The Continuing Tragedy of Severus Snape: Reflections on Books 1-5

[wynnleaf]

No: HPFGUIDX 164552


> Cassy:
> So you don't subscribe to the view that it is Lily's *Potions* 
talent
> inside that textbook? I find it curious that Slughorn (who taught 
them
> all) repeatedly equates Harry with Lily (specifically mentioning 
her
> creative brilliance), but compares him favourably to Snape:
> 
> `But I don't think I've ever known such a natural at Potions!
> Instinctive, you know – like his mother! 
 Well, then, it's natural
> ability! I don't think even you, Severus –` `Really?' said Snape
> quietly, his eyes still boring into Harry, who felt a certain
> disquiet.' (HBP15) 
> 
> In other words, Lily demonstrated the sort of imaginative instinct 
as
> a Potioneer that even Snape lacked. And I think Hermione could be
> right about a female mind at work, though wrong about the 
handwriting,
> if Snape copied Lily or they collaborated in Potions. This is what
> IMHO lends some retrospective poignancy to Snape's initial
> interrogation of Harry in PS/SS, as if Snape was trying to find out
> whether Harry was his mother's or his father's son. But as you say,
> it's not canon (yet!)


wynnleaf
I just wanted to comment on this particular item (and I am reading 
your essays on your website, btw).  

In my experience, when someone is trying to explain how someone 
excels in an area, and then makes a comparison to another person, 
saying, "why even ______ couldn't do that!" what they are typically 
doing is making a comparison to the highest in that area, not 
someone only fairly good.  So I read Slughorn's thought to be, more 
or less, "Harry is really talented!  He must get it from Lily.  Even 
Snape couldn't do some of the things Harry can!"  

Of course Slughorn would assume Harry got his "talent" from his 
mother, since she apparently had talent -- people always make those 
sorts of comparisons when a talented parent has a talented child in 
the same field.  But the "even Snape couldn't do what Harry could 
do," sort of comment actually, as I understand it, places Snape's 
talent above Lily's.

Slughorn does another "even you" when he talked about how well Harry 
did with his first attempt at Draught of Living Death.  If Lily had 
done it as well as Harry, Slughorn could have said, "Harry did it as 
well as Lily did!"  Or if Lily had produced a better DoLD than 
Snape, Slughorn could have said, "even Lily didn't do so well the 
first time around."  But instead, Slughorn says, "even you, 
Severus..." which shows that Snape was the best potions student 
until Slughorn saw Harry's "talent."

Naturally, when Slughorn saw Harry's "talent" he thought of Lily.  
Who else would he think of?  It's not like Harry was going to 
inherit it from Snape, right?  So all the comparisons are to Lily 
because Lily was Harry's mother and talent in potions.  

Now there are some things Harry does following the notes that make 
Slughorn think particularly of Snape.  When Harry makes Draught to 
Produce Euphoria, Slughorn comments that the peppermint addition 
seems like the kind of creative thing Lily would have done.  So we 
can infer that Lily was creative with potions.  But when you 
actually look at the DtPE, what do we see?  Many, many revisions.  
And the peppermint seems to get rid of any inconvenient outward 
signs of using the Draught.  Sounds a lot more like something Snape 
might want as a teen -- a potion to produce happiness, where he 
wouldn't be seen to have any silly outward signs.  Not something I'd 
picture Lily being interested in perfecting.

wynnleaf