Chapter 8: The Potions Master | Philosopher's Stone

[@AliAngelpie]

I’ve always loved how at Christmastime Fred and George enchant snowballs to hit Quirrell in the back of the head because it means they’re hitting Voldemort in the face

[@viagragaming]

And it’s even better when you realize that Voldemort can’t really do anything about it cause it’ll blow his cover 😂😂

[@AliAngelpie]

@@viagragaming I know right?? So he just has to stay silent and take it, possibly thinking to himself, ‘Lousy troublemakers. Glad they aren’t in my house. If I had my whole body and soul, I would…’ 😅

[@viagragaming]

“AVADA KEDAVRA!!”

[@Restryouis]

Imagine Voldemort being actually thankful because Quirrel's hat gets hot.

[@AliAngelpie]

@@Restryouis True, that's a good point

[@bookcat123]

I always thought the reason Snape writes potion instructions on the board rather than having them work out of the book was because he actually WAS teaching them his improved versions. Though I can absolutely see Snape not bothering to point out the differences. He just expects them to pay attention to detail and notice for themselves. 😏

[@restman1]

There is a theory that Snape is teaching them all these things, and that's why Hermione is better at potions up untill year 6. She fallows all of Snapes instructions on the board, because he tells them too. It is only in year 6 that Snape is no longer the Teacher so Hermione fallows the instructions from the text book. While since Harry has Snapes book he is better because he has the notes that Snape would have put on the board.

[@Friggazee]

Yes!

[@brookchristy8311]

I think the issue is that he teaches them the correct way to do it, but not why. And my replay would be learn the how to first and in later years learn the why. Which Snape says he only lets few people in his advanced potions and this (to me) seems like why. Because why waste alllllll the knowledge in kids who have no interest until they're advance enough to understand. He teaches the correct way on the bored! Just not why his was is right vs the book. I actually love and agree with this is why hermione does exactly what you said! It fits so perfect!

[@SalterThe]

I do agree. If he didnt teach them the already adjusted recepies there would be no reason for him to write it on the board instead of just telling them to "Flip the book to the page 133".

[@j-bob_oreo]

follows

[@keithg460]

Snape gets onto Hermione constantly about reciting something directly from the book, which most of us would consider to be really impressive and more than adequate for an answer. But Snape is the type of person to come up with something better than the book, so it now makes sense why he doesn't think her answers are good enough. Not only does he hate Gryffindors, but to him she isn't thinking for herself.

[@Chris-ks4sw]

I mean it's not that hard to memorize something. Actually understanding it and being able to explain it in your own words is much harder.

[@keithg460]

@@Chris-ks4sw I disagree. Memorizing a couple things is easy, but memorizing a whole book, or even a most of a book, especially a text book, is pretty hard. The goal of learning isn't memorization but to learn it, and being able to explain something in your own words is an indication of learning. Most people who learn something didn't memorize the text word for word, but they learned the material and can explain it in their own words. So I think it is easier to learn something and be able to re-explain it rather than recite the text. As for Hermione, she probably does understand the material well, but she is only demonstrating her memory capabilities.

[@frostyskeletons8950]

I always figured he displaced his rage at Lily onto the high achieving muggle born Gryffindor girl who is close with the new version of James in Snape’s opinion (Harry) Dude needed therapy yesterday

[@Chris-ks4sw]

@@keithg460 Just remembering the information is the lowest level of understanding.

[@bloodspatteredguitar]

​@@keithg460 Agree entirely. And Hermione as a character knows the limits of her abilities better than anyone: as she demonstrates towards the end of the book: "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things---friendship and bravery..." not to mention before she even got off the train and declared Gryffindor clearly the best house!

[@hufflepom]

I think that the reason that Snape writes up the directions instead of having them from the textbook like Slughorn is because the textbook doesn’t mention the peppermint and he knows it’s better. That is why Hermione does so much better in potions in 1-5 than in 6.

[@nimthiriel9]

In year 5, I think the books confirm that "double" means length, as Harry is happy that divination is not a double class, so they don't have much time for dream discussion after they read the assigned portion. On a separate note, I also connected "stopper death" to the potion that Snape uses to keep Dumbledore alive for a extra year.

[@PriyaPans]

Yeah. That makes way more sense.

[@bookcat123]

Plus that’s just the way block scheduling works, right? Some of your classes are double length but on fewer days.

[@PriyaPans]

@@bookcat123 yeah. When I was in my last two years of highschool (in UK. Year 10 and 11, i.e. year 6&7 of Hogwarts) some of my lessons were double slots and some were shorter. Thank God PE was a single slot.

[@malcolm32]

Pretty sure "stopper death" is just continuing Snape's metaphor of treating concepts like liquids (although they're potions, so it's technically not metaphor since he does literally mean what he says). Glory is brewed, fame is bottled, and death is stoppered, as in literally sealed with a bottle stopper.

[@PriyaPans]

@@malcolm32 agreed, these are basically potions puns and at least in the UK, the word stopper would be used like that.

