Dumbledore, Snape's father?

[owl post 1992]

This is the filmsyist (sp) theory yet but I think Dumbledore is Snape's father because they both have a similar crooked nose and we all know children inherit something from their parents it could also be the reason Dumbledore let Snape come back and why he's being so secretive about it but why he went over is anyone's business no enough love too much we may never know. So what do you think :eyebrows:

[Hammi]

In a word, no. I just can't imagine DD and Snape being related, they're too different. This is up there on my list of nonbelieveable theories, sorry

[Justin Etre]

When I saw the title the crooked nose thing instantly came to mind, but there are flaws. The age difference, the animosity between the two, and the fact that Severus comes from such a dark background, they are too different.

It's a good theory, but I don't support it. Well done for critical thinking!

[owl post 1992]

You see the thing is we don't know where Snape came from all we know is that he was already deep into the black arts when he went to Hogwarts. He could have been into that stuf just to gain more attention also I don't think there's a age limit of guys being dads but I know women lose the chance to be mother's when they hit 60 years old :whistle:

[HannahStarr]

Well, no one really knows if an 150 year old man could still have children (actually, DD'd be 120 if he is Snape's father *shudder*) But..um..no. Just because they have crooked noses doesn't mean anything.

[rotsiepots]

I think Dumbledore has more dignity than to make a woman cower.

I don't think we can make this conclusion just based on Dumbledore's and Snape's noses. The character of Snape's father that Harry witnessed in Occlumency lessons was the polar-opposite of Dumbledore's egalitarian nature. Highly unlikely, in my opinion.

[Fenella Evangela]

All pure blood families are related, so if they both have pure wizards (or witches) in their family, they're related somehow, but there is no way they're father and son. crooked noses mean squat

[The Rubber Duck]

I'm gonna say no, great uncle none of the other Snapes talk about possibly, but not father.

[LupinMakesMeHowl]

The crooked nose connections means nothing, they both could have had their nose broken a couple fo times. It's really hard to believe DD to be Snape's father. Besides in OotP during the Occlumency lessons, Harry sees Snape cowering ni a corner while his father berates his mother. I can never picture DD berating any woman. This theory is beyond flimy, and just unbelievable in the fact that it has absolutely no solid basis.

[lorna]

I honestly cannot see Dumbledore yelling at anyone to the point they are cowering.
Your observations are great and I have nothing against Dumbledore and Snape being related somehow, but not father and son.

[Hermionefan617]

Well, 1stly, :welcome: Rubber Duck!

Next, there's no way Snape & Dumbledore are related. That has to be the wierdest theory I've ever heard. Crooked noses? That doesn't mean anything. Bagman had a broken nose or whatever. It doesn't mean they're related.

[schwarzendrache]

Theoretically, all humans are related. So are DD and Snape. However, I cannot believe DD is Snape's father. I believe that if Harry saw DD in the pensieve (Snape's worst memory), JK would mention that. She didn't, so this is simply too far-fetched.

[silver ink pot]

Well, Harry didn't see all of Snape's memories in the Pensieve. He only saw one memory out of three. Then he saw snatches of other memories when he zapped Snape during the lesson.

I keep thinking that the memory of the cowering woman and the man could be something different from what we think. Maybe that is not Snape's father we see, but his stepfather or even his Grandfather. We don't know, do we?

I think this broken nose thing is of some importance when you consider how many people have crooked or broken noses. Dumbledore's looks as though it has been broken. Moody's has a chunk out of it. Neville will have a new appearance in Book 6, since his nose was broken (see my reindeer below). We also know that some things can be permanently changed by magic - remember Hermione's teeth? She is hexed by Malfoy, I think it is, and her teeth start growing. Then when Madame Pomfrey changes them back, she ends up with smaller, attractive teeth.

I want to know the name of Snape's mother! Was she a Black? Is she still alive somewhere? Who was she!

[Rien]

Ludo Bagman's nose is also messed up. And Viktor got his broken in the World Cup (did it ever say if it was mended?). Weird and broken noses are definitely a running theme with JKR. I really hope Neville was able to get his put back to normal. heh

Alright, that was almost completely off-topic. While it is possible that the man in the pensieve scene wasn't Snape's father, it still doesn't leave room for DD to be his father, IMO. Pensieve scene aside, still I just can't see it.

I am getting a kick out of all these theories people are churning out... imagine if they ALL turned true... oy. :D

[Crackpot]

Speaking of conspiracy theories...does it seem possible to anyone else that Snape could be a descendent of Aberforth? I remember reading a thread that showed evidence of Aberforth Dumbledore being the barman of the Hog's Head...from what we see of him in that chapter, and Albus Dumbledore's comments on him in GOF, he sounded somewhat shady.

I'm assuming he'd be near Dumbledore's age--if he's still alive even--so maybe he's Snape's grandfather? Illegitimately? Perhaps he never took responsibility for Snape's father/mother, Dumbledore figures all this out, then Snape comes along, all neglected and abused, starts going to Hogwarts, and Dumbledore, seeing the situation Snape's in and the less-than-promising future his grandnephew will have, takes it upon himself to look out for Snape? It would certainly explain why Dumbledore keeps saying, without explanation why, he so vehemently trusts Snape...

