Snape's Parents

[zgirnius]

No: HPFGUIDX 134772

Dave wrote:
> Okay -- We now know that Snape's father was a Muggle and his mum was
> Captain of the Hogwarts Gobstones Team.  So why in Snape's memory
> (_OOP_, Am. Ed., top of P. 592) is she cowering while her Muggle
> husband shouts at her 

zgirnius speculates:
Assuming that the man and woman were Snape's parents, and that the 
scene was a "typical" scene: I'm not an expert of the subject, but 
there is definitely something about the psychology of domestic abuse 
where the abused partner in the relationship does not act in 
a "rational" manner. They feel they deserve it, they depend so much 
on the relationship they are not willing to risk it by defending 
themselves, etc. In a certain (small) percentage of abusive RL 
relationships, it is even the woman who abuses the man, who despite 
his greater natural physical strength does not fight back.  If this 
is Eileen, her reactions may be in line with this sort of syndrome-
despite her magical abilities she does not use them to protect 
herself from her husband.

We could speculate Eileen "drew the line" at letting Tobias abuse 
young Severus, though...maybe she taught him all sort of hexes and 
jinxes at an early age for this reason? (Consistent with JKR's 
assertion that Snape was loved by someone at some time...)