[@brookchristy8311]

I think the elder wand is like a race car. Anyone can use it but only skilled people can drive it to its potential.

[@TangoWolf09]

Harry Potter: The Wizard Version of Mario Andretti

[@conormurphy4328]

I think Snape’s treatment of Harry this early on is a good argument that Snape’s “love” for Lily is much better described as obsession

[@kittyburns5849]

You also have to keep in mind that snap was incredibly jealous of James so just because he was hard on harry doesn't mean that his love for Lily wasn't real it could have been overshadowed by his hatred of James you have to keep in mind that Harry looked exactly like his father except for his eyes he had his mother's eyes

[@LadyBeyondTheWall]

Sometimes it does seem like obsession. I mean, he asked Voldemort to spare her. Not her and her husband who she obviously loved. I mean, I understand not asking for Harry to be spared cause duh, but if we didn't know him and some other random Death Eater asked Voldy to spare the woman he was in love with in high school but not her husband.. it'd be way creepy of him. 🤨

[@hufflepom]

There is definitely a difference in Hogwarts with dungeons versus basements. As Slytherins you have your common room in the dungeons but in Hufflepuff we are in the basement.

[@Jasperience]

I think maybe Snape knows the prophecy could have referred to Neville and blames Neville for not being the Chosen One, which caused Lily to die.

[@PriyaPans]

Maybe he resents Neville. He realised maybe he himself or he Voldemort never thought much of the longbottoms so therefore Harry had to be the chosen one... So maybe he resents that he could never convince voldy that in fact it was Neville?

[@dougshort9373]

I said the same thing before I read your comment. Lol

[@conormurphy4328]

We do know that Snape has his stupid reasons for bullying the children in his care.

[@beckyr7137]

Came here to say this. It hit me while listening to this episode.

[@elmermedina1713]

Let's say Voldemort went after Neville, being the paranoid psychopath that he is, he would've tried to kill them both.

[@geraldgrenier8132]

Hagrid wasn't directly hired as the keeper of keys, he was first hired as an apprentice/assistant ground keeper under the direct care of the previous (the current) grounds keeper and keeper of the keys. Remember Hargis was only 13 at the time, and his dad was dead and his mother location unkbown

[@brookchristy8311]

I think this is why Hagrid is loyal to Dumbledore . He believed him. He didn't expel him. He may even have been the one to argue for him to stay/ keep his wand pieces. He got his punishment down to having a dangerous animal at school over murder ( someone did anyway) I'm betting this was Dumbledore and that's why Hagrid "owes" him. Like Peter when wizard owes another it's a serious thing. Dumbledore likely kept him out of Azkaban

[@kendallnielsen1696]

I found it interesting you read “putting a stopper on death” as literally stopping death. I’d always interpreted that line to mean like a bottle stopper, aka: cork. I imagined a powerful poison in a corked bottle, similar to the potions described in Snape’s logic puzzle that Hermione solved in the final chapters.

[@pertheguy]

In Polish translation it was translated as stopping death too

[@j-bob_oreo]

that really seems a stretch given the context

[@redcactusify2071]

yeah, in the german version it is translated as a bottle stopper aka cork. Pretty interesing to hear the original wording now...

[@robertprior9964]

I always assumed it was a reference to the Philosopher's Stine, the pinnacle of potion making as it stopped death.

[@Debatra.]

The first thing that happens if Harry is Lily's double is that everyone and their grandmother (literally in Neville's case) mistakes him for a Weasley they've never met.

[@LizLuvsCupcakes]

Molly or Percy probably absent-mindedly sweep him up into their little hodgepodge of Weasleys, assuming he's one of theirs that wandered away for a second.

[@davidhowell8407]

If we're talking about The story from a different characters point of view the obvious answer is the deathly hallows from Neville's point of view. Who needs the Golden trio wandering around lost in the forest complaining about mushrooms. When you can have Neville Ginny and Luna leading a resistance group in Hogwarts against the Carrows and Snape as headmaster. It could start with Neville waking up at his grandma's house, going to diagon Alley, meeting up with Ginny and Luna and his journey on the Hogwarts Express, they get updates on what Harry's doing through Potter watch, we can see them continue teaching younger students DADA lessons, they write"DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY STILL RECRUITING" on the wall, they try and steal the sword of Gryffindor from the headmasters office, at one point Luna won't come back from the holidays, and then the Battle of Hogwarts from Neville's perspective must have been insane. It would all lead up to Neville drawing the sword out of the hat and taking out nagini, watching Molly take out Bellatrix and Harry take out Voldemort effectively avenging his parents. The epilogue could be him preparing for his first herbology class with Albus Potter. The deathly hallows from Neville's point of view is the obvious answer

[@you_already_have_it]

Yes!! Or at least go back and forth between Golden trio with horcruxes and Resistance in Hogwarts 50/50. Cuz its very intense and eventful to skip it and just founding out about it after the fact.

[@hackmxn]

Another thing that came to mind for Snape’s “put a stopper in death”, he stops the curse and extends Dumbledore’s life by a year. I guess you could argue that he technically didn’t stop death, but I think it counts.