God, I need to get a life. Or just go to bed. This post doesn't make sense even to me...

[Dedalus]

Has Snape ever even been described as having a crooked nose? He's been said to have an enormous hooked nose, but I never thought it said it was crooked. It uses his nose as a description quite often.

[Crackpot]

Has Snape ever even been described as having a crooked nose? He's been said to have an enormous hooked nose, but I never thought it said it was crooked. It uses his nose as a description quite often.

Aren't hooked and crooked basically the same adjective, just a different word? :huh:

[Guardian Angel]

Yeah, I thought so too. :)

The theory is interesting, but I am not sure if it is too possible. I like the way it explains the reason why Dumbledore trusts him... but then again... I don't believe in the possibility of that happening.

[kittykat]

Aren't hooked and crooked basically the same adjective, just a different word?

I always thought that hooked meant that the nose protruded out and then curved back in (like a hook) and that crooked meant that the nose itself was not straight.

I'm assuming he'd be near Dumbledore's age--if he's still alive even--so maybe he's Snape's grandfather? Illegitimately? Perhaps he never took responsibility for Snape's father/mother, Dumbledore figures all this out, then Snape comes along, all neglected and abused, starts going to Hogwarts, and Dumbledore, seeing the situation Snape's in and the less-than-promising future his grandnephew will have, takes it upon himself to look out for Snape? It would certainly explain why Dumbledore keeps saying, without explanation why, he so vehemently trusts Snape...

Nothing's impossible but I don't think that Dumbledore is related to Snape (in any immediate way) or that even if he was that he would then trust him simply because of that. I believe that Dumbledore trusts Snape because of something terrible that happened to Snape which then changed him (and made him tunr away from the DE and Voldemort).

Dumbledore gives people second chances, it's what he does. So when he see's someone who has been abused, misunderstood or has made the wrong decisions he is always willing to extend a hand.

[Dedalus]

Aren't hooked and crooked basically the same adjective, just a different word? :huh:
Nope.

Quick definitions (hooked)
adjective: curved down like an eagle's beak

Quick definitions (crooked)
adjective: having or marked by bends or angles; not straight or aligned

Crooked noses are ones that are bent, like if they change direction in the middle through being broken. Hooked noses are arched and beak like :)

[silver ink pot]

The point about the noses is that once a nose is broken, it is hard to tell what it looked like before. Snape's nose hasn't been broken, but Dumbledore's has.

Victor Krum's nose definitely looked like Snape's. And Tonks is able to make her face change to look like Snape's in a scene at Grimmauld Place. On another thread one day someone wondered what Tonks really looks like, since she can change her appearance from day to day.

Rowling doesn't really say that the Barman looks like Dumbledore, only that he looks familiar. Although he is pictured in the photo of the original Order of the Phoenix, they don't discuss just what he looks like in the picture. I had written on another thread that I thought Snape might be related to Aberforth because of two things. One, Snape's speech in the first book, where he talks about 'bottle fame and brew glory" sounds like someone who grew up brewing beer. :lol: Second, Aberforth supposedly got in trouble once for practicing magic on a goat. Goats are the source of "bezoars" or stones which have anti-poison properties. I wrote about them on the Aberforth thread - they really exist and can neutralize aresenic, so they were very valuable at one time. Anyway, in Harry's first potion class, Snape asks him what a Bezoar is. I just find this all really too coincidental.

I think there must be a clue somewhere about all these noses!

Maybe having a broken nose is just a hazard of being a wizard and getting zapped, or falling from a broomstick!

[The Quibbler]

They are definetly not father and son! I could never, in a million years imagine Dumbledore yelling at his wife, or anyone for that matter (remember when Harry brakes into Snapes memories using the shield charm). Dumbledore never yells! He is always calm. There is not enough proof to prove that they are not related, but they are definetly not father and son.

[Fairydust]

Yeah, no, I don't think so. I think DD's crooked nose is due to the fact that it was probably broken. I think it was mentioned somewhere in the first book or something that DD looked like his nose was broken or something. Correct me if I'm wrong. And also, if you take any of Snape's memories into account, the man yelling at a woman could most likely be his dad yelling at his mom. His dad seemed to be verbally abusive. I don't think DD is like that.

[Vequihellin]

Erm, I think we all know the answer to this as a result of the Occlumency thing- we know Harry saw a hook nosed man yelling at a woman and Snape cowering. True, Harry did only assume it was his parents, but I'm sorry, I REALLY don't think there is anything at all to support the Snape/Dumbledore connection besides the nose, and a lot of people have crooked noses, especially wizards, traditionally!!!

[Tynan]

Not a chance. First off, remember when Snape and Harry were doing Occlumency and Harry did the Protego charm? It described Snape's parents there, not sure of the exact description, but a hook nosed man was definately mentioned there.

