When I first read the date on Snape's/ Half Blood Prince's old school book( 50 years prior to Harry) my mind imediantly went to Vlodemort, as I am sure many of yours did. So why was Snapes book so old? My personal thought is that Snape was poor and so he bought his book second hand. I have no idea why this would be important but it is quite odd and I though I'd just put it out there and see what you think.

You know... it's funny that you posted this particular topic, because I whole-heartedly agree with you. I, too, believe that Snape lived a life of poverty before attending Hogwarts. My thoughts on who owned the book before him, however, go elsewhere.

Now, the copywright page of the book states that the book was issued some fifty years before Harry was given it. Knowing how touchy and insecure Snape seemed to be in his school years, I would imagine that he had been finding a way to disengage the original cover with a slightly newer-looking one. Harry did this to his new book and Snape's old one, so why not Snape himself?

I don't think that you will argue with me when I say that Snape is much better at spell work than Harry ever dreamed of being. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Snape was better because of natural talent (though I do feel that way), I am saying that Snape was better because of his practical application of his lessons. Face it, Harry is not Hermione. He is not one for studying any more than it is required of him, and, therefore, would not excell in his hexes, spells and charms.

Snape, on the other hand, not only excelled at spells and potions, but invented his own spells and variations to potions mixtures. So, if he was more talented than Harry at spell work, surely he would be able to manage a megre "diffindo" and replace his old book cover with a newer looking one.

My thought is that he probably did this with all his books in order to maintain the appearance of the well-respected "wealthy slytherins."

It is my honest opinion that Snape wanted desperately to simply fit in with his classmates. The easiest way to do so would be to put up a faux appearance of being wealthy. That way, he would be as respected as, say, Lucius Malfoy.

This would also lean to reason why he wrote "This book is the property of the Half-blood Prince." He was playing up his pure-blood (Prince) side, as opposed to his muggle side. Why else would he bother writing that nickname in the book? If his heritage didn't matter to him at all, he wouldn't have layed any creedence to that nickname (whether he made it up himself or it was given to him.)

So, after that lengthy, intricate post, my theory is clear: Snape was poor as a child .

Personally, I don't think that Snape's poor... I think that the book was from his mother, Eileen (sp?) Prince. Hermione said that she was a great potions student too! Well, but that's just my guess. Snape added his creations to his mother intelligence!

*Cristiana*

Hmm... very interesting guess, Magic Khrixx! I think that that is a very plausible possibility. However, if Snape was not poor, why would his mother not simply buy him a new version of the book, instead of making him use one that was almost 3 decades old? And, for that matter, what would she still be doing with it? If she was such a whiz at potions, then she would have moved on to more advanced tombs, and not kept referring back to a sixth-year school book. Just my opinion.

I've been thinking a lot why that potions book was 50 years old, and one good reason is that it was bought seconhanded. But I personally think that that potions book was Voldemort's old, and that Snape eiher found it somewhere in Hogwarts or that Slughorn gave it to him because Snape didn't have own book.

But I too belive that Snape did came from poor family. Not because of potions book, but because of that memory that Harry saw in OotP, when he defended against occlumency. I don't have the book here, but if I remember right, Harry used protego and the spell was casted to Snape.

Hello everybody.
I'd only like to say that snape was indeed poor and beside that he had a hard childhood.As everyone read in HP 5 it would seem that snape's parents argued...so tehnically speaking..he didn't have such a lovely familly atmopshre.So probably he kinda...locked himself up...and...by some means or others discovered the dark atrs.Thus he created his own world.When he came to Hogwarts he was probably scared, and aware maybe of the fact that no one was like him:i mean...poor and with such a pleasure for dark arts, i mean the guy know more hexes and jinxes than the 7th years.
So...he was poor, bad familly he created hiw own world...

i think that snape came from a average family.........snape probely got the book from his mother every one keeps thire old book with them no matter how good they are...........at that something............. his mother probely gave him the book she knew the ingerdianets weren't right in the books in the market........ she probely told snape to wright those ingerdianets in the book because she was a great potion maker..............about the membery at harry watched snape was trying to ride a broom stick ........... his mother was a great qudditch player aswell so naturely she wanted her son to play qudditch aswell but he wasn't good at it..........i think snape parents fought because snape and his father didn't have a good relation ship and snape's mother didn't like it or his father beat him up or was drunk all the time.........so snape was alone and started to learn spells at early age and started to invite spells aswell.........i am sure that is proud to have that book and loved that book so he decied to name it with his nick name....a member of hids mother........snape left that book on perpose in the shelf in potions so when a younge student came cross with it he will learn and snape would be teaching him .........

