What is going on with the HP Timeline?

[Snow_Crystal]

I'm really confused about the timeline on HP at the moment.

Harry was killed at the age of 1 and a bit
Lily and James were supposedly between 20-25 when Harry died. (let's assume they were 25 for this)

Voldemort was apparently recruiting (PS) 20 years before Harry was told he was a wizard at the age of 11 (9 years before Harry was born)
So at the time he was recruiting, James, Lily, Snape, Sirius etc were 16

Harry obtains HBP Potions book at age of 16 which if Snape was studying this level of Potions he would have been 16 as well. Snape would therefore have obtained this book at the time Voldemort was recruiting.

In the HBP book, I'm sure I read somewhere that Harry should look at the date of publication on the book and it would give him an idea of who the prince might be. He looked and I think it said it was 50 years ago. This would have been 10 years before James, Lily, Snape, Sirius etc were even born.

In CoS, when Harry is 12, the Chamber was opened 50 years before that and in PS Hagrid says he was expelled at 13. I assumed he was the same age as Voldemort.

The only thing I can come up with to explain this timeline is that Snape did not have the Potions book from new and that the original owner of the book was actually LV who left the book at Hogwarts for Slughorn to give to Snape who was quite poor, or LV gave it to Snape at the time he was recruiting...

I hope we get some sort of clarification on this as this might explain why Snape joined the Death Eaters in the first place.

Anyone else got any ideas or can explain any theories on timeline.

[Fweegal]

Yeah that is interesting.

But the writing in the book is all Snape's, is it not?

[Stumpy]

give me day to digust that then i can get back to u, but 10/10 for the effort and math!!!!!

[Snow_Crystal]

Yeah that is interesting.

But the writing in the book is all Snape's, is it not?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not disputing that Snape owned the book only that he might not have been the original owner.

Snape could have easily written in a second hand book. I just think it would be an interesting theory if this book was part of the story that introduced Snape to the dark arts. sorry don't think I've explained that well.

What if Voldemort offered to help Snape by giving him books (which he could not afford)? But wanted something in return - his allegiance.

As you can tell this has been bugging me for ages!!!! I actually had to draw a line on a piece of paper and put the years across the top to try and work this flaming thing out!!!

I'm not looking for flaws in JKR's work I just can't work out where she's coming from with it. I can't believe she would ignore the timeline on this as surely this has got to be one of the most important aspects to the entire series.

[Fweegal]

Hmmm...She has so much to get through in this book!

-When the DE formed?
-Why Snape joined?

[Snow_Crystal]

Sorry Fweegal - do you mean when did the DE's crowd group together? I think this is approx 9 years before Harry is born.

If Snape did get the book from Voldemort directly or via Slughorn like Harry did, then who knows when Snape joined, it could well be when he was 16 like Draco was.

Why he joined has got to be discussed in the last book!

[Fweegal]

I hope she does the encyclopaedia, like she said she would like to.

She has thousands of pages of backstory lying around. Put it to good use, woman!!

[Snow_Crystal]

I totally agree - I think that will be as interesting a read as the actual books themselves!

[Fweegal]

Oh definitely. And it would only take as long as one of the books. It's mostly compiling and going into greater detail on subjects and people. It would sell as quickly as the series and would be a great way to end things.

[Phinea Rogue]

Wasn't the original owner of the book Snape's mom? Eileen Prince?

[Dacre]

Hagrid would be younger than Volermort (V was a prefect when Hagrid was expelled at 13, so must have been a 5th+year?)
If Snape was at school with Lily and James, then it seems likely he must have got the book of his mum. Possible he chose the name half blood Prince as he'd heard of Lord Voldermort, and was eager to copy him.

[Violet]

judging by the date of the book it would suggest that the book had an owner prior to snape, most likely his mother. Especially because he was so proud of his heritage and his link to her. But then again because of the timing it could also have been voldermort who first owned it, and we dont know if all the writing in the book was snapes... it could have been voldermort who first started putting in his own spells and ways to make certain potions

[Froggs]

Wasn't the original owner of the book Snape's mom? Eileen Prince?

Yes, the book originally was Snape's mothers. She gave it to Severus when he started Hogwarts, backing up the story about them not having much money. Severus then wrote in the book.

[Imelyen]

Begging your pardon, but where does it say that the book was originally owned by Snapes mother?

[Lelie]

i don't think it does, at least not outright anyway. i think it is just sort of implied...