Two Up, Two Down

Two up, two down

We talk about Potter as a timeless series, as quills and parchment will never date, but there are a few key elements which are of their time, and I sometimes suspect that eventually, their original meaning may be lost.

Snape’s house in Spinner’s End is one of these.  If you visit Surrey, a house akin to Number 4 on Privet Drive can be found on hundreds of identical estates.  Indeed, the three-bedroom house with a garage, and both front and back gardens, situated on a private housing estate in leafy surburbia is one that most British people will have strolled through at some point.

But Snape’s house in Spinner’s End is the opposite of the Dursleys’ aspirational abode, and is somewhere that few modern readers will have seen in its original form with their own eyes.  Snape’s house in Spinner’s End is a traditional two up, two down through terraced house, mired deep in a maze of identical cobbled streets, overlooked by a looming mill chimney, and seemingly – by the 90s – entirely abandoned.

The difficulty that some may have in accurately picturing this scene is because these houses, in this state, no longer exist.  A large percentage of two up, two down terraces were demolished as part of slum clearance, which should tell you all that you need to know about the state of the houses.  

Those which remained have been extensively modified – usually knocking down the privy (outside toilet), and then building a two storey extension across the bulk of the yard to create a third room downstairs, and a bathroom upstairs.  Some houses only have a single extension; it is rather common in some areas of the Midlands to have a bathroom that leads off the kitchen downstairs – because the bathroom was the missing room, and it was cheaper to build one storey than two.

Pottermore had an article earlier in the year which explained how the filmmakers originally wanted to film on location, but could not, because the houses simply did not exist in their traditional state.

The houses were typically constructed with two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs with a tiny backyard entry leading to the outhouse. Craig actually considered shooting on location, but even though the buildings were intact, they had been brought into the modern era, with up-to-date kitchens and plastic extensions, so the set was built at the studio.

Throughout the 20th century, cobbled streets were routinely replaced by various other road surfaces, namely tarmac and asphalt – and, of course, the scarcity of cobblestones now means that such streets are aesthetically desirable.  However, the cobblestones in Spinner’s End are not an indication of affluence, but an indication of an area left behind. This is further illustrated by the rusted railings, the broken streetlights, and the boarded up windows.

These were workers houses, often funded by the owners of the mill, and therefore tied – meaning that rent was deducted from your wage before you received it.  There were benefits to being in tied accommodation, including being close to work and having a guaranteed landlord – but that was as much benefit to the mill owner as the worker.  Seeing great competition, some mill owners invested in their properties to entice workers – but Spinner’s End is not an example of this; Spinner’s End would’ve been regarded as little better than a slum even when fully occupied.

The narrow streets are indicative of when these houses were built, presumably in the late 1800s – cars were not a concern, and the attitude was to build as many houses on as small a piece of land as possible.

By the time the 90s roll around, and we see Narcissa and Bellatrix descend upon the street, Spinner’s End appears to be mostly deserted.  With the closure of traditional manual industries, families would be keen to relocate to where work could be found.  Estates which hadn’t already been cleared by the 60s would find themselves left to rack and ruin, their former occupants long gone – whether seeking a new life elsewhere, or having died.

For once, Bellatrix is not being anti-Muggle when she sneers at the Muggle dunghill; she is unnervingly accurate. It is a slum by her standards, but most importantly, it was a slum by everyone else’s standards as well.  By the time Severus was born, work should’ve been well under way to clear the area, or to renovate it.  This evidently did not occur – which itself explains how undesirable the area is; nobody wanted to spruce it up - they wanted to leave.  There were no jobs, no amenities, no services – and eventually, no people.

We often ponder why Snape remains at Spinner’s End, but perhaps there lies the answer; he wasn’t just hiding from the magical world, but he was also hiding from the Muggle world as well…

Eileen Prince is very interesting to me, I wish we knew more about her and her relationship with Severus, but also her past. I would like to think they had a good relationship but realistically it was most likely strained because of the abuse she/both of them faced at home, she was probably for the most part emotionally absent. And maybe in a way there's a parallel between her and Severus. What if she resented her son because she couldn't help but see her abuser in him (and she hated herself for feeling this way)? The same way Severus would later feel about Harry? What if he inherited his mother's anger

It’s so common to have first war Snape be some super badass high ranking Death Eater, which is really odd imo. All the evidence points to Snape being not at all remarkable among existing Death Eaters. Karakaroff named him as a last resort, and didn’t attach any specific crime to his name, unlike the other names he gave. Sirius didn’t know he was a Death Eater, and Voldemort thought he was low profile enough that Dumbledore would not know he was a Death Eater and hire him as a teacher (though Dumbledore did in fact know). He wasn’t trusted with a Horcrux. His soul is also intact until he kills Dumbledore, which wouldn’t happen if he had directly killed anyone (which doesn’t remove the possibility of him killing people indirectly like he did the Potter’s).

