Snape, Logic, and the PS/SS bottle puzzle

[marinafrants]

No: HPFGUIDX 37892

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "edisbevan" <A.E.B.Bevan at o...> wrote:

> 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?

It certainly seems to fit in with his general ability to "put two and
two together as only Snape can."  I'm not sure how important it will
be to the overall plot -- I think the puzzle scene in PS/SS was
intended to highlight Hermione's logical ability rather than Snape's
-- but it is suggestive.

It's ironic, though: Snape seems to be one of the few wizards capable
of logical thinking, but he's also more likely than most wizards to
let his emotions get in the way of his intellect.  It's yet another
stereotype that he breaks: fiction tends to present logical characters
as unemotional, and vice versa, but Snape is both logical and
violently passionate.

Marina
rusalka at ix.netcom.com