[@bookcat123]

Okay, but a “stopper” is just the top to a bottle. So “put a stopper in death” could just be bottling poison.

[@delikatessbruhe9843]

There's actually one instance of Gryffindor having class with Ravenclaw, it's not Harry's class though but Ginny's. It's implied several times that she and Luna share classes but once in Order of the Pheonix we actually see Ginny and Luna leave the greenhouse after a joint period. It's when Luna first tells Harry she believes his story, I believe Harry is just coming from care of magical creatures or something.

[@moon_fyreamaroq2251]

Listening to this has brought to my attention that EVERY SINGLE DADA teacher attacks or almost attacks Harry at some point. I wouldn't go back for a 7th year either if I was running 100% chance of being attacked by the teacher that is supposed to be teaching me how to defend myself, LOL!

[@shadowmaster7573]

In regard to Snape's teaching I think he is helping the students in a very Snapeish way something to be noticed is that whenever it mentions Snape's classes the recipe for the potion is written on the board this suggests that he's using his own recipe for the potion making it easier whereas with Slughorn the other potion Master we get to see teach he asked them to read directly from the book and that's the only time Hermione struggles in potion making this would explain why Snape gets annoyed by students and has a habit of not giving out points since he's dumbed down the recipes to the point where as long as you can read you can make the potion

[@TeTaongaKorora]

Kia ora tuakana! My siblings and I have been intending to go through the series in te reo Māori to improve our reading and this series has been the perfect like "book club" to keep us on pace with Hare Pota me te Whatu Manapou!

[@GJ_4015]

British student here! A double lesson does mean a 2 hour lesson. Not sure if this is the case in boarding schools with longer days Aswell, but they’re usually separated by one of the 2 breaks we have in the day. Also I wanted to mention that prefects and head students (whilst not being exactly the same as at Hogwarts) do exist in both boarding and public schools. 😅

[@occheermommy]

Ok so what are rock cakes? And BTW I’m a huge fan of custard creams. We don’t really have an equivalent in the US and they are expensive to buy online. I haven’t found a local shop where I moved 6 months ago. In California I had an Indian grocery that stocked a row of British sweets and such and they carried them.

[@Evie-vj8ix]

im British and its like a cookie cake looking thing@@occheermommy🍰

[@Slothisticated0252]

Ben and J are so lucky to not know what a double class is, that shit was horrible. Not from the Uk but we have those in the Netherlands too

[@j.a.shawkins7640]

My thoughts on was Snape reading Harry's mind/noticing his eyes were just like Lily's: (First, I totally forgot Snape was a really talented legillimens.) I'll bet he STARTED with the intent of reading Harry's mind-even picking on him and making him mad just makes it easier for him because Harry will have a harder time controlling himself, a tactic Snape ends up using to shall we say great success in their occlumency classes in year 6-but as soon as he started, he realized that OH, CRAP, yeah this boy is like the spitting image of James, but he has Lily's eyes and what do I do with that? (As an aside, I think Snape would have certainly been kinder to Harry had he been his maman's doppleganger. But I aslo think he'd have been crueler in other ways? Idk, it's hard to explain.)

[@hollynixon9570]

I wonder if Voldemort’s face out the back of Quirrel’s head takes the whole school year to fully form into a full face. It’s actually a magical process that takes times and that’s why it smells.

[@AdamFink83]

I think a better analogy for the stopper on death is him helping Dumbledore. Not die from the horcrux. Yeah he maybe a year to live but he stopped him from dying.

[@borjanavarrofernandez9747]

142 staircases it's a mnemonic rule. 1+4+2 = 7

[@Lupinemancer87]

Snape is like the Dad from Fairly OddParents. Everytime something bad happens to him, he immediately blames his neighbors.

[@alinaberg]

You're questioning why is Snape so mean to Neville - well, of course he is: if Voldemort would have marked Neville as the Chosen one, Lily could still be alive!

[@rosyellis14]

ok but thats no excuse lol

[@zacharywooden2113]

@@rosyellis14 true but it's Snape. he does not care.

[@occheermommy]

I also think if he had really read his mind he would have learned he was more like Lilly. I feel like he wanted to hate him as soon as he saw he looked like James. And this is another point I would say to those that defend Snape and say he’s a good guy or hero. He is a villain that did a good thing for all the wrong reasons. He was loyal to Dumbledore because he felt guilty for Lilly’s death.

[@conormurphy4328]

Love seeing Snape blame children for her death instead of himself

[@conormurphy4328]

@@occheermommyI would say he was loyal to dumbledore solely because he wanted to take down voldy for killing Lily. Rather than being guilty

[@makeitgoleft]

The hard rolls are called hard tack and was used on long voyages/trips, because it took months to go bad. You would put it in soup/coffee/tea to soften it.

[@LaLayla99]

*clack clack* (if you know, you know 😉)

[@NoIax]

Weirdly off topic, but I have to point out how cozy Ben's shirt looks. The shirt in combination with the awesome background is giving me total Christmas vibes and I absolutely love it.

