Snape killed Dumbledore to prove his loyalty and allow him to still be a member of the Death eaters.
Harry Potter is one of the few serious that gained immense popularity among fans across the globe. By the time the sixth part of the series was released, numerous characters had passed away.
Some of these were fan favorites. Not long after the death of Sirius Black did Harry Potter fans lose another favorite character, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
Dumbledore was the greatest wizard of all time and just like Harry Potter’s grandfather, the death of Dumbledore made fans very sad. Wondering if Harry Potter does, learn here.
While everyone knows that Dumbledore was killed by Snape, people still wonder why he did so. If you too want to know the reason then this article has all the answers.
Snape Killed the Hogwarts Headmaster
Snape killed the Hogwarts headmaster because he asked him to do so. It also helped prove his loyalty to Dumbledore one last time.
The relationship between Professor Snape and Dumbledore cannot be described in one line. Dumbledore trusted Severus Snape a lot so let’s read on and learn more about why Snape killed him.
The Reason Snape Killed Dumbledore
Snape was loyal to Dumbledore and because Dumbledore was already dying he asked Snape to kill him for two reasons.
One was to show him Mercy and the second was to prove his loyalty.
The Reason Dumbledore Allowed Snape to Kill Him
Dumbledore learned that he did not have more than a year to live. He did not want to have a humiliating and agonizingly painful death. To avoid such circumstances, he requested Snape to kill him when it was the right time.
Dumbledore also wanted that Snape remains a member of the death eaters. He also wanted Snape to prove his loyalty to Lord Voldemort so that he did not fail him.
Dumbledore also wanted to protect Draco Malfoy’s soul because he was aware that Voldemort had ordered Draco to kill Dumbledore.
Dumbledore was aware that Draco would not be able to complete the task and being the headmaster and an exceptional teacher, he did not want to affect his student’s life by having him forced to commit a murder.
What Happened to Dumbledore?
Dumbledore was cursed by Marvolo Gaunt’s ring, which is why he was dying. This ring was inherited by Salazar Slytherin along with Cadmus Peverell. Also known as the resurrection stone, this stone is a symbol of the Deathly Hallows.
The gold ring which is set with black stone was also known as the Signet ring. It was passed from father to son until the ring was stolen by Tom Riddle, who managed to get His hands on it from Morfin Gaunt.
Morfin was Marvolo Gaunt’s son and Tom’s uncle. He had framed Tom for the murders of the Riddle family. Since Tom was the only heir, he believed he rightfully owned the ring and he decided to make it his second Horcrux.
Tom placed a curse on the ring which stated that if anyone dared to wear the ring, they would die instantly.
Dumbledore discovered Marvolo Gaunt’s ring and since he recognized the ring to be the resurrection stone, Dumbledore wanted to redeem his family by making amends for the mistakes he made in the past. He quickly put the ring on but he soon realized that it almost immediately killed him.
Dumbledore had impeccable skills which are why he was able to control the curse and not die instantly. He would however die soon which is why he returned to Hogwarts in search of Snape.
Snape was known to be a potion master and even crafted a thick golden potion to try and rebuke the curse. This however failed but it did slow down the spread of the curse and gave Dumbledore one year to die.
In search of the Horcrux’s, Dumbledore discovered a small cave that was located on an island. He also took Harry Potter to help destroy the Horcrux as he promised.
The Horcrux however was protected with the emerald potion and for anyone to get their hands on it, they needed to drink the potion. This potion is also referred to as the drink of despair.
Anyone who drank it would suffer from extreme thirst, fear, and delirium. While it did not kill any victims, it would make them weak and vulnerable.
No matter what, Harry Potter was ordered by Dumbledore to help him drink the potion. Even though Dumbledore was in great pain, Harry managed to get Dumbledore to drink all of it before Dumbledore fainted.
Dumbledore and Snape’s Relationship
The relationship between Dumbledore and Snape was extremely complex and while there were times that Dumbledore did not trust Snape, the two were still close. Snape felt responsible for what happened to Harry Potter’s mother since Voldemort was the reason for her death.
Dumbledore did not have anyone else to turn to and help keep Lily safe. While this was one of the reasons that Dumbledore took advantage of Snape’s guilt and initiated him to get into the order of the Phoenix, this is also where Snape became a spy for the order. Being a double agent, Snape would keep Dumbledore updated about all the activities and movements of the death eaters.
Since Snape played a great role in being a spy to Lord Voldemort as well, he managed to provide him with only the information he got from Dumbledore. While Dumbledore was not 100% confident in Snape, he still managed to do some damage control so in any case if the relationship went haywire, Dumbledore would still have it in control.
While Snape was aware that Dumbledore was secretive about a lot of information, he was only offended because he did not like the fact that Dumbledore did not trust him completely.
Snape was also troubled because he was used in Harry Potter’s destruction and Harry Potter’s mother was the woman he loved. While Dumbledore did trust Snape’s abilities, he did not give him the position of professor of Defense against Dark Arts, although Snape eventually got the position.
Final Thoughts
Although Dumbledore was aware of the fact that once Snape killed him, the wizards would turn against him and he would have to step down from the position of Professor of Defense against the Dark Arts, Dumbledore still asked him to do so. Also, although Snape knew this, he still agreed to kill Dumbledore.