The crime that is consistently emphasized with regards to Snape isn’t active malice or sadism. Rather, it’s indifference. Whether it’s Mary McDonald or James and Harry, the crime that is emphasized were he’s involved isn’t hurting them, but not giving a shit when others do. Only when the one person who he does care about beyond himself is murdered, by his own indifference to the suffering of an innocent by delivering the prophecy, can Snape’s moral journey begin. Evil prevails when men do nothing. Snape learned that lesson painfully, and so he embarks on a journey to learn by actively fighting against evil, so that what’s left of Lily can live. In the process, he expands his moral universe beyond Lily, culminating in his year as headmaster, where he gives everything of himself to save others, including those he hates. He also accepts that Harry has to die, acknowledging that Voldemort’s defeat and saving the wizarding world is more important than his personal atonement to Lily. He loves the wizarding world, more than he ever did Lily. Snape’s arc is one of moving from selfishness, to selflessness.

What do Snape haters take away from Snape's story? When they finish the last page of Deathly Hallows and close the book, what do they think the point of Snape was in the whole series? Is the time spent reading about him just a total waste to them?

Genuinely curious...

“Of course, it became apparent to me very quickly that he had no extraordinary talent at all. He has fought his way out of a number of tight corners by a simple combination of sheer luck and more talented friends. He is mediocre to the last degree, though as obnoxious and self-satisfied as was his father before him.

he’s sneak-complimenting hermione

Snape did not want to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts

Severus Snape did not covet the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts; his interest in the position was a deliberate ruse between himself and Dumbledore.  

Originally posted by moons-wonderland

On the surface, Snape’s interest in the DADA post makes sense – a supposed Death Eater; a man who has apparently had an interest in dark curses since his youth; his air of disgruntlement towards the DADA teachers in post…

But when you think about it – when you really think about it – it makes very little sense, and it’s testament to Snape and Dumbledore’s joint effort that so many people were convinced by it.

Firstly, Snape knew the job was jinxed.  At the very least, even if he didn’t know the intricate detail of who cursed it and why, he surely would’ve realised – after spending such a prolonged spell at the school – that the DADA teacher always leaves their role at the end of the year.

In Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid explicitly tells the trio:

“An’ bangin’ on about some Banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I’ll eat my kettle.”

It was most unlike Hagrid to criticise a Hogwarts teacher and Harry looked at him in surprise. Hermione, however, said in a voice somewhat higher than usual, “I think you’re being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job -”

“He was the on'y man for the job,” said Hagrid, offering them a plate of treacle toffee, while Ron coughed squelchily into his basin. “An’ I mean the on'y one. Gettin’ very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren’t too keen ter take it on, see. They’re startin’ ter think it’s jinxed. No one’s lasted long fer a while now.”

Originally posted by yourreactiongifs

…yet Harry and the others don’t pick up on the fact that Hagrid tells them very plainly that Lockhart was the only candidate; meaning that Snape cannot have applied for the post.  

Interestingly, Snape references and gives credence to the rumours when he talks to Bellatrix at Spinner’s End in Half Blood Prince:  

“While I endured the Dementors, you remained at Hogwarts, comfortably playing Dumbledore’s pet!”

“Not quite,” said Snape, calmly. “He wouldn’t give me the Defence Against the Dark Arts job, you know. Seemed to think it might, ah, bring about a relapse… tempt me into my old ways.”

Importantly, this entire scene is masterful because of Snape’s doublespeak – and make no mistake, this small passage is no exception.  It’s a rare depiction of the illusion that Snape and Dumbledore had jointly created – after all, we later discover Snape’s true allegiance – but Bellatrix, of course, is only privy to what Snape tells her and she can glean for herself.  (There’s only a couple of moments in the books that touch on this, and they probably deserve a post of their own.)

So it’s important to see that whilst we’re not remotely fooled by Snape’s admission of ‘being tempted into his old ways’ because we know that Dumbledore has authorised – and indeed, encouraged – Snape’s return to the Death Eaters, we know that he doesn’t have a problem with Snape teaching DADA.  

