HBP's Potion book

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 155583


AmanitaMuscaria wrote:
><snip>
> The other point is that there are familial resemblances in 
handwriting. This may be even more emphasized if the student were 
initially home-taught, as I assume most Hogwarts pupils from 
wizarding families are. Snape _may_ have been, by his mother, and may
further have modelled himself and his handwriting on the family 
member he feels proud of, thus the Half-blood Prince
> Just some thoughts. 
>

So you're saying that Eileen Prince may have written "This book
belongs to the Half-Blood Prince" in the cramped, minuscule writing
used throughout the book? That would make *her* the Half-blood Prince,
which makes nonsense of Snape's words near the end of HBP ("I, the
Half-Blood Prince") and makes her the inventor of Levicorpus, which
makes nonsense of Snape's anger at Harry for trying to use his own
spells against him, and makes her the inventor of Sectumsempra as
well, clearing Teen!Snape of the charge of inventing that curse as
retaliation against his enemies and at the same time gives *her*
partial credit for the bezoar idea that saves Ron's life (as well as
credit for inventing the countercurse that saves Draco's). If Eileen
is the "Prince" and the spells and/or potions are hers, then she's a
more important figure than we thought and Snape himself is deluded.

Or are you saying that the invented spells are Teen!Severus's, but the
potion hints are his mother's, despite his known proficiency at
potions and despite being in the same handwriting in the same book,
apparently identical to the writing on his DADA exam, which JKR would
have no reason to mention if it weren't a clue?

I'd say that the handwriting and Snape's claims at the end of HBP
pretty much solve the mystery of the Prince's identity, just as the
individual mysteries in the other books have all been solved. No one
has come back to say that Crouch!Moody didn't really put Harry's name
in the Goblet of Fire or Quirrell didn't really try to steal the
Sorceror's/Philosopher's Stone. I don't think anyone is going to say
that snape isn't really the HBP and therefore the inventor of both the
spells and the potions hints. It's the adult Snape's motives that are
still mysterious.

As for Hermione's idea that Eileen is the Half-Blood Prince, clearly
disproved by Snape's claiming that title at the end of the book, we're
shown that Hermione is not always right. (However, she does use
Eileen's name later in the book to provide some facts on Snape's
background that explain the origin of the phrase "Half-Blood Prince."
I agree that Severus identified with that side of his family, not the
Muggle side, which is why he chose that title for himself.)

Carol, not understanding why anyone would want to make Eileen the HBP
rather than a red herring or what purpose would be served by doing so