[Weatherby]

So Snape's mom had an affair? Wouldn't Dumbledore want to take his son out of a situtation like that one? I would think so.

[ssssalizar]

JKR is better than that. The father/son twist was used 20yrs ago in a rather popular science fiction film... If I heard that Dumbeldore was Snapes father, I would be thinking 'yep, thats sound's a bit familiar...'

So I'm sorry but I just don't think there is a chance of this happening- its been done before, and there is no real evidence to back it up. A definate no chancer in my opinion.

[shelly_potter]

dumbledore is snape's dad...now that's absurd(sorry don't mean to offend anyone)
In the occlumency lessons harry gets to see a little bit of snapes memory in which a crooked nose guy is fighting with a women and little snape cowering in the background. That is apparently snapes parents so wouldn't harry have recognized dumbledore if he were snape's dad and i certainly can't imagine dumbledore being rude and fighting with any woman.

[Mad I]

Plus there is the whole age thing, Dumbledore would have had to fathered a child at an age that is a little too high. Also, Dumbledore would never allow someone to be a DE who is his son (woah, bad English)....Dumbledore wouldn't let his son become a DE because he would surely teach him right from wrong and all that at an early age.

[Prof.Aze]

I'm sorry owlpost1992 but i can't support your theory.

1st of all there is always people having the same looks, having the same eyes, having the same nose, ears, skin color and everything but they are still not related to each other. It' just coincidence that they have the same nose.

2nd of all if Snape is Dumbledore's son why do they have different family name. Suppose Snape was adopted by the Snape family? Ok that is possible but Snape is only 35 years old higher but not more than 40. Which means Dumbledore was a father at 120 years old... Whoa: :wow: No way...

And lastly they don't have the same personality... Dumbledore is as tame as a bird while Snape is a wild as a snake. They can't be somehow related to each other.

Cheers. :P

[silver ink pot]

And lastly they don't have the same personality... Dumbledore is as tame as a bird while Snape is a wild as a snake. They can't be somehow related to each other.

Prof.Aze: You must have a different view of your relatives than I have. I have a sister who is as different from me as night and day, and we grew up in the same house with the same parents.

Relatives can be totally different personality-wise!

And I wish everyone would stop using the Star Wars analogy as a reason why nothing could ever happen. :grumble: George Lucas used a story based on hundreds of myths from all over the world. The reason the Luke/Vader story seemed so powerful then is that it is an archetypal story that happens over and over again in folklore, fairy tales, and myths. Finding lost relatives is a common theme of hundreds of myths, especially Irish, Greek, and Roman myths! To say that Rowling isn't "allowed" to use that theme is unfair.

Somewhere there are some family secrets in this story. Everyone has a family, even Snape. I happen to think that Rowling is playing with the idea of an adopted family being better in some ways than a birth family. Look at the inbred Black family, with all those dark wizards! Look at how much Molly Weasley loves Harry, then look at how badly Harry's "blood" relatives treat him!

We know that wizards probably can live longer than average humans. We don't know who in this story has been married and lost a spouse, who has fathered children, and who is an adopted child. Snape could have been abandoned and adopted by Dumbledore.

We also know nothing about James Potter's family either! Sirius mentions James' parents, but not their names? Why? Why doesn't Harry ask? He could have found out more about his own family? Why?

Why is there a sibling-like rivalry between James, Snape, and Sirius. Did they all live in the same house at one time? Were they all adopted or taken in by Dumbledore? Is that why Sirius doesn't say any names to Harry? :banghead:

[jasper]

This is the filmsyist (sp) theory yet but I think Dumbledore is Snape's father because they both have a similar crooked nose and we all know children inherit something from their parents it could also be the reason Dumbledore let Snape come back and why he's being so secretive about it but why he went over is anyone's business no enough love too much we may never know. So what do you think :eyebrows:

Crooked noses- just another typical wizard feature. What with all the quidditch, magical creatures, dangerous spellwork, and various wars against dark lords, a fair number of wizards have broken their noses.

Why post something starting out by saying it's the flimsiest theory you could come up with?

And my other question: what is with all the theorizing about characters suddenly becoming the child or parent of other characters? Or suddenly not being the child or parent of a character they were written as all along? Or being the brother, sister or twin of someone else they were otherwise known as unrelated to ??

[Mad I]

I agree on the crooked nose comment jasper... but what I want to know is why they can't be mended to be as good as new like Harry's arm (though the bones were removed in that instance maybe there is a difference)?

[owl post 1992]

I agree on the crooked nose comment jasper... but what I want to know is why they can't be mended to be as good as new like Harry's arm (though the bones were removed in that instance maybe there is a difference)?

I think that if you have the same part broken more then a few times it becomes harder and harder to repair hence Harry's injuries are easily repaired even the lost bones. :)

Why post something starting out by saying it's the flimsiest theory you could come up with?

And my other question: what is with all the theorizing about characters suddenly becoming the child or parent of other characters? Or suddenly not being the child or parent of a character they were written as all along? Or being the brother, sister or twin of someone else they were otherwise known as unrelated to ??

