Snape as having been loved.

[spotsgal]

No: HPFGUIDX 137114

> Cheryl:
> 
> Maybe she is in hiding as the Hogwarts librarian, Irma Pince (i.e. 
> Im a Prince :)

> houyhnhnm:
> 
> I took this as tongue-in-cheek when I first read it, but the idea 
> has really grown on me in the past few days.  It's not just the 
> anagram. (which has a precedent) It's the books.  Snape lives in a 
> house lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling--like a library.
> If Madame Pince really is Snape's mama hiding out at Hogwarts in
> Dumbledore's witness protection program, maybe that's the reason 
> Snape came over to the good side (or a condition of Snape's coming 
> over to the good side).  Maybe that's why Dumbledore "trusts Severus
> Snape". And maybe that wasn't really Madame Pince behind the long  
> black veil.

Christina:

I LOVE this theory.  There's been a thread on Pince being Snape's mom,
but I don't think it went far enough to suggest that Dumbledore might
be hiding Mrs. Snape.  Maybe Snape slipped up a bit as a young Death
Eater and LV threatened Momma Snape's life (I'm getting a little giddy
at the endless possibilities)?  And she's described as having a
"hooked nose" (page 307 of US HBP)  I mean, come ON- who is the only
other character that has one of those?  It's practically Snape's
signature physical trait.  I love the idea that this might be the
reason Dumbledore trusts Snape.  JKR likes to surprise us, but you can
always go back in the text and say, "Ohhh, look!  It was there all
along!"  I strongly believe that we've had a hint or two as to
Dumbledore's reason for trusting Snape, and we just haven't recognized
those hints as such.  This would be *perfect*, just classic JKR (or,
you know, I can dream).

(HBP, US, page 591)
"Come over to the right side, Draco, and we can hide you more
completely than you can possibly imagine.  What is more, I can send
members of the Order to your mother tonight to hide her likewise."
(end quote)

Perhaps good old Dumbledore has offered to hide someone's mom before?

...And just as a little aside, for the curious among us, the name
"Irma" means "Goddess of war" or "noble."  Huh.

Christina