Snape's grandfather, the Pure-Blood Prince (Was: Snape's Parents)

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 134877

Carol responds: 
> Until HBP I always assumed (like many other readers) that the 
abusive
> man was Snape's DE father, but clearly that can't be the case. But 
the
> hooked nose shows that he's a close relative, one who can cow 
Snape's
> witch mother and who must therefore be a wizard with some sort of
> authority or control over her.

Potioncat:
I think you're right; he's a relative. But I'm not convinced it is 
not Snape's father. Of course, I'm not convinced it is his father 
either. Granted, it's hard to understand how a witch could cower 
before a Muggle.

 Carol:
It's impossible that Snape's pure-blood
> grandfather would have approved of her daughter's marriage to a 
Muggle
> (whom she must have loved--there's no other explanation.) The 
parallel
> with Gaunt and Merope is clear, but with one significant difference.
> Tom Riddle never witnessed his wizard grandfather abusing his witch
> mother. Little Severus apparently did.

Potioncat:
But Hermione found a wedding announcement.  How are those done in 
Britain? In the US, the bride's family submits the announcement. The 
fact that it was short could mean the family didn't approve, but 
accepted it. Or could mean it was a very small, simple wedding. It's 
interesting that something about the announcement makes it clear that 
the groom was a Muggle. Why do you think they did that? (I know why 
JKR did that, I'm wondering about the family.) Or do you think Eileen 
put it in, to spite her family? At any rate, it was public knowledge.


>Carol: 
> Another reason I don't think this man is Tobias Snape is that Tobias
> would have dressed like a Muggle, and surely Harry would have 
noticed
> if the man in the memory wasn't dressed in wizard's robes. 

Potioncat:
This is a good point, but I'm not sure. And doesn't it say man and 
woman, not wizard and witch? ...I also find it odd that Harry doesn't 
recognise Eileen when he sees her picture...at least on a "she looks 
familiar" basis. To be honest, I'm starting to believe this is 
Sevvie's baby-sitter and her boyfriend.


>Carol: 
> Possibly Grandpa Prince tracked Eileen down, taking her and little
> Severus away from Tobias, maybe even murdering him, when Severus was
> between three and five. That, at any rate, is my take on the memory,
> which certainly seems to be a traumatic one involving a hook-nosed 
man
> who is clearly a wizard. I think he's Severus Snape's grandfather, 
the
> Pure-blood Prince.


Potioncat:
Well, although it seemed reasonable when I was reading to think 
Spinner's End is Snape's childhood home, we don't know it is. It 
sounds like the place where teen (17, I'll bet, waiting for 7th year 
to start) Severus is shooting down flies. What is the chance he came 
into the property that year, but didn't grow up there? He grew up in 
his Grandfather's house. As the little Half-blood Prince.

And given that Hermione didn't find any other Prince students at 
Hogwarts, Eileen may have been the last of her family. So yes, Hook-
nose could be Grandpa Prince. (And as soon as I wrote Hook-nosed, I 
thought of Captain Hook)


Sorry, I've also thought the man was a tall Rumplestilskin. (sp) He 
helped Eileen "spin" gold for the king and she promised him her first 
born son. Now he's come back for the boy. Can't make it fit canon.

Eileen is Irish for Helen which means light. So does Lucius.

Potioncat, who doesn't remember if she intended to agree with or 
disagree with Carol.