HBP's Potion book

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 155564


> Carol responds:
> Since we know that he's a Potions genius and that he came to 
Hogwarts
> knowing more hexes than most sixth-years, and since we learn in HBP
> that he's also a Healer and he refers to himself as the Half-Blood
> Prince, I really don't think there's much doubt. I think Hermione's
> insistence that the author of the spells might be a girl and her
> discovery o Eileen Prince's existence is chiefly a red herring, but
> also foreshadowing of Snape's Half-blood parentage. 

Potioncat:
In support of this, I'll add a few lines. Hermione is our voice of 
authority. So her comments about it being a girl carried some weight 
at the time. Just like her "I know a hex when see one" comment had 
authority. Both are wrong. 

We've seen Snape's handwriting before and it fits the description in 
the Potions book. Now, did JKR expect many (any?) of the readers to 
remember that detail? If so, Hermione's opinion cast some doubt--just 
in case anyone did recall. And, at the same time, it provides proof 
of his style.

It was a very Austen-like thing to do---to have Hermione believe it 
was a girl's writing.