Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Spinner's End====== =====Location Information===== * **Type:** [[Residence]], [[Street]] * **Location:** [[Cokeworth]], [[England]] * **Owner/Residents:** [[Severus Snape]], [[Tobias Snape]] (formerly), [[Eileen Prince]] (formerly) * **Key Features:** Located in a derelict [[Muggle]] industrial town; dark, book-lined interior; concealed staircase. =====Description and History===== Spinner's End is the name of a street in the rundown [[Muggle]] town of [[Cokeworth]]. It is notable for being the location of the childhood home and adult residence of [[Severus Snape]]. The street is situated near a dirty river with littered banks and is overlooked by a tall mill chimney, suggesting an industrial heritage. The area is depicted as neglected, with broken streetlamps and a general air of dereliction. The [[Snape]] family home at Spinner's End is one of a row of identical, small brick houses. The interior, as seen in [[Harry Potter]]'s sixth year, is dark and cramped. The main sitting room is described as a tiny, boxlike space, akin to a "padded cell," where the walls are entirely hidden by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. These books are mostly bound in old, black or brown leather. The room is sparsely furnished with a threadbare sofa, a rickety armchair, and a wobbly table, all illuminated by a single candle. A key feature is a concealed door, blending in with the book-lined wall, which opens onto a narrow, hidden staircase. This house was the setting for [[Severus Snape]]'s unhappy childhood with his [[Muggle]] father, [[Tobias Snape]], and his witch mother, [[Eileen Prince]]. [[Harry Potter]] witnesses a memory of the tense and argumentative household during his [[Occlumency]] lessons. [[Snape]] continued to use the house as his residence during the summers away from [[Hogwarts]]. =====Role in the Story===== Spinner's End plays a crucial role at two key points in the series, both of which serve to reveal important aspects of [[Severus Snape]]'s character and motivations. In //[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]//, [[Harry]] inadvertently views one of [[Snape]]'s worst memories, which is set in the Spinner's End house. He sees a young [[Snape]] cowering as his father, [[Tobias Snape]], shouts at his mother, [[Eileen Prince]]. This brief glimpse is [[Harry]]'s first insight into [[Snape]]'s difficult and loveless upbringing, providing context for his sullen and bitter personality. The location is featured far more prominently in the second chapter of //[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]//, which is titled "Spinner's End." [[Narcissa Malfoy]] and her sister, [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], travel there to seek [[Snape]]'s help. The visit confirms that [[Snape]] returns to his [[Muggle]] home during the holidays and that [[Wormtail]] is living there with him, seemingly in a subservient role. The most pivotal event to occur here is [[Snape]] making the [[Unbreakable Vow]] with [[Narcissa]]. He swears to protect her son, [[Draco Malfoy]], to assist him in the task assigned by the [[Dark Lord]], and to carry out the task himself should [[Draco]] fail. This vow binds [[Snape]]'s actions for the remainder of the book and directly leads to him killing [[Albus Dumbledore]], an act that cements his perceived loyalty to [[Lord Voldemort]]. =====Known Areas Within===== * **[[Sitting Room]]:** The primary room shown in the house. It is small, dark, and filled entirely with books, giving it a claustrophobic feel. It contains worn furniture and a concealed door leading to the staircase. * **Hidden Staircase:** A narrow staircase is hidden behind a secret door disguised as a bookshelf in the sitting room. =====Behind the Scenes===== * J.K. Rowling confirmed on the [[Pottermore]] website that Spinner's End is located in the town of [[Cokeworth]]. This is the same town where [[Lily Evans|Lily]] and [[Petunia Evans|Petunia]] grew up, and where the [[Dursleys]] briefly took [[Harry]] to the Railview Hotel to escape his [[Hogwarts]] letters. This geographical proximity underscores the childhood connection between [[Snape]] and [[Lily]]. (Pottermore) * The name "Spinner's End" likely alludes to the textile industry ("spinner") common in English mill towns, fitting the derelict, industrial setting. The word "End" can refer to the end of a road or a hopeless situation, reflecting the bleakness of [[Snape]]'s home life and his tragic story arc. * In the film adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]//, the location is visually depicted much as it is described in the novel, emphasizing the grim, working-class, and neglected environment of [[Snape]]'s home. (film)