The first status-symbol for a family is a house in a decent area of the town. Snape's family lived not only in a poor area but a degraded one, because a workers' area is not necessarily a poor one. This means that they had no money to move elsewhere.
The figure of Eileen Prince is quickly outlined: a witch who married the wrong man and hasn't a positive, active attitude towards life. We don't know very much about her actually.
How comes that young Severus has been allowed to go to Hogwarts? what was his father's attitude towards magic?
The second hand book is another sign of Snapes' status,a s well as the greyish underwear.
I definitely think that he has come from a poor family. I think he has also developed a frugal attitude, look at his house still half empty, with just the strictly necessary furnitures.

Witchmom )O(

I agree with you witchmom that a person's house is a status symbol. As Bellatrix said, Snape lived in a "Muggle Dunghill." An affluent wizard would likely live near other wizards. You also pointed out Snape's graying underwear. You beat me to it. I was going to mention that (I guess I just did).

I got the impression that Eileen Prince was not good at Potions. Well, she was not brilliant like Snape anyway. I think the book was hers (further evidence that they could not afford a new one...also explains why Snape had a sixth year's book in the fifth year). Hermione only said that she was going to look for Eileen Prince in the records of old potions awards. If she had found her, she would have reported it to Harry. Since she never did, we can deduce that she never found Eileen in records of potions awards.

Lastly, the images from Snape's mind when Harry broke through using protego revealed a very dismal life for young Severus. Rich families tend to have nice things. Shooting flies in your bedroom leads me to think that you don' have much else to do.

i agree that snape was probably poor because he was power hungry when he came to hogwarts (like LV who was also poor) because he was an important member of his group of death eater 'friends'

also when harry saw snapes memories he saw his parents fighting (this could mean they were getting divorced or a sign of abuse) which would again indicate that his family didnt have much money.

i think snapes book is from his mother which also shows that he cant aford new books (like the weasleys)

maybe one of the reasons he doesnt like the weasleys is because he sees himself in them except they are a good and happy family (even if they are in slytherins eyes 'blood traitors')

it would be interesting to see if eileen (sp) prince is on the tapestry of pure blood wizards (at number 12) because she would have been blown off if she married a muggle...

Yeah, Snape could have been poor. He bought his books second hand...so what? I mean it could have something to do with the story but it may not. I don't really think that Snape was bothered much by not being 'popular'. He seemed to always be a bit of a loner. Someone who is dark and thinks dark but no one really knows. Like those Nerds you see in movies. Where they get picked on all the time, but then at the end you find out its them who have to friends with guns or them who has killed the people. I'm saying that Snape cared what people thought but didn't try to show it. It proabvly was his mothers book becasue she would have been good at potions. If you had the book at home i wouldn't go buy a new one? Or it may be a piece of teh next book? I don't know.

i think snape was poor because they couldn't afford to give him a ne potions book he had to use his mom's book.

if it was his mum's and it was fifty years ago, can snape's mum know or connected to Tom Riddle?
i just thought of it, so correct me if i'm wrong.

the book belonged to his mother who also happened to be a great potions brewer and my guess is that his mother got divorced with his father and they got poor so he had to use his mother's old book during his sixth year.

Yes but they might have some strange tradition... Or in any case, he might've just picked the book up and it saved him walking around diagon alley. Though i am inclined to go with your ideas i just thought i'd point this out. People arent poor just cus they have second hand books.. The weasley's are quite poor and they do but like someone said, snape might've picked it up and written in it for a strange form of fun. He may have just found it in his room like Harry found it. (well slughorn did but didn't know about it)

Just a thought

kfc

i, also, believe they were poor, judging by what we saw in the memories...