[@ColinOnYT]

and his shoes are quite cool

[@occheermommy]

I was looking at that sweatshirt going I don’t remember seeing that at the parks, it must be older. But I didn’t see it last year at Disneyland or the year before. Then I had to rewind because I missed everything they said.

[@roseslikemusic]

I love being part of the reason that this podcast is so big in Sweden. Through the Griffin Door is such a blast every week, I have listened to several Harry Potter themes podcast through the years but this one is absolutely my favorite and I always recommend it to friends and family that like Harry Potter.

[@Blixthand]

There is that theory that Snape does in fact teach his students some of his potion tricks, as Hermione always does really well in Snape’s class, when he gives the instructions, but not as well when they read the instructions from the book in year 6, while Harry underperforms because of Snape, but given a different teacher but Snape’s enhanced instructions he performs really well. But I agree that teachers don’t really seem to be teaching at Hogwarts. Giving a set of instructions and letting the kids at it isn’t really teaching. That always annoys me in book 6 in the antidote lesson when Harry gets the Besoar, that Slughorn don’t explain Golpalots law or whatever the name was, and apparently they can’t ask him to explain it. They are just supposed to understand it from having read it once and sucks to be you if you don’t. What is even the point of a teacher at that point?

[@vivekvs1992]

I suppose the last 2 years equate to college because I don't remember them having any other courses past hogwarts..

[@Blixthand]

@@vivekvs1992 Wizard education is a bit weird. You technically don't need it at all, Lupin says in DH that it's a new thing that Hogwarts becomes compulsory, before most people went, but you could opt out. But I guess most employers want their employees to have a formal education, but just OWL is enough for some jobs, even if most kids go the last two years as well. But then some jobs require more studies. McGonnagal tells Harry there is 3 more years of studies to become an auror, but it's never specified where that study is to take place, probably at the ministry though. But even if years 6 and 7 are higher education and hold the kids to a higher standard you should still be able to ask for clarification if you don't understand something in the course material.

[@occheermommy]

I don’t ever get the impression that they can’t ask for clarification, except maybe from Snape. I just think Harry doesn’t ask because he is overwhelmed and/or he is worried about soiling his reputation with Slughorn. I also think we can only read so much into what the education was actually like at Hogwarts because we are only getting snippets of time. For example we know they are pretty lax when it comes to safety. As I believe Hagrid mentions there is always a certain amount of danger when you have that many kids in one place learning and experimenting with magic, but we really don’t know if they learn to divide up a larger potions recipe or what depth any concept was explained. Like in the above Golpagots law or whatever the name is, that may have been explained earlier and questions were asked but this was just a review. Or he may have asked if there were questions and Harry didn’t ask any. It is the one issue with a single point of view narrative. It can be an unreliable narrative.

[@Blixthand]

I’ve always took double class to mean two consecutive classes in the same subject. I think at one point they also have double divination and I think they also explicitly complain in one of the books that they have extra long potions or 2 hour potions or something. It almost certainly is the case that potions are double hour because they need the extra time. In Sweden we have a class called Home-and-consumer knowledge (roughly translated), where you learn about money and household hygiene and stuff and also cook a lot of food, learning your way around the kitchen and trying different recipes and stuff, and those classes were always double so we had time to cook and taste and clean after ourselves.

[@EmilyCheetham]

Yes in school double usually does mean 2 of the same class back to back.

[@Hamilfan31]

that's what the wikipedia article says, and that's what I've always believed.

[@vignotum132]

As a fellow Swede, I can confirm. Also, I believe the best translation for the subject is "Home Economics" (as in that's what's used in the Anglosphere)

[@lisahenry20]

While I was in high school, the timetable was on a fortnightly basis. For design technology (cooking, woodwork, graphic, and textiles, you rotated them so did each for a few months), we had 5 hours across the two weeks and one of those was a double. The way cooking worked was in one class (always one of the single ones) we'd get a demonstration of how to cook something, where we would have to watch and write instructions, and then the next class (single or double) we'd cook it. One of the most stressful classes was when we were making bread puddings, which needed to be in the oven for 45 minutes. We ended up practically running to the classroom and doing all of the prep as quickly as we could so they would be done in time, because the teacher also needed to do the judging at the end.

[@Blixthand]

@@vignotum132 I've heard that as well, but I don't know how much, if any, cooking is involved in that, while Hemkunskap for me was like 75+% cooking, so I've actually stopped using Home Economics when talking about it.

[@katlinquist9649]

I was introduced to Harry Potter in 2002 when my daughter was just 2 years old.. I started reading Book 1 to her and took us about a YEAR to get through...and since then we have both loved HP. My daughter has since introduced me to your channel and I am HOOKED! As a 54 year old mom who has read and listened to the series multiple times (as well as the movies), I absolutely love how DEEP you go and the connections you make.... Thank you for following your passion and helping to expand the world of Magic for those of us who believe anything is possible.

[@williamsrdan]

When I read about the turbin smelling, I imagine Quirrel trying to brush Voldemort's teeth.

