The Harry Potter Books Subtly Teased Their Biggest Snape Twist In Sorcerer’s Stone

Snape’s big twist in Harry Potter was carefully planned from the beginning, with subtle hints dropped early on in the series.
Snape’s ability to be a double agent was dependent on his skill in Occlumency, which allowed him to deceive even Voldemort.
The Harry Potter books set up Snape’s story from the start, with foreshadowing about his connection to Lily Evans and his double agent role.

When rereading the Harry Potter books, it’s clear that the twists and turns surrounding Snape’s character were planned from the beginning. Severus Snape was always an intriguing character in Harry’s story, with his moral alignment remaining uncertain until the very end. However, as early as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, subtle hints were being dropped about who Snape was and where his loyalties lay. Though easy to miss the first time around, rereading the Harry Potter series reveals the ways in which Snape’s big twist was foreshadowed.

Snape’s twist was revealed at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—he had once been best friends with Harry’s mother, Lily Evans. However, the two had a falling out when Snape continued to align with pure-blood ideology. Without Lily’s good influence, Snape’s path toward Darkness was accelerated, and he became a Death Eater shortly after leaving Hogwarts School. Eager to impress Lord Voldemort, Snape passed on an overheard prophecy about a boy who would become the Dark Lord’s downfall, leading to Lily’s death. From then on, Snape became a double agent, which wasn’t easy to pull off.