers)… Snape. *runs for cover*”
Severus Snape has been a rather controversial character in the series with admirers and haters alike. Even though Snape died like a hero and made us all cry like a baby, there are fans who think that Snape was not really a noble character and should not be celebrated so much. JK Rowling knows that Severus Snape’s morality has been questioned multiple times and his character has been put to a lot of scrutiny by many fans.
In the past JK Rowling has herself said:
“Snape is all grey. You can’t make him a saint: he was vindictive & bullying. You can’t make him a devil: he died to save the wizarding world.”
So some Potterheads think that Snape is one of the bravest characters who lived a life of utmost risk and fooled Voldemort for many years. His love for Lily has been celebrated and the fact that he was bullied by James Potter is never forgotten. So is Snape all white? Or just like his dark hair there are shades of black in his character too?
On the other hand there are fans who believe that Severus Snape is not an actual hero as he acted abusively towards students, joined the death eaters in the first place and was always interested in dark magic. Also who can forget that one word he called Lily once.
The fact is that Severus Snape is a character that had both good and bad moments and no one can deny the fact that he died a hero and gave up his life to save Harry. This year as JK Rowling has apologized for the death of this legendary character, we remember our beloved potions master and the man who died to save the world from evil.
R.I.P the Half Blood Prince
(9 January 1960 ~ Always)