The book was his mum's, though, not bought second hand. In HBP, Hermione says she think most of the handwriting in the book looks to be that of a female...most girls write better than guys...

ps. snape liked lily

I have to agree with you all that Snape probably was pretty poor going up. This is based on the memory and the state of his house at the moment. From what I remember of the memory in OOTP the house is dank and gloomy. It seems to be the same house as in the start of HBP. Poor auld Snape! The house is in a run-down muggle area and there doesn't seem to be many neighbours so it was probably also quite a lonely place to grow up.

As for fresh-pickled toad's comment about Snape being poor just because he had his mother's potions book. I used my mother's English books in school for the Leaving Cert and I would have used more for other subjects only they kept changing the curriculem. And it was better cos I had other people's class notes as well as my own to learn from. so I don't think that arguement is valid.

yea, i think snape was poor. after all, he lives in a horrible place. May be his parents died early like harry. and he probably got financial aid from hogwarts like riddle. they closely resemble each other. So they might have similar past.

Well, since he is so Snapealicious and all, I have to say that under my psychoanalysis powers that don't exist anywhere in the universe, I do think that Snape either had a hard life, or something like that, since he seems like one of those people who didn't enjoy life outside of Hogwarts, like the Dark Lord and Harry, or that... Wait, have they ever used the same books in the books before? That might only be in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I can't see why they would use the same books fifty years later, especially since the fact that they would be out of date and all that jazz. Snape seems like that kid who doesn't have all that much money, and who gets picked on by like everyone cause he's not all that hot, well not back then anyways, but moving on, he just seems like the total unpopular person. Wow, I turned cheerleader there. Creapy. Well, why would he have that book, if he wasn't going to use it in school, and guys just don't do the whole journal thingy, not in spell books anyways, though that's moderatly romantic. Yeah, I've got issues. "Rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby." This is what happens when I watch the tele, and write at the same time. Did I just hear that right, did she just say "Nobody likes an overachiever?" Well, she's so wrong. Anyways, I don't think that Snape had all the world going for him like James did, which was probably why they weren't good friends, and more like enemies. Well, I've seen guys with like amazing handwritting, and then the exact opposite in girls, like the difference between Asseal and Fred. It's just creapy how things like that work out.

~La MaitressedeMort

I dont know about you, but I know what it's like to live a life of poverty. I always grew up with second hand books and clothes. I think that snape was poor as a kid because he has the same kind of attitude that i had earlier on about life. i can really relate to him, even though i would NEVER kill anyone, especially dumbledore. so, basically yes, he was poor. i started to cry when harry saw the vision of snape crouching in the corner while the rest of his life was in turmoil.

Yeah I do think Snape was poor as a kid (Perhaps that’s why he turned to the dark side? Out of depression!) Or, he may’ve been given the potions book from one of his death eater buddies. That’s probably why he also had graying underwear

i think its definatley possible. it clear from the memories of snapes that harry saw that one time in the occulmency lesson that snape had a rough childhood. and if you look at things like where he lives now...he also had his mothers old potions book...it makes me think he did have very little money. and maybe still doesnt have much. if he couldnt afford new school books and such...yeah i do think it to be very possible.

I also suspect Snape was poor.

However, concerning the potions book, when Harry went into the pensieve and saw Snape, James, etc., taking the OWL, it was mentioned that Snape had written more on the page than anyone else, but most importantly, the writing was "cramped."

That is exactly how the writing was described within the potions book, too.

Hermione thought it was the writing of a girl, but JKR described Snape's writing style previously from the pensieve and confirmed it in HBP.

I believe the writing belongs to Snape.