Because I didn't have all my information correctly at time of writing and because it came to me really late at night. My god can't people have weird thoughts once in a while. :censored:

Because we don't know who Snape's parents were so there not who JKR says they are and Harry has always been the son of Lily and James Potter to me

The man screaming at the women may not have been Snape it was just a guy who threatened her and Snape hiding in a corner anyone would :censored:

[jasper]

I agree on the crooked nose comment jasper... but what I want to know is why they can't be mended to be as good as new like Harry's arm (though the bones were removed in that instance maybe there is a difference)?

along those lines, why is Moody still limping around with a chink missing out of his? My theory is that kid wizards are easier easier to heal than old ones.

Owl Post- you are entitled to weird thoughts. Don't get me wrong- I like reading theories. I just got cranky this afternoon. When I click on a theory, I don't want its author telling me it might be flimsy before I can really think about it. If you're going to state a theory, say it like you mean it!

That Black family tree has gone to people's brains, I think. Everybody is related to everybody. But the headmaster and the potions master as father and son? Snape and Dumbledore weren't on it, were they?

[rotsiepots]

along those lines, why is Moody still limping around with a chink missing out of his? My theory is that kid wizards are easier easier to heal than old ones.

Knowing Moody, though, he probably didn't want anyone to fix his nose. He seems the type to be quite proud of his battle scars.

[schwarzendrache]

Knowing Moody, though, he probably didn't want anyone to fix his nose. He seems the type to be quite proud of his battle scars.
Also, someone could actually be trying to mess him up while "fixing" his nose.

[owl post 1992]

That Black family tree has gone to people's brains, I think. Everybody is related to everybody. But the headmaster and the potions master as father and son? Snape and Dumbledore weren't on it, were they?

no they weren't mentioned but everybody assumes (sp?) they were. :grumble:

[zandarella]

I think Dumbledore has more dignity than to make a woman cower.

I don't think we can make this conclusion just based on Dumbledore's and Snape's noses. The character of Snape's father that Harry witnessed in Occlumency lessons was the polar-opposite of Dumbledore's egalitarian nature. Highly unlikely, in my opinion.


The thing is, WAS it Snape's father & mother in the Pensive, or was it Snape himself? We aren't told as far as I can remember. We just assume.
But anyway I don't think Dumbledore is Snape's father. It's too way out there, but I DO think Dumbledore is related to Harry in some way.

[owl post 1992]

It's too way out there, but I DO think Dumbledore is related to Harry in some way.

that's totally Star wars the good are related to each other a bit too Luke/Leia :no: :huh:

[nettorrep22]

i odnt think that dd and snape are related they look nothing alike, and when harry breaks into snapes memories it says that he was being yelled at and i cant see dd ever abusing or yelling at anyone. i think that harry though is related to dd not as like and 8th cousin but like a grandparent or a great uncle or something because i dont think he had any kids.but from what we read james was a great wizard as IS dd and harry, i know there are a lot of great wizards but i thought this was something jk would do

[shanobyl]

We know that wizards probably can live longer than average humans. We don't know who in this story has been married and lost a spouse, who has fathered children, and who is an adopted child. Snape could have been abandoned and adopted by Dumbledore.



i like this theory. im starting to think that snape is not a pure blood. i mean we havent heard much about his ancestry have we? and he wasnt on the black family tree (where even the weasleys were on). so maybe dumbldore took him in.. when his muggle dad couldnt accept the fact that he had a wizard for a kid and takes it on his mum.

[harryandchopotter]

I have to say no way to that! Dumbledore, Snape's father??????? noooo way. They may be related but not father and son.
One simple reason if Snape was Dumbledore's son, he would've disliked James and Sirius for what they did to Snape and therefore he wouldn't like Harry either. I really don't think so, just because they both have crooked noses...

[roberto]

The man with a hooked nose could be Snape's uncle (my sister and aunt look a lot alike). I don't think that Snape and DD are directly related, but to the people who say DD would never allow his son to be like Snape, DD cannot decide what his kids are like. He can only do his best to raise them. They could go bad out of rebellion a la Crouch Jr. Look at Sirius, knowing his family, would you think there was any way they could have a child who was in the OotP?

Anyway, JKR has said that choice is the big key in this series, not who your parents are. That said, seeing everybody's family tree would be something very interesting indeed.

[zoeydsngwrtr]

I have some strong feelings in my answer, so, please excuse me, I do not mean to make anyone angry

No way in :censored: is dumbledore Snapes father

On another note, Snape is most likely a pureblood, he is head of the slytherin house, and I highly doubt that a muggle born or "mudblood" would be the head of that specific house

[story]

Snape could be Dumbledore's son in law

[owl post 1992]

where even the weasleys were on.

They were the little burn marks, since they were a stain on the family honour.

[silver ink pot]

This is really a logic problem. Pureblood families are all related. The Blacks are as pureblood as a family can get (and insane, too :lol:). If a persons name isn't on the family tree, then that person probably isn't a pureblood.

