1. Snape’s adversarial role:
The function of the Old Testament !"#"n in Rowling’s Harry Potter
Ross Baumgardner
Undergraduate Inquiry Research
INQ 100: Satan in Literature
Dr. Steinwand
Concordia College, Fall 2012

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Within the confines of our unique and individual experience we are influenced by those
we interact positively and negatively with, whether or not we are knowledgeable of that
influence. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to overlook how the negative interactions shape and
influence our character, especially the interactions by those people who are antagonistic to or
critical of us. In Rowling’s Harry Potter novels, characters are influenced by a harshly critical
Potions instructor named Severus Snape. Snape, when analyzed under the authority of the Old
Testament, is portrayed in a position of remarkable familiarity with the satan character who
often appears among the writings. This critical adversarial role is an important portion of the
foundations of both Biblical and Harry Potter stories that is necessary for each plot to become an
effectively integrated whole. We see the relationships between Snape and the satan in three
mutual dimensions: how they both function, how others perceive them, and how subjects are
affected by them. As a member of the faculty of Hogwarts, Snape accuses his colleagues and
students. His critical demeanor brings out dislike and distrust from those he critiques. Though
students pass negative judgment on Snape, they are nevertheless changed in a positive way
because of his sustained and unchanging role as their adversary.
Many popular conceptions depict Satan as the infinitely evil enemy of God who reigns in
hell after being banished from heaven. There is another biography of Satan, however, that can be
found in the Old Testament. This biography is made up of strong consistencies even though it is
gathered from a variety of authors and time periods. Professor of Religion at Princeton
University Elaine Pagels describes the word “satan” as a role of an adversary, not as a name
given to a specific character, with Dr. Peggy Day adding that there are specific legal
connotations behind the word “satan” (39; 65). Henry Kelly of the University of California uses
the Greek translators of the Books of Chronicles to support this idea, stating that they translated
“!"#"n” into “diabolos,” a common word for “adversary,” and not a proper name (29). Pagels

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goes on to affirm that the root “!tn” translates generally as “one who opposes, obstructs, or acts
as adversary,” with Day and The Holy Bible annotations adding “accuser” to the list (Pagels 39;
Day 34, The Holy Bible 416). Interestingly, the word “!"#"n,” literally translated as “adversary,”
is used several times1
beyond Chronicles in the Old Testament without being the title of a divine
position but a human or earthly role (Day 25-8, Kelly 20). For example, 1 Kings 5:4 says, “but
now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor
misfortune,” with “adversary” being translated from “!"#"n” as an unspecified opponent (The
Holy Bible; Day 28). With the word “!"#"n” well established through usage in the Old
Testament, how the satan in the Book of Job works gives additional insight into a Biblical satan.
The Book of Job is a writing about a blameless man named Job who God allows to suffer
at the hand of Satan and is perhaps one of the most philosophically difficult writings of the Old
Testament. Satan, an angelic being included among God’s council, is the overall plot developer
and an indirect source of tension between Job and God. What this individual is called needs to be
carefully dissected, as to prevent merging a name, a title, and a role. Kelly goes as far as
rewording Job 1:6 as, “one of the sons of God who served as a satan came before Yahweh” (22).
A clearer translation, for the purposes of this essay, would perhaps be The Accuser (a title of an
entity and a role this entity carries out, but not a name), and in Job this title can be used
interchangeably with “Satan.” The first interaction between God and The Accuser is important
for setting The Accuser in context of both earth and heaven, and is contained in The Holy Bible
in Job 1:6-7:
6
One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and
Satan also came among them. 7
The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come
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Day cites specifically and analyzes the passages: 1 Samuel 29, 2 Samuel 19, 1 Kings 5, 11, and Psalm 109.

