Snape's memory

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 164524

va32h wrote:
> > From Snape's memories, as seen by Harry, it appears that Snape
resembles his father, in terms of the hooked nose, at least. The
mother in that memory is not described as having a hooked nose. I
don't think her nose is described at all, actually. But it's the
mention of the man's hooked nose that is supposed to be our clue that
Snape is recalling his parents, isn't it?
> >
> montims:
> I am not convinced that that is the case - I believe Jo is
hoodwinking us - in very quick succession, we see the crying boy, the
flyshooter, the unsuccessful rider, and we assume in each case that
they are Snape, and that they are in chronological order.  Harry
doesn't say whether or not he recognises any of the characters, only
that they were not his memories.  We assume he identifies Snape.  It
happens so quickly, then stops with "Enough!" and we don't go back to
analyse the images.
> 
> I believe that the shouting man was Snape.  We don't know who the
> cowering woman or the crying boy are, or why they are
cowering/crying. <snip>

Carol:
While I *do* think that the memories are Snape's and that Harry is
right to assume that the crying child is Snape, I agree that the
shouting man may not be Snape's father. Surely, he can't be Snape
himself, whom Harry would recognize (he has no trouble recognizing
Teen!Severus in the Pensieve later, and he sees adult!Snape every
day). But I can't help having my doubts that Eileen, the gobstones
champion (which probably takes skill and nerve considering what
happens to the loser of the game) would be intimidated by a Muggle,
however angry, or would hesitate to hex him if he gave her grief.
(From whom did Severus inherit his gift for hexes, demonstrated at age
eleven, if not from her?) And fleeting though the memory was, it was
in Harry's *head.* Surely he would have noticed if the man was wearing
Muggle clothes and the narrator, reporting from his point of view,
would have mentioned that interesting detail?

I think that the shouting man was Severus's grandfather, the Pureblood
Prince, from whom he inherited his hooked nose (and who may have
taught him some hexes or at least allowed him the use of a wand and a
cauldron while simultaneously neglecting him and implying tht he was
inferior to his pureblood relatives). Teen!Severus, pallid and skinny,
shows signs of neglect, yet no deficiencies in his pre-Hogwarts
magical education.

My tentative conclusion is that Tobias was out of the picture by the
time of that memory, having either died or deserted his witch wife and
wizard child after discovering (perhaps through accidental magic on
Sevvy's part) what they were. Eileen would then have returned home to
her fathef, who was angry with her for marrying a Muggle in the first
place and daring to taint his home with her Half-Blood child.

Speculation, of course, but it answers questions for me that viewing
the man as Tobias leaves open. But it's worth noting that the woman in
the memory (whom I do think is Severus's mother) isn't described as
having a hooked nose, nor is Teen!Eileen in HBP, so it's unlikely that
Eileen is Madam Pince, or vice versa.

Carol, agreeing with montims that Harry's interpretation of the
memories may not be quite on the money and hoping that we learn the
truth about them in DH (I know; I know. The book is about Harry, not
Snape. But I can still hope.)