HBP - spoilers - that textbook

[dungrollin]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "eloise_herisson" 
<eloiseherisson at a...> wrote:
> Careless Kneasy asked,
> 
> > Which calendar year is HBP set in?
> > '94? '95?, '96?
> > Can someone remind me please.
> 
> Oh Kneasy, that's what the Lexicon's for. 1996-97. Does it matter?
> 
> > 
> > Getting careless - had to delete this and re-post.
> > I'd forgotten the spoiler spaces. Apologies.
> > 
> > Getting careless - had to delete this and re-post.
> > I'd forgotten the spoiler spaces. Apologies.
> > 
> > Getting careless - had to delete this and re-post.
> > I'd forgotten the spoiler spaces. Apologies.
> > 
> > Getting careless - had to delete this and re-post.
> > I'd forgotten the spoiler spaces. Apologies.

Kneasy:
> > It's that Advanced Potion-Making thing:
> > 
> > "It was nearly fifty years old. Neither his father, nor his 
father's friends, had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago."
> > 
> > But Tom was there in the mid-40's, and Tom was a brilliant 
student.  I haven't heard anyone say the same of Sevvy, have you?

Dungrollin:
HBP, Chapter 15 The Unbreakable Vow, pp 298-9 (UK ed) 
"But I don't think I've ever known such a natural at Potions!" said 
Slughorn, regarding Harry with a fond, if blood-shot, 
eye. "Instinctive, you know - like his mother! I've only ever taught 
a few with this kind of ability, I can tell you that, Sybill - why, 
even Severus -" 

And then a few paragraphs later:

"Well, then it's natural ability!" shouted Slughorn. "You should 
have seeen what he [Harry] gave me, fist lesson, the Draught of 
Living Death - never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, 
I don't think even you, Severus -"

No, not even Severus, not on a first attempt. But the notes in that 
book were notes he presumably made over the course of his sixth and 
seventh years for his NEWTs. Even Hermione has never made up her own 
spell before, while Snape had done at least two before his OWLs, 
*and* one of them was non-verbal.  

Kneasy:
> > We've been told that Voldy isn't the HBP. Has is actually been 
> spelled out that Tom isn't either? 'Cos unless it has Jo might be 
doing a Dobby.

Dungrollin:
'Fraid she did, it's somewhere on the website in the FAQs.
Ah. Here:
http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/faq_view.cfm?id=57

(hoping the link links)