I think there is another way Harry can find out about all the wizards' family trees. In OotP, Chapter 6, page 116, American, a book is mentioned:

" a many-legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up Harry's arm like a spider when he picked it up, and attempted to puncture his skin; Sirius seized it and smashed it with a heavy book entitled Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Geneology."

I think we'll see this book again at Grimmauld Place. There are just too many unanswered questions.

Harry wants to understand his parents, he longs to have a family. Maybe Hermione will read that book first and explain it to him, but it will be back, for sure.

[ginic]

Believe it or not, one could make a case for this argument, but first you have to decide if you take the whole anagram thing seriously.

We all know Tom Marvolo Riddle is an anagram for 'I am Lord Voldemort.' Severus Snape could be an anagram for Perseus Evans or Persues Evans. Dumbledore's full name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (ootp).

We all know that JKR loves to play with names and their origin. This is an excerpt from the mugglenet editorial 'Gryffindor Tower' by Daniel Hoppel Jr.

"Wulfric: Patron Saint. At first, Wulfric was a priest who liked to hunt and party more than tend to his flock. Apparently he saw the error in his ways, and repented, but no one knows why. He also had the gift of prophecy, and he was a counselor to two kings. For instance, it always seems like Dumbledore can see the future. During Fudge's early years as Minister of Magic, it was often Dumbledore from whom Fudge sought advice. Also, what do we know about Dumbledore? How do we know that he was never a Dark Wizard? He's old, and this Wulfric dude converted long before he was old."

If this is true and DD was a dark wizard in his youth (this would explain why Snape got involved in dark arts as a kid) then might his name be an anagram as well?
I know you can get Evans out of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (and who knows what else!) which would give them the same last name.

If you believe all that then you could easily make a case for DD being Snape's dad.

[zandarella]

[

I need a copy of Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Geneology!!

I actually sat down after reading OotP and drew out the Black family tree just so I coulkd get all the pure blood links a bit clearer in my mind. There are loads of blanks between Phineas Nigellus (anag. for Snape is ill, he gun!) and Sirius & Tonks even when just the direct line is worked back - like, about 24 nameless spaces, not to mention brothers or sisters of the nameless!!

[Kaonashi]

The book also said that the man had "dark hair." as well as having a hooked nose. Dumbledore was a red-head until his hair turned white. Plus, I can't see him yelling at his wife.

[zandarella]

I am totally sure that the guy with the hook nose in the pensive was N.O.T. Dumbledore. But is there any proof that is was actually Snape's father either??

[Crackpot]

I am totally sure that the guy with the hook nose in the pensive was N.O.T. Dumbledore. But is there any proof that is was actually Snape's father either??

No proof--just the assumption made by Harry that both adults were Snape's parents.

[JofpGallagher]

The first thing I would ask is why Dumbledore would need to hide the fact that Snape is his son? And as many have said, if the person Harry saw in the pensieve is Snape's father, well, for the way he was acting as a father and husband looks very unlikely to be Dumbledore.

[Severely Snapped]

The book also said that the man had "dark hair." as well as having a hooked nose. Dumbledore was a red-head until his hair turned white. Plus, I can't see him yelling at his wife.

Just a quick correction. The man's hair wasn't described, just his nose; the dark-hair reference was to Snape himself (the small dark-haired boy crying in the corner.)

But I agree that Dumbledore would never treat his wife and child like that. And if the man were Dumbledore, Harry surely would've recognized him.

[Weatherby]

It wasn't Dumbledore in the pensieve.
If he had for some unknown and insane reason dumped his son into that family how could he have done the same to Harry? He would've seen how damaging it was. Because that homelife damaged Snape.

[Spirit]

Just a quick correction. The man's hair wasn't described, just his nose; the dark-hair reference was to Snape himself (the small dark-haired boy crying in the corner.)

But I agree that Dumbledore would never treat his wife and child like that. And if the man were Dumbledore, Harry surely would've recognized him.

Seriously, that's all you would have to look at to prove Dumbledore isn't Snape's father! And besides, the age differences would never work....

[lightofmagic]

I cannot see Dumbledore ever treating his wife and son in the mannerism shown within the penesive. So Dumbledore was a slightly darker wizard when he was younger but I am sure he would show some respect for his own family. I have a feeling the man in the pensieve was Voldemort as the description of his nose fits and when ever J. K. Rowling writes about the dark lords looks, she always puts a lot of emphasis on the nose. So I find it intriguing that the nose is mentioned in this description of a man shouting at his wife and placing the fear of death into that little boy we all believe to be Snape. This could be the same fear we saw in Snape's eyes when Dumbledore gave him his orders to spy on Voldemort again. Snape might be Voldemort's only child and if that is true then he is a potential heir to Salazar Slytherin and it might explain why he feels he needs to save Harry. If Harry defeats Voldemort then Snape will take his place and perhaps this is something Dumbledore wants, it might explain why he trust Snape so much.

