CoSForums Archive - What did Snape mean by "putting a stopper to death?"

SnowyOwl

February 24th, 2003, 4:27 pm

[quote]Originally posted by ilovelifex1000 (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=186933#post186933))
By the way a "stopper on death" means he could give them a potion that would kill someone. A stopper is a cap/cork on a bottle. So he could teach them a potion to kill someone, not how to stop death.
In other words, after the potion is brewed they would put in in a bottle and put a stopper/cork in the bottle.

Yes, this is exactly what it means. Nice definition.

HarryPotterLover

February 24th, 2003, 4:30 pm

I am not sure, but I think that the stopper in death would be to stop death. Anyway, I believe that we will find out how Harry survived. Hopefully, soon.

Cat

February 24th, 2003, 4:35 pm

Originally posted by sugarquill (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=186909#post186909))
Cat cat cat..yr dancing baby is stompin all over my theories today..lol..Anywayz a spell is also dramatic it showcases Lilys exeptional abbilities etc, it puts a spin on things. I just cant believe that the Potters just sat there waiting for Voldamort to get them true they had a secret keeper or whatever Wormtail was supposed to be, but i cant believe that was it. Being a mother myself I know that I would walk on my eyelashes if it would protect my child.

It's not a dancing baby it's... alright, I don't know what it is.

Maybe there was nothing much they could do to protect their child from Voldemort, other than everything they did? You can't always prevent these things. Probably not even with calculated magic. Moody said that there's no counter curse to Avada Kedavra.

Justin Etre

February 24th, 2003, 4:55 pm

Originally posted by sugarquill (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=186869#post186869))
Snape tells his students that he can teach them how to put a stopper on death.

I think that you have misread this. What this means is to put a stopper or cork in a vial or bottle of deadly poison. So he would be putting a stopper on death that way.

Wild Rose

February 24th, 2003, 5:27 pm

So Justin agrees with me. Well i'm sticking with my version, because I'm English!
I think that Lily may have unconciously performed a spell. I know that sounds strange, but someone once told me that spells are just prayers to yourself, desires directed. So she was in a desperate situation, and all she could think of was to save her child. So that happened.

@-'-,----------------

dorcasderr

February 24th, 2003, 9:49 pm

Kind of like the magic Harry did even before he knew he was a wizard? Seems reasonable, but Dumbledore told Harry that he was protected from the curse by his mother's love, which resulted in here sacrifice.

1MelissaPotter

February 24th, 2003, 9:53 pm

I don't hink there was any spell she put on him to save him, it was just the sacrificing of herself to save her son that saved Harry. And there is no spell to block the Avada Kedavra, if there was a lot of people would be alive and Harry Potters life would probably be much less exciting.

Weatherby

February 24th, 2003, 9:58 pm

Voldemort put a stopper on death against the avada kedavra.
So it must be possible but I don't think Lily intended to use the love spell to protect Harry.

arabella_black

February 24th, 2003, 10:11 pm

Maybe she put a "i am rubber, you are glue" spell on Harry and that is why Avarda Kedarva bounced back to poor old Voldy!!
That would be the epitimy of cheap!!!!
I would tend to agree with Wild Roses theory on the stopper on death.

dorcasderr

February 24th, 2003, 10:18 pm

I think Voldemort survived the Avada Kedavra not by putting a stopper on death but because the curse deflected off Harry and probably lost some of its potency thereby; and it also may not have hit him DIRECTLY, but only glanced off him, so wasn't fully potent for that reason as well. I tend to agree with White Rose on the "Stopper on Death" definition.

MadMagic

February 24th, 2003, 11:53 pm

While I think that Snapes statement about "putting a stopper in death" is very intriguing, I tend to think that it keeps you from dying of old age or something along that line. If Lily did do dome spell or give Harry some potion to protect him from Voldemort, I think that she also would have used it on herself and James. I think that what saved Harry was Lily's sacrifice and her love. Her love protected Harry from the incredible hate that Voldemort used when casting Avada Kedavra on Harry.

Justin Etre

February 25th, 2003, 12:11 am

Originally posted by Wild Rose (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=187054#post187054))
So Justin agrees with me.

@-'-,----------------

Actually what I said completely goes against what you are saying. You said that the stopper in death was a spell to work against death whereas I think that the stopper in death is a poison...unless I have misunderstood what you have said, which is highly likely as I have just gotten home from a 12 hour work shift and am eating cheese and crackers......

lanifiel

February 25th, 2003, 7:03 am

I think when he says 'a stopper in death' he means a magical potion that prolongs your life or makes you feel younger. I dont think its a spell as sorts...