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from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from
walking up and down in it.”… 12
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
In considering these verses, it is clear that The Accuser is not “as Western Christendom has
come to know him, as the leader of an evil empire,” whose purpose is to wage war on humanity
and God (Pagels 39). In fact, we see that The Accuser is either a guest or a permanent member of
God’s divine council of angels. We also see that “before the Lord” and “the presence of the
Lord” is the location where this divine council meets, and The Accuser is carrying on this
conversation with God in this council location. God goes on to boast to The Accuser how great
his servant Job is, to which The Accuser replies, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not
put a fence around him? …You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have
increased in the land,” validly charging God of spoiling Job and Job of conditional faith based on
blessings (The Holy Bible 1:8-10). The Accuser, receiving authority from God, goes on to
destroy all of Job’s property, family, and health, but proves Job’s integrity of faith in the process.
In Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Snape works in a similar way to The Accuser in the
Book of Job. Ashley Whitehead of Maryville College presents several parallels between Biblical
stories and segments of Harry Potter, one of which suggests that Snape is a representation of
The Accuser (34)2
. From the first moment Snape and Harry verbally interact, Snape accuses
Harry of being spoiled by fame and not having any real characteristics of integrity. In the
Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry meets his Potions instructor, Professor Snape, for the first time. Snape is
taking attendance and when he gets to Harry’s name, he remarks, “‘Ah, yes,’ he said softly,
‘Harry Potter. Our new – celebrity…what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an
infusion of wormwood?’…‘I don’t know, sir,’ said Harry. Snape’s lips curled into a sneer. ‘Tut,
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Whitehead poses this suggestion amidst several parallels between Biblical stories and segments of Harry Potter,
one of which reaches to propose Snape as The Accuser, Harry and Ron as humanity, Dumbledore as God the Father,
and Professor McGonagall as Jesus the Son. She does not dwell on this, however.!

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tut – fame clearly isn’t everything’” (136-137). This is the first accusation of Harry by Snape. As
author John Granger puts it, Snape would “delight sadistically and melodramatically in
punishing and provoking [Harry]” (292). Associate Professor of History at Lawrence University
Edmund Kern adds that Snape “is always looking to catch him out of line” (27), similar to how
The Accuser is looking to catch Job out of line (cursing God) and prove the accusations against
God and Job valid. Another significant instance when Harry is tested to prove his integrity is
when he needs to retrieve the Gryffindor sword from the frozen pond. After following the doe
patronus, which unbeknownst to Harry belongs to Snape, Harry finds the sword at the bottom of
the frozen pond protected with Snape’s spells to prevent a simple charm from retrieving it. Harry
contemplates, “what were the qualities that defined a Gryffindor?...Their daring, nerve, and
chivalry set Gryffindors apart” (Deathly Hallows 368). With this in mind, Harry jumps into the
lake and personally retrieves the sword, just as a true Gryffindor would. Through the process of
Snape’s accusations, Harry is given opportunities to prove his abilities and courage. Snape’s
relationships with Draco Malfoy and Professor Gilderoy Lockhart demonstrate how Snape
accuses not only Harry, but other characters as well. In the Chamber of Secrets, Harry is forced
by Snape to prove his magical abilities in front of the student body at dueling club. Snape calls
Malfoy to challenge Harry, saying to him, “Let’s see what you make of the famous Potter” (191).
This call is both suggesting Harry is a poor dueler and would be easily defeated by Malfoy, but
also making Malfoy prove his superior abilities as a representative of both of Slytherin House
and Snape (who is the head of Slytherin House).
Gilderoy Lockhart, the “Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark
Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award”
(Chamber of Secrets 99), is Harry’s foil and is another individual who is accused by Snape, the
satan. Whereas Harry is a humble, respectable, and courageous celebrity who proves Snape’s

