[the_old_crowd] The Potions Master

[Kathryn]

Kneasy wrote 

".... even stopper death..."
Thus spake Snape in PS/SS.

I seem to recall a post or two on this from way back and the general 
consensus was that ole Sevvy could bottle death, i.e. poisons, which 
wasn't my interpretation at all - though I never got round to saying 
so, being heavily involved in two or three other threads at the time.

Can't speak for those on the other side of the water but in the UK the 
generally accepted usage of stopper (as a verb) is to block, prevent, 
curtail, seal off, obstruct, stop; much the same meaning as the phrase 
"put a cork in it" when you want somebody to shut up. Which would mean 
that Snape can prevent death.

K

*sigh* Kneasy starts a really interesting debate on a topic relating to my
favourite (because he's the most complex) character and I can't think of a
single intersting thing to add to it. Other (well come on you didn't expect
the fact I have nothing to say to stop me did you?) than to agree with
Kneasy's interpretation of Severus' possible meaning. I automatically took
it to mean this since if he just meant he could make a poison, well let's
face it that's not all that difficult, half the ingredients they seem to use
are deadly poisins. Hardly an advert for the fascination and complexity of
his subject is it - I can create a poison that any half competent wizard can
make. Whereas actually being able to fight death - now that sounds worth
learning about! Of course when I mentioned that possible meaning over on
HPfGUs I got told by several posters that I was misunderstanding and
confusing the word stopper with stop and he simply meant he could make
poisons.

Of course if he *can* prevent death maybe he should rethink his speech since
I don't know that he'd want to advertise that fact to Voldemort. Maybe
rather than stoppering death by prolonging life though he meant brewing
potions that can bring you back from the most serious of injuries? Injuries
that would normally be mortal, or maybe that's just the spin he's putting on
it to Voldemort since he can actually prolong life and is too arrogant to
cut it out of his opening day speech despite the dangers. huh. I could see
that actually - him advertising a capability that it isn't in his interests
to advertise just because he's one of only a few people who can do it and he
s darn proud of himself.

Wow - I start of saying I have nothing to say and then manage two paragraphs
 clearly I'm suffering from a major case of verbosity here!

K

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