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Tobias Snape & Eileen Prince

#61 · September 10, 2026, 11:15 am

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 10, 2026, 11:15 am

Quote from Snoopy on September 10, 2026, 8:00 am

I think everyone's interpretation will always be a bit coloured by their own direct/indirect experiences. So I love hearing how different people fill in the gaps that JKR left.

For what it's worth, my own head-cannon is very much constructed from tidbits I heard or experienced growing up in England at the same time as Harry, with part of my family that came from a similar background/era as Snape in the midlands.

For me, my assumptions were always that there was abuse and alcohol involved on his father's side, but also religion (or the use of it to justify bad behaviour). Back in the 60s, it wasn't 'swinging' everywhere, and most of the smaller rural or industrial towns outside of main cities would have still been living how they had always done, with the town 'chapel' being the central social point. People may not have been strictly religious about it (actually believing every word), but it was still seen as suspicious/morally dubious behaviour if you went against the church (and working class communities were very tight knit, so it would have been noticed). Working class pride was built very much on the idea of 'respectability', with the church setting the standard for what was 'proper' and most people were still getting dressed up on Sundays to attend church and getting married in front of a priest/vicar.

I can imagine that being a point of tension if Tobias knew his wife was a witch (even if no one else did). He might have brushed it off as an unimportant detail when they first started dating (like many people do while still in that 'honeymoon phase'), but then grew more frustrated by it over time and considered it a moral failing/embarrassment and shaming her about it during fights and/or forbidding magic in the house. I recall the amount of haranguing my aunt got when she didn't want to get baptised as a teenager (and her parents weren't that religious compared to some people in their community, it was just 'the done thing'). If his son turned out to be a wizard too (which he would have started to show signs of as he got a bit older), then I imagine this would have aggravated their relationship even further.

Since Snape grew up in a muggle house/area, I doubt he would have had a private tutor or whatever pureblood kids have before Hogwarts. So we can assume he was sent to a local muggle school from 5-11. And primary schools in areas such as the one he grew up in would definitely have been deeply religious back then. I believe the 1940s Education Act actually mandated that schools were legally required to begin every day with religious worship (prayers, hymns, etc in assembly) and HAD to teach Religious Education as part of the curriculum (which meant Bible study back then). In a lot of the industrial mill towns like his, the catholic church actually owned/ran the schools directly. So it would have been strictly enforced with crosses everywhere, grace before lunch, and so on. You could technically withdraw your child from certain lessons, but that would have been extremely rare and would have turned them into an easy target for bullying/isolation as a result (and, of, course, all the other parents would quickly find out and gossip about 'that family'). I can imagine little Severus coming home and asking questions and his parent's having very different opinions on things such as 'witchcraft' and other 'immoral demonic practices'. Perhaps he'd made certain innocent comments in class (that he'd heard from his mother) and received punishment for it (corporal punishment was still widely used in schools, especially strict ones like his would have been), and that had contributed to Petunia's overall view of him as 'that awful boy'. The UK had only recently repealed its legal ban on practicing witchcraft, so public suspicion was still very high. Tobias would not have been happy having to deal with constant comments and scrutiny about his family (and as the male 'head of house', he would have been deemed responsible). If he already had anger issues, that would have probably sent him over the edge.

For some reason, I always assumed Tobias and his family were Irish and came over to England for work (like many did back then). I later went back and re-read the books and can't find any reference to this, so I'm not sure where it originated. Alan Rickman had Irish ancestry on his father's side. So maybe I heard that in an interview and mixed up the actor/character's background as their ages weren't too far off. Either way, it stuck. My own relatives moved from Ireland to England around the same time for the same reason, so that just made sense to me.

