Snape as having been loved.

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 137163

Christina:

> 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!" 

houyhnhnm:

Yes, the memory Harry sees when he breaks into Snape's mind during the
occlumency lesson describes a black haired hook-nosed man shouting at
a crying woman, a typical JKR slight-of-hand to make us *assume* Snape
takes after his father, and the description of Eileen Prince in HBP is
somewhat vague.

Additonal evidence for Madame Pince as Snape's mother is the fact that
Neville makes the Snape boggart don his grandmother's clothes which
include a hat decorated with a vulture (underscored by the Christmas
cracker hat).  Madame Pince is described more than once, I'm sure, as
vulture like--very Rowlingesque, IMO.

I wasn't seriously suggesting that Snape came to pay his respects at
Dumbledore's funeral disguised as his mother (though I do have another
theory about Snape, Dumbledore, and father-love).  More likely the
long black veil symbolizes the fact that Madame Pince is in hiding or
that there is something about her that is hidden from others.

We know how important mother-love is in the Potterverse.  All mothers,
however seemingly cold, love their children.  All sons, even Percy,
even Draco, love their mothers.  The exception is Voldemort, which is
why he is a monster.

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

houyhnhnm:

Yep.  I love the allusions in HP* and am somewhat chagrined at how
many I miss.  I am glad there are others to point them out.