Snape's Backslide (was Re: Welcome!)

[kneasy]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "carolynwhite2" <carolynwhite2 at a...> wrote:
> 
> Kneasy insists that the pensieve memory is of Snape's wife and child, 
> [result of bonking Florence behind the greenhouse], but I maintain it 
> was his parents after all, that his father was an original Voldy 
> supporter and DE (hence Snape's knowledge of the dark arts at age 
> 11), but both parents have perished in a Voldy-related action in VW1.
> 
> It's one of the bitternesses that is driving Snape for revenge, 
> although not all of it. There is something else, and I don't know 
> what it is, but I'll need serious persuasion it is love for a woman.
> 

Hmm. 
Well, as you appreciate I'm not into SHIPping, but I don't see why
ole Snapey shouldn't have a bit of fun at some time in his miserable 
existence. Shy, adolescent fumblings behind the greenhouse, probably
accompanied by excessive drooling plus nettle stings and mosquito
bites seemed about right. The unfortunate consequences were an
'awful warning' in the best tradition of moralistic Victorian novels.

His parents - the problem there is  the same problem that we have
everywhere else concerning Snape - the total embargo on information.
It's most irritating in one way but conversely we have the fun and
games of devising entertaining scenarios. Something triggered the
traumatic split with Voldy and 'family' looks a good bet. Though I
really don't see him as a 'mummy's boy' - spruced up and scowling,
dragged down to Diagon Alley to  do the weekly shopping:
"Morning Mrs Snape. My! Hasn't your Sevvy grown! Those ringlets! 
So cute! Be the bats-brains and splinched toad as usual, will it?"
"Grr!"
And to stir feelings of revenge and retribution he must have  had at
least a few positive feelings about his father. Unless, of course, it
was his DE father who decided to sever the matrimonial knot in the
most distressingly emphatic manner. Zap! That might work.
So far as I know no-one has suggested that it was a sibling that
might have come to grief - another possibility, I suppose.

One thing that does surprise me is that whatever happened nobody
talks about it, nobody seems to know about it. In a small closed
society like the WW this seems unlikely. Maybe if Harry had a quiet
chat with Molly - I bet she knows all the gossip.

Sirius claimed Snape had a greater knowledge of dark arts at 11 than
most of the sixth year. Who taught him and how? From what we know
Snape wouldn't get a wand until he received his Hogwarts letter and
he seems pretty contemptuous of 'wand-waving' anyway. So unless he
showed a precocious proclivity for arcane culinary arts I don't see how
he would have learned that much that early. Though he'd  make up for
it later on the post-grad "Murder and Mayhem for Aspirant DEs" course.
No; I suspect casual hyperbole on Sirius' part.

Kneasy