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If we are to compare Professor Snape with Voldemort, the Malfoys and numerous other Death Eaters, then we would have to conclude that Snape is more of a friend than a foe to Harry Potter. In many ways he is the kind of friend of which one would say: "With friends like him, who needs enemies".

In many ways, Harry Potter and Snape are quite similar in character. Snape's hatred of Harry Potter stems from a deep seated resentment towards Harry's father because he stole the only girl that Snape had ever truly loved, from him. Snape fails to see that he was responsible for the change in Lily's attitude towards himself because he increasingly allowed himself to be drawn towards the dark arts and friends who were involved in them. This led to his involvement as a death eater, and also to the role that he was later to play of double agent.

Harry has a hatred of Snape that is caused in part by the way that Snape treats him, purely because of who he is. However, it is also a hatred that stems from shame at the way that Harry's dad treated Snape. In many ways it is far easier for Harry to hate Snape, than to accept that his dad was actually a rather nasty boy at times, and he treated people who were not as clever or as well off as him in a way that was far from nice.

Despite the way that Snape feels about Harry, there are various occasions through out the series when Snape is responsible for saving Harry's life. This begins when Professor Quirrel tries to cause Harry to fall off his broomstick in the first book, and finally ends when Snape allows Harry to get hold of the sword of Gryffindor which is necessary to finish off the Horcruxes.

While Professor Snape is a rather strange type of friend to have, the way that he helps Harry to succeed in defeating Voldemort must be recognised, and must show that he is a friend rather than a foe.

Learn more about this author, Lara Anne.
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