Master of This School

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 111873

 "zendemort" <zendemort at y...> wrote:
snip
 So why does Snape 
> call himself master of the school? I wonder what he is after? Does 
> he wish to become the Headmaster of Hogwarts at one point? 
> hmmm....... 
> This could provide clues into his personality... and his private 
> thoughts (possibly, he considers himself greater than Dumbledore, 
> the true master?)... But can it also tell us anything yet to come?
> 

Potioncat:
Well, this generated a lot of posts!

One thought came to my mind was how slight cultural differences give 
readers very different impressions of characters.  Which happens in 
RL too, doesn't it?

I had assumed that a Potions Master was a level of expertise..sort 
of like a Master Carpenter.  That a student would finish at  
Hogwarts and then study at St. Mungos or apprentice with an 
established  Potions Master.  A Potions Master would make potions at 
St. Mungos (pharmacist) or have  his own shop...etc.

So I always thought Lupin's praise of Snape's potion making skills a 
little odd.  Sort of like comparing a surgeon's skills to ordinary 
men, not to other surgeons.  (Lupin wasn't comparing Snape to potion 
masters but to wizards in general.) But that makes sense.  He is 
saying Snape's skills exceed what you would expect even of a 
teacher. See, I always thought there was something fishy in Lupin's 
praise and gave that gave a little push in the ESE!Lupin direction.

I also think this misunderstanding along with the opening potions 
speech is why so many of us seem to assume that Snape was a potion 
maker before coming to Hogwarts.

Potioncat