Before Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them came out, it seemed like the story’s only real Potter connection would be Newt Scamander’s relation to Luna Lovegood and a Dumbledore name-drop. But surprisingly, new character Credence Barebone emerged as the most relevant connective tissue because his Obscurus plotline illuminated what really happened with Dumbledore’s sister. And if we consider his arc, it’s quite likely that Dumbledore is far from the only character he’ll impact, since he might be related to Severus Snape.
Thanks to Credence’s prominence and mysterious “death” that probably isn’t permanent, he’s at the center of rampant fan speculation. One baffling theory posits that he’s Voldemort’s dad. Seeing as how Tom Riddle Sr. was a wealthy British Muggle, that’s about as likely as a year in which the Chudley Cannons win the Quidditch World Cup. However, there is one Potter character where a shared bloodline would not be a stretch: Snape.
Recall that, as the “Half-Blood Prince,” Snape was born to a witch and a Muggle. His mother Eileen Prince was born in the 1930s. As Fantastic Beasts is set in 1926, the timing checks out for Credence to be her father.
Further, little is known about the supposedly Pure-blood “Prince” family — perhaps because Credence was adopted. It’s possible that we’ll find out Credence’s real last name is Prince. Then again, it’s also likely that he could manufacture “Prince” as an entirely new identity. He’s doubtlessly eager to relinquish his adopted mother’s last name.
The two men certainly share a sharp-boned, dour demeanor, and between Harry resembling his father and marrying a redhead and Teddy Lupin growing up as an orphan, J.K. Rowling sure loves her generational parallels.