Lily, Snape and Potions: Who was the real potions master? |
 Feb 13 2008, 04:30 PM
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#31
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Getting Fitted for New Dress Robes  Posts: 42 Joined: 7:54pm February 12, 2008 Location: Snape's bath-tub  |
I always pictured Lily somewhat Hermione-ish, excelling in all classes and everything, and being as beautiful and delightful(only adjective I could come up with) as she's usually described, it wouldn't be strange that Slughorn took her as a favorite, and only spoke of her as a great potion-maker because it was the area were he saw her at it. Snape, on the other hand, while being a great potion-maker as well, is always described as ugly and un-popular, so would go unnoticed by the elitist teacher...
-------------------- I do not know who made my avatar...but if you do, please let me know so I can credit.
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Feb 13 2008, 05:02 PM
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#32
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Flesh-Eating-Slug Catcher Posts: 184 Joined: 12:29pm April 2, 2007 Location: Gryffindor's Common Room  |
No way Lily could have benefited that book, because they were in the same year, so Snape was writing it.
He could help her, though. Or she was also very good, or as she considered Snape a friend, benefited from his talent. |
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Jun 24 2008, 07:31 PM
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#33
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 4 Joined: 7:47pm February 12, 2008 |
I feel like both Lily and Snape would have been very good at potions.
We seem to get the impreesion over the course of the seven books that Lily was a very good student (Harry is told on more than one occasion that she was a singularly gifted witch). So we could safely assume that she would apply herself just as dutifully to Potions as she would to her other subjects. And the fact that it seemed to be something that she and her best friend could connect with probably only made her enjoy it more. Anyway, I think that Severus probably had the natural talent (after all, he was called upon both by Dumbledore and by Voldemort to do things that no other potions maker could ever have dreamed of, and accomplished them). And I think Lily just tried very hard. And when you put two people like that together (natural talent and good study habits) amazing things can happen. The two probably made one of the best potions pairs the school had ever seen, and it was because they worked together. But as for Slughorn favoring Lily, I think it was because she was probably the one to always raise her hand and answer his questions. Severus seemed to be a shy, introvert person, and plus he was probably very content with letting Lily take the praise from the teacher- even if it was by answering a difficult question that he knew she only knew that answer to because he had told her. I don't know, that's just the way I see it- they were both smart, but unltimatley, Lily was the outgoing one of the pair and so she became the teacher's favorite. And I think this has come up a few times over the course of the thread, and although it's not really a part of the topic, I just thought I'd give my opinion on it: I think we could probably assume that Gryffindors and Slytherins had Potions together all seven years, because the way Slughorn spoke about the two of them, it seemed as though they had always been together. And yes I say always. I think that even after their falling-out at the end of fifth year the two would have continued working together. They were most likely years ahead of the rest of the class, and I feel like Prof. Slughorn just couldn't have beared to see his two most promising pair split up so suddenly- I think he would have done all he could to keep them together. Which also may explain how Snape had so much to write in his textbook even in his sixth year- the two were still working together and still feeding off of each others ideas- though there probably was no longer the same sense of companionship and teamwork that had accompanied their experiments as in the years previous. |
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Jun 26 2008, 08:38 AM
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#34
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Daily Prophet Photographer Posts: 881 Joined: 1:35am January 6, 2007 |
I don't think that it is possible that Lily discussed potions with Snape after she ended the friendship in 5th year. First because if she had, they would have had to have reconciled to a point - at least enough to work together and Snape would have continued to apologize. Snape's Worst Memory would not be his worst anymore because it wouldn't have spelled the moment he lost his friend. I think he felt she never forgave him for that and long hours of working together would not work out at all if she never spoke to him during potions class. Plus, by seventh year she was dating James - can you imagine her securing a seat with Snape at that point?
Moreover, James and Sirius were #1 and #2 in their class, which means they were pretty brilliant in potions as well and so I am pretty sure she'd share with her boyfriend. In fact, she may have even shared her interest with James and Sirius all along because they were all in the same house and that just happens. James and Lily couldn't have been completely hostile up to when we saw them in 5th year or else the mutual crush underlying that 5th year argument wouldn't have happened in my view. But I do think that Snape and Lily would have had an interest in potions to share - perhaps at a similar level which was not as great as everyone seems to think. They were good at it, but recall Snape's interests was the dark arts and he merely took the Potions position because Dumbledore made him do so, he didn't want it. Lily's wand was good for charms so her interest may have also been divided. Finally I doubt that Lily and Snape sat next to one another in any year in potions because they were Slytherin-Gryffindor; Snape's friends hated Lily and would likely call her mudblood the whole time if she sat on the Slytherin side. Lily's friends hated Snape and I can only imagine the Maruaders behavior if Snape was in their midst. Since we know the class sat by house in Harry's year - and it was worse or the same back in Lily's year, I figure the kids sat on opposite sides. So I would imagine any potions talk happened outside of class. Snape wouldn't talk about Dark Arts too much I imagine, but he'd talk about DADA and Lily about Charms or whatever she liked, and both about potions. But I am not certain that it was either of their favorite topic just because they had a knack for it. -------------------- In Every Age, A Hero Rises...  |
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Sep 9 2008, 03:05 AM
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#35
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Just Through the Brick Wall Posts: 7 Joined: 4:00am September 7, 2008 Location: the shell cottage |
this always intrigued me. when Harry kept using the Prince's potions book and kept being the best at potions Slughorn always said that Harry was just like Lily. I found it interesting knowing that the book was Snape's.
what is the reason for this was it that Slughorn's memory was biased due to his adoration of Lily? Did Snape copy to his book what Lily did in class?  Did he not show any of these skills because he wanted Lily to shine?  I'm clueless, please help me out. |
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Sep 9 2008, 03:37 AM
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#36
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Getting Fitted for New Dress Robes Posts: 42 Joined: 8:55pm August 30, 2008 Location: Stockholm, Sweden |
Easily Snape... In every lesson Harry or Neville messes up, forgets one thing or another, Snape knows EXACTLY what's wrong and how to fix it. He's probably studied all potions and what happens when you do what (as shown in his book)... Lily might have been good but Snape is definitely the best. Slughorn even says at the christmas party some like that he think Harry did the best draft of something, and that not even Snape did better (and as Snape and Lily were in the same class, he'd probably say "Why not even Lily" instead of Snape)
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Sep 9 2008, 10:06 AM
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#37
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Hiding in the Iron Maiden at Borgin and Burkes Posts: 327 Joined: 10:18pm November 9, 2006 Location: alone on a hill, perfectly still |
The potions book was old and most likely belonged to Snape's mother, Eileen. Remember the fabulous library at Spinners' End, those would have come from her Wizarding family. Snape would have had access to all those books growing up, along with his mother's magical knowledge and input. He probably received early instruction in Potions from Eileen, and she gave him her book to take with him to school (they probably couldn't afford a new one anyway.)
Snape would have, I think, joyfully worked with Lily on Potions (and probably urged her to partner with him), for which she most likely had a natural talent in her own right. But I confess I see Snape as the potions prodigy here, Lily's innate talent enhanced by his tips and knowledge. -------------------- Come thunder! Come lightning!
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Sep 9 2008, 11:13 AM
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#38
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Director of Farcical Aquatic Ceremonies  Posts: 8,971 Joined: 2:55pm January 28, 2005 Location: Classified, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it. |
*Squishity squish*
 I've just merged two threads on the same topic. Please carry on discussing.  Pleione LL Moderator |
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