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Five Times Severus Snape faced a Boggart and One time he was one

The First Time Snape faced a Boggart

Hogwarts, 1973

Snape had to face a Boggart for the first time during the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam in his third year. The incantation was simple; Riddikulus. One by one, each student was required to go into a cupboard, 'Riddikulus' the Boggart and come out.

Snape watched as his best friend, Lily Evans, came out of the cupboard, giving Severus a wide smile to show that she had done well. Of course she had. She was brilliant. Snape was the only one who had never faced a Boggart before, having taken sick during class. Like he wanted his greatest fear on display for the Marauders to taunt him with!

"Mr. Snape, you're next," this year's DADA teacher told him.

Holding his wand firmly in his hand, Snape walked into the cupboard. At first he could see nothing.

"Lumos," he whispered, holding his wand up.

The next moment he wished he hadn't, for in front of him stood his father, Tobias Snape, brandishing a belt and shouting obscenities at him.

"You're a worthless freak! You'll never amount to anything! You're just the poor, odd, greasy haired charity case of that Evans girl!" Snape closed his eyes tightly as the taunts ran on and on, Riddikulus completely out of his mind.

Tobias was approaching him with the belt held high in the air. Snape's lips trembled; he suddenly bolted out of the cupboard, closing the door behind him, before slumping down against it.

"Snivellus can't even face a Boggart without practically wetting himself!" James Potter jeered.

"His Boggart is probably a bottle of shampoo!" Sirius Black yelled out, sneering.

Potter and the rest of the class roared with laughter while Lily took Snape's hand and led him out of the room.

"There's no need to be embarrassed Severus," Lily told him sympathetically, "It's always hard to fight your worst fear. I know I couldn't do it the first time. Come on let's go down to Hagrid's."

Nodding, Snape followed her.

That was the first and only year Snape got less than an O in DADA.

The Second Time Snape faced a Boggart

Hogwarts, 1976

It was Snape's fifth year, two weeks before his OWLs were supposed to begin. In preparation for his Defense OWL he decided that another go with a Boggart was necessary in case it came in the practical. And he was older and wiser now; his father did not – should not – scare him like he used to.

After combing the castle for a while, Snape finally discovered a Boggart in a drawer of a desk in an unused classroom. Taking a deep breath, Snape unleashed the Boggart from the drawer, his wand at ready to use the Riddikulus charm.

Snape should have expected what came out of the drawer but he did not, even though he had been having nightmares about it for months, breaking out in cold sweats in the middle of the night.

A huge werewolf had sprung out, bearing its large, sharp teeth and panting heavily. Snape froze, white and trembling. "R-riddikulus," he stuttered out but the wolf still maneuvered towards him, but he was rooted to the spot. Just as it was about to lunge, Snape finally managed to shake himself out of his stupor and ran out of the room, slamming the door hard behind him before running all the way back to the dungeons.

Luckily, he did not have to face a Boggart during his practical and he smugly managed to do all the spells asked of him, achieving the highest Defense grade in his year.

The Third Time Snape faced a Boggart

"The – the prophecy…the prediction…Trelawney…"

"Ah, yes," said Dumbledore. "How much did you relay to Lord Voldemort?"

"Everything – everything I heard!" said Snape. "That is why – it is for that reason – he thinks it means Lily Evans!"

"The prophecy did not refer to a woman," said Dumbledore. "It spoke of a boy born at the end of July – "

"You know what I mean! He thinks it means her son, he is going to hunt her down – kill them all – "

"If she means so much to you," said Dumbledore, "surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?"

"I have – I have asked him – "

"You disgust me," said Dumbledore.

Snape seemed to shrink a little, "You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child? They can die, as long as you have what you want?"

Snape said nothing, but merely looked up at Dumbledore.

"Hide them all, then," he croaked. "Keep her – them – safe. Please."

"And what will you give me in return, Severus?"

"In – in return?" Snape gaped at Dumbledore, but after a long moment he said, "Anything."

Hogwarts, 1981

Snape was moving into his new office in the dungeons of Hogwarts. He was the new Potions Professor. As he began to settle on the desk, he noticed a slight rattling sound from one of the drawers in his desk. A Boggart. Obviously Slughorn couldn't have been bothered to get rid of it before leaving, Snape thought, feeling irritated.

It had been six years since the last time he had faced that Boggart in the empty classroom but he was much more experienced now. After all he was one of the Dark Lord's favourite Death Eaters and a spy to boot. Impatiently, he released the Boggart from its drawer ready to Riddikulus it into a puff of smoke. That was until he was met with the sight of Lily Evans' dead body.

The Boggart Lily's green eyes were cold and open, her skin pale, as if every bit of color had left her. She was motionless, she was lifeless and Snape broke into sobs at the sight. He held her in his arms for a long time, rocking her back forth and whispering "Lily, no please, Lily, don't leave me. Don't leave me"

Finally, he came to his senses and abruptly stood up and left the room. Later, he asked Professor Flitwick to get rid of it for him. Flitwick had looked at him questioningly, before giving him a small sad smile and getting rid of it with no questions asked.

Only one month later on Halloween, Snape's worst fear became a reality.

One time Snape was a Boggart

Hogwarts, 1993

As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this."

He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him.

At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

Feeling satisfied, Snape made his way out of the room. He had never been fond of Boggarts – his only weakness in the Dark Arts. Although he had to admit he was rather curious as to what Potter's Boggart would be. Probably losing a Quidditch match, he snorted to himself. Potter was too arrogant to fear the Dark Lord, just like his father.

