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< The Library ~ Did Snape and Lily attend Muggle school as youngsters? |
| laurelgirl120 |
 Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 4:27 am |
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Joined: 21 Jul 2008
Posts: 5
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Just finished re-reading DH and I have a question re Snape's pensive memories. The earliest memories showing Snape and Lily and Petunia as young children (maybe 9 years or so). Did they attend a Muggle school? Petunia identifies Snape to Lily as "The boy who lives down Spinner's End." That would suggest they didn't know each other from school (since Snape and Lily were the same age, presumably if they attended primary school, they would be in the same class). Is there any information about this, maybe from a JKR interview?
Thanks,
Laurelgirl |
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| peskipiksi |
| Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 11:06 am |
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Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 32
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Hi,
I have no concrete info, nothing from interviews with JKR, but I have looked at the chapter again. Petunia says 'I know who you are.' Then it says it was evident from her tone she considered his address a poor one. I was just thinking that Petunia is two years older than Lily so she might only know Snape by sight. Possibly she mentioned his address to Lily just to make it clear she considers him lower than her.
Lily doesn't reply that she knows him or that she doesn't. Maybe she does go to the same class but hasn't mentioned him at home, or maybe she doesn't want to embarrass him further by drawing attention to their aquaintance.
I would think that, as Muggles, Lily's parents would have sent her to primary school. Petunia, as a Muggle, would have to go, and there would have been awkward questions asked if Lily didn't go too.
Snape's father might have insisted he went, to try and make him 'normal' maybe, or he could have kept him at home for fear that others would realise he wasn't normal.
Hope this helps - I reckon you could justify either case (Lily meeting Snape at school, or not). They would definately have been in the same class.
The other option is that Spinners End is in a different catchment area. Petunia's use of 'down' to denote Spinners End could be derogatory, or it could mean it was a bit further away from her home. |
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| laurelgirl120 |
| Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 2:12 am |
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Joined: 21 Jul 2008
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Thanks. Without any real evidence, I guessed that Lily would have attended primary school, but I don't think Snape did. I think his father would have worried he would have been considered a "freak" and that would have reflected badly on the father.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Laurelgirl |
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