Does anyone else think it’s odd that Snape would not allow anyone with lower than an ‘O’ in Potions to go on to N.E.W.T., but when he becomes DADA teacher, he’ll accept an ‘E’? My guess is Dumbledore made him change his N.E.W.T. policy in this instance, because the subject was so important, what with the Wizarding World in a state of open war and all. This might be reflected in his comment about his surprise that so many of them “scraped an O.W.L.,” since they had had 5 different teachers in the subject.
I love the symbolism of the “unfixed, mutating” Dark Arts paired with the students’ need to be “as flexible and inventive.” It’s a magical representation of Rowling’s belief that to change the world, we need to “imagine better.”
I have always been just a bit taken aback by the words “eternal” and “indestructible” applied to the Dark Arts. Though Hermione later tells Harry that she thought Snape sounded like him when teaching the DA meetings, those two words would have caused me to have the same appalled reaction to Snape that Harry had.
This first DADA lesson introduces another one of the setups that I expected to have some kind of bigger payoff in book 7, but did not: nonverbal spells. We’ve discussed this a bit in the comments of another thread already. Nonverbals show up in Book 7, of course, as Harry is casting them from under his cloak. But the real payoff to nonverbals is Harry’s Felix-assisted ability to refill Slughorn’s drink and get him drunk enough to give up the memory.
Snape’s eyes linger over Harry while explaining that some lack the “mind power” to perform nonverbals, and Harry muses on the failed Occlumency lessons. This same pairing – nonverbals and occlumency – is found at book’s end, Snape will tell Harry that he’ll be blocked “again and again” until he can “learn to keep [his] mouth shut and [his] mind closed.” I had always thought this was Snape’s last lesson to Harry, and that it would be important to Book 7. I’m now convinced that Rowling didn’t think Snape’s advice was good. Nonverbals had nothing to do with his defeat of Voldemort, and it was only grief – what Dumbledore would call love – that finally taught Harry Occlumency.
Before moving on to Slughorn’s lesson: I have to say that there are few other places in the 7 books where I laugh as hard as when Harry says, “There’s no need to call me ’sir,’ Professor.”
Slughorn’s first class is amusing and introduces us to lots of fun potions, clues and setups for this book and the next (Felix Felicis; love potions; Lily, great at potions; Harry catching that “flowery” scent; Hermione smelling something she’s afraid to reveal), and of course, this book’s mystery: the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. Clever of Rowling not to let Harry see that inscription until after class. It removed us just enough from our recent encounter with Snape to keep us from suspecting him immediately.
Finally, there is Slughorn’s statement about the dangerous power of obsessive love. We get comical versions of this in the use of love potions later in the book, but we get the real deal as well. Bellatrix is an obvious example that we’ve already seen, claiming she’d give her sons up, if she had them, to the Dark Lord’s service. Depending on your interpretation, and many will disagree, Snape could fit the category as well. His love for Lily caused him, in the end, to die for the good; but it also kept him a bitter and nasty person who hated because of his “love.” If you buy Rowling’s explanation that Dumbledore flirted with world domination because of his obsessive love for Grindelwald, you have a third example.
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
All excellent comments, Travis, although I never found “There’s no need to call me Sir” funny. I would go one step further and say that Slughorn’s comment about never underestimate the power of obsessive love is intended by Rowling to describe Snape and provide a clue to his motivations. To be clear, I’m not saying that Snape’s feelings were not true love (Slughorn says that amortentia does not create true love, just an obsession), but that he both loved Lily and was obsessed with Lily, so that Slughorn’s final phrase “obsessive love” fits. And the power of this love has shaped the events of the entire series.
Snape has a difficult task as DADA professor this year. He has to teach the subject well while not making the Death Eaters/their children think that he is working against Voldemort. So he can talk about the Dark Arts with a loving caress and yet say that to counter then you must be flexible and inventive. From what I can tell in the later chapters, he is an excellent teacher and, aside from snide comments to/about Harry doesn’t seem to be as bullying as he was as a potions teacher. The fact that Harry has trouble seems to be solely because of his preoccupation with hating Snape instead of really trying in class, or maybe Snape’s needling saps his ability. There’s an additional payoff in the non-verbal spells with levicorpus. (And I think Ron’s line “Next time just set the alarm clock” is THE funniest in the 7 novels.) Here Harry finally tries just thinking the spell and it works, and they use it again in Bellatrix’ vault to get Hufflepuff’s cup (except there they say it instead of doing it non-verbally).
