the potions textbook

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 135323

Jim:
> 
> Sorry, Potioncat, but I can't let you get away with that one. It take
> serious imagination to come up with a stolen textbook and lost
> recollections of Potions tricks that Snape can't remember any more. 
> Here's the scene:

>> Does it speak well for a person when his defenders have to explain
> away *absolutely everything* he does, including betraying people to
> their deaths? ***Twice?***


Potioncat:
Well, that AK knocked me off my feet, but, yeah, here I am defending 
him again...pretty soon I'll be writing country-western songs.
But you don't have to defend him to see my point. Of course, you don't 
have to agree with it either. But just to clarify:

Death Eater or Order Member. Good teacher or bad. I don't think 
Professor Snape would have kept the book in the cabinet all these years 
where someone might get it. He wanted the book back when he realised 
Harry had it. If Snape had been in possession of the book, he would 
have kept it in his office, not the classroom. There's just too much in 
it to chance a student getting it.


I don't think he "forgot" the potion tricks. I think he was teaching 
the "improved" potions, whether he told the students or not. I was 
joking about not having the notes to write a book. But I do not think 
he's had the book since sometime in 6th or 7th year. I don't think Teen-
aged Severus would want his precious spells discovered either...for 
many reasons...and I don't think he just left it lying around.

Now, the book could have been taken/stolen/borrowed and at some time 
retuned to the potions cabinet. All these years he never knew because 
when a student came to class without a book, Snape would say, "Too 
bad." Or perhaps Slughorn had it all these years and never knew about 
the notes in it.

And actually, we may never know how the book got there, the important 
thing to JKR was that Harry got it.

Serious imagination? Thanks!
Potioncat