Snape Headcanons
I seriously wonder whether Cokeworth is based on Coketown in Hard Times. It's hard for me to remember that coke is actually a chemical (?) substance used in manufacturing (?). I don't know: I started Hard Times several weeks ago, and I was struck by the drab misery of the place depicted in both that novel and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Quote from mmlf on December 16, 2022, 5:39 amI seriously wonder whether Cokeworth is based on Coketown in Hard Times. It's hard for me to remember that coke is actually a chemical (?) substance used in manufacturing (?). I don't know: I started Hard Times several weeks ago, and I was struck by the drab misery of the place depicted in both that novel and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Coke is a type of fuel you get when you heat coal or oil while depriving it of oxygen, so the name could denote an industrial origin, which I lean into in my own work by placing it in the middle of one of the most industrial regions in the UK (and the Black Country was known to produce coke aside from other goods). And I think Coketown was one of the inspirations Rowling drew from.
I forgot to thank you, GestaltPrince, for that explanation!
Speaking of which, especially after the above conversation and Logan's marvellous miniature art, it would be cool to think that Snape can do Muggle jobs as well. It might be far-fetched, but what with him coming from a grimy industrial town and his father being a Muggle whose job is not specified (or at least his previous jobs are not specified), it may be that Snape himself has some training in some types of manual labour or even craftsmanship. It might just be my obsession with Dickens, but Cokeworth really gives off the vibes of a place that sends children up chimneys or has workhouse, even though that isn't the case!
Quote from mmlf on December 23, 2022, 12:58 pmSpeaking of which, especially after the above conversation and Logan's marvellous miniature art, it would be cool to think that Snape can do Muggle jobs as well. It might be far-fetched, but what with him coming from a grimy industrial town and his father being a Muggle whose job is not specified (or at least his previous jobs are not specified), it may be that Snape himself has some training in some types of manual labour or even craftsmanship. It might just be my obsession with Dickens, but Cokeworth really gives off the vibes of a place that sends children up chimneys or has workhouse, eve thought that isn't the case!
I could see that being the case. Although, if I had to guess what sort of job he would have in Cokeworth, I think he'd be more likely to work in a pub kitchen as a dishwasher as a child, and then as a cook as he got older. If he were to hold a job as an adult in Cokeworth, I could see him being a chef or head cook at the same pub.
Another one of my headcanons: Snape is an excellent cook.
We all know he's a badass with potions, and many of the principles are similar (timing, calculating ingredients, making adjustments, etc). Cooking might not seem like it would interest him as much at face value, but I can see him getting into it based on a couple factors:
- He grew up in poverty, which probably means he ate a lot of simple, low quality meals. I can see him choosing to avoid that as an adult, especially since he had the resources and the capability to do so.
- He spent his summers alone at Spinner's End, leaving him with many, many hours to fill. I'm sure he did a lot of reading/brewing, but he still would've needed other ways to occupy his time. Cooking is something he would've had to do for himself anyway, so why not work on his skills? There was no reason not to, and it would've been a good way to alleviate his boredom.
Quote from Heatherlly on January 4, 2023, 8:44 pmAnother one of my headcanons: Snape is an excellent cook.
We all know he's a badass with potions, and many of the principles are similar (timing, calculating ingredients, making adjustments, etc). Cooking might not seem like it would interest him as much at face value, but I can see him getting into it based on a couple factors:
- He grew up in poverty, which probably means he ate a lot of simple, low quality meals. I can see him choosing to avoid that as an adult, especially since he had the resources and the capability to do so.
- He spent his summers alone at Spinner's End, leaving him with many, many hours to fill. I'm sure he did a lot of reading/brewing, but he still would've needed other ways to occupy his time. Cooking is something he would've had to do for himself anyway, so why not work on his skills? There was no reason not to, and it would've been a good way to alleviate his boredom.
Snape is the Gordon Ramsay of the Wizarding World confirmed?
Yes!
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Snape would definitely make the "idiot sandwich" for incompetent cooks, just with less shouting and swearing.
Since I finished rereading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone last night, I would like to contribute a headcanon based on his riddle: Snape enjoys logic puzzles. Crosswords, sudoku, kakuro, anagrams, riddles, the works. There may even be a magical version of these games, in which the clues come alive, or you get a shower of sparks when you identify the correct words. This might be akin to the magical chess set which I found thrilling-- and we know that Ron Weasley is an ace at chess. Snape may spend his free time either filling out or inventing his own logic games. His Muggle background and presumed access to newspapers may facilitate this, not to mention the enormous number of books that he owns.
Professor Snape is a guest lecturer for Potions and associated sciences at other magical establishments (and maybe even the Ministry, which he would probably hate). Like Mr Pickwick, he has published several theories, though not on Tittlebats. His inventions are, in fact, admired and used perhaps at Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, although probably also by Death Eaters and other followers of Lord Voldemort. He strenuously avoids an international speaking circuit, however.
Snape puts on a different voice and accent to disguise his common origins, and he sometimes over-emphasizes it due to insecurity and a want to fit in with the upper class. His natural voice is much more relaxed and common, but he almost never uses it with anyone unless he's enraged.