RonFan24

February 25th, 2003, 7:36 am

I agree that a stopper in death simply means a potion that holds back natural death.

GlassRoses314

February 25th, 2003, 7:37 am

In GoF Voldemort says:

"His mother died in the attempt to save him -- and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not forseen....I could not touch the boy."

He goes on to say...

"His mother left upon him the traces of her sacrifice....This is old magic, I should have rememberd it, I was foolish to overlook it...but no matter. I can touch him now."

"I miscalculated, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself. Aaah...pain beyond pain, my friends; nothing could have prepared me for it."

He then later says...

"You know my goal -- to conquor death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked...for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it."

..................

This is a bit of a contradiction... because a) he says that Lily "unwittingly" provided Harry with a protection that he had not forseen. Yet he goes on to say that the protection is "old magic" and that he "should have remembered it". Now if Voldemort knew about the "old magic", why wouldn't Lily? And it seemed to come as a big shock for Voldemort, so obviously it's not such a talked about counter curse, yet he says he knew about it.

and b) IF he knew there were such a counter curse, why did he have to experiment with ways to make himself immortal. He didn't expect at all for the curse to not work on Harry and/or not even to truely kill himself either.

One can argue that this is because love is required to save a person from death. And since Voldemort knows no love, it wouldn't have worked on him anyway, even if he had thought of it before hand.

But I'm still stumped about Lily. Voldemort says he had prior knowledge of that brand of magic, so what makes Lily's sacrifice so rare and unknown?

And If Lily knew about the sacrifice beforehand, why hadn't she used it to protect James as well? James told her to "take Harry and run", and if she knew about the spell, she would have easily not taken James's direction, and would have prevented him from dying as well.

As for the "stopper in death" thing. I think it literally means to stop death. There are ways in which one can cheat death in the wizarding world, such as drinking unicorn blood, and/or useing the Sorcerer's Stone. Who's to say there aren't more ways to stop death? Just because Harry hasn't heard of it yet, doesn't mean it doesn't exist in the wizarding world.

Wild Rose

February 25th, 2003, 8:21 am

Sorry Justin, I quoted the wrong person. My apologies.

SnowyOwl

February 26th, 2003, 8:11 pm

Hey all, the original quote in book 1 is as follows: "the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses....I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death..."

Snape is clearly talking about different potions for each of these things. JK could have said: bottle fame, brew glory, and bottle death, but that wouldn't sound good at all, would it? It would, however, have meant the same thing as what she did say.

Padfoot127

February 26th, 2003, 9:39 pm

i think that ancient magic is the same as uncontrolled magic, like when harry blew up aunt marge, but a whole lot stronger. i think that it's how wizarding a witching started, but people didn't know that they were doing magic and that's what made it strong, that people couldn't use it for good or bad on puropose. and then some wizard or witch came along and said, hey, we can get magic from beasts and put them in wands so that even the squibs could do it! making it not as strong as ancient magic because you had to channel your power through an animal's body part(it has different malecular make-ups than humans...) i dunno but i think that's what the whole "lily's love" thing came from, because voldemort said she "unwittingly" saved him, the ancient magic being uncontrollable, and she didn't save harry on purpose, even tho she desperately wanted to. it sounds stupid huh? lol

pasalita

February 26th, 2003, 10:59 pm

For those interested in continuing the discussion regarding how Lily protected Harry, please post in the following very-related, already existing thread:

The nature of Lily's sacrifice - what really happened? (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?s=&threadid=143)

For all ya'll talking about what Snape truly meant by "put a stopper to death"...Chill here.

I've been wondering that myself, actually (i.e. what Snape meant by putting a stopper to death...)

Andora

February 27th, 2003, 1:30 am

I always thought that he had meant, you could stop death by brewing a potion that would lengthen your life, like the philosophers stone did for Nicolas Flammel. It was probably foreshadowing, but it could have just been random talk.

I didn't think he meant he would TEACH any of them how to brew a death potion, I very much doubt that would be allowed, the Avada Kedavra curse was one of the unforgivable curses, you really think Dumbledore is gonna let Snape even consider teaching the kids how to kill others with a potion. I just really don't think that's what he meant. But I don't know, maybe someone can ask JKR next chance they get :P

sugarquill

March 23rd, 2003, 8:19 am

If stopper on death means putting a cork on it, well, isnt that just good old fashioned muggle magic poison? Why would snape boast about that?

