In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, Severus Snape is a highly competent wizard with a snarky, impassive demeanor whose personality is rather layered and complex. Snape is a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who is enraged by Harry's likeness to his father James Potter, Snape’s eternal bully. This interview was taken by Tanvi for the Daily Prophet- A Britain based wizard newspaper and magazine in 1996 when Severus Snape was the Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with reigning headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Tanvi: Professor Snape, we are aware about the affinity you harbored towards Lily Evans back in the day. Have you ever felt that your relationship could have been better had you been sorted in Gryffindor House? Was there any other obstruction that damaged the bond you shared with Lily?
Snape: Lily is ancient history at this point. I suppose I did love her once, but her falling in love and marrying James was appalling to me. I cannot picture how we would have been had we been in the same house because the idea of me being in Gryffindor is downright despicable. If only Harry Potter could have had his mother's abilities and characteristics, but what good is it to think of such unachievable things.
Tanvi: I apologise if the question seems offensive, but out of sheer curiosity, did the thought of spiking Lily's food with Amortentia- The Love Potion, ever occur to you?
Snape: Who do you think I am? Some pathetic love-seeking loner? I would have never cheated her out of her consent to merely make her fall in love with me. However irresistible Amortentia seems, it was a despicable method to fool Lily. But what good did she get falling in love with that coward Potter, who pulled acts of bravado around Lily by constantly mocking and heckling me? Look where they both ended. To this day I utterly despise him, and that son of his is just as useless (smirks).
Tanvi: Rumors are floating in Hogwarts that you have been grossly unfair to Harry Potter, ever since he first arrived here. What is your take on this?
Snape: Nonsense. His arrogance and haughtiness at presumably being the 'chosen one' has filled him with conceit and utter disregard for his teachers. There's no doubt that he inherited these characteristics from his father James. There has to be someone to put him back in line, who in this case, is me.
Tanvi: What attracted you towards Dark Arts in the first place?
Snape: The Dark Lord and his ways are unpredictable and astonishing. I had more knowledge about hexes and curses in my first year than most final-year students did. The dark arts is an ever-evolving, dangerous opponent, luring people towards it. It is a black hole, and practicing it is treacherous and scary. Perhaps this risk is what attracted me towards it with such hard-hitting passion.
Tanvi: Is it true that James Potter once saved your life from a werewolf?
Snape: I have zero patience with this hero narrative James has been regarded with. James tricked me, and beguiled me into walking in a well-laid trap that might have cost me my life. Only in the end did he come to his senses and pulled me out of the haunted passages of the Whomping Willow. But let me make it clear, it was just because James did not want this certain werewolf to be labelled as a murderer. James, being as cocky as he was, had no regard for my life whatsoever.
Tanvi: If you could pick one, who would be your favourite pupil?
Snape: Rather uncanny for a teacher to be picking favourites, don’t you think? However, Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, exhibits terrific skills and talents, something that Potter could never even dream of.
Tanvi: Hermione Granger, despite being a muggle born, is supposedly one of the most talented witches of her age. Would you agree?
Snape: If you equate an insufferable know-it-all with the word talented, then yes, I suppose she might be talented. But just like her friend Potter, she has an uncanny knack for annoying others, specifically speaking out of turn incessantly.
Tanvi: It has come to our knowledge from our sources that you had been giving Occlumency lessons to Harry Potter. Why?
Snape: Occlumency lessons? Does the boy look like he possesses skills and assets to learn Occlumency? I've been providing him with remedial Potions lessons since Potter is at the bottom of my class, which is of no surprise.
Tanvi: Did you ever possess the famous Marauder’s Map?
Snape: This vile map was once in my possession, yes. But I no longer have it as my werewolf colleague Remus Lupin took it.
Tanvi: Do you have any regrets till date? If yes, would you care to share?
Snape: (Snape’s eyes fill with grief for a mere moment) None.
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