# Severitus

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A subgenre of Harry Potter fanfiction in which Severus Snape is the biological father of Harry.

## Etymology
In the early 2000s, a fan going by the pseudonym Severitus (presumably constructed from Severus + -itis) issued a challenge requesting fanfics with several specific elements, including Snape being revealed as Harry's true father. This became known as the Severitus Challenge, which was later shortened to Severitus, and came to refer exclusively to the paternity trope.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/severitus