Kneazle

March 23rd, 2003, 10:35 pm

I agree with everyone who thinks that "put a stopper in death" simply means that he can put a cork in a bottle of poison. It goes along the lines of what he was saying about bottling fame, brewing glory, etc.

Originally posted by sugarquill
Why would snape boast about that?
Remember that he was addressing a group of 11 years olds, several of whom had never previously worked with potions. He wouldn't boast of it to other professionals, but in this instance they were new students who could be easily captivated and impressed.

FawkesBox

April 15th, 2003, 3:56 am

I agree with the theory of ancient magic being like uncontrolled magic. I have to find the quote from Dumbledore something like "this is magic at its most inscrutable" then something about love. I think it is in SS I will have to look it up.

pasalita

April 15th, 2003, 7:22 am

Quick FYI: I've re-named the thread so that members are reminded that the discussion should pertain to sugarquills initial question. As for the elaboration in the initial post, there is already a thread that exists discussing Lily's possible "stopper" in the following thread:

The nature of Lily's sacrifice - what really happened? (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?s=&threadid=143).

It's an excellent thread the discusses/debates in detail what were the chance and possible intentional intentions in Lily's sacrafice. Thus, I ask that any further comments regarding what Lily could have/did do when she sacraficed herself for Harry be made in the above-referenced thread.

Thanks!

Barbara Kennedy

April 15th, 2003, 12:44 pm

Originally posted by lanifiel (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=188331#post188331))
I think when he says 'a stopper in death' he means a magical potion that prolongs your life or makes you feel younger. I dont think its a spell as sorts...

I have to agree with lanifiel. I always thought it meant a potion to extend life or cheat death. That is why I thought Snape had been recruited by the Death Eaters, because Snape had the Potions skills that Voldemort was seeking.

lanifiel

April 15th, 2003, 12:45 pm

Originally posted by Barbara Kennedy (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=267732#post267732))
That is why I thought Snape had been recruited by the Death Eaters, because Snape had the Potions skills that Voldemort was seeking.

Oooh thats good, I hadnt really thought about it like that but it makes perfect sense doesnt it!! Nice one Barbara Kennedy, good thinking!!

not a spoon

April 15th, 2003, 2:51 pm

i always thought that particular quote meant you could put at a stopper - like a cork or something - in a poison... thus 'stopper in death'... but perhaps that's too face-value. eh.

smartypants

April 15th, 2003, 3:31 pm

Nah, why not? I also thought he ment antidotes or something. Or maybe potions that prolong life a bit.

Mike21

April 15th, 2003, 3:57 pm

Ive always assumed that he was reffering to a successful experment done by himself for Voldamorte so that Voldamorte could stay alive for ever.

Auri DeMeer

April 15th, 2003, 4:29 pm

I thought he meant to delay the moment of death but I'm not sure anymore. I've seen the German translation and it mentions also "to cork death", whilst the Spanish translation says "to hold up death".

Maybe it's a bit off-topic but I consider the first potion he mentions to Harry as foreshadowing some event of his own life. Has anyone noticed this too?

Gabriel

April 15th, 2003, 4:34 pm

Originally posted by Barbara Kennedy (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=267732#post267732))
I have to agree with lanifiel. I always thought it meant a potion to extend life or cheat death. That is why I thought Snape had been recruited by the Death Eaters, because Snape had the Potions skills that Voldemort was seeking.

:clappy: Nice thought, well done<bows in admiration>

I think Snape's boast must have been in refernce to him being able to brew a potion that acts as an antidote to other potions. Had he been able to prolong life why did Nicholas Flammel need the Philosophers stone and why did Voldermort want it, when he could have just brewed a potion that would stop the effects of his death curse. Or maybe Snape can produce a potion that would make one appear dead<note the Shakespearian tone> for a short length of time. It could be that this potion is the one which Voldermort experimented with to prevent his death.

As for the Lily it was that she sacrifced her life, she loved Harry more than she loved her own life, there is no greater sacrifce than to lay down your life for those you love. It is the magnitude of that love that protect's Harry; the ancient magic is surely just Love which is the most powerful of all magic. Also isn't the ancient magic a similar refference as in The Chronicles of Narnia, when Aslan's death evokes magic beforethe dawn of time or something I can not remember exactly the quote, but it had the same effect to destroy the evil that had descended on the land.

