Tobias Snape & Eileen Prince
Quote from mmlf on December 14, 2022, 7:01 am
In this thread, you can discuss everything related to Tobias and Eileen Snape (née Prince), whose ill-fated marriage was to have an enormous impact on the young Severus Snape.
Something that's bugging me...Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on why, in Snape's memory of Platform 9 and 3/4, Lily's parents are looking all around soaking everything in, but apparently ignoring their daughter's friend Severus and his mother...who are standing right there?
I just took it as they were awed by their surroundings and were taking everything they can. I assumed that they already had talked to Eileen and Severus about magic. And this is their first time being at Platform 9 and 3/4 they wanted to take everything in. I assumed that Eileen was tired of being around them because she had taken Severus and Lily,who were very excited and probably a handful to Diagon Alley. Also probably the rest of the Evans family (mom,dad and Petunia) tagged along. I don't think the Evans family would want to pass up going to Diagon Alley. Maybe they went the day before, another day or that morning. Either way I would think Eileen was tired of taking five people back to school errands. She is tired of showing them around, helping them exchange money and having to deal with all the questions and the oohing and ahhing. And also Petunia's attitude. I'm assuming Petunia was hard to deal with at that time because she is upset and angry that her sister leaving her, which others are seeing as jealousy. I know others see it differently, which is their right. I have an older sister and I remember how sometimes I would or she would get attitudes when one was going somewhere without the other. I assume that Eileen was looking forward to going home and having some rest and silence and watching Coronation Street or some other soap. She already told Tobias that he had to get his dinner at the pub that evening. This is my own interpretation. Or backstory. I can go dark if I want to.
Quote from IFFIN on September 2, 2026, 3:30 pmI just took it as they were awed by their surroundings and were taking everything they can. I assumed that they already had talked to Eileen and Severus about magic. And this is their first time being at Platform 9 and 3/4 they wanted to take everything in. I assumed that Eileen was tired of being around them because she had taken Severus and Lily,who were very excited and probably a handful to Diagon Alley. Also probably the rest of the Evans family (mom,dad and Petunia) tagged along. I don't think the Evans family would want to pass up going to Diagon Alley. Maybe they went the day before, another day or that morning. Either way I would think Eileen was tired of taking five people back to school errands. She is tired of showing them around, helping them exchange money and having to deal with all the questions and the oohing and ahhing. And also Petunia's attitude. I'm assuming Petunia was hard to deal with at that time because she is upset and angry that her sister leaving her, which others are seeing as jealousy. I know others see it differently, which is their right. I have an older sister and I remember how sometimes I would or she would get attitudes when one was going somewhere without the other. I assume that Eileen was looking forward to going home and having some rest and silence and watching Coronation Street or some other soap. She already told Tobias that he had to get his dinner at the pub that evening. This is my own interpretation. Or backstory. I can go dark if I want to.
I can buy that, I think. And what are your thoughts on Severus's body language in that scene? (''Snape stood...slightly hunched...'')
Quote from IFFIN on September 2, 2026, 3:30 pmI just took it as they were awed by their surroundings and were taking everything they can. I assumed that they already had talked to Eileen and Severus about magic. And this is their first time being at Platform 9 and 3/4 they wanted to take everything in. I assumed that Eileen was tired of being around them because she had taken Severus and Lily,who were very excited and probably a handful to Diagon Alley. Also probably the rest of the Evans family (mom,dad and Petunia) tagged along. I don't think the Evans family would want to pass up going to Diagon Alley. Maybe they went the day before, another day or that morning. Either way I would think Eileen was tired of taking five people back to school errands. She is tired of showing them around, helping them exchange money and having to deal with all the questions and the oohing and ahhing. And also Petunia's attitude. I'm assuming Petunia was hard to deal with at that time because she is upset and angry that her sister leaving her, which others are seeing as jealousy. I know others see it differently, which is their right. I have an older sister and I remember how sometimes I would or she would get attitudes when one was going somewhere without the other. I assume that Eileen was looking forward to going home and having some rest and silence and watching Coronation Street or some other soap. She already told Tobias that he had to get his dinner at the pub that evening. This is my own interpretation. Or backstory. I can go dark if I want to.
PS And I definitely understand not wanting to go dark with everyone's backstory!
