Spinner's End

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 156759

colebiancardi:
 
> Snape knew...Snape knew because Harry used Sectumsempra 
> on Draco -Snape created that hex.  Snape knew because Harry 
> was a Potion's genuis, something that Harry never was while 
> Snape taught the class.

houyhnhnm:

Snape did not reveal that he had created the Sectumsempra 
curse during the scene in the bathroom. That scene can 
be read with the assumption that Snape is only suspicious 
of Harry being up to something (and Snape is always 
suspicious that Harry is up to something).  There is 
nothing in the chapter to contradict such a reading.  

colebiancardi:

> Snape knew his old Potions book fell into Harry's hands - 
> he knew it because he saw it in Harry's mind.

houyhnhnm:

He saw *a* potions book in Harry's mind.  He could recognize 
it as his own or he could simply want to see the book because 
he supects Harry of being up to something, knows Harry cannot 
do Occlumency, and therefore knows the thought coming to the 
forefront of Harry's mind is connected with the use of a Dark
curse.  There is no hard evidence in that chapter to tell us 
which it is.

colebiancardi:

> When Harry tried the Levicorpus spell, non verbally, Snape 
> knew.  That is when he revealed to Harry that he was the 
> Half-Blood Prince.

houyhnhnm:

Only if the man on the lawn really *is* Snape.  There is 
nothing, I mean nothing, else in the book that *proves* 
Snape is the HBP except the statement of the man on the 
lawn.  The only other canon connection between Snape and 
Levicorpus is the fact that it was used *on* him.   And 
how do we know for sure that it really was Snape on the 
lawn?  Because he said he was the HBP. That's what I mean 
by a circular argument.

colebiancardi:  
 
> Snape knew way too much about the spells and the book.  
> He only could have known all those things if he was the 
> author, the owner, the Half Blood Prince.

houyhnhnm:

Or because he is the DADA professor, a former Death Eater, 
used the Libatius Borage book when he was a student, and 
had Levicorpus used on him.

colebiancardi:

> And with his mother's maiden name being Prince, the pieces 
> of the puzzle fall neating into place.

houyhnhnm:

We don't even know that for sure, only that a woman named 
Eileen Prince married a man named Snape and they had a child.  
If the name of the child had been mentioned or even the date 
of the birth announcement had been given I would feel more 
secure that I was not being led down the garden path.

I'm not sure that the "Snape" was a polyjuiced impostor.  
I can't begin to imagine who it would be, if not Snape.  
I'm only saying that there is no evidence in the entire 
book of Snape being the HBP except the statement in "Flight 
of the Prince" and there is no proof that it really is 
Snape on the lawn and that makes me suspicious.

Somebody, show me one piece of evidence that doesn't 
involve conjecture, insinuation, sleight of hand, or 
leaping to a conclusion.