[mina]

I must admit I laughed at first when I saw this, but Dumbledore as Snape's adopted father is actually an intriguing theory, I mean who really knows how this will all turn out? I do however like lightofmagic's theory better.

[persian85033]

I've never noticed the books saying anything about Snape having a crooked nose, just a hooked nose. And I don't see Voldemort having a family, and being anybody's father. Didn't he dissappear, and then resurface as Lor Voldemort, and that he was barely recognizable. And I don't recall JKR saying anything about Riddle's nose. I think if maybe he was Snape's father, then the times that Riddle was in the book, there would've been more emphasis on his nose, or Snape's father would've been described in a similar way that Riddle was.

[Discordia]

I cannot see Dumbledore ever treating his wife and son in the mannerism shown within the penesive. So Dumbledore was a slightly darker wizard when he was younger but I am sure he would show some respect for his own family. I have a feeling the man in the pensieve was Voldemort as the description of his nose fits and when ever J. K. Rowling writes about the dark lords looks, she always puts a lot of emphasis on the nose. So I find it intriguing that the nose is mentioned in this description of a man shouting at his wife and placing the fear of death into that little boy we all believe to be Snape. This could be the same fear we saw in Snape's eyes when Dumbledore gave him his orders to spy on Voldemort again. Snape might be Voldemort's only child and if that is true then he is a potential heir to Salazar Slytherin and it might explain why he feels he needs to save Harry. If Harry defeats Voldemort then Snape will take his place and perhaps this is something Dumbledore wants, it might explain why he trust Snape so much. You think it's Voldemort???? The time period would fit sort of......except for they have different last names. Personally I don't see Voldemort as the type to have offspring. I don't remember Riddle having a hooked nose. They don't really seem to resemble eachother. Snape was a greasy, maltreated boy who knew more about the dark arts than ayone else, and he certainly had none of Tom's charm when he was younger.

[GryffindorGr]

You think it's Voldemort???? The time period would fit sort of......except for they have different last names. Personally I don't see Voldemort as the type to have offspring. I don't remember Riddle having a hooked nose. They don't really seem to resemble eachother. Snape was a greasy, maltreated boy who knew more about the dark arts than ayone else, and he certainly had none of Tom's charm when he was younger.

I think Voldemorts grandson is Neville. lol. I dont know. Could fit the time frame and what, Neville's grandmother is pureblood. Then who would the unlucky lady be? to be shacked up with Voldemort.
As for this DD is Snapes father, it could be, it's like his black sheep son or something.

[trickcy]

No, I really don't think DD is SS's father. I mean, in OOTP, JKR describes Snape's father and Harry doesn't recognise him as DD. And, DD would never shout at a woman or make SS cower like that. And, having a child ar 120!!! No way!!!

[Atalanta]

No, I really don't think DD is SS's father. I mean, in OOTP, JKR describes Snape's father and Harry doesn't recognise him as DD.

I could be that Snape grew up in a foster family; after all, Harry wouldn't know whether the people he saw in the pensive were Snape's real parents or not. But I have to say that I don't think Dumbledore and Snape are related. Emphasising the noses could have to do with their personality (people with big nose are sometimes said to be strong characters).

[trickcy]

I could be that Snape grew up in a foster family; after all, Harry wouldn't know whether the people he saw in the pensive were Snape's real parents or not. But I have to say that I don't think Dumbledore and Snape are related. Emphasising the noses could have to do with their personality (people with big nose are sometimes said to be strong characters).

Yes, maybe Snape did grow up in a foster family. But, I can't see Dumbledore doing that either!! (leaving Snape in another family.)

[thinkpink38]

Eventhough they might have some characteristics in comman I doubt Dumbledore is snapes father, because he doesnt treat him as though he is. I dont think they look alike either, him being a foster, thats just too farfetched. I agree with zandarella, I think he is related to Harry as well, like his great grandfather. (But if snape was his son, as Ron would probably say it, What a WICKED twist!! I never thought I would actually ever use that!)

[Discordia]

No, I really don't think DD is SS's father. I mean, in OOTP, JKR describes Snape's father and Harry doesn't recognise him as DD. And, DD would never shout at a woman or make SS cower like that. And, having a child ar 120!!! No way!!!

I agree. Snape couldn't be Dumbledore's child. No way. I don't know why people think there's apossibilty for it. The clues don't fit.

[Amelia Snape]

it cud be possible :huh: but i'd see him more as a caring uncle to Snape than a father...I'd have expected Snape to grown up with Deatheaters, and abusive father and the dark arts and stuff not Dumbledore...But that would explain the whole secret of why he was given a second chance...Dumbledore wud forgive his own nephew! :blush:

[canteurervan]

There's no way Dumbledore is Snape's father. Proof? It's in OotP. Snape comes from pureblood family that despise Muggle-borns and Muggles. Recall that Snape was afraid of his father, alot, with all the frantic nightmares about his father. Well, you already know Dumbledore, so go figure...

