Snape/Petunia Connection [was Snape's "Mind Set"]

[Brian]

No: HPFGUIDX 44346

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Moonstruck <myphilosophy2001 at y...> wrote:
> All right, Amy Z. and I have discussed this thoroughly
> ;-P and hopefully, I can make this clear enough
> without making myself look completely moronic:
> 
> My mom and I were fooling around with some of the
> names and found this interesting possible clue:
> 
> PETUNIA EVANS
>  
> SEVERUS SNAPE
>  
> Okay, remove the letters in "SNAPE" from "PETUNIA
> EVANS." Then, remove the letters in "EVANS" from
> "SEVERUS SNAPE."
>  
> You'll find that if you rearrange the remaining
> letters, you get the names "PETUNIA" and "SEVERUS."
>  
> Go ahead. Give it a try -- it really works!
> 
> Now, as Amy Z. pointed out to me, the kind of letters
> used in the names make it such that removing the last
> names would logically *have* to leave us with the
> first names. That, though, is exactly why I'm
> suspicious. 
> 
> It simply seems too coincidental that these names are
> so similar that they produce this kind of strange word
> puzzler. I've tested many other pairs of names from
> the books and never found such a tidy "message" as I
> do here. Nor can I think of two names in the books
> that are so similar that this kind of thing can be
> accomplished.
> 
> Consider this:
> 
> "SEVERUS" and "PETUNIA" both consist of 7 letters.
> 
> "SNAPE" and "EVANS" both consist of 5 letters
> 
> "SNAPE" and "EVANS" are essentially the same name
> rearranged, minus the "P" in "SNAPE" and the "V" in
> "EVANS," conveniently enough, however, the "P" in
> "SNAPE" can be found in "PETUNIA" and the "V" in
> "EVANS" can be found in "SEVERUS."
> 
> We *technically* don't yet know that Petunia's maiden
> name is Evans. We've always known her as "Petunia
> Dursley." Thus, a Snape-Petunia connection hasn't been
> hinted at until after the fourth book (in a Rowling
> interview). This seems to make sense, because it's not
> something Rowling would want us to suspect right away.
> 
> 
> And one could assume that the surname "EVANS," a
> rather commonplace, inauspicious name, is simply an
> arrangement of the letters needed to make this
> Snape-Petunia name connection possible -- just as "TOM
> MARVOLO RIDDLE" is a rearrangement of the phrase "I AM
> LORD VOLDEMORT."
> 
> Consider, also, that Snape and Petunia have
> disturbingly similar dispositions toward Harry. They
> are both disparaging of him to an almost abusive
> degree. They both seem to take out their negative
> emotions toward James and Lily -- though especially
> James -- on Harry (who looks so much like James). 
> 
> And we have yet to be given a truly convincing reason
> for their extreme and emotional dislike of Harry. We
> suspect Petunia was jealous of Lily, either for her
> skills as a witch or the praise apparently heaped on
> her by Lily and Petunia's parents (or some other
> reason Rowling hasn't hinted at yet). 
> 
> But Snape's jealousy of James Potter doesn't quite
> fittingly explain his outsized hatred of Harry. We
> know it wasn't the "joke" that caused his distaste for
> James -- Snape hated him before then, as evidenced by
> Dumbledore's comment in SS/PS that Snape "couldn't
> bear being in your father's debt" and that Snape saved
> Harry so that "he could go back to hating your
> father's memory in peace." (300)
> 
> If Snape was related to Petunia and, thus, Lily
> perhaps he shares the belief (voiced by Petunia,
> Vernon, and Marge) that James Potter somehow worsened
> Lily's life or even caused her death. Snape, like the
> Dursleys, tends to characterize James as a scoundrel,
> a low life.
> 
> A Snape-Petunia connection might also reinforce
> suspicions that Petunia herself possesses some kind of
> wizarding skill, be it untapped or unevolved.
> 
> Does that mean Snape and Petunia might be siblings?
> Does this name puzzler even signify a relationship
> between Snape and Petunia? Perhaps not. Make of it
> what you will, but it's certainly something to
> consider given the inexplicable similarities between
> their names and personalities.
> 
> -Jessica
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> =====
> "Oh, I'll settle down with some old story/About a boy who's just 
like me/Thought there was love in everything and everyone/You're so 
naive!/After a while they always get it/They always reach a sorry 
end/Still it was worth it as I turned the pages solemnly, and 
then/With a winning smile, the boy/With naivety succeeds/At the 
final moment, I cried/I always cry at endings"
> - "Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying," Belle and Sebastian
> 
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