PS 8

[pauraque_bk]

In Chapter 7, neotoma asked whether Snape has ever awarded points -- I can't say I know. (She also notes that there might be fewer Squibs than Muggleborns because fewer Squibs survive, after their relatives try to force magic out of them...!)

Meanwhile, the discussion on Chapter 6 has busted the 100-comment mark. Don't miss nullabona's legal thoughts on who might stand to inherit Sirius's estate. Though it occurs to me, also, that Sirius might not technically have ever been declared dead!


PS 8: The Potions Master

Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of [Filch] on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door which unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing. (99)

Any significance to the fact that it's Quirrell who bails them out? Is he being careful to keep an eye on this door, or does he not know the Stone's in there yet?

[Mrs Norris] patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. (99)

I prefer to think that Mrs Norris is just a regular cat -- I like the idea of the two "normals" teaming up against the magical majority.

'Ah, yes,' [Snape] said softly, 'Harry Potter. Our new -- celebrity.' (101)

I think we're in a much better position, post-OotP, to analyze what happens in this scene. Although Snape's already given Harry a dirty look once, Harry walks in more or less blind. Snape, meanwhile, walks in essentially expecting a confrontation with James Potter. He supposes Harry will be obsessed with his status, as James was. He also assumes he deliberately made Neville look bad to make himself look good -- as one can easily imagine James having done to Peter.

James wasn't just a jock, he was a *smart* jock. Magic came easily to him, whereas Snape had to work hard for whatever scholastic success he acheived. Now Snape's an academic by profession, and jumps to rub it in Harry's face.

From Harry's perspective, the sudden aggression is bewildering. But it's perfectly consistent, as long as you know that Snape sees Harry as James. (Not *right*, mind you, but consistent.)

'You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making [...] As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly wimmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses ... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.' (102)

Snape never goes on a poetic flight of fancy like this at any other time in the books, and I think this one abberrant speech tends to be given undue weight by fans.

The one thing I do like about this passage is its defensiveness. No one has suggested that potions aren't real magic, yet Snape jumps to defend himself from that criticism.

'Potter!' said Snape suddenly. 'What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?' (102)

I believe it was lizbee who introduced me to the idea of this line (the first Snape addresses directly to Harry) as a hint at Snape/Lily. Asphodel is related to the lily, and wormwood is notable as a bitter plant. Snape suggests putting them together. I like it. (Mind, I don't think *Snape* is trying to tell Harry he loved Lily -- if anything, it'd be a message from JKR to the reader.)

There's also an article at MuggleNet analyzing this as indicating a connection between Lily and Peter.

[Snape] swept around in his long black cloak [...] criticising almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemd to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs[...] (103)

I'm struck by how similar Snape's first class is to McGonagall's, described just a few paragraphs previously. Snape and McGonagall are both strict; neither are teachers to be messed with, in Harry's opinion. Harry notes that they share the ability to keep a class quiet without effort. They both begin their first class with a speech essentially warning the kids that the subject at hand is complicated and dangerous, and to behave. They both reserve praise for a student Harry dislikes: Snape likes the way Malfoy stews his slugs (and who's to say he didn't do it perfectly?); McGonagall shows the class how well Hermione turned her match to a needle, giving her a "rare smile".

Though admittedly McGonagall doesn't single Harry out to be picked on, their similarities seem more notable than their differences at this early stage. Yet, Harry seems to respect McGonagall straight away.

While there's probably some house bias involved, I think what Harry may be responding to is that McGonagall is successful as an *authority figure* -- whereas Snape has a hard time placing himself firmly above his students. He instead approaches them as peers to be challenged (as he does with Harry, equating him with his old school foe), so when he lays down the law, it's interpreted not as "strictness" within the rules of teacher-student relations, but as ad hominem cruelty.

Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob and their potion was seeping across the stone floor[...]

'Idiot boy!' snarled Snape[...] (103)

Snape's anger isn't hard to understand. You're trying to teach 11-year-olds to work with dangerous chemicals, and one spills them all over the floor.

But after this accident, Snape continues to target Neville for special criticism. It's really quite predatory: he sees weakness, and exploits it. It's also my reading that Snape is bothered by Neville because they're too much alike... they both fear humiliation above all else.

Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch 'that old git'.

'An' as fer that cat, Mrs Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang some time. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her -- Filch puts her up to it.' (105)

I'd entirely forgotten this. What should Filch have against Hagrid?


Past re-read posts are here.

Comments

[fluffers.livejournal.com]

I know we'll find out more about the parents in the next books, but I'm wondering what the source of that information will be--I don't think we can completely trust anything but something like a pensieve, which so far seems to present memories without the distortion of emotion, although the memory selection can be just as misguiding.

James is just such an enigma. One thing is for certain, whatever people's opinions of him are, they're all strong. I don't think we've heard from anyone yet who was like "Oh, yeah, James. Meh. He was all right." The Potters seem to inspire extreme emotion. But, at least in his Hogwarts days, he seemed okay with that, that people didn't ponder his other facets. He himself seemed to have such extreme feelings for others. I'd like to know what exactly caused his little turn around, since others said he settled down a bit after school.

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

James is just such an enigma. One thing is for certain, whatever people's opinions of him are, they're all strong.

IF nothing else, we know that James was a magnetic personality-- capable to drawing even hanger-ons right to his sphere of influence. He must have been capable of some fun/horrifying times, that James...

More than anything, I want to know Lily's POV on James! She must have genuinely liked/loved him, at least during the later years of his life-- she married him and he DID die trying to protect her and Harry. But she did know-- and protest-- against some of the more horrifyingexcesses in his life as well...