Is Severus Snape good or bad? The question of Snape's moral ambiguity is one all Harry Potter fans must answer for themselves. On one hand, he loved Lily Potter (née Evans) dearly and swore to protect Harry. On the other hand, however, he had an intense side gig with the Dark Lord going on the whole time. Alas, whether you call yourself a Snape apologist or not, I think we can all agree that unrequited love and a bad hairdo do not give you license to be a drab jerk for your entire adult life.

That being said, just try not to feel for the guy after watching this brilliant, fan-made Harry Potter prequel, Severus Snape and the Marauders. The 25-minute film was the brainchild of Los Angeles-based video editor Justin Zagri. It takes place in 1978, right before the First Wizarding War. We know Snape eventually joined the ranks of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, but have you ever thought about what drove him into the Dark Lord's horde? Severus Snape and the Marauders follows the tragic aftermath of Snape's worst memory: calling Lily a mudblood.

Fresh out of Hogwarts, the Marauders -- that's James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin -- meet in a pub for a couple of drinks. Then, Snape walks in and everything goes to hell. James wants to scare his Hogwarts nemesis one last time, so the Marauders challenge Snape to a duel -- four on one. What happens next will break your heart:

So, uh, when did James Potter become such an insecure jerk?