The fact that Voldermort can now touch Harry is as we all know due to him taking on some of Harry's blood, but that blood is filled with Lilys love if you like and it is love that will be Voldermorts down fall. He can not cope with love in any of its forms. He was rejected and in his eyes unloved from the begining; so turned that rejection to hate, hate he thrives off. His whole life is filled with symbols of failure, hate and misery, all antidotes to love. Well thats IMO, I should say.:whistle:

Filius Flitwick

April 15th, 2003, 5:02 pm

I always figured it was prolonging the natural life span. After all, isn't Dumbledore well into his 100's?

Gabriel

April 15th, 2003, 5:12 pm

True DD is about 150, but is that not because Wizards live to a great age.

Filius Flitwick

April 15th, 2003, 5:14 pm

Makes you wonder if that's because of potions they drink or if it occurs naturally because of their magic ability.

Wild Rose

April 15th, 2003, 6:31 pm

I still think he means to hold back death.
Also (this is the English Language student in me talking) it's the way the words sound. Snape has a very...unusual voice, and the words can very easily be drawn out. I dont know how to desribe it without phonetic symbols, but the way he says it makes me think the words are chosen for effect as much as meaning.

@-'-,----------------

Barbara Kennedy

April 15th, 2003, 8:49 pm

Oh, yes, definitely. Snape knows how to use his voice to good effect [so does Alan Rickman *grin*] He was endeavoring to capture the attention of a new batch of first years and impress upon them the wonder and beauty of his preferred subject, Potions.

Shoujo Kitsune

April 15th, 2003, 9:17 pm

Well, Voldemort did say he had taken many precausions to stop him from death...so maybe some of them are potions and that what Snape was talking about.....

sugarquill

April 16th, 2003, 11:02 am

Wow I never thought about the possibility of Snape being the one who made the immortality potion for Voldy, that would put their relationship at a whole new level. nice one mike 21.

Weatherby

April 16th, 2003, 11:04 am

If Snape did help Voldemort with the potion he may have something to do this time.
Voldemort did say he wasn't sure which spell worked so even if Snape didn't help Voldemort may think he did.

fuzzy_muggle

April 16th, 2003, 11:45 am

Originally posted by ilovelifex1000 (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=186933#post186933))
By the way a "stopper on death" means he could give them a potion that would kill someone. A stopper is a cap/cork on a bottle. So he could teach them a potion to kill someone, not how to stop death.
In other words, after the potion is brewed they would put in in a bottle and put a stopper/cork in the bottle.
I think Lily gave him something other than a potion anyway.

i definitely think this is the right meaning for "putting a stopper to death." stopper is a cork on a bottle so it only means snape can make a potion that could kill someone not the other way around.

Barbara Kennedy

April 17th, 2003, 3:52 am

Ah yes, but "stopper" also means "that which stops something".

Wild Rose

April 17th, 2003, 9:20 am

One thing to consider is that Hogwarts, the staff, and students, are all meant to be English. So it is the English meanings of words that muct be considered. The American interpretations have little to do with it.

@-'-,--------------

Barbara Kennedy

April 17th, 2003, 9:22 am

Agreed. Words are such funny things anyway. Their meaning can change drasticaly in a short time .

Rounded Buddha

April 17th, 2003, 9:22 am

A Stopper is a bottle-top, so he meant put death in a bottle, i.e. as a potion! Not a charm.

Auri DeMeer

April 17th, 2003, 9:26 am

Given the context, I tend to think it means "to put a cork in a bottle containing poison". It could be much more interesting and impressive the other way around, though.

I don't think Voldemort used potions to reach immortality, because then everybody would drink the potion. It must be things really complicated and difficult for a person "with the right mind", otherwise many other people would try.

sugarquill

April 17th, 2003, 9:44 am

I dont think thats true, there are many ways to prolong life that other wizards will not try because they **** their soul, if you will, like drinking unicorn blood. That doesnt seem to trouble voldy tho he will sacrifice his humanity and he has in the past. So I think that snape could have brewed a really vile potion to transform its drinker into an immortal ,well, nonhuman.

Auri DeMeer

April 17th, 2003, 10:10 am

I agree, sugarquill. But still being able to brew such a potion is not something to be proud of in front of the students.

sugarquill

April 17th, 2003, 10:20 am

I dont know Auri it is slimy Snape after all. I'm sure he has tail and pitchfork under those robes.

