Ahead of his time?

[Sirius Potter Fan]

Just got to thinking the other day about some things . . . we see a lot of Levicorpus in DH . . . in HBP we see Harry learning of the spell in Snapes potion book, thing is, in OotP we see James using the spell against Snape (as well as Snape using Sectumsempra against James) OK, so here's the problem. Harry is seeing Snape and the Marauders as they leave the Great Hall after their OWL's that is at the end of 5th year, but it appears that Snape didn't create those two spells untill his sixth year . . . Is this just a glitch in JKR's chronology, or Was Snape perhaps a year ahead of others in potions classes?

 

[happy_hannah]

i think he was, i can't remember if it was sirius or lupin who said that snape came in his first year knowing magic that 7th years were only starting to know

 

[cj633]

The way Sluggy went on about her I doubt that Lily was behind Snape in potions. Maybe Lily was so good, initially anyway, because of Snape.

 

[Piper]

It was Lupin that said that Snape showed up at Hogwarts knowing more dark magic than most 7th years.

I am missing the part where it says he didn't create them until his 6th year though, where do you get that?

 

[cagedcactus]

He didnt say it Piper.
But if you remember, those spells were written in the old copy of that book, which was standard book for 6th years. So concluding that Snape would have written those in 6th year.......

Good catch SPF. Nice piece of bit to think upon. I am gathering all these, and one day maybe come accross JKR and ask her, instead of those stupid questions she always gets like....... "what happened to the Dursleys, after they Left?"

 

[Piper]

Oh ok, I kind of had the impression that the book had first belonged to Snapes mother, that the female handwriting had been hers, that she had probably taught him things at home, and that he had probably really poured over it outside of class, probably early, that maybe studying it all had kind of been his escape from reality when he was at home.

I agree on the questions Caged, I"m sure that the kids are asking things they really want to know, but I have a feeling that they are screened too, and if she doesn't want to answer something, that kid gets a high number

 

[Seeker615]

Was it possible he had that potion book before 6th year. I always assumed it was his mothers book. Maybe he studied it before 6th year and wrote all that stuff in the margins way before 6th year.

I am thinking he probably already had that book well marked up before he even used it in class. I can't imagine him tweaking the potion lessons as class was going on. He was probably already brewing these advance things either at home or after classes and then made notes as to how to better them. So when he entered advance potion making he had all his little hints already in the book ready for use.

 

[Sirius Potter Fan]

yes, the book had been his mother's and I suppose he would have had access to it previously, but I don't think that it was "planned" that way by JKR, I think it was just a slip. The way it was written, with Snape having scribbled out different versions of spells till he got it just right, makes it seem as if he was doing the perfecting as he went. If he was figuring out those things before then you would think he would have written things down elsewhere. We know for certain that they were Snapes own spells because of what he said at the end of HBP when Harry tries to use one against him . . . "you would dare use my own spells against me!" The "tweaks" on the potions may have been hints from his mother, possibly Lily, or, of his own doing as he thought of them. (would have been interesting if he would have taught the potions the way he did them or the way the book would have instructed . . .) Anyway . . . I think, it just a glitch in JKR's timeline . . . amazing enough that she kept so much together as she did, to keep so many things in line for a 7 book series . . .

 

[Mr_Bandman]

I noticed this "glitch" as well, but it occurred to me that perhaps Snape didn't invent every spell he had written in his book, but rather had simply written some of them down as a note to himself so he wouldn't forget them. Sure, Sectum Sempra was an original, but Levicorpus may have been one that he heard, witnessed being used, or, maybe more likely, had been victimized by and he wrote it down so that he could practice it and perfect it later.

 

[cagedcactus]

Hmm... How about this?

What if Levicorpus wasnt Snape's spell at all?
I mean think.... James uses that spell on Snape in that memory, right?
Maybe Snape remembered that badly because, that spell humiliated him, and wrote it down in that book.
Harry was new to that spell in HBP. So didnt know if the spell existed, and just thought that it was a spell created by Prince.

That would also explain JKR's approval to show it in OoTP movie....

 

[Jimenem]

The way I see it, just because you learn something one year doesn't mean you can't wait a few months before you write it down. It could have been in his 5th year potions book too, we've neevr seen that. Maybe he re-copied a few old notes into his new book.

Either way JKR's not perfect, no one is. But if little plot glitches bother you that badly, it's easy to make up a possibility for their existence.

 

[Rory]

In DH, when the trio are in the vault, Hermione uses levacorpus to hoist Harry up to get the cup. HARRY UN-jinxes HIMSELF with Libracorpus. I don't recall any other instance in the books where anyone who was jinxed - jelly legs, whatever, was able to un-jinx themselves. Maybe that was Snape's big discovery. A counter spell you could use on yourself?