Eileen Prince

[abergoat]

No: HPFGUIDX 156283

Aberforth says:
Sorry for the long post - but everyone has interesting ideas that I
cannot resist making too many comments!

Carol wrote:
> Harry's assumption that the people in the memory are Severus's parents 
> (wouldn't Harry have noticed that the man was dressed as a Muggle if he 
> were Tobias?)

Abergoat responds:
Great catch! I think Grandpa Prince is a good possibility, but I'll
admit that I think Grandpa or Uncle Snape is a possibility too. We
know that Tobias was non-magical - but Neville says his family thought
he was 'all muggle' in PS/SS. I'm hoping that Snape knew next to
nothing about his mother when he came to Hogwarts. Which could work
with a Grandpa Prince...but I'm counting on Eileen Prince having the
Ravenclaw relic so I don't want her to have too much family about. I'm
sure my idea is doomed...but it is fun to see where the idea goes.

Carol wrote:
> Maybe the mutual love of Eileen and her son
> will prove important in Book 7, but I highly doubt that *she's*
> responsible for any of the potions hints or spells,

Abergoat responds:
Agreed, I suspect Eileen was indifferent to potions. I'm thinking
Snape was only interested in potions and the healing arts because
something happened to Eileen that he hoped to 'fix'.

Carol wrote:
> But I have trouble understanding (even though I've read the interview
> in which JKR made the comment) how the plot of HBP could have been
> used for CoS.

Abergoat responds:
If Eileen is tied up in Hagrid's story that may have been completely
removed from CoS. We only know that Hagrid was blamed for the events
and his name was never completely cleared. I'm sure I'm wrong - but
tying Snape's goals to his mother and tying his mother to Snape would
help JKR tie up the loose ends into the 'big knot' she has promised
us. And the entrance to the CoS is in the GIRLS bathroom. A sharp
Ravenclaw with a lot of family books may have known the story...and
found the entrance.

> colebiancardi wrote:
> I still think those people were Snape's parents. As far as why would a
> woman who has a strong character cower in front of her husband - ask
> any woman who was in an abusive marriage - ask her if her character
> changed when confronted by her husband and she reacted in a manner that
> her friends and family would say is out of character for her.

Abergoat responds:
You make an excellent case. Being a witch gives a woman power that
most women don't have but I suppose she would need her wand - he could
have taken that away. The dynamics of abuse are far above my knowledge
level. As a witch Eileen had far greater capacity to protect herself
and her child...but I see your point, if her huband took away her wand
then she may have been powerless. I am thinking JKR will not repeat
Merope, though. I think Eileen WANTED to protect her son, whether she
was prevented from doing so because she is 'gone' or because of abuse
I guess we will not learn until book 7. I like to think the woman
wasn't Eileen because I have a series of events that stem from
that...involving the Ravenclaw relic.

> wynnleaf wrote:
> I'm a firm believer in "Eileen Prince is Irma Pince (I'm a Prince)"
> and that Eileen came to Hogwarts at the time Snape became disloyal
> to LV and started to spy for DD. 

Abergoat responds:
A short while ago I would have been right there with you, but now I'm
wondering if wizards have a difficult time hiding under an assumed
name, as a wizard anyway. The Ministry has a record of every wizard
born so the sudden appearance of a magical 'Irma Pince' might raise
eyebrows. The MoM seems to keep good track of magical people and we
know the Ministry is riddled with LV supporters. I'm thinking that
'dead' (hidden) wizards have to hide as muggles. At this point I'm
voting for Irma Pince to be a relative of Snape's (and Filch too?
Snape went to him to have his leg wrapped in PS/SS). 

Potioncat wrote:
> That's strange. Why doesn't she look pleased? Did her team just lose?

Abergoat responds:
That was my thought, or better yet she thinks her team should be off
practicing for the big match not wasting time getting their pictures
taken!!! (lol) The game seems to be big, in OoP we are told the MoM
has Gobstones listed with Quidditch - like they are on par with one
another.

Potioncat wrote:
> Someone else has commented that all the books we saw in Spinner's End
> may have been Eileen's and she could have been a Ravenclaw. I think we
> see by the very fact that she still has her text books by the time
> Snape is 11 that she loves books.

Abergoat responds:
I mentioned it, trying to drum up interest in Eileen - although the
idea is hardly new so I'm not claiming it! As I've mentioned, I think
Eileen Prince was Voldemort's source for the Ravenclaw relic. Which is
why Eileen is now out of the picture...although I suspect Voldemort
didn't kill her just like he didn't kill Morfin Gaunt (the source for
the ring). Snape is not a fountain of good will - I think he only
learned healing arts to heal his mother. I believe he has failed to
heal her and eventually turned his focus on revenge. Actually, I think
he didn't figure out Voldemort was involved until he was a teenager
(Was this why Snape first learned legilimens? To penatrate the damaged
mind of his mother? Was Eileen fighting Voldemort's memory
modification in an attempt to give information to her son? And was
this the conversation that Petunia overheard? An emotional Snape
frothing over what Voldemort had done to his mother and vowing revenge?)

Potioncat wrote:
> I do wish Hermione had said clearly to us how she knew Tobias was a
Muggle.

Abergoat responds:
Yes, and why Neville said his family thought he was 'all muggle' for
ages in PS/SS! Had JKR not developed the term squib yet? Or is squib a
term that 'polite' society avoids? Are we going to find out that
Tobias is non-magical, but he was actually a squib? Is Filch related
to Tobias? Did they fail to achieve 'magic' because of a brutal
parent? Will Filch be the squib that JKR told us will do magic late in
life? He certainly wants to - and Irma seems to care for him...and
Filch seems to care for Snape. For a while I considered the idea that
Filch was actually Tobias (as a non-magical person no one would bother
to investigate whether he was who he claimed he was) but I eventually
let go of that idea. Sniff.

I think Eileen is a an untapped goldmine of speculation.

Abergoat