The next day as he strode into the Great Hall, he noticed a sudden hush and some whispers and giggling as he entered. Longbottom was staring at him defiantly. Gryffindor, he thought, glaring at the boy. He took his usual seat next to Minerva at the staff table, ignoring the fact that she was unsuccessfully trying to hide her smile. He, however, did not give her the satisfaction of asking her.

She broke the silence first. "So, Severus, did you hear about the third year Boggart lesson yesterday?"

"Let me guess," Snape said bored, all the pieces coming together quickly, "I was Longbottom's Boggart." He rolled his eyes. It was not the first time that he was a child's Boggart and he had to admit it was rather satisfying, though why everyone was making such a big deal out of, he didn't know.

Snape did not ask for any details, even with Minerva constantly giving him sideways glances. However, they certainly came to him during his first class with the fifth year Gryffindors when he heard the whispers, "Did you hear about the Snape Boggart? I heard Longbottom dressed him in his grandmother's clothes, a dress, hat, bag and all."

"Lupin!" he yelled loudly when he entered the staffroom.

Lupin was not there but Dumbledore certainly was. "Now, now, Severus," he said soothingly, "Remus was merely teaching his class. Nothing to get so upset over." The staff didn't even bother to hide their laughter.

Snape turned around to leave, refusing to suffer the indignity. "And Severus," Dumbledore's voice floated as he exited the staffroom, "Remember, Remus needs his potion by next week."

Well if he couldn't get his revenge on the Wolf, Longbottom certainly would suffer his displeasure, he thought, smirking, evilly.

The Fourth Time Snape Faced a Boggart

Grimmauld Place, 1996

A week after Potter had looked into his Pensieve and he had thrown him out of his office, Snape swept straight through the door of Grimmauld Place for the monthly Order meeting.

Apparently he was the first one there, except for Black, he was probably moping around somewhere in the house, drunkenly. His hatred for Sirius Black and all the remaining Marauders had intensified threefold since the Pensieve incident.

The house certainly was decrepit and dirty he thought idly, wandering through the rooms. Black's cleaning certainly wasn't going too well, he thought sardonically.

In an old living room, a piece of parchment between the cushions of a sofa caught his eye. He pulled it out; it was an old letter, and as Snape read it, his eyes widened.

Dear Sirius,

By the time you read this (if you ever read this), I will probably be dead. I'm asking Kreacher to give you this letter and the object that goes with it in hopes that you will be able to destroy it.

Sirius, I am the only one who knows the Dark Lord's secret. Destroying what Kreacher will give you is the key to defeating the Dark Lord.

You were right about him – about everything, all along. I realized my mistake too late, but I hope you will be able to forgive me. Hopefully, my death will atone for some of my past guilt, But know, Sirius, that I always admired you for daring to stand up for what you believed in, something which am also starting to do. Please find a way to destroy it, Sirius.

Yours truly, R.A.B

Just as Snape finished the letter, he heard the rattling of a cabinet and in an instant, Harry Potter strutted out with a taunting smirk on his face – a Boggart. Snape clutched the letter tightly in his hand and drew his wand.

"Snivellus," Boggart Harry smirked, his arms folded, "You promised my mother you would take care of me but you haven't, have you, Snivelly?"

"Riddikulus!" Snape cried, but to no avail.

"You've left me stay with my abusive relatives for years, not caring, never caring. You deserved what my father did to you. You deserved it all. You haven't protected me. My mother hated you. She never forgave you, never…"

"No," Snape whispered, his emotionless mask slipping. "No, no," he repeated over again. When the Boggart Harry didn't stop speaking the horrible truths that littered Snape's unconscious, Snape fled from the room, bumping into Black who calmly walked into the room. Now Harry Potter lay dead on the floor, but with a swish of Black's wand, the Boggart vanished.

"Still can't get rid of a Boggart, eh Snivellus?" Black smirked, before arrogantly walking to the kitchen where the meeting was to take place.

Burning with anger and humiliation, Snape crumpled the letter still clutched in his hands into a ball and stuffed it into his robes before striding into the kitchen.

The Fifth Time Snape Faced a Boggart

Snape looked horrified.

"You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?"

"Don't be shocked, Severus. How many men and women have you watched die?"

"Lately, only those whom I could not save," said Snape. He stood up. "You have used me."

"Meaning?"

"I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter – "

"But this is touching, Severus," said Dumbledore seriously. "Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?"

"For him?" shouted Snape. "Expecto Patronum!"

From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe.

She landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office, and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears.

"After all this time?"

"Always," said Snape.

Hogwarts, 1998

Snape was roaming the halls at night, his eyes peeled wide open to catch any students out of bed before the Carrows did. Just this afternoon, he had heard the news that Harry Potter had broken into Gringotts and escaped on a dragon. Snape had nearly had a heart failure of the thought, before dispassionately remembering that the boy to die anyway.

He decided to stop in the staffroom for a cup of coffee, not wanting to bother the elves who looked at him, their Master, with mistrust and fear. The wardrobe was rattling. No fear could be worse than the nightmare he was living now, Snape thought tiredly.

As he released the Boggart, he was confused for a moment, as Harry Potter was laying spread eagled, dead on the floor. He looked around for Black, who he had to remind himself was obviously not there. The Boggart Harry's glasses had fallen off; his eyes were wide open and glassy as Lily's had once been.

Snape stared at the Boggart curiously for a long time before leaving the staffroom with the swish of his cloak when he felt the Dark Mark burning on his left arm.

That night, he died before seeing his worst fear come true for the second time.