The alcohol thing is interesting, as there are a few subtle nods in the books to Snape having at least some over-attachment to wine. His task in the first book involves nettle wine, he's seen drinking wine on a school day with meals in the hall, and he knocks back an entire glass in one go as if it's water when Narcissa visits him. So at minimum, he's a 'regular' drinker. Not necessarily the drunk and disorderly type, but I could see him using alcohol as a crutch to keep from going entirely mad from his life and building up a higher and higher tolerance over time. Considering there are probably a myriad other more effective ways of magically 'burning off steam', it seems odd that he'd still have an attachment to alcohol. Unless this was a vice he grew up around that still feels 'normal' to him. I think 'functional alcoholic' would be the term - a couple of glasses of wine during the day at lunch, 1-2 more in the evening with dinner, maybe a couple while he's marking work in his office. Maybe a few extra at the weekend. Not enough to be noticed or get drunk, but easily 50+ units a week. Which he perhaps doesn't see as a problem, as he saw his father drinking far more and getting aggressive.

I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, but that's my HC for now!

interesting background! thanks for sharing 🙂

Quote from Snoopy on September 10, 2026, 8:00 am

I think everyone's interpretation will always be a bit coloured by their own direct/indirect experiences. So I love hearing how different people fill in the gaps that JKR left.

For what it's worth, my own head-cannon is very much constructed from tidbits I heard or experienced growing up in England at the same time as Harry, with part of my family that came from a similar background/era as Snape in the midlands.

For me, my assumptions were always that there was abuse and alcohol involved on his father's side, but also religion (or the use of it to justify bad behaviour). Back in the 60s, it wasn't 'swinging' everywhere, and most of the smaller rural or industrial towns outside of main cities would have still been living how they had always done, with the town 'chapel' being the central social point. People may not have been strictly religious about it (actually believing every word), but it was still seen as suspicious/morally dubious behaviour if you went against the church (and working class communities were very tight knit, so it would have been noticed). Working class pride was built very much on the idea of 'respectability', with the church setting the standard for what was 'proper' and most people were still getting dressed up on Sundays to attend church and getting married in front of a priest/vicar.

I can imagine that being a point of tension if Tobias knew his wife was a witch (even if no one else did). He might have brushed it off as an unimportant detail when they first started dating (like many people do while still in that 'honeymoon phase'), but then grew more frustrated by it over time and considered it a moral failing/embarrassment and shaming her about it during fights and/or forbidding magic in the house. I recall the amount of haranguing my aunt got when she didn't want to get baptised as a teenager (and her parents weren't that religious compared to some people in their community, it was just 'the done thing'). If his son turned out to be a wizard too (which he would have started to show signs of as he got a bit older), then I imagine this would have aggravated their relationship even further.

Since Snape grew up in a muggle house/area, I doubt he would have had a private tutor or whatever pureblood kids have before Hogwarts. So we can assume he was sent to a local muggle school from 5-11. And primary schools in areas such as the one he grew up in would definitely have been deeply religious back then. I believe the 1940s Education Act actually mandated that schools were legally required to begin every day with religious worship (prayers, hymns, etc in assembly) and HAD to teach Religious Education as part of the curriculum (which meant Bible study back then). In a lot of the industrial mill towns like his, the catholic church actually owned/ran the schools directly. So it would have been strictly enforced with crosses everywhere, grace before lunch, and so on. You could technically withdraw your child from certain lessons, but that would have been extremely rare and would have turned them into an easy target for bullying/isolation as a result (and, of, course, all the other parents would quickly find out and gossip about 'that family'). I can imagine little Severus coming home and asking questions and his parent's having very different opinions on things such as 'witchcraft' and other 'immoral demonic practices'. Perhaps he'd made certain innocent comments in class (that he'd heard from his mother) and received punishment for it (corporal punishment was still widely used in schools, especially strict ones like his would have been), and that had contributed to Petunia's overall view of him as 'that awful boy'. The UK had only recently repealed its legal ban on practicing witchcraft, so public suspicion was still very high. Tobias would not have been happy having to deal with constant comments and scrutiny about his family (and as the male 'head of house', he would have been deemed responsible). If he already had anger issues, that would have probably sent him over the edge.

For some reason, I always assumed Tobias and his family were Irish and came over to England for work (like many did back then). I later went back and re-read the books and can't find any reference to this, so I'm not sure where it originated. Alan Rickman had Irish ancestry on his father's side. So maybe I heard that in an interview and mixed up the actor/character's background as their ages weren't too far off. Either way, it stuck. My own relatives moved from Ireland to England around the same time for the same reason, so that just made sense to me.