[@anntecz]

That's so funny stop

[@occheermommy]

That might be the funniest thing I have heard all day. Like dude your breath is so bad I smell it. I know you don’t have a nose but that doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t!!!😂

[@robsooooz]

I always felt that Snape also saw Lily in Hermione. The muggle born girl who is the smartest in the class. Then I think her proximity to Harry brought that bullying upon her.!

[@DasVadderr]

I like how you interpreted the "Stopper to death" part. I´m from Germany, so when I was a child, I´ve always read the german version of the book and this line is translated to "Den Tod verkorken" which basically means to put a cork/stopper to a phial or bottle. So Snape tells them in the first lesson that he´s gonna teach them deadly stuff. But I guess you can interpret it both ways: He teaches how to kill with potions and also how to defend yourself against this attack via potion.

[@jacobduncan2142]

This series gave me the inspiration to listen to the audio books again! I'm loving it.

[@ajwinberg]

When this series is over my son should be somewhere around 12 years old. It's crazy to think that far ahead. Lol. I have really been enjoying these videos. Being able to discuss each chapter and spot light it has brought a lot to light that I have never really thought about before. Thank you for this channel.

[@jamessmithson-br7rm]

Double potions - maybe more of a UK thing if you aren’t familiar with this in the US. It is just having a lesson that takes two lesson period blocks back to back - so the lesson takes twice as long as a normal lesson (ie rather than having two hour long lessons between 9-11am, you would have one 2 hour lesson (a double lesson).

[@jamessmithson-br7rm]

It’s just what this is commonly called in the UK

[@marie_williams]

I was just going to make that comment. In my school, lessons for each subject could be single or double periods.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

The first class with snape and the beggining of a grand enmity! This podcast is awesome 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@aleksandrakonieczna5193]

So here I am, in my mid thirties, listining to gour podcast every week… and although i have read the books like thousands times, listend to Jim Dale another thousands, there are still mysteries to me revealed and adventures to go on. And now, I’m just ouzzled if I should let my kods discover this world on their own or make it a bed time story…I know it helped me a lot, when the first translation came to Poland, to get on my feet again (hard life of a teenager). Thanks guys for nice ending of the week every week!

[@dylanbass8451]

23:46 A thing to note here, Snape only ever writes his instructions down on the chalkboard, I don’t think he ever tells anyone to pull out their textbooks. He could’ve just been writing down ‘better’ instructions than what the book says.

[@sebaekyeol]

something i realized recently is that there isn't a true potions textbook required until slughorn comes and the reason why is obviously (based on the half blood prince's book) because Snape believes them to be nearly useless because he has to modify everything so much. that's why he's always putting the instructions for the potions on the board and only had them buy 1000 magical herbs and fungi. to your point about the way Snape teaches, I think he's trying to have the students learn the way he did which was doing a lot of work and research himself. it's one thing to memorize facts out of a book and another thing to learn from experience and hard work.

[@samhollier6929]

Snape makes the class copy/work from the board rather than Slughorn who let's them work from their textbooks. So I can believe he is actually teaching them the best way to do potions.

[@tinas_hotdog_sophie]

Slughorn won't belittle you all the time though.

[@Halfbloodprincesss8]

In regards to Snape-there is a theory that he was in fact teaching with the tips but never saw the students as smart enough to understand the why of what they were doing. That’s why his instructions were always written out but when Slughorn comes along they learn out of the book. That’s also why Hermione was doing so well in Potions until Snape stopped teaching because she was no longer getting the good tips.

[@lenorkhide2873]

I'm pretty sure hard magic system for soft magic system refers to the rules of the system, not weather it causes you physical exhaustion or not. For example, in Brandon sanderson's Cosmere every planet has its own exact hard magic system like hemullergy, allomancy, or Stormlight vs waving your wand and saying a few funny words

[@JessicaClark-lq4gw]

My headcannon about Snapes potions book is that it wasnt his innovations he wrote down, but it was Lilly's. Lilly was always described as brilliant at potions. If Snape came up with these ideas i dont think he would have written it down.

[@Blixthand]

Going ahead to book 6 here, but since you mention both Snape’s potion skills and the HBP book here, I find it odd that they apparently never update the book. Snape’s old copy is almost 50 years old, but is apparently still fine when Harry needs it, and Snape’s amendments would be about 20 years old by the time Harry reads them. Even if Snape wasn’t interested in publishing his own findings, do you mean to tell me that no one in at least 50 years has figured out how to improve these recipes? If the better versions are out there, why is a sub standard potions book still in print un-amended and why would Hogwarts set it as a course book?

