Why is Slughorn raving about Lily instead of Snape?

[Missy]

No: HPFGUIDX 134145

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Florentine Maier" 
<florentinemaier at h...> wrote:
> I find it highly peculiar that Slughorn constantly compares Harry's 
> potions ability to Lily's. Slughorn must have been teaching Snape 
too, 
> who has been in the same year as Lily. Wouldn't it make more sense if 
> Harry reminded him of Snape?

No, I don't think it's bizarre at all.  You have to remember Sluggie's 
first priority.  Slughorn surrounds himself by people who go on to 
excel and who really do something with their lives.  He wouldn't choose 
Snape.  Hold on, don't go after me for that, and let me explain.

Sluggie somehow chooses people who wind up in power.  He chooses 
talent, good looks, etc.  And certainly, even I will say that Snape has 
enormous talent.  But what did he do with it?  He does whatever, then 
becomes a teacher at Hogwarts.  Just a plain old teacher.  (I'm talking 
about what the outside world will see him doing, not his 
double/triple/quintuple agent stuff).  That is something Slughorn did 
on his own.  Nothing powerful there.  No sparkly pineapples or whatever 
it was.  Lilly however, went on to do whatever she did.  But she and 
James were by all accounts very popular.  And powerful.

Lilly was pretty, good at potions, and very popular.  Whatever they did 
for a living, they left their child with a vault full of gold and 
silver.  Sluggie would like that.  Lilly was one of the ones Slughorn 
collected.  So, it makes sense that seeing her eyes in Harry's face, 
Sluggie would remember her.  Then make Harry good at potions, and it's 
like one of his favorite pets is there, or the pet's child is there.  

He wouldn't compare Harry to Snape, not because of the talent levels 
there, but simply because Harry is Lilly's child.