(Anonymous)
If we go with the consensus that at least part of Severus' pre-Hogwarts education was at home (whether formally homeschooled by Eileen, unschooled by Eileen or completely independent because of Eileen's issues, whatever they were) - what role if any did the many books we see in his adult home had to do with his education?
I doubt the bulk of them were purchased by his parents in his childhood because of their apparent economical situation. I also doubt the bulk of them were purchased by Severus in adulthood, because I'd think he would keep most of his books at Hogwarts, perhaps bring a trunk-worth of them with him for the summer. So I think most of them were inherited, or brought over by his parents from their childhood homes.
I can't see Severus developing the view of his father as one who doesn't like much of anything if Tobias were an avid reader, and if he wasn't one he'd probably sell books to feed his family. So I think the books were mostly magical and came from Eileen's family. If Eileen was hiding her magical status from her husband for a while then she wouldn't fill the house with magical books, but once it was obvious Severus was magical she probably brought over some books from which to teach him as well as for her own use at home. Once Tobias gave up on his son ever becoming 'normal' Eileen probably increased the inflow of books. It is possible that the house became the live-in library we see in HBP only at a later time, perhaps when Eileen's parents died and she inherited them all - this could easily have been well after Severus started at Hogwarts. Perhaps the spells that allowed placing shelves across the door without the need to leave room for the door to open was cast by Severus at some point after that.
- Oryx
I doubt the bulk of them were purchased by his parents in his childhood because of their apparent economical situation. I also doubt the bulk of them were purchased by Severus in adulthood, because I'd think he would keep most of his books at Hogwarts, perhaps bring a trunk-worth of them with him for the summer. So I think most of them were inherited, or brought over by his parents from their childhood homes.
I can't see Severus developing the view of his father as one who doesn't like much of anything if Tobias were an avid reader, and if he wasn't one he'd probably sell books to feed his family. So I think the books were mostly magical and came from Eileen's family. If Eileen was hiding her magical status from her husband for a while then she wouldn't fill the house with magical books, but once it was obvious Severus was magical she probably brought over some books from which to teach him as well as for her own use at home. Once Tobias gave up on his son ever becoming 'normal' Eileen probably increased the inflow of books. It is possible that the house became the live-in library we see in HBP only at a later time, perhaps when Eileen's parents died and she inherited them all - this could easily have been well after Severus started at Hogwarts. Perhaps the spells that allowed placing shelves across the door without the need to leave room for the door to open was cast by Severus at some point after that.
- Oryx