Snape, Logic, and the PS/SS bottle puzzle

[edisbevan]

No: HPFGUIDX 37888

A though arising from Snape's Deadly Bottles test in PS/SS 


Obviously the potions ( including nettle Wine?)  come into his 
special field.

But he also has to set up the logical puzzle on which bottle to chose 
tio go ahead or go back.

According to Hermione most wizards don't have an ounce of logic
in  them and so would be baffled by the challenge. Clearly Snape is 
fingered as unusual, being credited with having more than an ounce of 
a somewhat non-Wizarding skill.. 

Maybe this will be important at some stage?

By the way was there ever a proof that the puzzle as presented in 
PS/SS can actually be solved logically? Can't see anything in 
surviving archives or in the FAQs on this.  As far as I can see yes 
it can be solved logically, giving certain limiting assumptions and 
the additional information available to Hermione who can see the 
actual arrangement of bottles, But `no' if the information in
the clue poem is all we have to go on.

Edis