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accusations wrong, Lockhart is a selfish, lying, and false celebrity who succumbs to and is
defeated by Snape’s accusations. Harry’s “publicity becomes a bitter draught for him to drink”
(Bell 180) whereas Lockhart loves to bask as the center of attention of the media, even though he
has done nothing to merit it. Evangelist author and pop culture expert Connie Neal states that
“Gilderoy Lockhart created quite a reputation for himself…albeit by questionable means,”
including deceiving the media and stealing credit for other’s works (72). “His elevated view of
himself caused him to lose perspective. He claimed to know more than everyone else” (78), that
is, until he meets his collegue, Professor Snape. Lockhart decides to lead a dueling club and
introduces Snape as his assistant who had “sportingly agreed to help [him] with a short
demonstration” and tells the students, “I don’t want any of you youngsters to worry – you’ll still
have your Potions master when I’m through with him” (Chamber of Secrets 189). Unlike in the
genuine Harry’s case, the fake Lockhart proves all too easy to defeat for Snape: “Both of them
swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried:
Expelliarmus! There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet”
(190). This first accusation of Lockhart is foreshadowing his major accusation that exposes him
for what he really is. When Ginny is taken into the Chamber, Lockhart arrives on the scene of the
message that is left behind, only to be met by Snape, the accuser, setting him up to prove himself
a failure. Snape says to him, “Just the man…the very man. A girl has been snatched by the
monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last,”
knowing that he is a fake (293-294). Lockhart, knowing he is not capable of withstanding the
justification of the foundation of his fame, begins packing to leave, stating that “I’ll – I’ll be in
my office, getting – getting ready,” with stumbled sentence flow and cliché phrasing to further
attempt to hide his lies (294). This ability to expose individuals for what they really are is

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characteristic of both satan and Snape. As a Potions master, Snape is able to expand on his
ability to prove people’s truths by concocting Veritaserum, a Truth Potion.
Veritaserum, as Rowling describes, is “a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would
have you spilling your innermost secrets” (Goblet of Fire 517). The word “veritaserum” is a
compound of two words. One is the Latin word “verus” meaning true (Nilsen and Nilsen slide
49). Words with this Latin origin include verify, verdict, and verity. The other word is “serum,”
the root stem of which is the Latin “ser-” literally meaning to flow, implied for liquids or fluids
(“serum”, “ser-”). Thus, “veritaserum” literally means truth-liquid, which forces one to give up
truths in a flowing manner, without resistance. Considering one of the tasks of the accuser is to
test people for quality and integrity, having this capability to use Veritaserum demonstrates
Snape’s relationship to the satan. Snape believes Harry is a thief and threatens to use it on him,
saying, “unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips…right over your
evening pumpkin juice. And then, Potter…then we’ll find out whether you’ve been in my office
or not” (Goblet of Fire 517). Veritaserum is later used to expose the lies of the evil Barty Crouch
Jr. in the same book (683-691). Rowling’s choice to subject Crouch, but not Harry, to
Veritaserum is intriguing; I offer two postulations. Firstly, because readers experience the story
through third person limited omniscience, they identify with Harry intimately on mental and
emotional channels. Rowling does not want to violate this intimate connection by involving other
characters in Harry’s privacy beyond his wishes, which reflect the textually guided wishes of the
reader. Crouch is able to have his secrecy exploited without detracting from the limited
omniscience perspective because readers are unaware of his thoughts. Secondly, Rowling is
making a contrast in Snape’s methods of accusation. Snape accuses Harry with threat, showing
that he believes Harry is capable of being inwardly motivated toward having a principle of
honesty. Snape accuses Crouch with Veritaserum, showing that Crouch’s principles are beyond

