Happy Birthday

By Daphne Alcott

Severus Snape

Born on 9 January 1960 to Tobias Snape and Eileen Snape (née Prince), he was an English half-blood wizard. He attended Hogwarts from 1971 to 1978 and was sorted into Slytherin house. During his time at the school he found himself in a rivalry between him and the self-proclaimed Marauders - James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Due to this rivalry, he came near to losing his life in his fifth year to a werewolf - Remus Lupin. James Potter managed to stop Severus and saved his life. Severus also named himself The Half-Blood Prince while in school and it was he who made all of the notes which helped Harry in his sixth year Potions class. He is the creator of spells such as Sectumsempra and the Dangling Jinx.

He was a Death Eater in the first Wizarding War, and overheard the essential prophecy. After that, he was a double agent in an attempt to save his childhood friend and crush. But Lily Potter (née Evans) still died, due to Peter Pettigrew betraying his friends. He then swore to Albus Dumbledore that he would protect Harry Potter to make sure Lily didn't die in vain.

After this, he was Head of Slytherin as well as Potions Master at Hogwarts for over a decade. He applied to be Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor but was denied.

During the Second Wizarding War, Severus was a part of the Order of the Phoenix. He showed his allegiance by teaching Harry Occlumency, denying Dolores Umbridge Veritaserum and leading Harry to the Sword of Gryffindor, for example. He also killed Albus Dumbledore, by his request. After Dumbledore's death, Severus became headmaster and was not well-liked.

In the Battle of Hogwarts, Severus was killed by Voldemort who craved power over the Elder Wand. Just before dying, Severus gave Harry a vial of his memories which revealed nearly everything about Snape's life, but more importantly that Harry was a Horcrux and needed to die in order for Voldemort to face his demise.

Gilderoy Lockhart

Born on 26 January 1964 he was a half-blood wizard. He attended Hogwarts from 1975 to 1982 and was sorted into Ravenclaw house, although the Sorting Hat considered Slytherin. He received good marks and played as Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

After graduating, he began a career as an author and became famous both for his looks and his writing. The books consisted of his adventures, but they were not actually his. He would visit wizards and witches who had done amazing things, tricked them into revealing their adventures and discoveries, erase their memories and claim them as his own. The extensive use of difficult memory charms worsened the rest of his magical ability.

He worked at Hogwarts for the 1992-1993 school year as Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He mostly taught the children about his autobiography and adventures, not Defense Against the Dark Arts. He also let out a cage full of Cornish Pixies into the classroom and left some of the students to clean up.

Other teachers told Gilderoy to go and deal with the monster and save Ginevra Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets and he tried to run away. Students Harry Potter and Ron Weasley forced him back to the chamber where Gilderoy took Ron's wand and tried to erase their memories. He planned to write a book about this and tell the staff that he unfortunately was too late and that the boys lost their minds at the sight of Ginny's corps. However, because the wand was broken, the spell backfired and hit him instead. This made him amnesiac and he became a permanent resident of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in the Janus Thickey Ward.

Lily Potter (née Evans)

Born on 30 January 1960, she was an English muggleborn witch. She attended Hogwarts from 1971 to 1978 and was sorted into Gryffindor house. She was close friends with Severus Snape growing up but distanced herself from him once he showed great interest in the Dark Arts and became more of a blood supremacist. When in her fifth year was called "a filthy Mudblood" by Severus after defending him from the Marauders, she officially ended their friendship During her time at the school she was talented in Potions and therefore landed a place in Professor Slughorn's Slug Club. She was also a prefect and Head Girl. In her seventh year, she began dating James Potter who had already been in love with her for a few years, but she didn't like him until his seventh year when he stopped being an "arrogant toe-rag".

Just after graduating, Lily married James. It was a small ceremony due to the dangers of the First Wizarding War. They both joined the Order of the Phoenix, as well as many of their friends. They had a child, Harry Potter, in July 1980. But because of the prophecy made about them by Sybill Trelawney, they were forced to go into hiding. They chose Peter Pettigrew as their secret keeper, thinking he was less of an obvious choice than Sirius Black but he betrayed them, causing Voldemort to find them.

Lily was killed by Voldemort's Killing Curse on the 31st October 1981. Her husband died before her, and she chose to die protecting her son than to step aside and let Voldemort kill him. Voldemort suggested the latter option because he had promised Severus, who was obsessed with her, not to kill Lily. Lily's death was a pure loving sacrifice, that's why Harry was marked with the protection of her love and this made the Killing Curse rebound off of him, leaving him with only a small scar where it hit him. He then became The Boy Who Lived.