The alcohol thing is interesting, as there are a few subtle nods in the books to Snape having at least some over-attachment to wine. His task in the first book involves nettle wine, he's seen drinking wine on a school day with meals in the hall, and he knocks back an entire glass in one go as if it's water when Narcissa visits him. So at minimum, he's a 'regular' drinker. Not necessarily the drunk and disorderly type, but I could see him using alcohol as a crutch to keep from going entirely mad from his life and building up a higher and higher tolerance over time. Considering there are probably a myriad other more effective ways of magically 'burning off steam', it seems odd that he'd still have an attachment to alcohol. Unless this was a vice he grew up around that still feels 'normal' to him. I think 'functional alcoholic' would be the term - a couple of glasses of wine during the day at lunch, 1-2 more in the evening with dinner, maybe a couple while he's marking work in his office. Maybe a few extra at the weekend. Not enough to be noticed or get drunk, but easily 50+ units a week. Which he perhaps doesn't see as a problem, as he saw his father drinking far more and getting aggressive.

I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, but that's my HC for now!

interesting background! thanks for sharing 🙂

The Gestalt Prince, Naaga and IFFIN have reacted to this post.

#62 · September 10, 2026, 5:23 pm

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 10, 2026, 5:23 pm

Quote from IFFIN on September 8, 2026, 2:19 pm

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 8, 2026, 10:45 am

https://youtu.be/2SS7gzMus6A?si=PbCP61bRi7bmVwY-

As far as 9 year-old Snape's ragamuffin clothing goes, I kinda wonder if it's a coincidence that his appearance is vaguely reminiscent of sixteen year-old Jack Wild's styling as the Artful Dodger in the 1968 Oliver! movie. I'm sure JKR would have been familiar with it.

You see it in the first 40 seconds of the above video clip--the too short pants exposing bare skinny ankles, long coat that flaps like a bat when he runs, the necktie evocative of a woman's blouse, dirty pinched face, dirty hair...but still cutting an ''impressive figure.'' (I think Jack Wild ended up becoming a teen idol in the late 60s/early 70s.)

I do think it's interesting Harry doesn't note anything out of the ordinary about Eileen's clothing, though.

I agree that JKR would be familiar with it. I do believe it is the author's intent to show he was neglected and poor, but you know that I don't go for that. Years ago some person came up with a theory that little Severus was dressing up like a wizard with his oversize coat being a robe and the shirt being an old wizarding shirt like Ron had. The short pant...well.. that was kind of the norm if you didn't have much money. Just like hem lines on pants. If you didn't have much money you couldn't be buying your child pants every time he had a growth spurt. And let them wear their old pants for play.

And about Jack Wild. Yes he was a lot of young girls crush. I believe he was one of my first human TV crushes. I had a thing for cartoon Bam Bam Rubble and Fred from Scooby-Doo. Okay, I was like five. When I was around six it was Donny Osmond, Jack Wild and Lee Majors. I always had to stop what I was doing and go watch the TV every time I heard the theme of the Big Valley. I had to hurry and catch the intro to see Lee Majors. I used to think he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I don't know why, because when I was older and he was the Six Million Dollar man I was like, whatever.
Here is Jack Wild in the show Puf n Stuff where many of first saw him:

https://youtu.be/Y4it_WyLdyk?si=7OyXO7j3x3lGV-2p

And Lee Majors. I still admit I do from time to time watch the intro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5pvjZ8ZBaI

Here is a cute movie, if you ever have extra time, with Jack Wild and the guy who played Oliver. I always mix him up with the Willy Wonka boy. I have more to say about the movie how it pertains to how I think of Lily's living situation and class. But I need to take a break and watching some Lee Majors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FUb212Wd-c

HR Pufnstuf looks...interesting.

Why does the name make me suspect someone was high...

And "Witchiepoo." (For all we know, that was JKR's billion dollar inspiration right there.)

All right, now I KNOW the description of child Snape's clothing isn't a coincidence, haha.