[@soccergal07]

Dear Carlin brothers thank you for your content. I love listening and watching all your Harry potter videos. You really dont know how much it means to many of us. For me they literally saved my life when I was very depressed and on the verge of suicide. Listening to you guys takes me back to my "old old days". Its like sitting down with friends to talk about a subject that is enjoyable and fun listening to the different takes and prospectives. Keep up the great work! ❤

[@Blixthand]

I love the fact that you can put so much effort into finding details to link up the earlier books with the later ones, but also I don't think Rowling had hardy anything planned out that far in advance no matter what she herself claims. Especially the first 2, and also to some degree the third one, is super inconsistent amongst each other and compared to the later books, and sometimes even within themselves. For a show like this, given what you do for a living and the most of your audience being in on it, it's fine, but in general I think a certain level of "it's not that deep bro" is healthy when reading Harry Potter in general, and books 1 and 2 in particular.

[@anaisabelpais7389]

Science labs in high school and college were always double the length. So it makes sense for potions to be double the length. I guess that has to be with two houses so that Snape doesn't have to teach double the amount as other teachers? Then Herbology may be similar. Maybe it first year it was Gryffindors only because they were learning the basics. And then starting in 2nd year, they needed a longer class because it was more like a science lab. Ginny and Luna have Herbology together in their fifth? year. So maybe that switches between the grade levels

[@lisahenry20]

It could also just be how the timetable lines up. I'll always remember when I was doing my a levels (between high school and uni) and had 4 hours of maths because I did maths and further maths, and so one of my days was maths, computer science, further maths, maths, maths. I also had triple maths on a Friday (two further maths and one maths)

[@ColtonRMagby]

KZbin equivalent of a review: 5/5 stars and the highest number of Michelin stars. This podcast is top-notch Harry Potter, and I wouldn't have it any other way. You guys are amazing, and the knowledge gained from this is amazing because I think about things I didn't think about before. Keep the hard work coming so I can enjoy the knowledge drops.

[@danielkopcha2011]

J and Ben, Movieflame and HP theory are the big 3 best HP content creators. Thank you for sharing your love of HP

[@russellstinson3414]

The bit about certain staircases having a vanishing step is actually an amazing bit of foreshadowing of an incredibly plot-important scene in GoF. Don't forget that if Harry hadn't forgotten to jump the trick step after seeing Barty Crouch Jr. on the Marauder's Map, he would have exposed fake Moody's true identity and thwarted Voldemort's entire plan to return.

[@mjm3091]

23:45 Snape is actually teaching them all those things. That's why he actually writes instructions on the chalkboard and main reason why Hermione has been doing so good until Slughorn came with the faulty outdated schoolbooks. 25:20 We actually see Harry read defence books. He is good at it from practice and actual learning on his own. It's one of few subjects where he was actively looking for knowledge.

[@sonjaimmonen6610]

Porridge is a great breakfast! I usually listen to these on Monday mornings while eating porridge for breakfast.

[@sawanna508]

Agreed but it depends a lot on how the Porridge is made.

[@jasoncrews4249]

I think Snape figured out all those things on his own as a student so he expects the students to do the same. Fine in a higher learning environment at times, terrible in beginner lessons!

[@mienfu9824]

Thanks so much, J and Ben. I listen to your podcast every Sunday night while I travel to university, and I look forward to the next one for the whole week. The amount of facts you are able to discover in such short chapters is awesome.

[@lydiaquinones2546]

I love when Ben uses his full name for Through The Griffen Door.

[@laurah1343]

143 is how much Mr Rogers (from the neighborhood, not Captain America 😊)weighed. He said he weighed himself every day and it was always the same. He said it meant I love you

[@brookchristy8311]

That ... kinda crazy lol.

[@jknappmxrider]

I discovered this channel about a year ago. My daily routine is wake up, listen to your videos in the shower and on the way to work, on the way home, and again in the shower before bed. At this point I've watched every video at least once! I love the spin you guys put into every line of the stories! I consider myself quite deductive when it comes to figuring things out but you guys are blowing my mind all the time. My only complaint is not being able to binge your deep dives through the gryffin door since they're weekly lol we love the content, keep it up!

[@SierraMascara28]

Double is referring to a block schedule. Double meaning two blocks, twice as long. You can be sure because sometimes Harry has double divination, and there’s always the same people in that class.

[@deborahcox-mp5ul]

We sip out tea wile we gather through the "Griffin Door!"!

[@hamdialihassan1048]

Hey, someone in Sweden 🇸🇪 who’s still super into this podcast!

[@warwickwightman964]

As a British person, it's definitely a lesson that's twice as long when it's referred to as a "double" lesson

[@christianeedel5160]

Love the series! After watching your reviews of book covers, I just HAD to get the MinaLima edition, so thanks for giving me the excuse to buy one! Only reading a chapter or two per week leaves time to really appreciate all the artwork in there, too. (from UK)

[@raylynne5280]

Been saving this podcast for when I had something to do during it and I've been sitting here watching chapter after chapter building a magical inspired book nook I got for Christmas. Such a great podcast for the occasion and I'm absolutely loving all the breakdowns, really helps my wanting to reread the series (I'm a really slow reader, even though I absolutely love doing it)! I'm afraid to get caught up though, I love binging episodes while I clean or do fun things!

