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harry potter - Why wasn't Snape sorted into Gryffindor?


In the epilogue of Deathly Hallows, when Harry’s son expresses trepidation about being sorted into Slytherin, Harry says:



“Albus Severus, you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.”



Bravery is the trait typically associated with Gryffindor.


If Snape was so brave, why was he sorted into Slytherin instead?



Answer



Snape wasn't sorted into Gryffindor for the same reason Peter Pettigrew was sorted into Gryffindor despite being a coward and Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor rather than Ravenclaw. Bravery, unlike intelligence, ambition, and kindness, is not a constant trait or characteristic. Everyone and anyone can be brave, thus anyone who asks to be in Gryffindor is placed in Gryffindor. Snape wasn't placed in Gryffindor because he was more suited to Slytherin at the time, and because he didn't ask to be.




Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in the seventh year and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters.” – Sirius Black



The real question is, why didn't Snape ask to be in Gryffindor with Lily? Since E comes before S in the alphabet, Lily would have been sorted before Snape. If one can ask to be sorted into Gryffindor, and Snape loved Lily so much his Patronus matched hers, why didn't he ask the sorting hat to place him in Gryffindor?


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