Quote from IFFIN on September 8, 2026, 2:19 pm

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 8, 2026, 10:45 am

As far as 9 year-old Snape's ragamuffin clothing goes, I kinda wonder if it's a coincidence that his appearance is vaguely reminiscent of sixteen year-old Jack Wild's styling as the Artful Dodger in the 1968 Oliver! movie. I'm sure JKR would have been familiar with it.

You see it in the first 40 seconds of the above video clip--the too short pants exposing bare skinny ankles, long coat that flaps like a bat when he runs, the necktie evocative of a woman's blouse, dirty pinched face, dirty hair...but still cutting an ''impressive figure.'' (I think Jack Wild ended up becoming a teen idol in the late 60s/early 70s.)

I do think it's interesting Harry doesn't note anything out of the ordinary about Eileen's clothing, though.

I agree that JKR would be familiar with it. I do believe it is the author's intent to show he was neglected and poor, but you know that I don't go for that. Years ago some person came up with a theory that little Severus was dressing up like a wizard with his oversize coat being a robe and the shirt being an old wizarding shirt like Ron had. The short pant...well.. that was kind of the norm if you didn't have much money. Just like hem lines on pants. If you didn't have much money you couldn't be buying your child pants every time he had a growth spurt. And let them wear their old pants for play.

And about Jack Wild. Yes he was a lot of young girls crush. I believe he was one of my first human TV crushes. I had a thing for cartoon Bam Bam Rubble and Fred from Scooby-Doo. Okay, I was like five. When I was around six it was Donny Osmond, Jack Wild and Lee Majors. I always had to stop what I was doing and go watch the TV every time I heard the theme of the Big Valley. I had to hurry and catch the intro to see Lee Majors. I used to think he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I don't know why, because when I was older and he was the Six Million Dollar man I was like, whatever.
Here is Jack Wild in the show Puf n Stuff where many of first saw him:

And Lee Majors. I still admit I do from time to time watch the intro.

Here is a cute movie, if you ever have extra time, with Jack Wild and the guy who played Oliver. I always mix him up with the Willy Wonka boy. I have more to say about the movie how it pertains to how I think of Lily's living situation and class. But I need to take a break and watching some Lee Majors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FUb212Wd-c

HR Pufnstuf looks...interesting.

Why does the name make me suspect someone was high...

And "Witchiepoo." (For all we know, that was JKR's billion dollar inspiration right there.)

All right, now I KNOW the description of child Snape's clothing isn't a coincidence, haha.

The Gestalt Prince and Naaga have reacted to this post.

#63 · September 10, 2026, 7:05 pm

Quote from IFFIN on September 10, 2026, 7:05 pm

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 10, 2026, 5:23 pm

Quote from IFFIN on September 8, 2026, 2:19 pm

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 8, 2026, 10:45 am

https://youtu.be/2SS7gzMus6A?si=PbCP61bRi7bmVwY-

As far as 9 year-old Snape's ragamuffin clothing goes, I kinda wonder if it's a coincidence that his appearance is vaguely reminiscent of sixteen year-old Jack Wild's styling as the Artful Dodger in the 1968 Oliver! movie. I'm sure JKR would have been familiar with it.

You see it in the first 40 seconds of the above video clip--the too short pants exposing bare skinny ankles, long coat that flaps like a bat when he runs, the necktie evocative of a woman's blouse, dirty pinched face, dirty hair...but still cutting an ''impressive figure.'' (I think Jack Wild ended up becoming a teen idol in the late 60s/early 70s.)

I do think it's interesting Harry doesn't note anything out of the ordinary about Eileen's clothing, though.

I agree that JKR would be familiar with it. I do believe it is the author's intent to show he was neglected and poor, but you know that I don't go for that. Years ago some person came up with a theory that little Severus was dressing up like a wizard with his oversize coat being a robe and the shirt being an old wizarding shirt like Ron had. The short pant...well.. that was kind of the norm if you didn't have much money. Just like hem lines on pants. If you didn't have much money you couldn't be buying your child pants every time he had a growth spurt. And let them wear their old pants for play.