Stallion1

April 17th, 2003, 3:35 pm

You mean kind of like the soucers' stone. Something like that? A potion that makes you immortal when you drink it thats what hermoine said when she was reading the book. Of corse this was a quote in the movie if it isnt any different i cant remember what she said exactly hehehe.

luv_HP

April 17th, 2003, 7:13 pm

I think that it could be foreshadowing that perhaps Snape will be able to perhaps brew a potion that could save someone from the brink of death, but I don't think it has anything to do with the Potter's death or protecting Harry from Voldie when he was a baby. Good theories though. I think Snape will be a huge part in the future books, perhaps in a way that we haven't thought of yet. That would be very JKR to do that.... But anyway off topic... Good thread.

Barbara Kennedy

April 19th, 2003, 8:36 am

There are so many ways the words could be interpreted. Including "the act of killing a stopper" [I know it makes no sense, don't bite.......]

lanifiel

April 19th, 2003, 8:44 am

:bite:

We must take it in the context that its given, hes a potions teacher. To me that says he can create a potion (that has a stopper) that can slow down Death, by either keeping one alive or keeping one healthy ;)

dddraco

April 19th, 2003, 8:44 am

you people seem to forget.. snape specialty is not in potions its defense against the dark arts remember its been rumored that hes been wanting it for some time now? so i think that i dont think hes that good wnough at it to be brewing immortality potons and stuff... i see potions class at hogwarts sort of like a religion course at a catholic school.. lol

Barbara Kennedy

April 19th, 2003, 8:57 am

Where did you get the idea that Snape's specialty is not potions? As for wanting the DADA post, I haven't seen any indication he wants it, beyond Percy mentioning it in book one and he may have been simply repeating a rumor that wasn't true.

lanifiel

April 19th, 2003, 9:02 am

Originally posted by dddraco (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=275004#post275004))
you people seem to forget.. snape specialty is not in potions its defense against the dark arts remember its been rumored that hes been wanting it for some time now? so i think that i dont think hes that good wnough at it to be brewing immortality potons and stuff... i see potions class at hogwarts sort of like a religion course at a catholic school.. lol

Show me one instance where Snape has shown any interest in having the DADA job. You'll find he never has for one second had even a remote want of the job. It was just a rumor and in my opinion a false one...

dddraco

April 19th, 2003, 9:14 am

When he took over lupis class because he was ill with the moon bug she seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly... but that couldhave been in spite of Lupin.. o well it as ust a thought ;)

Wild Rose

April 19th, 2003, 11:11 am

So? It doesn't mean it is his specialty. I'm best at basketball, but it doesn't stop me ejoying playing football once in a while.

@-'-,-------------

Hpmons

April 19th, 2003, 11:28 am

Here is a relavant extract:

Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year"

Sounds like he knew quite a lot about the Dark Arts even before he started school. BUT, the rumor that he wanted the DADA post was just a rumor and nothing more. I think the fact that he was happy when he took the DADA lesson was because he was hoping someone would realise (once the lesson was over) that Lupin was a werewolf.
But I think he still like doing the potions lesson

Barbara Kennedy

April 20th, 2003, 2:53 am

Were we ever told who taught Potions before Snape, I don't think so, but not sure.

Fuchsia

April 22nd, 2003, 3:38 am

There is already a topic about wether Snape wants DADA or not called
Snape teach DADA? Does he really want the position? (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1597)

Barbara Kennedy

April 29th, 2003, 6:36 am

If Snape really wanted the DADA position, he has had three years to get it.
If he really wanted, it the job would be his.

rotsiepots

April 29th, 2003, 7:38 am

Back on topic, I think Snape's prowess with potion brewing is interlinked with Voldemort's quest for immortality. Snape did boast he could "stopper death", after all and that's precisely what Voldemort achieved.

This is, admitedly, one of my more random theories. :)

Barbara Kennedy

May 31st, 2003, 6:11 am

Thanks, rotsiepots, I said something along those lines earlier. I think it was in this thread. It just seems to fit in with Snape's abilities so well.

harlle15

May 31st, 2003, 11:50 am

they perform a spell to harry so that it will come back to the one who conjure it.....

sarcasticx514

June 2nd, 2003, 11:29 pm

I think he meant that when someone is on their death bed, he can stop death from taking them away. That's about it.

Barbara Kennedy

June 3rd, 2003, 1:23 am

It could refer to "miraculous" healing potions as well as life extending potions.

Jessica

June 3rd, 2003, 1:29 am

Originally posted by rotsiepots (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/a/showthread.php?postid=295917#post295917))
Back on topic, I think Snape's prowess with potion brewing is interlinked with Voldemort's quest for immortality. Snape did boast he could "stopper death", after all and that's precisely what Voldemort achieved.

