[HPforGrownups] Clarification of who is HBP (was: The Potions Book: Is Snape *really* the HBP)

[Alina]

No: HPFGUIDX 133258

>  Have you notice
> there're many aspects of Snape's life mirror Tom Riddle's life?
> Maybe Tobias Snape was a poor, low class man if Snape's
> house was at muggle ghetto/industrial area. And Eileen
> lost her magic just like Tom's mother due to some distress,
> the glimpse into their family life isn't pretty (Snape's
> dad yelling at a cowering Eileen and crying Severus).
> 
> So Snape had no money for new schoolbook but using
> Eileen's old school stuffs.
> 
> > -Eileen

Harry noticed that too, remember at the end of the book he himself
thinks of how Snape's life parallels Voldemort's and gladly latches on
to it as an extra reason to hate Snape (as if he needs an extra by
this point, after all, unlike many fans me included he doesn't think
DD was in on his own murder). In fact, he uses it as an example of
DD's fallibility. From page 594 of the Canadian edition:

"...he's just like Voldemort. Pure-blood mother, Muggle father ...
ashamed of his parentage, trying to make himself feared using the Dark
Arts, gave himself an impressive new name - *Lord* Voldemort - the
Half-Blood *Prince* - how could Dumbledore have missed -?"

One thing I find interesting. Right after the abovecited paragraph,
Harry goes on to think how he himself was taken in by the HBP "in
spite of the increasing nastiness of those scribbled spells..." It
made me wonder, because I didn't notice any increasing nastiness
really. Up until Sectumsempra, all of the non-potions improvement
spells seemed to me the same kind of stuff the Weasely twins created.
Do you think it's just Harry exhibitting 20/20 hindsight?

Alina.