There are a number of clues to the half blood prince’s identity that should have led Harry to realize it was Snape and I think the only reason he doesn’t figure it out is that he is blinded by his hatred of Snape. Here are some of the clues just in this chapter: the book was in Snape’s old classroom; the HBP is clearly very bright and great at potions, like Snape who is one of the few per Lupin who can make the Wolfsbane Potion; the tiny cramped handwriting he had seen before in the Pensieve in OOTP when Snape was writing his DADA OWL; and the Prince adds a clockwise stir, just like in the potions recipes Snape has been putting on the board for years (we see it at least once in a prior book-I forget which but I noticed it on my last read-through).
I think Rowling sets up a bit of a red herring to make us wonder if the HBP was Voldemort. She has Ginny worry that it’s like Riddle’s diary and later when Harry checks the age of the book it’s about fifty years old (which would be slightly after Voldemort’s student years, but maybe was just a rough number).
I always wondered why Snape left his old textbook behind in the class. When did he leave it in the Potions classroom? Did he always have it placed in with the extra textbooks? Why? Wouldn’t the book have been like an old friend to him? Or did it contain things, like sectumsempra, that as a teacher & supposed member of the OOTP he should not be associated with?
I suppose this may be common knowledge or totally irrelevant but Dada is defined as
“A European artistic and literary movement (1916-1923) that flouted conventional aesthetic and cultural values by producing works marked by nonsense, travesty, and incongruity.”
I never thought of it before except seeing it written so many times as in these past comments.
From HBP chapter nine
“Amortentia doesn’t really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room — oh yes,” he said, nodding gravely at Malfoy and Nott, both of whom were smirking skeptically. “When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love.”
I had some similar thoughts as Lily Luna did. As I was re-reading last night I put some items down on paper, trying to keep a jump ahead. Here we see foreshadowing a clue by Rowling why Snape would love (or his obsession) and be motivated act on the account of Lily for so many years after her death, and with no evidence that this relationship was ever more than a friendship between Lily and Severus. Also I could see that Snape’s one-sided obsessive behavior year after year would change into false memories he could romanticize things that never happened. I and others sometimes color the past with rose-colored glasses, our memories change about our loved ones that we have lost. I read In A Grief Observed, C. S. Lewis brings up this point, man that book took me years to get through that book.
Considering that when teaching sixth year potions he was teaching students who had been under his exclusive tutelage for five years it is understandable to demand an O.
When teaching DADA to students who’ve had sub-par (understatement) teachers for at least 3 out of 5 years it is logical to lower the standards.
Also he already had his fair share of teaching Potter alone.
BTW, I think Harry always had it in him to do well in Potions. Aside from a genetic advantage of two very smart parents, he does fine in OOTP when Snape gives him the Uncle Vernon silent treatment (aside from Snape pushing his flask off the table), during his OWL practical, and when following the HBP’s recipes. I don’t think he had Snape’s creativity and inventiveness or Hermione’s understanding of tricky rules (e.g. Golpalott’s third law). Also, I sometimes wondered in the earlier years whether Snape doesn’t secretly jinx Harry’s potions — for example, when try as he might he can’t get his confusing concoction to thicken.
In Snape’s memories in DH, Lily agrees with him when he says he thought they were best friends; she also “blushes under the intensity of his gaze.” I think they were close friends and maybe could have become more but she’s obviously been beginning to pull away from him (why else would he be seeking reassurance), doesn’t like who he’s hanging out with, and his calling her mudblood is the last straw. I don’t think Snape imagines that they were actually more than what they were but that he believes that they could have become more. At first he thinks that James is to blame for the rift, but I think he eventually understands that James was incidental and that it was his own actions in wanting to become a death eater and then actually becoming one that are at fault. That’s why he shows Harry the memory of Lily lecturing him about Avery and Mulciber, to show that’s why she wouldn’t forgive him, that the mudblood insult to her was emblematic of the terrible direction he was heading in. She thought he had made a choice between her and the death eaters, he an immature adolescent didn’t really understand he had to choose, and understanding came much too late. Is he obsessed with her, yes, but it would take love, not just an obsession, to make him go to Dumbledore, agree to become a double agent, and feel the remorse he demonstrates at her death.
DADA under Lockhart and Umbridge was certainly Dada.
Travis said, “I have always been just a bit taken aback by the words “eternal” and “indestructible” applied to the Dark Arts. Though Hermione later tells Harry that she thought Snape sounded like him when teaching the DA meetings, those two words would have caused me to have the same appalled reaction to Snape that Harry had.”
