Slughorn/ knitting/ Christening/ Potions text

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 138858




> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/137682 : 
Catlady:
> Was Slughorn in HBP rejecting *all* DE connected students, or only
> students connected with DEs who had been caught? In the Marauders'
> time, we believe he had Regulus in his club, and Regulus became a 
DE.
> I think his reasoning was to reject students related to people who 
had
> been disgraced, such as by being sentenced to Azkaban.

Potioncat:
Well, your questions bring up two different points. Was Slughorn 
avoidng DE related students or only those with disgraced relatives? 
The problem being that we don't know of any students who have DE 
relatives who weren't caught. 

We know he asked about Nott, but did not invite him after hearing his 
father was in prison. I'm wondering if he asked Blaise about Nott 
because he didn't know Nott senior had been captured? Not likely! I 
think he asked about Nott to get Blaise's view of the situation.


> 
> Marianne S wrote in 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/137700 :
> 
> << "Snape wiped the residue from Malfoy's face and repeated his 
spell.
> Now the wounds seemed to be knitting." I find [this] sentence in 
this
> quote interesting.... knitting.... didn't DD say (as a reason for 
his
> longish stay in Sluggie's bathroom while Sluggie and Harry spoke) 
that
> he liked Knitting Patterns? Just struck me as an interesting 
parallel
> ..... >>
> Catlady:
>> 
> So I suppose that DD's reference to Muggle *knitting* magazines,
> instead of e.g. Muggle gourmet magazines or such, *could* be a
> reference to uniting the good guys or uniting the Houses, in this
> chapter by recruiting Slughorn.

Potioncat:
I have the vague feeling that DD's made knitting pattern comments 
before. But on a separate note, the knitting image fits with Snape's 
spider-like descriptions, except this knitting is a positive one. 
> 
>
> 
> Kathryn Jones wrote in 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/137894 :
>> 
> The Potters, at least, were already in hiding when Harry was born
> (according to the Mugglenet/Leaky Cauldron interview):
> http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2005/070
> 5-tlc_mugglenet-anelli-3.htm
> 
> << JKR: At the time that they christened Harry, they were in hiding.
> This was not going to be a widely attended christening, because he 
was
> already in danger. So this is something they were going to do very
> quietly, with as few people as possible, that they wanted to make
> this commitment with Sirius. >>

Potioncat:
But do we know when Harry was christened? I know it is frequently 
performed soon after birth, but I've seen many christenings of older 
babies and even toddlers. (US Methodist, though) I ask this because I 
thought there was canon that they went into hiding later, rather than 
sooner.
>

 
> Klodiana wrote in 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/137960 :
> 
> << I don't know if you noticed this but when Harry tries to find out
> if his dad is the HBP, Lupin tells him to check out how old the book
> was. 

Catlady: 
> I think it was just a red herring, with the explanation that he used
> second-hand books because he came from a low-income family, but it's
> nice to pretend that it was his mother's old textbook WITH his
> mother's old notes written in it, so he was just as much of a cheat
> using those notes as Harry was.

Potiocnat:
Hmm. Because the book was so old, Hermione looked for someone named 
Prince who attended Hogwarts 50 years ago. She found Eileen Prince 
and later proved EP was Snape's mother. So, unless there is another 
explanation, I think JKR intends the book to have belonged to EP who 
handed it down to Snape.

If Lupin knew who owned the book, his advice was either calculated-- 
Hermione would find out without his telling--or it was bad advice--
since it actually led her to the information she needed. If he didn't 
know, then it was odd advice. Considering the number of students who 
probably buy used books, knowing how old the book is does not tell 
you who used it.

I think JKR intends for the reader to understand that it was Eileen's 
book and she handed it down to Severus. I don't think the writing in 
the margins is Eileen's, but it could be. I think it's important that 
she kept the book.She could have sold it earlier. (She was  around 30 
before Severus was born.) Perhaps she gave Snape his love of books?