Is Snape really THAT good in Potions?(was: Snape and the Kappa)

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 119497


 
> SSSusan:
> Brace *your*self, Potioncat, for you're agreeing w/ Neri and I'm 
> disagreeing with you!  (Actually, I'm not disagreeing w/ your 
> assessment of Snape's skills, but only w/ the term "master.")
> 
> I think Potions *Master* IS an important term to take into 
> consideration when evaluating Snape's abilities.  We don't hear 
> anyone refer to Flitwick as the Charms Master, nor McGonagall as 
the 
> Transfiguration Master.  Now, I can't speak to whether "Master" 
would 
> be a both-gender appellation, but we do have the example of 
> Flitwick.  He's always teacher or professor; not master.  Don't 
you 
> think we're *meant* to take from that information that Snape *is* 
> considered an expert?
> 
> Siriusly Snapey Susan, who doesn't believe Snape is a master 
> *teacher* but does believe he's a master potions maker.

Potioncat:
Something you said made me think of another possibility, but here 
goes.

Having read many posts over the past year and a half from the 
British fans who tell us master was a common phrase for teacher in 
the old days, and having just read "To Serve Them All My Days" 
(TSTAMD in the remainder of this post) I've seen the light.  Master 
is used in TSTAMD several times to simply refer to teacher, although 
teacher is used too.

I think you're right, no one calls Flitwick the Charms Master. But 
Potions Master still means Potions teacher.  And when Snape tries to 
uncover the purpose of Harry's spare bit of parchment, he refers to 
himself as a master of Hogwarts (a teacher of Hogwarts)(Sorry, I 
don't have the exact quote.)

JKR was of course, writing for an English public at first and would 
ahve expected master to be understood as teacher, even if it isn't 
used today.  Here is where SSSusan gave me an idea: It could be that 
JKR is using Potion Master as Potion Teacher but is also implying or 
will reveal a stronger meaning of the word.  But I don't think there 
is a profession in the WW of Potion Masters outside of the school 
setting.

Potioncat(who would like to thank Geoff, again, for recommending 
TSTAMD.)