***van.

[Morgan LeFay]

Well, no, father not. But it shocked me that I have never thought about DD and Snape being related. It would explain some things, i.e. why DD trust Snape so much. Maybe he's his grandfather/uncle and looks at Snape just as he looks at Voldemort - he sees not Snape but Severus. Not Voldemort but Tom. Or maybe DD is just pure good...

[Pegasus]

I keep thinking that the memory of the cowering woman and the man could be something different from what we think. Maybe that is not Snape's father we see, but his stepfather or even his Grandfather. We don't know, do we?
Stepfather? Are you suggesting that Dumbledore would put Snape up for adoption, or that Dumbledore left Snape's mother? I'm not making any sense out of this one.
I think Rowling's descriptions of noses are her way of putting a definite image in our heads, nothing more. I think she would really get a kick out of this one.
If part of this theory has to do with Dumbledore trusting Snape (just for future argument's sake), Dumbledore knows more about Snape than others (like us) have judged, just like he knows more about Hagrid. Dumbledore can tell a bad apple from a bad one.

[Bee]

Hmmm... well, Ron has a long nose as well, perhaps Dumbledore is Snape's father and Snape is actually Ron's father, Arthur is just a random man off the street posing as Ron's dad :D

Alright, seriously now. I just don't see that being true... we did see Snape's father in the Pensieve, he was a greasy-haired man, like Snape, and Dumbledore isn't anythng like Snape, besides, Harry would recognize him. Dumbledore is also quite old to be Snape's father.

It might be a cool twist if Dumbledore was related to Snape in another way though... maybe a distant great-uncle, or something like that.

[Dagmar]

Hmmm... well, Ron has a long nose as well, perhaps Dumbledore is Snape's father and Snape is actually Ron's father, Arthur is just a random man off the street posing as Ron's dad :D

Alright, seriously now. I just don't see that being true... we did see Snape's father in the Pensieve, he was a greasy-haired man, like Snape, and Dumbledore isn't anythng like Snape, besides, Harry would recognize him. Dumbledore is also quite old to be Snape's father.

It might be a cool twist if Dumbledore was related to Snape in another way though... maybe a distant great-uncle, or something like that.
Perhaps DD is a metaphorical father to Snape. The one glimpse we got of Snapes father showed him to be unpleasant. Obviously scarring Snape...years later he joins V and the gang to overcome his feeling of inadequacy.. Perhaps DD talked him down from that ledge?

[iluvrupert12]

Um...i dont think so. I mean they were both in school at the same time...i think. :eyebrows:

[grawp66]

Dudley and Neville both have blond hair ( in the books ) but I don't see any theories about them being related. . .
I don't think crooked noses mean much, and, like everyone said, they're much too different. And Dumbledore's too old to have a middle aged kid . . . :shudders:

[grawp66]

Um...i dont think so. I mean they were both in school at the same time...i think. :eyebrows:

Dumbledore and Snape, you mean? No, they weren't. Dumbledore was headmaster when Snape was in school.

[Nimue]

I think it's entirely probable that Tom Riddle was Snape's father. It would answer a lot of questions.

As far as the "hook nose" thing- that is something that comes with age.

[mirandam]

No I don't think that Dumbledore is Snapes father. He would never have treated his son as we saw in his memories or had given him up as some have suggested. It just doesn't sound logical to me in any way. Or that Voldemort is his father for that matter. I believe that is was said in one of the books that Tom Riddle was the last of Salazar Slytherins blood line. If I remeber correctly then he couldn't possibly anyones father.

[padfootgrim]

im trying to see it but i cant.. i just cant.. although dumbledores nose is crooked i dont see it being hook nosed.. or snape being adopted.. cause he looked like the man shouting at his wife...

[xx Veronica]

Sorry, but I don't believe in your theory.

1. In OotP, during an Occlumency (sp?) lesson, Harry sees a "dark-haired hook nosed man yelling at a woman while a boy crouched in a corner" (not sure if that's correct wording).

2. Dumbledore and Snape have different last names

3. Dumbledore is wayyyy too old to be Snape's father. He could have been Lord Voldemort's father, seeing that he was Voldie's transfiguration professor.

4. Dumbledore was in Gryffindor...Snape was in Slytherin.

[Serpentine]

No, I don't think that Dumbledore is Snape's father. You don't need to be someone's father or mother to care for somebody (like Sirius or Molly for Harry), to trust them, or to give them a second chance. Besides Dumbledore wouldn't treat anyone that way Snape's father treated his mother, nor give him away to another family to mistreat him. They also look very differently (Dumbledore has a crooked nose "as if it had been broken", Snape's is hooked which is hereditary; also Dumbledore's hair was auburn once, and Harry would have recognized him as easily as he did in Tom Riddle's diary if it were him). Last not least the age difference between Snape and Dumbledore is too huge - Snape was 35/36 in GoF according to JKR, Dumbledore is about 150. Some more distant relationship might be possible, grand-uncle or something the like, but I honestly can't see them being father and son. I don't know where all those Star-Wars-like ideas come from. :huh:

As for Voldemort, handsome young Tom Riddle didn't look like Snape's father in the Pensieve either. And in the recent World Book Day Chat in March JKR clearly stated that Voldemort had no children - for those who don't believe it, the interview is on the Leaky Cauldron site.
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/extras/JKRWorldBookDay2004.html

[dracosgoddess89]

ummm ... i dont think so but thats just me :huh:

[VelvetSkies]

I really don't think so. It just isn't realistic.

