Snape & Harry's potions grade

[Christina in GA]

No: HPFGUIDX 101613

Shaun:A question I've had ever since I read it through the >second time was
if the mark was an 0 or an O - was it a zero or an >Outstanding? I assume
Snape pays attention to what is going >on his class, so could often work out
what mark something got >even if it never reached him for marking. I can't
find the text at >the moment, but I seem to recall it saying something like
'the >mark looked suspiciously like a zero'.  I can see Snape as the >type
that could quite easily give Harry a good mark if it was >deserved because
he *has* to - but at the same time taking >great delight in letting Harry
think he's failed.

(OotP, p 661, US version)
At the end of the lesson he scooped up some of the potion into a flask,
corked it, and took it up to Snape's desk for makring, feeling that he might
at least have scraped an E. He had just turned away when he heard a smashing
noise; Malfoy gave a gleeful yell of laughter. Harry whipped around again.
His potion sample lay in pieces on the floor, and Snape was surveying him
with a look of gloating pleasure. "Whoops," he said softly. "Another zero,
then, Potter..."

So yes, it was definitely a zero, not an O for outstanding, and Snape did it
on purpose.

Christina in GA
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