Why Half-Blood Prince? was: Snape's Parents

[lady_aidil]

No: HPFGUIDX 133676

Mangochee wrote:
> > But isn't it interesting that Snape chose a name for himself that
> > highlights his not so perfect lineage? 

Clio replied:
> What kind of person would write such a silly name in a school
> textbook, anyways? Snape must have known that the marauders would
> have had a field day if they discovered that nickname. And yet we
> are to believe that Lupin knew noone of that name.
> [snip] From what we know of the Snape family home-life and 
> financial status I just can't imagine the future Death Eater Snape 
> to be overly proud of his mother or his ancestry in
> general.

HunterGreen:
> Perhaps Snape didn't know being Half-Blood was something to be 
> ashamed of when he came up with the title. 
<snip> 
> Its the newt-level book, but did he start using it in sixth year,
> or did he come across it earlier? Young Severus might have come 
> across it with his mother's old school things (it was her book), 
> and learned all the potions himself. 
<snip> 
> We haven't heard the name mentioned by anyone before, so perhaps 
> Snape never told anyone about it. If he came up with the name as a 
> child, then later grew ashamed of his muggle father, I can see why 
> he'd keep the name a secret. 


I think it was his very personal textbook, kind of the spell and 
potion diary, not for eyes of anybody else, probably the name could 
have been a kind of self-mockery.  I honestly doubt he said about it 
even his Slytherin pars, because IMO in the House of Snake beeing poor and half-blood was always a handicap, a social flaw, without doubt he was aware of this from the very beginning.  The pompous name as the secret nick suits this rather pathetic teenager we saw in Pensieve in OOTP.  He probably was inhibited and insecure.  I don`t think the adult Snape thought about himself as HBP, what he said Harry it was rather confirmation of the fact-"yes it is me-HBP who wrote comments in the book". 

Lady Aidil