*SPOILER* The Power of Potions

[intheflow]

Just some general thoughts on the role potions play in HP overall.

It's been mentioned several times in the HBP discussions that the Draught of Living Death is mentioned a few times in this book, fueling speculation about Dumbledore's death. I also want to remind folks that way back in book one, in Harry's first potions class, Snape mentions that potions "can even put a stopper in death."

The idea of love potions is very strong in this book. Merope uses one one on Tom Riddle, & What-Her-Name spikes Harry's chocolate with a love potion that Ron idavertantly eats. The potions book originally belonged to Snape's mother who married a Muggle, yet their marriage was obviously an unhappy one since one of Snape's memories in OotP is of his mother cowering while his father yells at her. Did that mirror when Merope ceased using the love potion on Tom Riddle, Sr., and he left her?

And of course, the significance of the book title including the HBP, and that we learn about the HBP via a potions book, should be indicative of something, though I'm not sure exactly what.

Any thoughts on my half-thought out observations? Anything I'm missing from this book or any previous books?

[XemaSab]

1. Snape's the potions master

and as the potions master he has a unique power within the books that he can use for good or evil.

Umbridge asked him to brew Veritaserum for her, Lupin had him brewing the Wolfsbane potion (and that's why Lupin neither likes nor dislikes him), he's the one who ostensibly can use his potion making skills to cure Dumbledore after DD has been out chasing horcruxes, he's the one whose supplies get raided to make the Polyjuice potion in COS as well as the gillyweed in GOF, he's the one who makes the potion to revive the people petrified (I think... recollection is hazy) in COS, and he's the one who puts forth a logic problem instead of a magic problem with the bottles in SS.

I'm sure I'm forgetting other examples.

He's got many other talents, but the potions talent seems to be his forte as far as most of the others are concerned.

And in COS, Lockhart suggests that the students ask Snape how to make a love potion, and Snape's response is... less than overjoyed.

You're raising an interesting point about Snape's parents. It's evident that Snape's mum had the tools and the talent for a love potion, but then so did Harry's mum. Snape, Harry, and Voldemort all have had similar backgrounds in many ways, Harry and Voldemort moreso than Snape, but during the occlumency lessons, Harry is able to see enough of Snape's memories to empathize with him, and who knows?

It's impossible to say what Snape's reaction is to Harry's memories, or how much control over which of Harry's memories get accessed Snape has, but Snape seems to make Harry relive the torments of his childhood moreso than any other memories (except Cho Chang). Did Snape do this in order to further torment Harry during the lessons, or was there some other motive? And what did Snape get out of it?

[Pithy Cherub]

2. Polyjuice Potion has figured largely in the books of

Cos, GoF, & HBP. Each time it was used for intelligence gathering activities and subterfuge. Veritaserum features in GoF, OOtP and a small mention in HBP. I think both will be present in Book 7.

Then there is Fred & George who are two of the best Potions masters that ever left Hogwarts. Lilly was reputedly brilliant at it and she must have been Snape's competition for best in class her entire time at hogwarts. Truly wondering whether Snape was angry at Snape for his mother's talents and it was easier to blame them on James.

Potions, Voldy, Snape, the Trio, Ginny, Dumbledore, Neville, Luna how will it all end? We have to wait soooooooo long to know.x(