Yeah, I never really thought Harry & Snape sounded the same on DADA either. And Harry I don’t think would say something like the Dark Arts being “Eternal & indestructible.” Harry’s right in that Snape speaks of the Dark Arts with affection, almost akin to a loving caress, I think is how the phrase goes in the book. Snape’s speech is really disturbing in that regard.
I hate to descend to the level of biographical criticism, but do you think JKR’s own experiences with love may frame Slughorn’s cautionary words about infatuation?
Personally, I think they probably do. And, if you think about it, people being burned by love is almost a major theme in the series.
In regard to Snape’s eyes lingering over Harry, I generally read that now as meaning he is really looking at Lily’s eyes & is being tormented by it, which makes him disdain & hate Harry all the more.
Regarding other things that are set up but never paid off is the Draught of Living Death. Mentioned in Harry’s first potions class & now mentioned in his first class with Slughorn. If two potions masters see fit to mention it, it must be a useful or important potion, right? Apparently not. No pay off at all that I can see, except in fan fiction.
revgeorge, I’d initially figured she including the Draught of Living Death as a misdirection on Dumbledore’s death (trying to encourage the speculation that he wasn’t dead). But then she came right out and publicly squashed that theory.
Travis wrote, “Snape could fit the category as well. His love for Lily caused him, in the end, to die for the good; but it also kept him a bitter and nasty person who hated because of his “love.”
Very well said, Travis. I think this kind of sums up my feelings about Snape, too. That he is a very complicated person who defies a simple characterization of “Is he good or is he evil?” I think where Snape finds his redemption is in Harry’s forgiveness of him. Forgive me, but I can’t remember if I read this in one of John’s works or in your book, but isn’t Harry in a sense a conglomeration & a purification of Voldemort, Snape, & Dumbledore? He is the exemplar of all three of those men, what they could’ve been but were not because of their failings.
The difference between Snape’s obsessive love & Dumbledore’s is that Snape’s is told us in the books. We could tell what JKR meant by her writing in regard to Snape whereas we don’t get that with DD. But hey, we’ve probably beaten that argument to death.
Another good example of obsessive love is Voldemort. Narcissism is one of the worst sorts of love.
Picking up a bit on what Mike A. said, JKR does draw a clear contrast between selfish, obsessive love & sacrificial love. One seeks to use the beloved for one’s own ends while the other seeks for the best of the beloved & entails sacrifice on behalf of that other person & also entails the possibility that one is going to get hurt.
Lewis is really good on fleshing this out in The Four Loves &, if one wants to see it in action, in Till We Have Faces. I think JKR, while perhaps not following Lewis explicitly, understands the different kinds of love & knows how to write them credibly & more than likely also influenced by her own personal experience.
Yeah, JKR probably did herself a disservice in quashing all that speculation about DD & whether he was alive or dead. I remember all the wild speculations regarding DD’s death & how the Draught of Living Death played such a prominent role in it. But she didn’t really let that play out, did she?
I disagree with the assumption that Snape’s feelings toward Harry never change before his death. I think they change over the last two novels (and perhaps earlier). In the Prince’s Tale, when Snape refers to Lily when he goes to Dumbledore, he calls her “Lily Evans,” her maiden name, and at Lily’s death he refers to Harry as “Potter’s son.” In other words he cannot bring himself to acknowledge Lily’s marriage or to think of Harry as her son, though he knows he is protecting Harry “for her.” By the middle of Harry’s sixth year, when Dumbledore explains that Harry must die to get rid of the piece of Voldy’s soul inside him, Snape refers to Lily as “Lily Potter,” her married name, and to Harry as “Lily Potter’s son.” By this time he can acknowledge her marriage and think of Harry as her son. I think this is an important change in him. (And this change is in the course of a few pages and therefore most likely deliberate on Rowling’s part; it is not a matter of passages written in different books years apart.) Methinks he doth protest too much in his denial that he “has come to care for the boy after all.” Dumbledore’s describing Snape’s prior comment as “how touching” would raise anyone’s instinct to deny it; who wants their feelings to be described as “how touching?” Certainly Lily has always been his motivation, but now his motivation has to change, because Dumbledore makes him believe that Harry is going to die anyway, so the mission is no longer protecting him for Lily but protecting him long enough to bring down Lily’s murderer. He finds a lot of ways to spend time with Harry with the numerous detentions, which he could have delegated to Filch if he didn’t want to be with Harry. And in the silver doe scene he hides behind two trees to watch Harry try to extract the sword, just like he watches Lily on the playground. He’s coming to identify Harry more and more with Lily. He uses his doe patronus to guide Harry to an item that was last in his (the headmaster’s) office, which seems like he was providing Harry a clue to who was helping him and perhaps was hoping Harry, or at least Hermione, would figure it out. In the Shrieking Shack, he grabs Harry’s robes to say “take it” and then keeps holding on to them- he doesn’t want to leave go. His death parallels that of Dobby, both in the similarities in how Harry looks into the eyes of each and in the halting way Dobby says “Harry . . . Potter” and Snape says “Look . . .at . . .me.” Dobby was devoted to Harry and I think we are meant to see a Snape who has come to accept and want to be reconciled with Harry. So many people change for the better as they grow up in this series – Harry, James, Dumbledore, Draco, Regulus, and others. Why not Snape?
