The Psychobiography of Severus Snape

To escape his home life, Severus immersed himself in his mother's dark magic books, so that by age 11, Severus knew more curses than most of the students at Hogwarts (Rowling, 2000, p. 460-461). This persistent fixation resembles the coping mechanisms used by fearful-avoidants to distract themselves from powerful feelings of worthlessness (Hazan & Shaver, 1994). Therefore, Severus' obsession with the Dark Arts kept him sane during, arguably, the most difficult years of his childhood (Massie & Szajnberg, 2006).  

When Lily Evans, Severus' neighbour, befriended him at age 10, the latter exhibited poor social skills, described his life at home as "fine" and his demeanor clearly portrayed low self-esteem, indications of his fearful-avoidance (Rowling, 2007, p. 534) (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991). As their friendship developed, Severus began to confide in Lily most of his feelings about home and Hogwarts, reflecting his gradual tendency towards a more secure attachment (Rowling, 2007, p. 541) (Feeney, 2003). By age 15, Severus and Lily were best friends, although she strongly opposed his fascination with dark magic (Rowling, 2007, p. 540). I believe Severus refused to relinquish his attachment to the Dark Arts because, until he befriended Lily, it was his only means of coping with his troubled childhood, a safe haven Severus could always escape to. 

At Hogwarts, Severus was bullied, most commonly by James Potter, because of his obsession with dark magic (Rowling, 2003, p. 590). Lily did what Severus' mother could not: defend him. Her actions showed Severus he was loveable and that she would not neglect him and consequently, Severus' internal working models became more secure (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991; Feeney, 2003).  

Unfortunately, whilst being humiliated, Severus' fearful-avoidance and consequent determination to conceal his need for Lily (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991), called her a Mudblood, a terrible name for someone with non-magical parents (Rowling, 2003, p. 571). Although Severus had fallen in love with the only person to ever respond to his needs (Hazan & Shaver, 1994), when asked to justify why Lily should forgive him, Severus could not express his love for fear of being rejected (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991). Therefore, Severus' tortured past ultimately prevented him from fighting for the one relationship he needed to escape insecurity (Feeney, 2003). 

After Lord Voldemort, the powerful dark wizard Severus followed, murdered Lily, a guilt-ridden Severus turned spy for Albus Dumbledore to protect James and Lily Potter's son, Harry, which involved great personal sacrifice, characteristic of fearful-avoidants who have lost a loved one (Rowling, 2007, p. 545) (Haggerty et al., 2009). In forcing Dumbledore not to reveal "the best of (Severus)" (Rowling, 2007, p. 545), Severus was both protecting himself from a world he believed would reject him and denying the powerful feelings of grief and guilt surrounding Lily's death, of which, Severus would never resolve (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991; Stroebe, Schut & Stroebe, 2005). 

As an adult, the fearful and avoidant aspects of Severus' personality were evident through the various roles he played which were continuously motivated by his love for Lily. As a spy, Severus' avoidance allowed him to proficiently conceal his emotions (Haggerty et al., 2009) from Legilimens ('mind readers'), the most powerful being Lord Voldemort, the wizard he was spying on (Rowling, 2003). However, Severus' emotional detachment was cruelly tested when he was forced to fulfill his role as spy by vowing to kill Dumbledore (Rowling, 2005). 

Whilst making the vow, Severus' face remained unreadable; a single twitch of the hand being the sole visible evidence that he was reluctant to kill the man who had replaced Lily as his secure base; someone who valued him (Rowling, 2005, p. 41). After the murder, Severus struggled to maintain his usual detached indifference, eventually releasing his grief on Harry when he called Severus a coward (Rowling, 2005, p. 564). Therefore, beneath the detached exterior of fearful-avoidants is physiological panic and emotional turmoil (Fraley & Bonanno, 2004).