Half-Blood Hints

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 145620

Here is one my all time favorite Snape lines: 
****CoS, chp 11 Snape is speaking:
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart, said Snape, gliding over like a 
large and malevolent bat. "Longbottom causes devastation with the 
simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up 
to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Neville's round, pink face went 
pinker.*****

This line is so good, they kept it in the movie, though they changed 
Longbottom to Weasley and Finch-Fletchley to Potter. It's such a 
great line! But one thing used to bother me about it: Why the heck 
would a wizard ever need a  matchbox? How would a wizard even know 
about matches or matchboxes? And it hit me, was this a hint of 
Snape's background? And more importantly, are there more hints? If 
anyone is currently re-re-re-reading the books, speak up if you see 
any other hints.

And, BTW, doesn't "large malevolent bat" sound just like a Hebridean 
Black Dragon to you?

Oh, and one thing, though I shouldn't bring this up (I hope Alla 
isn't listening.) Here again, Snape embarrasses Longbottom in front a 
DADA teacher.

Potioncat, using a matchbox when lighting the scented candles she got 
at Christmas.