One of the hardest deaths to watch in the Harry Potter series is that of Severus Snape. A misunderstood wizard whose loyalties run deep - so why did Voldemort kill Snape?
Throughout the Harry Potter series, Snape's loyalties vacillated between the Dark Arts and Lord Voldemort, as well as Albus Dumbledore. But after Dumbledore's death at the hands of Snape, it was revealed that he was loyal to the core of the Order and his dear friends.
But this is not the reason why Voldemort killed Snape in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2". Killing Dumbledore solidified Snape's loyalty to the Dark Lord, but there was another storyline that led to his death.
What was the reason Voldemort killed one of his loyal servants? Here's a complete breakdown of what happens in the movie.
Why did Voldemort kill Snape?
In the movie, Voldemort orders Nagini to attack and kill Snape, believing him to be the rightful owner of the Elder Wand. Voldemort believed he had to kill Snape to use the full power of the wand.
Before "Deathly Hallows Part 2", Draco's mission was to kill Dumbledore, but failed. Snape intervened based on his promise to Draco's mother and Dumbledore's desire for him to be the one to kill him. Snape also wanted to protect Draco from the harm caused by the killing.
At the beginning of The Deathly Hallows Part II, Voldemort retrieves the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's tomb after learning that he is its last owner. But as the Battle of Hogwarts began, Voldemort tried to use the wand, but it refused to yield. The Dark Lord realizes that he cannot use his full power.
Voldemort soon confronted Snape in the boathouse about the wand's rightful owner. Since Snape killed Dumbledore, Voldemort believed that he was the previous master. Instead of using the Avada Kedavra, he used his desire to slit Snape's neck and ordered Nagini to attack him.
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Why didn't Voldemort use the Avada Kedavra?
According to legend about the Elder Wand, Voldemort knew he could not use the wand to perform the Avada Kedavra to kill its master. Instead, he uses Nagini to do his dirty work.
It may seem strange to Harry Potter fans that Voldemort's failure to use a spell at any point would be tantamount to killing Snape. In fact, Voldemort couldn't. Wands work in mysterious ways, and a person cannot use the wand itself against its owner to gain ownership of it.
Since Voldemort had the Elder Wand, he knew he couldn't use desire to enact the curse to kill Snape. But having Nagini bite Snape to death was enough to change the wand's loyalty.
Is Snape the master of the Elder Wand?
No, Snape's death by Voldemort in Harry Potter was in vain because Draco Malfoy was the rightful owner of the wand at the time.
Unbeknownst to Voldemort, since he was not present when Dumbledore died, he was unaware that Draco had initially disarmed the Headmaster. By disarming him, the wand sees him as its new master. But both Draco and Voldemort realized the truth.
It is also believed that Snape was unaware of the Elder Wand's true purpose. He probably didn't know Draco was its owner. During the skirmish at Malfoy Manor in the first part of The Deathly Hallows, Harry forcibly takes Malfoy's wand, an act deemed worthy of becoming the wand's new owner.
During the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry revealed to Voldemort that he was never the master. Because of this, during their confrontation, Harry was more powerful than the Dark Lord, as the wand was unresponsive to Voldemort. Harry was able to defeat Voldemort for good.
For all the movies premiering this month, click here , and for more Harry Potter action, check out these articles:
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