Why did Voldemort kill Snape?

❘ Published: 2024-03-15T18:34:57

Severus Snape death scene in Harry Potter franchise.

Warner Bros.

One of the hardest deaths to watch in the Harry Potter franchise was Severus Snape. A misunderstood wizard whose loyalty ran deep – so why did Voldemort kill Snape?

Throughout the Harry Potter franchise, Snape’s loyalty swayed between the dark arts and Voldemort to Albus Dumbledore. But after Dumbledore’s death at the hands of Snape, it was revealed that he was loyal to the core to the Order and his dear friend.

But it was not the reason Voldemort killed Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2. Killing Dumbledore cemented Snape’s loyalty to the Dark Lord, but there was another storyline aspect in place that led to his death.

What was the reason Voldemort killed one of his loyal servants? Here’s a full breakdown of what happened in the movie.

Why did Voldemort kill Snape?

In the movie, Voldemort commands Nagini to attack and kill Snape, believing he is the rightful owner of the Elder Wand. Voldemort believes he must kill Snape to use the wand’s full powers.

Before Deathly Hallows Part 2, Draco was tasked with killing Dumbledore but failed. Snape intervened per his promise to Draco’s mother and Dumbledore’s wish for him to be the one to kill him. Snape also wanted to protect Draco from the damage caused by taking a life.

At the start of Deathly Hallows Part 2, Voldemort is seen taking the Elder Wand from Dumbldore’s grave after learning he was its last owner. But as the battle of Hogwarts begins, Voldemort tries to use the wand but it refuses to submit to him. The Dark Lord realizes he’s unable to use its full powers.

Voldemort soon confronts Snape at the boathouse about the wand’s rightful owner. With Snape having killed Dumbledore, Voldemort believed he was the prior owner. Instead of the Avada Kedavra spell, he uses his want to cut Snape’s neck and commands Nagini to attack him.

Why did Voldemort not use the Avada Kedavra spell?

According to lore about the Elder Wand, Voldemort knew he could not use the wand for the Avada Kedavra curse to kill its owner. Instead, he used Nagini to do his dirty work.

It may have seemed odd to Harry Potter fans that at all times for Voldemort not to use the curse was to kill Snape. In reality, Voldemort couldn’t. The wand works in mysterious ways and a person cannot use the wand itself to gain its ownership against its master.

With Voldemort having the Elder Wand, he knew he couldn’t use the want to enact the curse to kill Snape. But sending Nagini to bite Snape to death would have sufficed in switching the wand’s allegiance.

Was Snape the Elder Wand’s owner?

No, Snape’s death by Voldemort in Harry Potter was in vain as Draco Malfoy was the wand’s rightful owner at the time.

Unknown to Voldemort, as he was not present during Dumbledore’s death, he had no idea that Draco had initially disarmed the headmaster. By disarming him, the wand saw him as its new owner. But Draco nor Voldemort had realized the truth.

It’s also believed that Snape didn’t know how the Elder Wand truly worked. He likely didn’t know that Draco was its owner. During the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor in Deathly Hallows Part 1, Harry forcefully takes Malfoy’s wand, an act seen as worthy of becoming the wand’s new owner.

During the battle at Hogwarts, Harry reveals to Voldemort that he was never the owner. Because of this, Harry was more powerful than the Dark Lord during their standoff as the wand was not reacting to Voldemort. Harry was able to defeat Voldemort for good.

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