Harry the author

[Judy]

No: HPFGUIDX 175774

I (Judy) Serenity wrote:
> > > Here's my theory, as an academic and a Snapefan:
> > > Snape hasn't published his "secret recipes" because then they
> > > would no longer be *secret*. As long as he is the only one with 
> > > potion knowledge, he can run - er, brew - circles around the 
> > > other potionmakers.  

Panhandle replied:> 
> > Except for Lily, I think. I believe that the potions talent 
> > Slughornso admired in Lily came from her good friend Severus 
> > secretly coaching
> > her throughout at least the first six years.

I agree, although I think Snape only was helping Lily in Potions 
during their first FIVE years -- she got angry at him right during 
their O.W.L.s, which would be fifth year. However, I doubt he shared 
*all* of his potions secrets with her, if for no other reason than 
that she wasn't as interested in Potions as he was. 

When HBP came out, there was actually a lot of speculation that Snape 
had been helping Lily in Potions, just like Snape was helping *Harry* 
in Potions, through the Prince's book. IRRC correctly, people saw 
this both as evidence for Snape loving Lily, and as one of JKR's 
hints to the Prince's identity.  


Carol responded:
> Unfortunately for that theory, by sixth year when they were actually
> using that Potions book, Lily and Sev were no longer friends. 
> potions hint and spell is in his handwriting. Just because two
> people are good in the same subject doesn't mean that one is 
> responsible for the other person's genius, and Snape's Potions 
> genius is demonstrated 
> in every book. I seriously doubt that Severus ever needed to be
> "coached" in his second-favorite subject.

Panhandle was suggesting that Snape coached Lily in Potions, not that 
Lily coached Snape in Potions. I don't think anyone would suggest 
that Lily was better in Potions than Snape was. Potions seems to be 
heavily associated with Slytherin, the Water House, while Gryffindor 
(the Fire House) is associated with Transfiguration. It's also 
implied that Lily was good at Charms (Ollivander said her wand was 
good for Charms work), which I'd assume is more like Transfiguration 
than it is like Potions. 

As for when Snape used wrote in the book, he must have been using it 
by Fifth year, because he wrote the Levicorpus spell in it. I don't 
find it surprising that Snape would make use of a more advanced 
potions book than the one he used for class, though; I see him as 
working on advanced potions in his spare time, with Slughorn's 
encouragement. 

-- JudySerenity