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This post assumes Severus survived the War and did not, as is my opinion, end up in Azkaban on a life sentence, had he lived and been caught. We previously talked about whether Harry would actually try to use his influence on a living Snape's behalf, and whether that influence would have been enough to keep Severus out of prison.
Putting that aside, my suspicion is that Severus survived and was never seen again in Wizarding Britain, having taken off before anyone realized he was not dead. The weekly discussions have had many good posts about why (and how) or why not Severus survived. Assuming he did, I do not for a second believe that Severus would be willing to trust his future to the people who would throw Sirius Black in prison for life without even a hearing. And so, my missing DH chapter has Severus activating that emergency portkey he had stashed away and being taken away to a safe house. While I don't think that Severus was even remotely wealthy, I do think he would have managed to stash enough away to maintain some sort of secret safe house known only to him. And I also think he would have an emergency supply of Muggle money and Muggle papers stashed there, as well. It's probably safe to assume that the Muggle authorities have a record of his birth, etc. I know there has been debate about whether Severus attended Muggle school before Hogwarts, but either way, he could not have escaped everyone's attention completely. Given the state of the neighborhood around Spinner's End and what we know of industrial England in the 70's, surely Tobias was on the dole and would have had to furnish some information about his family at some point.
In that case, Severus faced two options. One was to live entirely as a Muggle. I just cannot see him doing that. I can see him wanting nothing to do with Wizarding Britain, but it would be too difficult not to resort to magic from time to time. I think the more likely option is that he waited until everything calmed down, contacted Narcissa and collected on her debt to him by getting cash, and emigrating. Even if Harry did not successfully try to help Severus (and thinking Snape was dead, I suspect, would encourage Harry to do so), it does not appear there is much coordination between Wizarding and Muggle authorities. And given that most would think him dead, it's not like Severus would have an alert on his passport, for example. So I picture Severus leaving for Australia or North or South America, and carving out an obscure life for himself as an apothecary or something similar.
Putting all that aside, what if the WW *did* know that Severus survived? I'm going to assume here that Harry did use his influence on behalf of a living Severus and that, as a result, Severus did not end up in prison. I simply cannot see the WW putting aside the past and reinstalling him at Hogwarts. Nor, frankly, can I think he would want to be there. We saw Hagrid's bigotry in the first few chapters of book 1, and we also saw how quickly everyone turned on him at the end of book 6. It would be horribly uncomfortable for Severus, and surely he's had enough of that. On the other hand, it is not like it was <i>ever</i> comfortable for him at Hogwarts (one of the reasons I laugh at the line about how Harry, Severus and Riddle all found their homes there). And it could be sheer perversity (or desperation) that would lead him to insist that the WW <i>owed</i> him a job there.
A much more likely outcome, though, would be that the Ministry would either strip him of his magic or not let him out of their sight. It would be good to think that they would not want to waste that much talent and intelligence, but the WW authorities do not appear terribly wise or particularly long-sighted. Nonetheless, I suspect that, in the short term at least, they would impose some sort of restitution to be served as community service. So, he would end up in St Mungo's treating war victims and, in the long term, on the ward for long-term spell damage, with the Ministry garnishing his income. Or he would be assigned to the Unspeakables, with a minder assigned to make sure they tracked what he was investigating. And at some point, he would get fed up, retrieve his Muggle paperwork, slip his leash and emigrate.
Another scenario, and one I recced here at one point, is in Josan's great story, A Gift of Light. In that story, the Ministry banishes Severus and the world wizarding authorities (which appear somewhat analogous to the UN) snatch him up to be a potions expert. There is also another story (can't remember where) in which England banishes Severus and he ends up at the Romanian dragon reserve. In that story, there is eventually a confrontation when the Weasleys visit their son and Molly makes clear just how little forgiveness Severus might ever expect from the Order.
But however it happens, in the end, he ends up in another country, building a relatively new life for himself. And if he ended up in the Americas, frankly, I suspect most people would not care that much about his past. US people have a history, after all, of taking sides with those labeled as terrorists by England, so long as it appears to be an internal British matter. Or he ends up someplace like New Mexico or Arizona, where most people take any statements from the authorities with a very large grain of salt. And there is a precedent in South America for ignoring the pasts of European immigrants. It would not be an easy life, necessarily, especially in the beginning. But as others have said, I think it is entirely realistic to think he would find a satisfying life in the larger Wizarding world. But not in Wizarding Britain.
