Some (once private) thoughts on HBP/relationships/Snape's background

[Barry Arrowsmith]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Lyn J. Mangiameli" <kumayama at e...> wrote:
My
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Re-supply
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> 
> I'm sure others have already seized on how we must now 
> re-interpret Snape's memory of mother cowering before 
> presumably his father. Much room for a wide range of speculation 
> here, in particular, there is now going to be room for speculation
> about how Snape acquired his brilliance.
> snip
> 


Snape's mother? Is this the 'Crying child'  memory from OoP?
Hurrumph.
Other interpretations are available to interested readers.
Contact resident conspiracists for details.

> Which brings me to the still unrevealed reason why DD so trusts 
> Snape. So, I will again go out on a limb I have climbed out on in 
> a previous post to you. Snape may well be the progeny of DD, 
> either son or grandson. In my earlier post to you, I think I primarily
> played up the Grandfather angle, but lets try the father possibility 
> (I have no idea if the time lines are conceivable [sorry]). Indeed, I 
> shall be so bold here as to suggest that there is some possibility 
> that the muggle "father" of Snape is not the biological father of 
> Snape. What if following an act of wizarding indiscretion, Ms. Prince
> becomes aware that a child is on the way, and the father says his 
> relationship as father must be concealed for the child's and 
> mother's safety. A muggle father might well be a fall back substitute.
> 
> Some snippets of how this might fall in line with other themes in the 
> book.
> 1. Harry being hidden away with the Muggle Dursleys, 
> 2. That Snape is likely the most powerful wizard in existence next to 
> DD and LV. So where does he get those powers and talents, specifically
> with respect to Occulomency, Legillimancy, and Potions [OLP].
> 3. The repeated reminders that talents are often passed down within 
> families. Granted DD has a great mastery of many things, but haven't 
> some of his more recognizable talents been in the areas of OLP.
> 4. JKR's comments about not being able to reveal marriages etc. We 
> still haven't had one revealed.
> 4. The reason why DD trusts Snape so completely and perhaps even, 
> unrealistically. That "softy" DD cannot avoid feeling a trust and even 
> love for his own progeny.
> 5. The information that Harry could not bear. The level of cognitive 
> dissonance he could not master, that his most hated and most loved 
> and admired figure were father and son (grandson). DD sometimes 
> appears to actually want to tell Harry, but it appears he always 
> thinks better of it.
> 6. Then there is the irony of the HBP. Might it well be that it is a 
> sarcastic reference to his understood but unrevealed relationship to DD.
> 7. And finally, wouldn't it all fit in so well with Snape's disdain not 
> only for HP's celebrity, but that Harry is so often associated with the 
> accomplishments/popularity of his forbears. 

Plus lots more.

Isn't it amazing that everything seems to be centering around Snape?
With Harry we're wondering "how will he do it?" - fascinating enough,
but at least we're not spending acres of board space on the fundamentals 
of who and what he is.

This married staff-members question that Jo has pointedly refused to
answer while allowing that it does throw light on what's going on, there's
got to be clues somewhere (he said hopefully, trying hard to forget some
of the strokes Jo has pulled already). But once it was announced that 
neither Lily nor Harry  were related to DD most fans lost any immediate
interest.

Snape as DD progeny (1st or 2nd generation) or even, as I've suggested 
to you off-site, uncle-nephew (Aberforth taking  centre-stage at last)
does have a certain piquancy. Additionally, a 'mudblood' as Head of
Slytherin House doesn't really compute, either. Mind you, our Eileen 
could have married more than once - first to an as yet unknown wizard,
second time to this Muggle bloke. In which case the 'Half Blood Prince'
could be an ironic expression of disgust for his mothers tastes, reflecting
as it would on Snape's perceived status among the Slytherins.

Unless Jo is really playing dirty, the only other staff member whose family
history might be significant that I can think of is McGonagall. A Gryff like 
DD and often disregarded when the paranoid conspiracists start pawing 
over the entrails. Is she important? Could she be DD's daughter? Certainly
she's following in his footsteps - Gryff student, Transfiguration teacher, 
Head of Gryff, Head of School. Will she be the new Head of the Order? 
Hmm. Worth a ponder.

That's one thing (among others) that I got wrong, anyway. I was sure
that Sevvy would be Order Supremo after DD shuffled off this mortal coil.
Such a pity. The potential for conflict with Harry was almost mouth-watering.

A sibling-type rivalry (on one side anyway) as Harry and Sevvy 'compete' 
for DD's attention, if true, - and it could be read between as such if one is
looking for it, could explain at least a part of the Harry/Snape mutually
ruffled feathers.

I feared that once book 6 appeared theorisinng would of necessity be 
severely restricted; Jo did say it was time to provide some answers.
However, either the fans aren't satisfied with them, can't see them or
don't believe them. Speculation will be as rife as ever for the next 2 years.
Lovely!

Kneasy