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Has he forgotten the harsh way Snape treated him in class. I know that Snape saved his life but only because he had Lily's eyes and if he didn't Snape wouldn't have come to the good side. Deathly Hallows Epilouge

"Probably the bravest man I ever knew

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    Can you let us know how you come to the conclusion that Harry likes snape?
    – AncientSwordRage
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 11:22
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    @AncientSwordRage He named his son after him. I think "like" may be a bit too simplistic, but there's certainly a lot of positive feeling there at least.
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 11:31
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    He doesn't like him. He respects his courage.
    – OrangeDog
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 12:17
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    Harry is an adult - a mature person with the ability to understand Snape's contribution. The fact that Harry has great respect for Snape in spite of their personal relationship is the point.
    – Misha R
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 19:57
  • Thanks guys for your help
    – occipita
    Commented Jun 19, 2020 at 19:36

2 Answers 2

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Snape's actions were ultimately heroic, despite personal animosity.

Yes, he treated Harry harshly and unfairly in class. He didn't like Harry, but risked and sacrificed everything to help him anyway. It's actually more heroic to help someone you don't like, because you know it's the right thing to do, than to help someone you love.

It's also a little overly simplistic to say that Snape saved Harry "only because he had Lily's eyes and if he didn't Snape wouldn't have". Yes, Snape's initial motivation to switch sides was entirely personal and revolving around the woman he still loved. But he continued to fight for the good side, even when they all hated him and thought him an enemy, long after her death. He did what was right, even when (after Dumbledore's death) literally no-one thanked or appreciated him for it.

It's perhaps also not entirely accurate to say that Harry liked Snape. Their relation was never friendly, and Snape was always unpleasant when dealing with Harry directly (although it would have been very interesting to see how this would have developed if Snape had survived!) But Harry certainly respected and honoured Snape after his death, even naming one of his sons partly after him. It takes maturity to recognise that someone you always disliked personally was nevertheless a hero.

Whether Snape was ultimately a "good" or "bad" character is one of the most controversial questions in all of HP fandom. But it's a little one-sided to see him as just a bullying teacher who helped Harry only because of his eyes.

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    I would say calling Snape a hero is a stretch, but it's been a long time since I last read the last few books. Wasn't his 'Always' about still loving Lily? I presumed that was his motivation all the way to the end.
    – AncientSwordRage
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 11:46
  • @AncientSwordRage I guess this is one of the most controversial questions in the whole HP series. Some more detailed discussion of it here and here.
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 11:52
  • I'm fully aware of the controversy...I wasn't even sure about bringing it up. It may be worth mentioning that in the answer?
    – AncientSwordRage
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 12:05
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    @AncientSwordRage I'd say giving up your life in a completely thankless task to help others qualifies someone as a hero. His "always" is in reference to Lily, but, well, she's dead - so she is an inspiration, rather than a motivation. Every hero has their own inspiration.
    – Misha R
    Commented Jun 17, 2020 at 20:06
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Snape saved Harry because James saved Snape and he liked Lily. He was working against Voldemort from inside Voldemort's forces, which is very brave. He did it since he contributed to Lily's death. Harry changed his view about Snape after he learned about Snape's memories and knew why he killed Dumbledore.

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    Hi, welcome to the site. You could improve this answer by editing it to include one or more quotes as supporting evidence. Commented Jan 4, 2022 at 3:18

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