Quote from Shell Cottage on September 2, 2026, 4:05 pmQuote from IFFIN on September 2, 2026, 3:30 pmI just took it as they were awed by their surroundings and were taking everything they can. I assumed that they already had talked to Eileen and Severus about magic. And this is their first time being at Platform 9 and 3/4 they wanted to take everything in. I assumed that Eileen was tired of being around them because she had taken Severus and Lily,who were very excited and probably a handful to Diagon Alley. Also probably the rest of the Evans family (mom,dad and Petunia) tagged along. I don't think the Evans family would want to pass up going to Diagon Alley. Maybe they went the day before, another day or that morning. Either way I would think Eileen was tired of taking five people back to school errands. She is tired of showing them around, helping them exchange money and having to deal with all the questions and the oohing and ahhing. And also Petunia's attitude. I'm assuming Petunia was hard to deal with at that time because she is upset and angry that her sister leaving her, which others are seeing as jealousy. I know others see it differently, which is their right. I have an older sister and I remember how sometimes I would or she would get attitudes when one was going somewhere without the other. I assume that Eileen was looking forward to going home and having some rest and silence and watching Coronation Street or some other soap. She already told Tobias that he had to get his dinner at the pub that evening. This is my own interpretation. Or backstory. I can go dark if I want to.
I can buy that, I think. And what are your thoughts on Severus's body language in that scene? (''Snape stood...slightly hunched...'')
Guilty. Since Petunia is telling Lily about the letter. I do wonder how much Lily is responsible for that entire situation. I do think Severus is nosy, but I don't see him opening the door and walking into Petunia's room. Granted Petunia and Lily might share a room and Petunia might just call it her room since Lily is leaving for Hogwarts and/or she is the older sister and she said so.
I don't know if you have read the fanfic Portrait of A Sociopath and a Loving Mother. I think the author did a great job using canon and interpreting in a way which is totally against fanon and the author's intent. Someone had suggested this in another thread and I gave it a try and thought it was a great read.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/14408904
Also I don't think of Evens being so well off. I do think they are better off then the Snapes, but not rich. I get this from Whitehound's essay on Spinner's End.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/14408904
merde. that was simultaneously funny and creepy as all get out lol.
"Also I don't think of Evens being so well off. I do think they are better off then the Snapes, but not rich."
Oh, is that how Lily's family is usually depicted in fan fics? As well off? Interesting.
Quote from Shell Cottage on September 2, 2026, 7:27 pm"Also I don't think of Evens being so well off. I do think they are better off then the Snapes, but not rich."
Oh, is that how Lily's family is usually depicted in fan fics? As well off? Interesting.
If you are ever interested in the essay about Spinner's End here is the link:
http://members.madasafish.com/~cj_whitehound/Fanfic/index.htm
Quote from IFFIN on September 2, 2026, 7:58 pmIf you are ever interested in the essay about Spinner's End here is the link:
http://members.madasafish.com/~cj_whitehound/Fanfic/index.htm
woah. haha, this is like Christmas! at least, I'm waking up to how much is already out there in terms of analyzing the HP books...I just skimmed the Spinner's End essay (very interesting!) and am starting on the one about dating when the Potters go into hiding. (I hadn't realized the discrepancy with the timing of Dumbledore borrowing the invisibility cloak until I read Naaga's great analysis of Dumbledore.)
I'm inclined to agree that it does sound like Lily's family was well off enough to live on a significantly nicer side of town. (Though I'm basing that more on my own childhood experience of just how brutally and unforgivingly being from the poor neighborhood determines the assumptions everyone makes about you at school--the same way Petunia does with Snape...I can attest, the shame and humiliation of that never quite leaves you--you feel it so keenly when you're a kid...so I really identify with Snape that way...and I think the sting of six years of feeling poor compared to Lily was just one more factor contributing to the pain that made him lash out and insist he didn't need her help.)
And the implication that Lily was--though not rich, still better off than he was...honestly, I feel like that makes her mean jab about his underwear that much worse.
Sometimes I really wish for a fanfic where kid Snape could have had a real friend...
Guilty. Since Petunia is telling Lily about the letter. I do wonder how much Lily is responsible for that entire situation. I do think Severus is nosy, but I don't see him opening the door and walking into Petunia's room. Granted Petunia and Lily might share a room and Petunia might just call it her room since Lily is leaving for Hogwarts and/or she is the older sister and she said so.
I like your take on the letter!
I am still scratching my head trying to understand how/when Snape saw it.