[Sineed]

I doubt DD is Snape's father, for many of the reasons already stated. With regard to the nose thing: JKR is a very visual writer, describing her characters and places in great detail. And a common device she uses is to re-describe a person's physical characteristics whenever she's talking about what they're doing, how they're reacting, etc.; think of DD always looking down his long, crooked nose, or Snape's black eyes constantly glinting (or glittering? it's like his contact lenses are bothering him).

So you've got 2 characters with prominent noses, and it may mean something, like a strong character, as someone earlier in the thread suggested. But I doubt it means they're related. It's just that JKR keeps describing her characters over and over, so we might tend to interpret something that isn't there.

[Cassiopia15]

That's a cool theory. I haven't heard it before, but it sounds a bit believeable. I dunno, I mean, they don't really look alike other than the nose, but still, he did let him come back so, who knows? I like that theory though.

[FirefightingMuggle]

Unless Aberforth Dumbledore is Snape's father...I mean we don't really know a lot about old Aberforth... :evil:

but no really.....I don't think that there is any connection between Snape and Dumbledore (either Albus or Aberforth) Just because they have a similar nose does not mean that they are related. I mean Dobby has long fingers, just like Dumbledore does, yet that does not mean that Dobby is the illegitimate son of Dumbledore and one of the Hogwarts House Elves. Who knows, maybe Snape tried to curse off his acne like Eloise Midgen and had to have his nose re-attached or something....
I don't think they are related.

[sirius_gerl]

I don't think so...from what i know, dumbledor and Snape have no ansestor relations...

[Aschenputtel]

No,

he isn´t his father. Dumbledore is about 150 years old, Snape 36.
Harry would have recognized him, if the man who argued with the woman would have been Dumbledore.

Bye

[*Jess*]

This is a cool theory, for sure, but I really don't think it's true...for many of the reasons stated above in other people's responses. Nice idea, though.

[Magda Quadle]

The whole hidden father/son thing really bothers me. It's too Star Wars-ish and I'm sure JK realizes that enough not to do it. Besides, I just don't see Dumbledore's child turning out like Snape....

[FloydTheBarber]

It's possible and would explain why Dumbledore trusts him, but it's just too weird to be true.

[Marie Lexis]

There is no way that Dumbledore is Snapes father. There is no way that Dumbledore would treat his family the way he did in the Order of the Phoenix when Harry got into his mind. No way!

[sindatur]

Well, if you believe Dumbledore could be Snape's father, you need to find someone else to be the man yelling in Snape's memory. I believe that large percentage of people happen to believe that man is Snape's father, and that man certainly isn't Dumbledore.

[Dagmar]

Maybe this has been noted before, but is it a coincidence that Dumbledore is sited as wearing bottle green robes? Does this relate him to the slytherin house in some way?

[Remus Black]

I highly doubt that they are related. DDs what, like 150 years old? We'd need to know Snape's age.
Also, who is the mother if Dumbledore is his father?

[IceKat55]

I highly doubt that they are related. DDs what, like 150 years old? We'd need to know Snape's age.
Snape was at school with Harry's parents, so he can't be more than 40/45 years old. And I just think anyone being revealed as anyone's father/mother/brother/sister in the entire series of books is kinda silly. Just MHO, but it's been done...and Rowling is a little too original & has too many fresh ideas to use something like that. I hope. :p

[RINGO]

:cool: Dumbledore,I think,well,I am pretty sure about this,thinks of Snape as his son,maybe not through blood,but I am sure that Dumbledore knows about Snapes past,and loves him like a father...I am sure that Snape feels the same about Albus...Maybe there is something that has brought these two men so close together...A tragedy that has occured in the past...

[stupiddeer]

maybe aberforth is snapes father, snapes father had black hair and dumbledore's was auburn

[Liv4Sirius]

My theory on this theory...

It says somewhere that the reason DD won't give Snape the DADA job because it would bring out the worst in him. How would DD know this? Maybe it's because DD is Snape's dad. But then again, maybe DD is Snape's uncle, or grandfather ( Grandfather make WAY more sense to me...) Also, maybe thats why DD trusted Snape to give Harry the Occlumency lessons.

BUT then again, there are more Cons than Pros for this.

*If DD is Snapes relative on any kind... what in the world went wrong with Snape to make him turn into a DE?

*If Snape is now on the good side, then that means to some extent that he respects DD (he is still working at hogwarts after all) Now why would Snape torture someone his older relative is so concerned with?


Now, I must say it's an interesting theory but I doubt very seriously that it's going to turn out to be correct.