Travis, I think your assessment of Rowling’s opinion of Snape’s advice to Harry to keep his mouth and mind closed is dead on. It seems like she values Harry’s tendency to feel deeply and act impulsively and decisively on those feelings, and she values those things more than the discipline of being able to shut people out. She values Harry’s tendencies over Snape’s even when Harry’s result in major mistakes. It’s not that she thinks that occlumency is bad, but she doesn’t think that becoming more like Snape is especially great, and even becoming more like Dumbledore in some respects would not be desirable. Does any of that make sense? My thoughts on this are not especially well-developed yet.
Two cute bits I enjoy in this chapter are when Hermione and Harry each manage to flatter the other. I don’t know that there’s any real purpose to the two exchanges, but we see real affection and mutual respect there, and I love how Slughorn’s report of what Harry had said about Hermione makes Ron a little batty, on account of the jealousy.
Did anyone pick up on the flowery smell bit on the first read? I definitely did not. So sweet, though; Harry loves Ginny and he doesn’t even know it yet.
I agree with School Marm’s evaluation of Harry’s “hot head/ good heart” tendency. But it’s always bothered me a bit that he is SO rude to Snape, Malfoy, and the Dursleys. I always feel like, “Come on, we know you don’t like them, but a little courtesy and self-control, please!” Maybe it’s just a childish trait and he does seem to have outgrown it by the tiny glimpse we see in the Epilogue, when he nods at Draco but doesn’t speak. I think in this way Dumbledore is so honorable in his behavior throughout the series, he is polite in all circumstances. Maybe it’s better to be a bit more open and expressive with your true feelings, but I think courteousness is a virtue that Harry could have used more of…
Actually, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stare at Draco, and he nods at them and turn away. They don’t even give Draco a nod.
Oops! I stand corrected.
It’s been awhile since I read it.
Harry certainly isn’t always a well mannered young man, but do Snape and the Dursleys deserve better then they receive from him? The only time Snape ever talks to Harry in a decent manner is during his first occlumency lesson. Nothing approaching decency is recorded from the Dursleys–those uniformly horrid muggles–in the first six books. I don’t know many teenagers who would act differently then Harry in these circumstances. Vernon, Petunia and Snape are supposed to be the adults here.
As for Draco, a survey of what he says to Harry and the Trio books 1-6 might flood a good sized sewer. And that’s leaving aside the behavior of his father. Good grief, Dracos offhand comment wishing Hermione dead in the Slytherin common room in book 2 should have gotten his mouth washed out with soap. Harry may not treat Draco well, but he doesn’t respond with this kind of filth. Ideally, Harry should place the burning coals of kindness on Draco’s head, but who has taught him that kind of thing?
Schoolmarm, I also like the innocent exchanges between Harry and Hermione in this chapter. Ron’s reactions are very amusing. Harry may love Hermione as a sister, but he doesn’t show it much until this book. JKR could be sowing these little seeds of jealousy in Ron for later use in DH. I wonder if the movies to come will play up this “triangle” more fully then the books. Seems like the Hollywood thing to do.
I don’t think Snape’s love of Lily is obsesive, his love for the dark arts are what clouds his judgement. What we see in the pensieve shows that he truly did love her. He was clouded by his love of DA to the actions of those around him. Lily tried to make him see that but he was too intent on James to hear what she was saying. DD describes Harry as haveing a heart like his mothers in his conversation with Snape. Rowling is using Lily as her Beatrice, her personification of perfection or ideal attitude. The truly amazing part of they’re relationship is that Snape IS in love with Lily but does not realize what it is that he loves about her. So rather than examining himself and his own actions he deflects, (it’s potter’s fault) rather than what HE is doing. When Lily is threatened his eyes are finally opened to what a horror the DA are to the victims. He kind of had other people sindrome, when the Marauders did things to him he saw that as bad (but what about James?) but as long as his “friends” did not do things to him he did not see what they did as bad. He made no assosiation between the two. So after his eyes are open he can finally “hear” wht Lily had said to him. I had quit a bit to say and therefore tried to sum it up so this would not be too long a ramble. I hope it was still clear and coherent.
