He is also known to be a Death Eater but after Voldemort started hunting Lily Evans , the woman Snape had loved since he was a child , he asked Albus Dumbledore to find a safe place for the Potters because he knew Voldemort wanted to kill their son , Harry Potter . As Dumbledore was not able to save the Potters , Snape 's sorrow was real and extremely deep , he gained Dumbledore 's trust . Though he asked Voldemort to spare Lily , Snape , still fearing for her safety , went to Dumbledore and begged him to protect the Potters .