And about Jack Wild. Yes he was a lot of young girls crush. I believe he was one of my first human TV crushes. I had a thing for cartoon Bam Bam Rubble and Fred from Scooby-Doo. Okay, I was like five. When I was around six it was Donny Osmond, Jack Wild and Lee Majors. I always had to stop what I was doing and go watch the TV every time I heard the theme of the Big Valley. I had to hurry and catch the intro to see Lee Majors. I used to think he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I don't know why, because when I was older and he was the Six Million Dollar man I was like, whatever.
Here is Jack Wild in the show Puf n Stuff where many of first saw him:

https://youtu.be/Y4it_WyLdyk?si=7OyXO7j3x3lGV-2p

And Lee Majors. I still admit I do from time to time watch the intro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5pvjZ8ZBaI

Here is a cute movie, if you ever have extra time, with Jack Wild and the guy who played Oliver. I always mix him up with the Willy Wonka boy. I have more to say about the movie how it pertains to how I think of Lily's living situation and class. But I need to take a break and watching some Lee Majors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FUb212Wd-c

HR Pufnstuf looks...interesting.

Why does the name make me suspect someone was high...

And "Witchiepoo." (For all we know, that was JKR's billion dollar inspiration right there.)

All right, now I KNOW the description of child Snape's clothing isn't a coincidence, haha.

Why does the name make me suspect someone was high...

Urban legend and most people my age probably agree with you. It was rumored that H.R. stood for hand rolled, but the creators Sid and Marty Krofft said no. That H.R. stood for "Royal Highness" spelled backwards. And we say "right"😏. Urban legend has it that there are many drug references that people have found. I guess it is kind of like Beatles albums giving clues that Paul is dead. Don't know if you know that urban legion.

And "Witchiepoo." (For all we know, that was JKR's billion dollar inspiration right there.)

I don't think any of the Sid and Marty Krofft TV shows were ever in the UK when she was a child.

There shows were weird. They made two into movies. Land of the Lost with Will Ferrell, which was horrible. And a horror movie out of the Banana Splits, which I didn't mind. I honestly think making a Horror movie from a Sid and Marty Kroff show is the way to go. I think Hatsville would make a great horror movie. I mean Lidsville. They were weird shows but they did get my imagination going. And I wasn't high or anything. Well maybe sometimes. I do remember sneaking a sip of banana liqueur now and then. I had a sweet tooth and that was the only thing in the house that was sweet. Things were somewhat tight in those days. I only had a sip because I knew I wasn't supposed to drink it. It sounds like a makings of an after school special. An After School Special was a special program to teach children a lesson. Titles like "The Boy Who Drank Too Much" and "School Boy Father" with a very young Rob Lowe. Okay. Here I go on like I am drunk and not even talking about Harry Potter. And now for the links.

Lidsville intro. It's even a singalong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EekCMsc-4bE

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 10, 2026, 5:23 pm

Quote from IFFIN on September 8, 2026, 2:19 pm

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 8, 2026, 10:45 am

As far as 9 year-old Snape's ragamuffin clothing goes, I kinda wonder if it's a coincidence that his appearance is vaguely reminiscent of sixteen year-old Jack Wild's styling as the Artful Dodger in the 1968 Oliver! movie. I'm sure JKR would have been familiar with it.

You see it in the first 40 seconds of the above video clip--the too short pants exposing bare skinny ankles, long coat that flaps like a bat when he runs, the necktie evocative of a woman's blouse, dirty pinched face, dirty hair...but still cutting an ''impressive figure.'' (I think Jack Wild ended up becoming a teen idol in the late 60s/early 70s.)

I do think it's interesting Harry doesn't note anything out of the ordinary about Eileen's clothing, though.

I agree that JKR would be familiar with it. I do believe it is the author's intent to show he was neglected and poor, but you know that I don't go for that. Years ago some person came up with a theory that little Severus was dressing up like a wizard with his oversize coat being a robe and the shirt being an old wizarding shirt like Ron had. The short pant...well.. that was kind of the norm if you didn't have much money. Just like hem lines on pants. If you didn't have much money you couldn't be buying your child pants every time he had a growth spurt. And let them wear their old pants for play.