[@melissagodwin1594]

I LOVE the thought of Mama Carlin pulling a Palpatine. “DO IT.” 😈 🤣🤣🤣

[@thebookbunnypodcast818]

This into never fails to bring a smile to my face❤️

[@gamer_dude94]

I got all caught up over my weekend and couldn't wait for the next episode. Sadly, I'll have to wait a full week for the next 😭

[@Kittinkatt]

I always thought that Snape gave quite clear instructions at the beginning of the lessons. Once when Neville messed up his potion, he said: "Didn’t you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one rat spleen was needed? Didn’t I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice?" I taught chemistry laboratory practices, I imagine a potions lesson just like that. Snape talked through the recipe with the students, then they started working and he just supervised their work. Obviously a good teacher would correct the mistakes on the way without that much sarcasm, but sometimes you need a strict teacher, especially if the lesson could be dangerous and the students could actually blew themselves up.

[@AHufflepuffAndASwiftie]

Snape DID teach Harry "Expelliarmus" in Book 2, BUT, tbf, Snape was NOT his DADA teacher, then . . . It was Lockhart; that's "PREEETTTTYYYY Obvious"!! 😁 And I remember Harry DID have a hard time doing the "Accio" spell in Book 4 & Hermione actually had to train him on it, so it's obvious a little harder that just "saying funny words", as Harry says . . .Like I think Harry says something like, "But I'll be outside of the castle . . . " & Hermione says back, "It doesn't matter; it's more of a mental block" [I think] . . . And I THINK that Hermione DID like Binns' class--or @ least she DID pay attention in it, but you know, she's Hermione, so . . . And Snape is A LOT meaner in the books than in the movies, like in general . . . 😉 OMG, here's a thought I JUST had: MAYBE Dumbledore put a "Confundous" Charm on Dippet to hire Hagrid b/c he knows that Hagrid is innocent . . . OR simply got him drunk! 😅 . . . We KNOW that Dumbledore got the orphanage lady (I don't quite remember her name now) drunk to get access to Tom Riddle in Book 6 . . . 🤔 Also just realized that they accidentally said “Founders” instead of “Maurders”! 😆 And Charlie IS in the movie 🎥-at least for the 3rd one-for only like a second. He was seen in the picture in the paper 📰 of the Weasleys in Egypt, I think 🤔 …

[@keelanduffy6024]

Mrs Cole was the orphanage lady if I remember rightly🙂

[@AHufflepuffAndASwiftie]

@@keelanduffy6024 Yeah I think you’re right. 😉

[@bailatwerski2951]

Thank You again for creating this wonderful series!!!

[@brookchristy8311]

Been looking forward to this for DAYSSSSSSS !!!❤

[@bklothis5502]

harry was the best at it cuz unlike most of his dark art professors. he had actual experience

[@williamsrdan]

If Snape is referencing Lupin as well as Lily, the bezoar could be James as James did save Snape a moment from his death, by Lupin in werewolf form.

[@meaganbenton3381]

Why J remembers 143 as the number of stair cases: Ben has explained his exact reasoning before in a quiz video after getting the staircase question correct. He explained the I love you 143 but minus one. The 143 must have stuck lol. So it is funny that J thinks he's never heard it before. 😆

[@stecky87]

"I love that Mom was there & she was like 'Do it!'"🤣 Cheers to Mama Carlin! I wonder if Mrs. Norris following around Hagrid was something that was originally going to be important, but Rowling changed her mind

[@austinrestovic]

29:00 in answer to your question about "double potions", that just means that instead of a half hour lesson, they have a one hour lesson, or however long their school periods are.

[@Silver_Girl178]

I think Snape was trying to give Harry a strategy for staying alive, even then: a potion that could be used to fake his death, and a stone that could save him from most poisons. I almost wonder if Harry was originally supposed to play dead for a while longer than he did. Maybe somewhere in book five, or at the end of book six going into book seven.

[@ninaronstadt701]

When you were talking about Voldemort’s stinky breath in the turban it reminded me of the bit in a very potter musical about then having to share a body. Really funny 😂

[@amyconcepcion7148]

I love how Ben still has his festival wristband on

[@mariaana6710]

I love how Ben is fanficing the history of Hogwarts, how in the first time must be more than a school. To me, was like a little Town with families refugeening and, why not, learning Magic.

[@cajb2977]

I loved rock cakes when I was younger, we also have concrete chocolate over here. Also from my part of the UK, double classes was always double in length, like the same clas back to back, and if we had a class with a different house, it was normal, it was usually the same two houses mixing in classes. I spent an didn't know half my year untill further on and classes were more mixed due to what we chose to take of grouping on grades. I'm loving this series btw, seeing it all new, all over again ❤

[@JayFranklin-hb3hx]

Been waiting all week for this

[@maja-kehn9130]

Harry eating porridge for breakfast, I think, is just a British thing again. Porridge is just THE go-to breakfast in Britain especially for school-age children. I used to be an Au Pair in the UK for several years and the kids I looked after would either eat porridge, Weetabix or Cheerios for breakfast on school days. That was true for all the families I worked for and I also worked in different regions of the country.

[@SpiritMystery777]

Love Ben's reference to Encyclopedia Brown! I grew up on those books. Lol.

