Snape as the HBP?

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 105425

> Katie: 
> I was just thinking about this. Consider:
>    1. Sirius says the pureblood families are all related.
>    2. But Snape is not mentioned as being on the tapestry.
>       (Wouldn't Harry have noticed if he was?)
>    3. We see a snippet of Snape's family background. I bet this 
comes
>       up again.
>    4. There's something VERY important about Snape that JKR hasn't
>       told us.
> 
> Therefore: Snape is the HBP!

Jen: It would be interesting to find out Snape is half-blood, if 
only to understand him better. It would mean he rejected his Muggle 
heritage, much like Tom Riddle, and followed a path similar to Tom, 
hanging out with a gang of like-minded Slytherins who went on the 
become DE's.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure the tapestry is enough evidence to say 
Snape isn't pureblood. Harry scans the tapestry quickly at the 
beginning of the scene, then only looks at the names Sirius points 
to after that. Sirius is the one leaning close, looking intently, 
etc. With seven generations of families on the tapestry, I suspect 
it was very large and the writing very miniscule. A quick scan 
wouldn't pick up branches of other families that spread away from 
the Blacks.

I would love to find out Snape and Sirius were cousins! Wouldn't 
that be an interesting backstory?!? Growing up together, Snape 
experimenting with the Dark Arts and Sirius rejecting everything his 
family stands for?

As to Snape=HBP, it's always a possibility. The books never say 
Snape (or James for that matter) is pureblood. I think though, 
because of the literal way JKR creates her titles, the Half Blood 
Prince will be the most obvious person--Tom Riddle. He played a big 
part in COS, she considered naming the second book HBP, and Riddle's 
backstory could easily be the information JKR moved from Book 2 to 
Book 6. And she told us on World Book Day that we will find out more 
about the 'mysterious circumstances' surrounding Tom Riddle's birth. 
Now seems as good a time as any, don't you think?!?

Jen