CHAPTER DISCUSSION PS/SS 8, THE POTIONS MASTER

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 188242

Carol:
<SNIP of the summary>



5. Snape asks Harry where he might find a bezoar, what he would get if he added
powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood, and what the difference is
between monkshood and wolfsbane? Why do you think that Snape asked those
particular questions? Do you think that he asks the same questions to every
class or that he chose them specifically for Harry?


Alla:

Well of course after DH we can see that **JKR** (as Zara said) chose those questions to foreshadow some future plot events as well, as to Snape? I do not know if he asked those questions before or chose them specifically for Harry, but I definitely think that even if he asked those questions before, he never asked them of one student AND I speculate it is highly unlikely that he asked those questions of Muggle born.

And I agree with Geoff as to why Snape asked Harry those questions.



7. Just for fun, why do you think that Snape (and, later, Slughorn) is referred
to by the old-fashioned title "Potions master" when no other teacher (except the
headmaster or headmistress) is called by a similar title? Why not "Potions
teacher" for Snape and "Charms master" for Flitwick, for example?


Alla:

I also would like to thank Zanooda for finding the quote that I was looking for. Heck, at least I remembered the book it was in LOL. So, it IS Potions Master for Snape and Charms Master for Flitwick, I do not care that Flitwick called this way only once, the fact that he is called that way to me means that he can be called Charms Master at any time.

My speculation here will be that Snape wanting to have his ego stroked by unworthy dunderheads and other teachers insisted on being called Potion Master all the time and Flitwick being a modest person could care less about the titles. Complete speculation of course.


Alla:

8. I had a warm feeling rereading some paragraphs in this chapter; there was a paragraph that reminded me how I felt when I was discovering magical world through Harry's eyes for the first times. 

"Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending". – p.132, paperback.

For some reason doors that needs to be tickled made me giggle, especially since I completely forgot that such doors existed in Hogwarts.

So my questions is which doors you think played important roles throughout the series and why? Which ones were your favorites?


Thank you for the questions, Carol.