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malleability. Veritaserum is just one of the tools Snape uses to be a successful accuser during his
time at Hogwarts. While he is an accuser, he is not necessarily allied with evil, as many
characters may think and the reader is led to believe. In fact, his alliances are the most
ambiguous and controversial of the series, the same way those who read the Old Testament often
err when deducing the satan’s alliances.
The writer of Job makes a subtle connection between the negative sentiments exhibited
toward the satan role and how these sentiments create misjudgment by the readers and
characters. Recall that The Accuser answers the Lord’s question about where he had come from
by stating that he had been “going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it”
(The Holy Bible Job 1:7). The antecedent word for “going to and fro,” “shût,” is a literary play
on the consonant sounds in “!"#"n” and better translates as “roaming” (Pagels 41). Pagels goes
on to imply that the satan is a “roaming intelligence agent” employed by God’s heavenly court,
much like the elaborate system of secret police of the Persian empire that was detested and
disliked by the Jews at the time the Book of Job was written (41). Interestingly, within the
progression of Job, The Accuser has not yet done anything to evoke negative feelings toward
him by the readers, but Jewish readers, and even those familiar with the Jewish attitude, would
already dislike The Accuser because he had been “roaming” on the earth like the hated secret
police. Then, further showing despicability, The Accuser begins savagely destroying Job’s
property and health (Job 1:13-22, 2:7-10). Finally, after all of The Accuser’s trials had taken
place, Job’s health and property are returned and his faith is proven honorable, at which point we
realize that The Accuser brought about a strengthened relationship with God.
In the Book of Numbers of the Pentateuch, the satan’s appearance to Balaam is unlikable
and creates misjudgment. Here, the satan is sent by God because God is not pleased about
Balaam’s journey to Moab. This satan appears (unlike Job’s satan, who remains anonymous to

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Job) to Balaam and his donkey as a hostile enemy. The Living Bible states that the satan was sent
to “stand in the road to kill him, ” whereas The Holy Bible states the satan was sent “to stand in
the road as his adversary” (22:22,23; 22:22). Both translations describe this aggressive satan as
personally confronting Balaam in an aggressive manner, “with a sword drawn in his hand,”
which would generally misrepresent the satan, especially in Balaam’s perspective (The Holy
Bible 22:23). The donkey sees this intimidating satan and tries to avoid it three times, choosing a
beating instead (22:23-27). Had the donkey accurately perceived the satan as sent by God, there
would be no need to avoid it. The satan never does affirm an alliance with God to Balaam’s
group but as readers we recognize an alliance, especially from verse 22 in the Living Bible, “God
was angry…so he sent an angel.” The Holy Bible is a bit more occluded, stating in verse 22 that
the angel of the Lord (not necessarily sent) took a stand as an adversary (satan). In this account,
the alliance is subtly implied to readers when the satan tells Balaam, “your way is perverse
before me,” just as it is also perverse before God in verse 22 (22:1,32). With the knowledge of
this alliance, readers tend to unconsciously sympathize with the satan. Since Balaam and his
donkey lack knowledge of this alliance, they misperceive the satan.
In Job, The Accuser is misjudged by readers but not by characters in the story.
Conversely, the satan in Numbers is misjudged by characters in the story, but not by readers.
Snape’s presentation in Harry Potter embodies misperception among both readers and novel
characters. Rowling uses this textual presentation and several literary techniques to embellish
dislike of Snape from the reader. First, she illustrates how Snape is very similar to Salazar
Slytherin, one of four original founders of Hogwarts who left the school after a disagreement,
leaving a legacy of horror by building the Chamber of Secrets (Chamber of Secrets 151). The
name Severus Snape, as Granger points out, “shares initials and a slippery assonance” with the
name Salazar Slytherin (293). Hagrid tells Harry about Slytherin House, saying, “there’s not a