[@qs2668]

another reason for Snape disliking the twins: They're quite literally the heirs of the Marauders and for sure remind him of James & Co. a great deal.

[@Beeba10]

I heard a theory - and I agree with it - that Snape WAS teaching the kids his tips and tricks that he came up with (well, not really TEACHING them, as was pointed out, but he wrote his personal instructions on the board instead of the original recipes). The theory comes from the fact that, in 6th year - i.e. the first year Snape doesn’t teach them - suddenly Hermione is no longer top of the class, because she’s no longer learning from Snape’s own revised recipes.

[@occheermommy]

Many have said that. My only issue with that is the obvious, that Hermione isn’t the top because she doesn’t have the special instructions and Harry does. I know I’m essentially saying what you did but I just think the NEWT years are harder and his secret lessons are that much better so Harry is that much better than the mediocre results from the book. Not that he ever was giving those out just that Hermione could get by with the book up until now but when the class got harder it was no longer enough. Hermione is a very by the book person so I feel like if his instructions were different from a text book she would have questioned it in year one. I hope this makes sense.

[@occheermommy]

Also we learned from Hermione that she can’t really think outside the box or accept anything that isn’t written in stone. While Luna and her dad believed crazy things, they were right in that just because something hasn’t been proven doesn’t mean it is t true, it just hasn’t been proven yet. Hermione couldn’t grasp that. She could t believe in the Hallows because as far as she was concerned the stone could t be real. So if she had been told here is a recipe and she looked and it was different from the textbook they had been told to get, she would have been very upset and wanting to know why. I just can’t believe that was the case although it is possible I guess.

[@kiwibug07]

Ben just unlocking a core memory there with the 143 thing! I used to use it to speak in code with my cousin. Good times.

[@maleprincess5559]

the part about the rock cakes remind me of the first time I had a biscotti

[@philw6056]

A "fame" potion could create something like an aura that draws everyones attention to you.

[@maudline]

Yes like a glamour

[@mlove.1376]

In the metropolitan New York area there are roll that are called hard rolls. The outside is almost crispy and the inside soft. They only are good for one day and get too hard to eat, unless you plastic bag them. That however changes the texture of them to no more crispy outside. They are only sold in that area as they cannot be made elsewhere. That has to do with what's in the water.. Pork Roll/ Taylor Ham, egg and cheese on a hard roll is a common order in that part of the country.

[@EmilyCheetham]

Also in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle there is a connection between the spell and what happens. Although people aren’t all fans of the movie it is explained there that if you know the word you can quite literally control the magic and the word is the magic. E.g. one of the first spells we see is Brisingr and that literally means fire 🔥. So with wandless magic maybe there is some deep connection between the words and the magic.

[@lisahenry20]

I enjoyed those books, it's been a while since I've read them though, I need to reread them. I got maybe halfway through the trailer for the film before deciding I wasn't going to watch it. The magic also takes the same amount of energy as it would to complete the task without magic, which I always thought was interesting and I always found it really confusing at the beginning.

[@EmilyCheetham]

@@lisahenry20 the movie is more for children & those who haven’t read the books. I don’t think it was a bad movie but there was definitely a LOT left out compared to the books. I hadn’t read the books when the movie firs came out so I enjoyed the movie. So I still have a part of me that liked the movie. It was fun. But I have since read the book series. So I know how much was not included in the movie. So I understand that a lot of people get annoyed when a LOT is left out. But as I said above for those that haven’t read the book or those that don’t have an expectation of a copy of the book it’s an alright move. However I would like a tv series that can explore sooooo much more and include all the books like BBC did for his dark materials. Taking a series each year to really flesh out each book.

[@ginnyjollykidd]

In my university, there are Monday, Wednesday Friday classes one hour long each (for 3-credit-hour classes), and the ones on Tuesday were 1:40 each. I think they were longer because they were all lab classes. My own university lab classes were once a week, 1 credit hour, but 3-4 hours long to do the experiment.

[@tomroberts2299]

Rock cakes are simply amazing. I haven't found them in shops in a long time, I should bake them myself I think.

[@brittanybabb6223]

Shout out to Williamsburg, VA!!! WOOOOOO!!!!

[@atleastdecent3810]

The interesting thing about the dragon theory is that the dungeon could be the dragon's colon, and the pipes could be the veins

[@caliBornbEauty]

Back in the day when us old folks (I'm 41) had pagers/beepers, 143 was just what we would type to say I love you. We would send the numbers to someone's pager and they knew what it meant when they saw that. That was our version of texting before text lol

[@jamessmithson-br7rm]

Great video as alway. Love this series

[@h.n.4060]

23:40 Having taken graduate level classes in physics, I've seen this exact problem with professors who are otherwise geniuses. The problem is either they don't want to teach (they are only there for research), it's been so long since they were a student that they can't sympathize with their students, or they're such geniuses that they've never struggled with the material, and don't get why you are struggling. So they'll write something up on the chalk board and be like "what part of this do you not understand"?