And about Jack Wild. Yes he was a lot of young girls crush. I believe he was one of my first human TV crushes. I had a thing for cartoon Bam Bam Rubble and Fred from Scooby-Doo. Okay, I was like five. When I was around six it was Donny Osmond, Jack Wild and Lee Majors. I always had to stop what I was doing and go watch the TV every time I heard the theme of the Big Valley. I had to hurry and catch the intro to see Lee Majors. I used to think he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I don't know why, because when I was older and he was the Six Million Dollar man I was like, whatever.
Here is Jack Wild in the show Puf n Stuff where many of first saw him:

And Lee Majors. I still admit I do from time to time watch the intro.

Here is a cute movie, if you ever have extra time, with Jack Wild and the guy who played Oliver. I always mix him up with the Willy Wonka boy. I have more to say about the movie how it pertains to how I think of Lily's living situation and class. But I need to take a break and watching some Lee Majors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FUb212Wd-c

HR Pufnstuf looks...interesting.

Why does the name make me suspect someone was high...

And "Witchiepoo." (For all we know, that was JKR's billion dollar inspiration right there.)

All right, now I KNOW the description of child Snape's clothing isn't a coincidence, haha.

Why does the name make me suspect someone was high...

Urban legend and most people my age probably agree with you. It was rumored that H.R. stood for hand rolled, but the creators Sid and Marty Krofft said no. That H.R. stood for "Royal Highness" spelled backwards. And we say "right"😏. Urban legend has it that there are many drug references that people have found. I guess it is kind of like Beatles albums giving clues that Paul is dead. Don't know if you know that urban legion.

And "Witchiepoo." (For all we know, that was JKR's billion dollar inspiration right there.)

I don't think any of the Sid and Marty Krofft TV shows were ever in the UK when she was a child.

There shows were weird. They made two into movies. Land of the Lost with Will Ferrell, which was horrible. And a horror movie out of the Banana Splits, which I didn't mind. I honestly think making a Horror movie from a Sid and Marty Kroff show is the way to go. I think Hatsville would make a great horror movie. I mean Lidsville. They were weird shows but they did get my imagination going. And I wasn't high or anything. Well maybe sometimes. I do remember sneaking a sip of banana liqueur now and then. I had a sweet tooth and that was the only thing in the house that was sweet. Things were somewhat tight in those days. I only had a sip because I knew I wasn't supposed to drink it. It sounds like a makings of an after school special. An After School Special was a special program to teach children a lesson. Titles like "The Boy Who Drank Too Much" and "School Boy Father" with a very young Rob Lowe. Okay. Here I go on like I am drunk and not even talking about Harry Potter. And now for the links.

Lidsville intro. It's even a singalong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EekCMsc-4bE

The Gestalt Prince, Naaga and Shell Cottage have reacted to this post.

#64 · September 10, 2026, 11:29 pm

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 9, 2026, 5:11 pm

i see this as one of multiple instances where there's two equally plausible readings intended for two separate audiences. off the top of my head:

Snape's Worst Memory: not only is there the ''mature audience'' implication that James stripped Snape of his underwear, there's the even darker suggestion that, to save face after Lily rejected him and stalked off, he took up what she said, only with more than just soap bubbles and ''wash out your mouth.''

Bertha 'birtha' Jorkins (of the phrase ''Spenlow and Jorkins'') off to visit a distant cousin...Voldemort's ends require 2 victims...adult readers are free to connect the dots...or not, if they don't want to go there.

the blink-and-you-miss-it moment toward the end of DH when Harry's tie to Voldemort's mind conflates Bellatrix with Ginny

Is this the quote?

Chapter 24 The Forest Again page 407

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#65 · September 11, 2026, 1:17 am

yes

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#66 · September 11, 2026, 12:14 pm

Quote from IFFIN on September 11, 2026, 12:14 pm

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 11, 2026, 1:17 am

yes

“None of the Death Eaters moved. They were waiting. Everything was waiting. Hagrid was struggling, and Bellatrix was panting, and Harry thought inexplicably of Ginny, and her lazing look, and the feel of her lips on his–.”