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single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn’t in Slytherin,” which implies to us as readers
that Harry’s antagonists would likely be of Slytherin House (Sorcerer’s Stone 80). At this point,
recall that Snape is Head of Slytherin House. Second, Rowling’s description of Snape brings evil
and darkness to mind by including eyes that were “cold and empty and made you think of dark
tunnels,” and a “long black cloak” (Sorcerer’s Stone 136). However, Kern points out that
“Rowling does not consistently use physical characteristics, regardless of how disturbing they
may be, to distinguish good from evil,” and we do eventually learn that Snape is completely
loyal to Dumbledore and follows his exact orders (Kern 212; Brunson 7, Deathly Hallows 659-
690). Referring back to Job, Rowling alludes to the satan’s “roaming” and “accusing”
characteristic of the detested secret police by describing Snape, saying he “swept around in his
long black cloak…criticizing almost everyone,” as well as patrolling the Hogwarts corridors at
night (Sorcerer’s Stone 138-139; Prisoner of Azkaban 277-289, Goblet of Fire 469-474). As
both stories progress, Snape continually deducts points from Gryffindor while making a plethora
of snide remarks toward Harry, and the satan continually harms Job’s property or health, which
amplifies reader’s established dislike for the two. This strong sense of initial prejudice leads
Harry and his friends to misjudge Snape’s alliances in regards to specific story conflicts.
Harry and his friends’ prejudice toward Snape often influences their judgment of his true
allegiance (Kern 212, Killinger 40, Brunson 6). As Kern professes, “[Snape] has given [Harry,
Ron, and Hermione] ample reason to dislike him, but he has not been guilty of any greater
offence” (212), at least until he kills Dumbledore at the end of Half-Blood Prince, in which case
he technically has committed a “greater offence,” pending the relatable characters (and reader)
learn otherwise. In Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s dislike of Snape leads them to
believe he was trying to steal the Stone. We know Harry’s suspicions as readers when Harry tells
Ron, “[Snape] tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That’s where he was going

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when we saw him – he’s after whatever it’s guarding!” which is the Stone (183). Harry continues
to believe this right up until he meets Quirrell at the Mirror of Erised that guards the stone. Harry
sees Quirrell instead of Snape and exclaims, “You!... But I thought – Snape –,” showing how
taken aback he is that his premonitions about Snape’s loyalties to Voldemort are wrong (288).
Another important instance of misjudging Snape’s allegiance is during the reactivation of
Dumbledore’s Order of the Phoenix. Snape’s induction into the Order is met with mixed
feelings. For example, Harry and his peers respond to learning about Snape’s membership:
“Snape?” said Harry quickly. “Is he here?”
“Yeah,” said George, carefully closing the door and sitting down on one of the
beds; Fred and Ginny followed. “Giving a report. Top secret.”
“Git,” said Fred idly.
“He’s on our side now,” said Hermione reprovingly.
Ron snorted. “Doesn’t stop him being a git. The way he looks at us when he sees
us….” (Order of the Phoenix 69)
While our sympathy generally goes out to the naïve and less-informed students (because we
experience the plot from their context), we also learn that even higher-ranked members of the
Order don’t completely trust Snape. Ginny confirms that, “Bill [Ron’s eldest brother] doesn’t
like him either” (69). Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather and key member of the Order, is more
hostile about his distrust. He yells at Snape, “I don’t care if Dumbledore thinks you’ve reformed,
I know better – ,” voicing his skepticism that Snape has changed in spite of his history as a
follower of Voldemort (520). However, the distrustful characters are given more evidence of
their suspicion when Snape kills Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall seems most confused about
Snape’s loyalties, and is disturbed when she learns about his murdering of Dumbledore, saying,