I agree that Snape could have been poor as a child. I'm not saying for sure what I think because I haven't really looked into that whole topic but my guess is that yes, he was poor.

i agree with the idea that snape used his mother's book because it's the most logical explaination to the fact that it was a potions book and his mother was one of the best potion makers so she probably won't just throw her favorite book away. and he does seem quite poor from jk rowling's descriptions like his shaggy old grey unerwear
i'm still quite unsure though

i think that snape's book wasnt second hand he just took it from his mum because she might have had some useful notes in it...and after snape used it he donated it to the school hows that?
and i think snapes mum(Elinee Prince) was a witch and was most probably well known because her marriage with a muggle made the font page....there will be loads of people who marry muggles but not all of them will make the front page!!! i think snape was quite rich...on his mums side i am not sure about his dad. his dad might have been poor but he is a wizard so he baisically did his style of shopping and got galleons and stuff from his mum's side...

well thatz what i think

anywayz
xxx
hermione

Interesting thought. I, too, thought of Voldemort. I think it is possible that it used to belong to his mother. I also, however, think it is possible that he did buy it second hand. That is not unlikely. Snape was shooting down flies in his bedroom in one of the memories Harry saw and I can't see a lot of nice wizarding houses that belong to rich families having all of those flies in them. That is probably just a small detail, though. I think it is likely that Snape was poor. His parents argued a lot, too. Perhaps something happened and they were poor and his parents were unhappy. I don't know. I am just thinking of more things that could possibly point to the fact that Snape was poor growing up.

i think snape is poor as a child. You see this because of the visoins snape has in his flashback. Also observe snape's house. I beilve it was his father's house and it was in a bad neighborhood and the house was rotting . Snape is poor

Did Snape's being poor give him another reason to despise James? We know James came from a wealthy, wizard family and had the best of everything.

Nothing I have found in the books gives any hint to money on either his mom or dad's side of the family tree. It is weird that Eileen's marriage had a front page spot, but maybe it was just a small town.

Snape did not donate his book to the school. He was (and is) very secretive. He used it as a "Teacher's edition," with all of its supplemental information, some of which he passed on to Malfoy to keep him near the top of the Potions class.

If anyone in the world could have written a newer, better Advanced Potions book, it would have been, ... Severus Snape! And the new additions to Borage's old book would have come from Snape's handwritten notes, that Harry was lucky enough to get. Add a chapter on the Wolfsbane Potion, whichSnape is also expert on, and there's the new book.

Lots of parents argue--if Ron and Hermione were ever to marry and have kids those kids would have to suffer through the same ordeal. So I don't think that is necessarily an indicator in itself, especially not of poverty at least. But when combined with the dark, gloomy house (it did not occur to me that Snape was still living in the same house--interesting!), the image of a greasy Snape killing flies in his room, etc....yeah, it probably is supposed to show that he had a hard family life--I like your idea about creating his own world, he would have needed to, since as we see in OoTP he was a big loner who didn't seem to have many friends.

I REALLY hope we learn more about Snape in book 7, more elaboration on those entincing glimpses of memory in OoTP, b/c that's what I'd really like to learn more about.....

I think that snape isnt poor. I think that his book was just passed down to him as a kid.

I must agree. I'm pretty sure harry saw somthing in the peniseive about him wearing crappy robes... or stained tighty whiteys when james used levi corpus... that also could be a good thought to consider

It's very possible that snape was poor. if his father was drunk all the time we directly know were all the money went.
Snapes childhood was hard because of his parents 'good' relationship. cause of his fathers drank problem.
he wanted to be someone in the world that didn't remind him to his father. because (possible) of his bad relationship with his father.
Eileen could have had known LV. because of the age of book. that would have made her a witch with a high important pure-blood family, like the Malfoy's and the Lestranges. (if she was in the group around LV).
now I'll stop because I have sometimes very strange ideas

Greetings Rox

I think Snape had money, perhaps his ancestors were wealthy.But yes, the tattered old Potions book does not fit this theory. But we also need to lookat where Snape lives-Spinner's End. It's not exactly a mansion, is it? Snape lives by himself, except for when Wormtail was with him.

I think that he was proably quite poor. Other wise he would probably have lots of money now, and he doesn't really come across as the rich type

I think he might have been poor, but what I wanna know is he is a half blood, so why would voldemort let him into the death eaters?

well Muggle Slayer, even voldy himself was a half blood and hagrid said that all wizards today are like half blood or less, they would have to be (or they could marry their cousins yuck) hope that helps

about snape... well i definatly think that he was poor as a child, just by the way he is described... with his greasy hair and all! and from his memories in the pensive