[HPforGrownups] Re: CHAPDISC: HBP 2, Spinner's End

[Kathryn Jones]

No: HPFGUIDX 142065



> Carol:
(I'm not at all convinced that it was because I don't think the
> man in the childhood memory was Snape's father--Harry would surely
> have recognized him as a Muggle by his clothing. I think it was
> Grandpa Prince.) Possibly Snape inherited the house on his father's
> death or bought the place as an adult. My guess is that this is where
> he has spent his summers since first being hired at Hogwarts, that
> previous guests have included Lucius Malfoy and possibly Narcissa (but
> not often enough that she recalls the exact location), and possibly
> Dumbledore. Beyond that, I'm as mystified as anyone else.

>  > 4. Snape's tiny sitting room is lined with leather bound books and
> contains a threadbare sofa, an old armchair and a rickety table. It
> had the "feeling of a dark, padded cell." A padded cell is used for
> someone who needs protection from himself. What does this room, or the
> house and neighborhood, tell us about Snape? Do you think this is his
> usual home away from Hogwarts?

   KJ writes:
       There are a couple of things that bother me about Spinner's End 
being Snape's regular residence. The most intriguing thing, I think, is 
that the bottle of elf-made wine was described as dusty. When Dumbledore 
conjured up a bottle of mead at Dursley's, it was also described as 
dusty. DD produced the mead in a place which was not his residence. The 
similarity of events and the close timing are curious.
       The residence is also described as having "an air of neglect, as 
though it were not usually inhabited".  When we meet Slughorn, we see 
how quickly a wizard can give a residence a certain appearance.
       Another thing that bothers me is that Snape is apparently a 
friend of Malfoy. He must be known in certain circles. His speech is 
elegant and reads much like Malfoy's manner of speech. This, among other 
things, is what gave readers the belief that Snape was a pureblood. I 
think that this house is as much a scene as Slughorn's. Now that he is 
back with the DE's he has to have a private place for them to see which 
he has no regrets leaving when the time comes.
       All things considered, I don't know why there is a general idea 
that Snape is poverty-stricken. He may have been neglected as a child, 
or simply did not care to look after himself properly. While Lupin is 
described as patched and threadbare, Snape is not and never has been. We 
are only told that he had greying underpants. He has also been employed 
reasonably well, one would assume, for 16 years, with limited expenses. 
Why would he live in a hovel, when appearances are so important to him?
KJ