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Snape…we all wondered…but he trusted…always…Snape…I can’t believe it…I
mean…with Snape’s history…of course people were bound to wonder…but
Dumbledore told me explicitly that Snape’s repentance was absolutely
genuine….Wouldn’t hear a word against him! (Deathly Hallows 615-616)
In fact, pages 614 through 627 involve instance after instance of mixed confusion by several
characters about Snape’s alliance and learning about his murder of Dumbledore. At the end of
Deathly Hallows, readers and characters are again confronted with the same confusion when
they learn that Snape’s alliance really was with Dumbledore the whole time. Given the frequent
confusion, it is clear how misjudgment of Snape’s alliance is related to the misjudgment of the
satan’s alliance. While characters make unclear judgments about both Snape and the satan, we
can be sure that both Snape and the satan are static individuals who bring about change in a
dynamic way by their role as an accuser figure.
Returning to Numbers, we can see that the satan figure brings about a dynamic change in
Balaam. One of the most intriguing things to take note of in the Balaam story is actually the
content of the two verses that precede the story. Verses 20 through 22 state, “That night, God
came to Balaam and said to him, ‘If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with
them; but do only what I tell you to do.’ So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey,
and went with the officials of Moab. God’s anger was kindled because he was going,” leaving us
confused about God’s supposed inconsistencies3
(The Holy Bible Numbers 22). The Life
Application Bible goes on to explain this inconsistency, asserting, “Balaam claimed that he
would not go against God just for money, but his resolve was beginning to slip. His greed for the
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!Many scholars, including Kelly, attribute this inconsistency to a different writer. Kelly identifies three writers, the
Elohist, the Yahwehist, and the Deuteronomistic Historian. He holds that the Yahwehist interjects starting on verse
22 following writing by the Elohist. Regardless of the presence of multiple authors, I hold that this text should be
interpreted as one unified work. The Life Application Bible seems to occupy a similar position.!

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wealth offered by the king [in verses 16 and 174
] blinded him so that he could not see how God
was trying to stop him [with the satan]” (242). Thus, the satan is used to influence a dynamic
change in Balaam’s greed, and turn him back to God, and we can see that this is achieved when
Balaam declares, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose
me. Now, therefore, if it is displeasing to you, I will return home” so as not to give into my greed
and accept the temptation of riches from King Balak (22:34; emphasis added). Like Balaam, Job
also is influenced by the satan. In Job, The Accuser brings about contemplation of life and God
by Job through his suffering. In the end, we see that Job has gained a bit of understanding, both
from his large discussion with his friends in chapters 3-37, but especially from chapter 42, which
is Job’s response to God’s answer in the whirlwind:
5
I had heard of you by the hearing
of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes. (The Holy Bible 42:5-6; emphasis added)
Job confirms that he now “sees” or understands something about God that he hadn’t prior to his
suffering. Therefore, it is clear that The Accuser, who doesn’t learn or change in a significant
way, brings about change in other characters, and this is also a dominant feature of Snape.
Snape remains a static character throughout the course of the series. As Kendall Brunson
of Jacksonville University puts it, “readers do not see Snape evolving throughout the series, only
his true story unfolding” (11), especially remaining static within the textual description of his
physical appearance. Rowling makes sure to maintain parallels between his descriptions
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!“They came to Balaam and said to him, ‘Thus says Balak son of Zippor: “Do not let anything hinder you from
coming to me; for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do”’” (The Holy Bible
Numbers 22:16,17). In this verse, the Life Application Bible defines the king’s conditions as wealth.!

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throughout the series, as well as throughout Snape’s history. When Snape is nine or ten years
old, he has overlong black hair, is sallow, small, stringy, and has a thin face (Deathly Hallows
664-5). A few years later, when Snape is a teenager, he has a “stringy, pallid look about him, like
a plant kept in the dark. His hair was lank and greasy” and he has a “hooked nose” (Order of the
Phoenix 640-1). Then, when Harry meets Snape the adult for the first time during the Sorting
Ceremony, he notices the older Snape’s “greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin”
(Sorcerer’s Stone 126). All of these hold similarities, but all are from different times, which
supports Brunson’s stance that Snape remains static in his “personal style” (11). He even lives in
the same house at Spinner’s End in which he grew up (Deathly Hallows 665, Half-Blood Prince
21-22). Furthermore, he is constant until death in his love for Lily Potter, and this love for Lily
defines how Snape relates to Harry, Dumbledore, and Voldemort (Brunson 20, Appelbaum 15).
During his youth, we notice subtle hints about Snape’s crush on Lily (Deathly Hallows 665).
During his young adult years, this love for Lily is what causes Snape to exhibit “particularly
loyalty to Dumbledore” and turn away from the evil of Voldemort (Baggett and Klein 128), his
only arguable change in his entire life. Finally, Snape’s dying request is to see Lily’s eyes one
last time, reflected in Harry’s (Deathly Hallows 658). As with his physical characteristics,
Snape’s love for Lily remains the same throughout his history. By his static personality, Snape is
able to influence his protégées, specifically Malfoy and Harry, to change in a significant way.
Draco Malfoy, one of Snape’s favorite pupils, is one character who is heading down the
path of evil until he is accused and influenced by Snape. Dr. Peter Appelbaum, Professor of
Education at Arcadia University, brings the contrast between Harry and Malfoy to our attention,
describing one as “good” and the other as “bad.” Snape, the shared teacher, is the only one who
has an impact on both protagonist and antagonist (14). Appelbaum goes on to explain that
Snape’s timing to kill Dumbledore is important for bringing about Draco’s election of his own