Putting that aside, my suspicion is that Severus survived and was never seen again in Wizarding Britain, having taken off before anyone realized he was not dead. The weekly discussions have had many good posts about why (and how) or why not Severus survived. Assuming he did, I do not for a second believe that Severus would be willing to trust his future to the people who would throw Sirius Black in prison for life without even a hearing. And so, my missing DH chapter has Severus activating that emergency portkey he had stashed away and being taken away to a safe house. While I don't think that Severus was even remotely wealthy, I do think he would have managed to stash enough away to maintain some sort of secret safe house known only to him. And I also think he would have an emergency supply of Muggle money and Muggle papers stashed there, as well. It's probably safe to assume that the Muggle authorities have a record of his birth, etc. I know there has been debate about whether Severus attended Muggle school before Hogwarts, but either way, he could not have escaped everyone's attention completely. Given the state of the neighborhood around Spinner's End and what we know of industrial England in the 70's, surely Tobias was on the dole and would have had to furnish some information about his family at some point.
In that case, Severus faced two options. One was to live entirely as a Muggle. I just cannot see him doing that. I can see him wanting nothing to do with Wizarding Britain, but it would be too difficult not to resort to magic from time to time. I think the more likely option is that he waited until everything calmed down, contacted Narcissa and collected on her debt to him by getting cash, and emigrating. Even if Harry did not successfully try to help Severus (and thinking Snape was dead, I suspect, would encourage Harry to do so), it does not appear there is much coordination between Wizarding and Muggle authorities. And given that most would think him dead, it's not like Severus would have an alert on his passport, for example. So I picture Severus leaving for Australia or North or South America, and carving out an obscure life for himself as an apothecary or something similar.
Putting all that aside, what if the WW *did* know that Severus survived? I'm going to assume here that Harry did use his influence on behalf of a living Severus and that, as a result, Severus did not end up in prison. I simply cannot see the WW putting aside the past and reinstalling him at Hogwarts. Nor, frankly, can I think he would want to be there. We saw Hagrid's bigotry in the first few chapters of book 1, and we also saw how quickly everyone turned on him at the end of book 6. It would be horribly uncomfortable for Severus, and surely he's had enough of that. On the other hand, it is not like it was <i>ever</i> comfortable for him at Hogwarts (one of the reasons I laugh at the line about how Harry, Severus and Riddle all found their homes there). And it could be sheer perversity (or desperation) that would lead him to insist that the WW <i>owed</i> him a job there.
A much more likely outcome, though, would be that the Ministry would either strip him of his magic or not let him out of their sight. It would be good to think that they would not want to waste that much talent and intelligence, but the WW authorities do not appear terribly wise or particularly long-sighted. Nonetheless, I suspect that, in the short term at least, they would impose some sort of restitution to be served as community service. So, he would end up in St Mungo's treating war victims and, in the long term, on the ward for long-term spell damage, with the Ministry garnishing his income. Or he would be assigned to the Unspeakables, with a minder assigned to make sure they tracked what he was investigating. And at some point, he would get fed up, retrieve his Muggle paperwork, slip his leash and emigrate.
Another scenario, and one I recced here at one point, is in Josan's great story, A Gift of Light. In that story, the Ministry banishes Severus and the world wizarding authorities (which appear somewhat analogous to the UN) snatch him up to be a potions expert. There is also another story (can't remember where) in which England banishes Severus and he ends up at the Romanian dragon reserve. In that story, there is eventually a confrontation when the Weasleys visit their son and Molly makes clear just how little forgiveness Severus might ever expect from the Order.
But however it happens, in the end, he ends up in another country, building a relatively new life for himself. And if he ended up in the Americas, frankly, I suspect most people would not care that much about his past. US people have a history, after all, of taking sides with those labeled as terrorists by England, so long as it appears to be an internal British matter. Or he ends up someplace like New Mexico or Arizona, where most people take any statements from the authorities with a very large grain of salt. And there is a precedent in South America for ignoring the pasts of European immigrants. It would not be an easy life, necessarily, especially in the beginning. But as others have said, I think it is entirely realistic to think he would find a satisfying life in the larger Wizarding world. But not in Wizarding Britain.