After all, if you were Dumbledore and you weren’t sure of Snape’s loyalties, what would you be worried about?  Him teaching a few countercurses to spotty teenagers, or y’know, hanging around with his old Death Eater terrorist pals, plotting the downfall of the wizarding world?

Originally posted by walking-fandoms

I know which I’d choose.

But we also know that Snape routinely returned or reported to Voldemort – and did enough to enable him to become Voldemort’s most trusted advisor.  Quite an astonishing turnaround given that Voldemort wanted him dead a mere 12 months earlier.  So it’s evident (to us) that Dumbledore did trust Snape, and would’ve trusted him to teach DADA had the post not been cursed.

Of course, that’s not the only time Snape gives credence to the rumour:

“Now … how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?” she asked, her quill poised over her clipboard.

“Fourteen years,” Snape replied. His expression was unfathomable. Harry, watching him closely, added a few drops to his potion; it hissed menacingly and tuned from turquoise to orange.

“You applied first for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?” Professor Umbridge asked Snape.

“Yes,” said Snape, quietly.

“But you were unsuccessful?”

Snape’s lip curled.

“Obviously.”

Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard.

“And you have applied regularly for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?”

“Yes,” said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry.

“Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?” asked Umbridge.

“I suggest you ask him,” said Snape jerkily.

Originally posted by notsosubtlemilitarykink

So why would Snape take part in Dumbledore’s proposed ruse?

The ruse is important for a few reasons – and I suspect, probably had an innocent enough backstory.

In that first year, there was no way that Dumbledore was going to bestow a jinxed post upon his new spy, lest he lose him.  If Snape realised that the post was cursed, then you can imagine him agreeing – as a traitor, he was in a very vulnerable position and would wish to stay under Dumbledore’s protection for as long as he could.  Neither of them wanted a potential time limit of 12 months on Snape’s usefulness.  

We don’t quite know Slughorn’s initial retirement date, but I find there’s something interesting about him moving on from the post of Potions (and Slytherin Head of House) around the time that Snape appears – and both roles are perfect fits for Snape.  

Originally posted by thedailyprophet

What a coincidence.  It’s not as if Snape’s thrown into a role he’s less comfortable with.  Yes, we hear about Snape’s interest in DADA, but we see repeatedly Snape’s skill at Potions – it’s obvious he was a relatively rare talent.

I think it’s also important for Voldemort’s ego that Snape – someone Dumbledore would be desperate to get deep into the Death Eater ranks so he had a spy as close to the action as possible – didn’t receive the DADA post as such a young age.  As a result, I think Dumbledore deliberately hired Snape as Potions – with no intention of giving him DADA, but then instructed him to return to Voldemort waxing lyrical about how he lost out.  This would ensure that Snape wasn’t immediately disliked by Voldemort for succeeding where he’d failed.  

I suspect they followed this up with the rumour that Snape still desperately wished to have DADA. It makes Snape appear loyal to Voldemort, “You told me to get the DADA post, so I’ve tried repeatedly, but Albus won’t select me.”  Not only that, but it also shows Voldemort that whilst Snape is clearly within Dumbledore’s inner sanctum, he’s still not completely trusted – which in turn, is another indication to Voldemort that Snape is telling the truth when he pledges allegiance.  It suggests that Dumbledore vaguely realises something is awry with his Potions Master, but he can’t prove it.  

Furthermore, it reiterates Snape’s position to the wider community – it shows the students, the teachers, the Death Eaters etc that Snape isn’t entirely reformed; he isn’t completely trusted.  In turn, that aids Snape’s cover - as we see in his statement to Bellatrix.    

The punchline to the joke is that when Dumbledore knows his death is certain, he actually bestows Snape with the DADA post.  Dumbledore ensures that Snape is willing to murder him, and to look after the children if he becomes Headmaster.  Both of these things (murdering the incumbent; moving role within the school) would cover the curse and ensure Snape isn’t in post the following year.

So they can assume it’s safe to give Snape DADA and to guess that the jinx probably won’t be fulfilled in a more disastrous way.

As a consequence, just before the war is about to explode, Snape is given a valuable 12 months to teach the kids some valuable DADA tactics.  Indeed, as Snape duels Harry following Dumbledore’s death, we see him continuing to instruct Harry in the art of fighting.  

However, the most wonderful aspect of the whole thing is that the ruse reinforces the horror of Snape’s supposed treachery.  

Just at the point that Dumbledore trusted him enough with his coveted DADA post, the very thing Dumbledore supposedly feared comes to pass:  

Originally posted by hogwartsblackandwhite

Snape teaches DADA and instantly falls back into his old ways…so much so, he murders the headmaster.