Snape's Parents

[quigonginger]

No: HPFGUIDX 134731

Azriona:
> Granted,  the man and the boy sound like they resemble Severus 
Snape.  
> But the  last two memories aren't in chronological order - the 
second 
> memory is  that of a teenager; the third is of a "scrawny boy", 
> infering he's less  than a teenager.  One could make the argument 
that 
> the hook-nosed man  is Severus Snape himself, although I suspect 
Harry 
> would have recongized  him as a younger version.
> 
> Perhaps it's not Snape's mother his father is  yelling at, or 
perhaps 
> she loved her husband too much to turn him into a  yak (or was 
> allergic to yaks).  Or perhaps it's not his father  yelling.  
There's 
> too little information in a scene pictured in less  than 20 words 
to 
> make any definitive  statements.

> Sherrie here:
>  
> I was discussing this with my sister the other day - she isn't a 
fan,  
> really, but between her two kids, friends at work, and me, she has 
the gist of  the 
> series.  She suggested that perhaps that was Grandpa Prince, 
berating  his 
> daughter, and turning him into a yak wasn't an option.

Now Ginger:
It seems there are several takes on that scene.  Snape is the man.  
Snape is the boy, and Tobias is the man.  Snape is the boy and 
Grandpa Prince is the man.  Right now, I am leaning towards Grandpa 
being the yeller.  

I'm not discounting that Tobias could have been yelling.  Perhaps 
Eileen did something where she knew she was wrong and didn't strike 
back out of shame.  Infidelity?  Toby could have been yelling "You 
betrayed me and our marriage!  I loved you!  I trusted you!"  or 
something in that vein.  Or he may not have known she was a witch, 
and caught her using magic, and she let him yell rather than use 
magic against him, knowing that it would only turn him away from her 
futher.

All guesses.

What gets me wondering about this scene is the context as a memory.  
If you look at the photos in your house, you'll note there are candid 
shots (my sister got a new digital camera this weekend-nuf said) and 
there are shots marking occasions. 

The memories Snape and Harry saw of each other fit into these.  
Candid shots, which portray a "typical scene":  the boy shooting 
flies, Harry being chased by Ripper, Harry being jealous of Dud's new 
bike... all show a representation of a typical day.  Snape is a bored 
teen, Harry is bothered by the Dursleya and jealous of Dudders.

Occasion shots:  the Horntail, Dead Cedric, Herm as a cat, Cho under 
the mistletoe.  These show memories that stand out in Harry's mind.

So is this arguement a typical shot or an occasional one?  Lots of 
people tend to think it is typical, and come to the conclusion that 
Snape was abused as a child.  

I don't know why, but I tend to think of it as an occasion.  
Somewhere in Snape's past, something happened where a man yelled at 
at woman as a child looked on crying.  Maybe it will be important.

Or maybe it won't.  I think if any of us meet JKR, this is a good 
question to ask her.  

Ginger, caught up again, for now.