Well I know I passed over this, because I am not a big Ginny fan. I was going to say maybe bad editing, because the first read for me was “Bellatrix was panting” and then right after that Harry is thinking about “Ginny’s lips on his–.” I think this is a children’s book isn’t it. This paragraph can really be opened up for interpretation.

Doing a quick Google and quickly reading some discussions (which I hate) is that Harry thinks he is dying and his last thoughts are of the person he loves the most. Which parallels Snape's last thoughts.” “Look…at…me” he whispered”. Some calling JKR a genius for this parallel and lost boys parallel and the three brothers parallel. Personally I get lost in all those parallels. I am dizzy right now.

Also reading online discussions can be funny like reading Amazon reviews for Bic Pens “for her”. Already the jokes are in “What are her lips on? His wand.” Many people reading will go with their first impressions and not go into deep analysis of the many parallels JKR has. And if a joke is there for asking why not.

I am also reminded of a class discussion I witness in creative writing. I didn’t take part in it. I just observed, because it got too heated. One woman was reading her work and when she finished she said she wanted to write for children. Then another student said that if she was thinking of writing for children then she should think of her audience and change some things. This led to a big loud discussion of stumping creativity children just have to learn and a bunch of other things. But when it comes to it, many works have to be edited for clarity and other things. What I read is that the first Harry Potter book was rewritten a few times, some say even around fifteen. Most things we read are edited. Just like this post. If I didn’t then the point I was trying might get lost in my rants. Others are probably saying, get to the point already.

Let me start with the Snape quote “Look…at…me” he whispered”. This reads like something from a romance novel. Very commonly used during romantic moments, especially if it is whispered. In movies or TV it is just shown as two lovers staring at each other for a long time during romantic moments. I’m thinking of Buffy and Spike. So my first impression was “did he sleep with Harry’s mom” let me go write some Snily and others might think “he said that to Harry” let me write some Snarry. Still others will go on about the great parallels of JKR. Which in the first reading of the book we haven’t gotten to, and first impressions stay with a bunch of us. In the movie that line was changed to for Snape to say "You have your mother’s eyes” which I think brings more clarity, especially for children.

The second quote has "Bellatrix was panting” and then right after that Harry is thinking about “Ginny’s lips on his–.” Yeah I can see someone creeping out on that or thinking that Harry and Ginny had sex. So if I was dying and in the background Charles Manson was breathing…I don’t think I would be thinking about sex or a kiss. At this point readers have been reading this book through Harry's perspective, so when I am reading this I picture that these characters are not far from him and that Bellatrix panting is very loud and she is right over him. I remember reading that many of the last books were badly edited, because as Harry Potter got more popular JKR got more creative control. And let's face it, many writers don’t want to edit much. And many readers of Harry Potter didn’t mind it either. But as a result we are left with a lot of questions. Which I don’t mind. I think it gives rise to a lot of great fanfic.

Here is my example how I might have edited the scene:

Harry felt like he was slowly fading away and in the background he didn’t hear any of the Death Eaters move but Bellatrix panting.

He knew they were waiting.

They were waiting.

Everything was waiting.

Hagrid was struggling. And Harry’s thoughts went inexplicably of Ginny, and her lazing look, and the feel of her lips on his lips.

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 11, 2026, 1:17 am

yes

“None of the Death Eaters moved. They were waiting. Everything was waiting. Hagrid was struggling, and Bellatrix was panting, and Harry thought inexplicably of Ginny, and her lazing look, and the feel of her lips on his–.”

Well I know I passed over this, because I am not a big Ginny fan. I was going to say maybe bad editing, because the first read for me was “Bellatrix was panting” and then right after that Harry is thinking about “Ginny’s lips on his–.” I think this is a children’s book isn’t it. This paragraph can really be opened up for interpretation.

Doing a quick Google and quickly reading some discussions (which I hate) is that Harry thinks he is dying and his last thoughts are of the person he loves the most. Which parallels Snape's last thoughts.” “Look…at…me” he whispered”. Some calling JKR a genius for this parallel and lost boys parallel and the three brothers parallel. Personally I get lost in all those parallels. I am dizzy right now.

