Snivellus Was:The Animagi was Re:

[Berit Jakobsen]

No: HPFGUIDX 89911

Sigune wrote:
who still wants to know why they called Snape 'Snivellus' as he 
doesn't seem the crybaby type.

Pippin wrote:
Not now. But a  "small dark-haired boy cried in a corner" in 
Snape's memories.

Berit replies:

True. Snape doesn't come across as the type who'd grovel and cry when 
taunted by his enemies, as the pensieve scene shows: He fights with 
every means he has, not a teardrop in sight, just swearing... But 
Pippin's got a point. I think the marauder gang might have 
accidentally come across an eleven-year old Snape crying behing the 
greenhouses or something like that. And after that the 
name "Snivellus" stuck. A cruel thing to label him Snivellus after an 
incident like that, but we know that wouldn't stop James and Sirius...

Why would a young Snape hide away to cry? Well, if my theory in 
another thread holds water, his father is abusive and no-good; and 
his mother is a long-term resident at St. Mungo's disguised as a 
hairy, barking dog... That'd make any boy cry...

Berit
http://home.no.net/berjakob/snape.html