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destiny. It did not matter whether Draco’s choice came out of “moral strength” or “lack of
courage,” both of which may have caused Draco to hesitate. This choice to disobey Voldemort’s
order to kill Dumbledore is crucial to his education beyond school, as well as maintaining the
purity of his soul (14). From that point on, Draco is no longer a student at Hogwarts, but truly
experiences the world as Voldemort is leading it, which gives way to his eventual reformation.
Harry, already having experienced life under Voldemort with his parents’ death and the leftover
legacy from that event, changes significantly during Snape’s Occlumency lessons. On a literal
level Harry learns the art of Occlumency, or mind blocking. He more importantly learns about
his father, James. Until Occlumency lessons, Harry’s fantasy of his father’s heroism is molded
by hearing about him through Dumbledore and listening to James’ friends, Sirius and Professor
Remus Lupin, talk about him (Sorcerer’s Stone 300, Prisoner of Azkaban 367-76). Snape is the
first to suggest to Harry that James is not as great as Harry thinks: “[James] too was exceedingly
arrogant. A small amount of talent on the Quidditch5
field made him think he was a cut above the
rest of us too. Strutting around the place with his friends and admirers” (Prisoner of Azkaban
284). The shocking confirmation of this harsh truth comes during the Occlumency lessons when
Harry sees Snape’s memory of James being a bully, and even worse, Harry’s own mother calls
him an “arrogant toerag” (Order of the Phoenix 640-9). Harry, with a history of family heroism
and a collection of personal testimonies to attest to his parents’ greatness, benefits from having a
figure in his life that keeps him in check with reality. Even after years of mutual abuse between
Harry and Snape, we find that Snape has made such a profound influence on Harry that he names
one of his children after him, citing Snape as, “the bravest man [he] ever knew” (Deathly
Hallows 758). Thus, through Snape’s static personality, Harry was able to grow from a naïve
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5
‘Quidditch’ is a fictional sport of Hogwart’s School. The bulk of James’ popularity comes as a result of being a
talented Quidditch athlete. Harry, too, is talented at Quidditch.

16. ! ! Baumgardner "&
student having trouble with a critical teacher, to a man with a deep and unique sense of respect
for sacrifice, bravery, love, and perhaps most importantly, modesty.
Snape’s identity as the satan of the Harry Potter series is prevalent through his
accusations at Hogwarts, his unclear alliance, and his static nature that brings about significant
change in others. By recognizing Snape’s ability to accuse in the name of moral development,
we as readers take a leap forward in our learning from Harry Potter. From Snape’s profound
example, we can often locate those who tend to make our lives difficult and identify them as our
satans, thereby looking past their bitterness and recognizing the ways they enhance our integrity
of character and allow our moral fiber to develop. Only then can the teachings of the satan of the
Old Testament engage us through Harry Potter’s perspective.

17. ! ! Baumgardner "'
Works Cited
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Advancement of Curriculum Studies. uwstout. edu. V.4 Feb 2008. Web. 29 Oct. 2012.
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Morris, William, ed. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. New College
Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1980. Print.

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Neal, Connie. The Gospel According to Harry Potter. Lousiville: Westminster John Knox Press,
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