Also reading online discussions can be funny like reading Amazon reviews for Bic Pens “for her”. Already the jokes are in “What are her lips on? His wand.” Many people reading will go with their first impressions and not go into deep analysis of the many parallels JKR has. And if a joke is there for asking why not.

I am also reminded of a class discussion I witness in creative writing. I didn’t take part in it. I just observed, because it got too heated. One woman was reading her work and when she finished she said she wanted to write for children. Then another student said that if she was thinking of writing for children then she should think of her audience and change some things. This led to a big loud discussion of stumping creativity children just have to learn and a bunch of other things. But when it comes to it, many works have to be edited for clarity and other things. What I read is that the first Harry Potter book was rewritten a few times, some say even around fifteen. Most things we read are edited. Just like this post. If I didn’t then the point I was trying might get lost in my rants. Others are probably saying, get to the point already.

Let me start with the Snape quote “Look…at…me” he whispered”. This reads like something from a romance novel. Very commonly used during romantic moments, especially if it is whispered. In movies or TV it is just shown as two lovers staring at each other for a long time during romantic moments. I’m thinking of Buffy and Spike. So my first impression was “did he sleep with Harry’s mom” let me go write some Snily and others might think “he said that to Harry” let me write some Snarry. Still others will go on about the great parallels of JKR. Which in the first reading of the book we haven’t gotten to, and first impressions stay with a bunch of us. In the movie that line was changed to for Snape to say "You have your mother’s eyes” which I think brings more clarity, especially for children.

The second quote has "Bellatrix was panting” and then right after that Harry is thinking about “Ginny’s lips on his–.” Yeah I can see someone creeping out on that or thinking that Harry and Ginny had sex. So if I was dying and in the background Charles Manson was breathing…I don’t think I would be thinking about sex or a kiss. At this point readers have been reading this book through Harry's perspective, so when I am reading this I picture that these characters are not far from him and that Bellatrix panting is very loud and she is right over him. I remember reading that many of the last books were badly edited, because as Harry Potter got more popular JKR got more creative control. And let's face it, many writers don’t want to edit much. And many readers of Harry Potter didn’t mind it either. But as a result we are left with a lot of questions. Which I don’t mind. I think it gives rise to a lot of great fanfic.

Here is my example how I might have edited the scene:

Harry felt like he was slowly fading away and in the background he didn’t hear any of the Death Eaters move but Bellatrix panting.

He knew they were waiting.

They were waiting.

Everything was waiting.

Hagrid was struggling. And Harry’s thoughts went inexplicably of Ginny, and her lazing look, and the feel of her lips on his lips.

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#67 · September 12, 2026, 7:37 am

[I have deleted my two earlier comments on the drinks at Spinners End partly to keep the thread on point and partly out of concern that they came across as antagonistic toward Snoopy. My sincere apologies.]

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#68 · September 12, 2026, 9:31 am

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 12, 2026, 7:37 am

[I have deleted my two earlier comments on the drinks at Spinners End partly to keep the thread on point and partly out of concern that they came across as antagonistic toward Snoopy. My sincere apologies.]

I can't speak for snoopy, but I didn't see anything that came across as antagonistic or on any of your previous posts. But I understand your concern. I saw it as stating your thoughts and even if they are different or we disagree I believe they are welcomed here. I know on other boards/forms/YT and other things you have people that just want everyone to think the same. And they can be quite rude, know it all's and say things like "well, I guess we didn't read the same book." when it is really that we just saw things differently because we are different people. So I personally like reading yours and other interpretations. And on this board I haven't come across others that want to shut you down because you see things differently.

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#69 · September 12, 2026, 10:42 am

Thanks for the reassurance. Still, @snoopy ...apologies.

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#70 · September 12, 2026, 11:13 am

Quote from Shell Cottage on September 12, 2026, 10:42 am

Thanks for the reassurance. Still, @snoopy ...apologies.

I'm confused - I didn't notice anything even remotely antagonistic! But either way, it's all good ; D

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Tobias Snape & Eileen Prince

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