I found Slughorn’s potions such a refreshing change from the usual misery of Potions classes. Whereas Snape is antagonistic and threatens students with punishments for poor work (like testing out potentially dangerous potions on Harry or Trevor), Slughorn is cheerful and congenial and offers a prize for work done well. While he may show a touch of favoritism, he isn’t rude to any of the students, and he certainly doesn’t discriminate against Gryffindors.
I love all the hints of romance in this chapter, particularly with the love potion and what Hermione and Harry smell. That Harry smells the flower again when he sees Ginny is a pretty big tip-off. That relationship is interesting because it was one-sided for such a long time; Ginny had a crush on Harry as far back as book 1, and certainly book 2. Harry always liked her just fine but mostly thought of her as Ron’s kid sister. Love really crept up on him slowly, but once it turned up, it seemed like it had always been there.
With Ron and Hermione, there’s always been that back-and-forth between them, with hints of romance really starting to emerge strongly in GoF. It’s hard to say who fell first, though my inkling would be to say Hermione, and that Ron didn’t realize how much he liked her until he thought somebody else had her. His jealousy of Harry in this chapter is very telling, and foreshadows his problems in DH, and there are lots of parallels between the Hermione/Krum and Ron/Lavender. Also, wasn’t Lavender the one to whom Ron made that “Can I see Uranus” comment in Divination?
My favorite part of the chapter, and one of my favorite ever McGonagall moments, is when Neville gets his class schedule worked out. It’s such a wonderful mixture of all her defining qualities – strictness, encouragement, sly humor. Really great to see her giving Neville such a boost, even as she denies him the opportunity to continue in her subject. I wonder how much interaction they have with one another after this then? I’d like to think that she especially keeps an eye on him in his seventh year. Although she is hard on Neville through the years, this is a terrific acknowledgment of her respect for him.
Is it typical, I wonder, for nobody to take Care of Magical Creatures beyond fifth year? Once in a blue moon, maybe, an aspiring vet (or whatever the wizarding term is) continues, but otherwise it’s only a three-year course? Interesting. I guess the fact that they don’t start CoMC or Divination until third year is an indication that they’re not subjects that are necessarily worthy of really intensive study for most students.
I also find it a little strange that Snape left his book in the room. Maybe he was secretly hoping to pass some of his knowledge onto somebody without their being aware of it? What if he actually was hoping to instruct Harry? He could have slipped his book into the dungeon at the last minute, once he knew he’d be switching classrooms, figuring Harry would have to use a used book since he hadn’t done well enough in the subject to meet Snape’s standard. He seemed to despise the fact that Harry ended up with the book, but Snape’s motivations are so murky you never know. It just seems like he would’ve kept the book close to him unless he had a specific reason not to…
You are correct about Ron making the Uranus comment to Lavendar.
I wondered the same thing, even whether Snape asked Slughorn to give that one to Harry. I do think he got a secret kick out of Harry learning from him without realizing it, and his anger when he rushed into the bathroom in the sectumsempra scene was in part at himself for either forgetting that was in there or not warning Harry about it (and also angry at Harry for using a spell when he didn’t know what it did and then lying about it). Forgive me if I already said this in an earlier comment – I’m in a rush and don’t have time to reread them.
I do think Harry was really reckless in his use of spells from the book. Hermione was right to tell him that he shouldn’t be practicing spells when he has no idea what they do.
Considering Snape was so into Lily, I’d half-expect to see LE + SS doodled throughout the book in the corners – but I guess such frilly expressions of affection aren’t really Sev’s style!
Part of Snapes anger may also be over Harry’s lack of control over the spell. I think we see Snape use it in the scene under the beach tree. Just a little slash on James’ face and at a time when he was boiling with anger. He could control his emotions.
What about Snape just simply forgetting that his potions book was left behind in the classroom? It’s probably been years since he’s looked at it and he doesn’t need it as an accomplished Potions Master. Perhaps it’s painful to look at, as it reminds him of the timeframe in which his estrangement from Lily becomes permanent? The book could have just as easily ended up with Ron, as they both needed one.
Interesting to think about how the year might have played out differently if it had been Ron rather than Harry who got the book. Would he have developed the obsession for it Harry did? Would he have become one of Sluggy’s favorites? Or would he have simply been annoyed by the scribbling and snatched up the new book as soon as it became available?
Ron had trouble reading Snape’s writing. He might just have traded with Harry in the first class.