I know a lot of people are fans of Snape but personally I don't understand. The guy joined Voldemort and so was involved in an army that killed many people and discriminated against muggles and muggle-borns. The main reason for him leaving was because his crush was killed by Voldemort, and there is little to suggest that he has any remorse towards any of the other suffering caused by the side he was on. He may have had problems in his childhood but as a grown adult he is responsible for his actions. I guess I agree with Rowling that he is in a grey area and I think his story is interesting in looking at the decisions made for unrequited love and the selfish side to it. But I can't understand why there are people who find his story so beautiful or touching, or why he seems to get defended as much as he does. Thoughts?
Snape is an interesting character. I think that, over time, he did come to regret his actions as a death eater, apart from just leading to Lily's death. It doesn't excuse what he did, but he did change. Of course, he was still a humungous jerk, which he doesn't really have an excuse for. He's a complex guy.
I thought of him as an evergreen hero too. But when I read the prisoner of Azkaban, my point of view changed.
I deeply dislike Snape, but I mostly get mad that people keep marking excuses for him. He, a man in his thirties, verbally abused children, and so many act like that doesn't matter. He may not have been 'evil' at the end, but he wasn't a good person. If you heard about a teacher in real life who tried to make a student poison their own pet, no one would defend that behavior.