Did Snape learn from Lily and James?

[Cathy Drolet]

No: HPFGUIDX 139088

Auria
>When it is revealed that the HBP is Snape, it first appears that he 
was a gifted potions student and spell-crafter from the scribbled 
notes in the potions text book. However it occurred to me that maybe 
Snape was actually writing these tips and spells in his text book 
because he was learning and copying them from other students - namely 
Lily and James Potter.  The canon for this is firstly we know that 
Lily was a gifted potions student from what Slughorn informs Harry. 
We also know that Snape was in the same classes - so maybe he just 
wrote down everything that Lily did during their classes which 
deviated and improved from the text book instructions. This fits with 
Snape's character as he seems very ambitious and competitive, and 
would of course claim credit for himself if he could.

CathyD:
Actually, I've been wondering along the same lines myself.  Or maybe wandering?  

I've come to the conclusion that Snape and Lily were friends (possibly prior to the incident in the Pensive scene, I think it ended then).  I do not want it to be anything more than friends so I won't go there.  It does seem to me, however, that JKR is intimating someone other than James Potter when she answered this question: 

How does Aunt Petunia know about dementors and all the other magical facts she knows?  JK Rowling: Another very good question. She overheard a conversation, that is all I am going to say. She overheard conversation. The answer is in the beginning of Phoenix, she said she overheard Lily being told about them basically.

I can see them, with their heads together at Lily's house, working out Potions recipies, talking about the best way to repel Dementors.  Was Lily tutoring Snape or vice versa? Somehow I think you could get away with doing Potions at home and it not being considered underage magic by the MoM.  Lily was raised a Muggle until 11 so she would no doubt know how to start a fire under a cauldron without use of a wand.  

>We also know that the spell 'Levicorpus' which Harry found written 
in his textbook, was performed by James Potter on Snape as seen by 
Harry in the pensieve in book 5.  So perhaps Snape scribbled down 
this jinx in his potions text book after he had been a victim of it, 
in case it came in handy for him later?

CathyD:
I don't think that James and Snape would have been involved in any study sessions together.  I think what happened is that Lily possibly saw the spell in Snape's book during one of their study sessions and used it on a friend (like Harry did) who asked what it was, then the friend used it on another friend.  Lupin said there were a few months in his fifth year where you couldn't walk down the hall without being hoisted up by your ankle.  I think, once someone other than Snape knew it, it spread like wild-fire.  I can't see it being James' spell when Snape gets so wound up about Harry using it against him at the end of HBP.

>>In other words its possible that the tips and spells Harry is 
learning from the HBP text book in fact originated from his parents 
talents, and that Snape just copied them down and learnt from them 
himself, but of course would never admit it.

CathyD:
I actually see it as Snape's work, apart from possibly some of the Potions that he could have worked on with Lily as I mentioned above.  I think the spells are Snape's, and Snape's alone (or some may have been his Mother's).  I certainly can't see Snape taking credit for Levicorpus if he didn't create it, especially in light of James using it against him and his rant at Harry, end of HBP, about James using Snape's own spells against him and Harry doing the same.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]