This is, admitedly, one of my more random theories. :)

So do you think that Snape created the potion for Voldemort? If so why do you think the potion backfired? I always assuemed he used the dark arts equivelent of "ancient magic" to get to the point he was at prior to his little encounter with Harry :)

DocHollidaywe

June 15th, 2003, 5:45 am

I think he meant it as

I can put a cork on death

meaning put a lid on something that can cause death. I dont think he meant he can stop death, but rather, can brew a potion to cause death

hesdead-dealwithit

February 10th, 2004, 3:55 am

jordmundt6

February 10th, 2004, 4:06 am

Or he could just be using glorified langauge to describe really powerful poisons. I tend to think that it's more than that since not even the enhancement potions that we've read about (I think there are a couple of them in Book Five) could really be called "brew[ed] glory."

GryffindorGr

February 10th, 2004, 6:23 am

This one has always fascinated me.

A stopper to death. Doesnt it all remind you of something similar?
In Witchcraft, it's used for keeping death at bay.
For example, in Snow White, a classic fairy tale, the witch uses the poison apple to keep Snow White in a "sleeping death", which she does call death and only can be cured by "loves first kiss", now whats the connection?
Alot actually. I dont know if its pertaining to Voldemort. So that Harry will give him the kiss of love to revive him, lol, or that it will be used in the later series as something very significant.
And if Snape can administer it, then will he be the one connected to this potion?
It's really a potion because in the fairy tale classic, it's been brewed with certain ingredients.

canteurervan

February 10th, 2004, 7:01 am

A new aspect, indeed. I don't see if it means anything than some effect of some potion of Snape. Interesting thoug!

***van.

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imperator

February 10th, 2004, 10:06 am

When Snape first said that he was able to "put a stopper to death" with his potions it first appeared to me as though he meant he could brew potions so powerful it could halt the course of death (aka antidotes). Perhaps he means he can brew antidote potions which would cure powerful poisons and therefore stop a poisoned person from dying. Only my opinion though.

jasper

February 10th, 2004, 11:54 pm

Is it just me or is this thread hard to follow? stopper death- I always interpreted that as a cork in a bottle of potion that caused death. But in the context of the book, when we were supposed to worry that he was after the stone to make the elixir of life, I guess it makes more sense to interpret it as a potion (that particular potion?) that prevents death.

Sineed

February 11th, 2004, 12:24 am

Exact quote: Snape can "stopper death." The word "stopper" is used as a verb; in other words, he can take the intangible thing called "death" and make it a tangible quantity, something that can be plugged up in a flask. Pretty scary, when you think about it; the purest form of death, in a real manifestation. Ugh.

I always thought something similar; ie, that death was a metaphor for a really nasty poison here. After all, he says, "stopper death," not "stop death."

mynameisrene

February 11th, 2004, 1:27 am

I think that when Snape said, "Put a stopper in death," he meant to brew a poison. I don't think that he would try to do anything else dangerous or do any harm to his students-besides set their self esteem down lower. :p

dobby_rocks

February 11th, 2004, 4:56 am

GryffindorGr

February 11th, 2004, 10:53 am

i think the stopper of death meant stopping death something similar to the elixer of life, but maybe dosent last as long. I never took it as a potion that could kill someone. Though there are bound to be some that would do that like the draught of living dead, dosent kill you but puts you in a very very very very deep sleep

I thought so too...plus this was interesting in PS/SS, british edition:
[p.103 I liked this. In Snapes class, Snape says, “asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the draught of living death.” Could this mean….stopper to death?

And he could bottle fame? brew glory?
Does not Harry have all of that already?

The only reasons why this part makes me question as part of the ending of the series is that Hermione wishes to see the thestrals.
its the only part of the series that makes me feel that its prophetic and a foreshadowing.

Plus, Draco's speeches in whats in the dark, he has always been afraid of the dark? It's in SS/PS when they all went into the forbidden forest, and also in OotP when he questioned Hagrid about whats in the dark with fear in his voice. Perhaps, if I"m not getting too far off with this, is that there is a prophetic sign to his death?
I'm wondering about this because in order to see thestrals you'd have to see death yet if its in the dark and you die--partly, would thestrals start to come after you.
Sorry, got a bit OT there. But my connections to the sleeping draught and stopper death just clicked to me in that direction.

Prof.Blink

June 17th, 2004, 11:52 pm

Silkeng

June 18th, 2004, 12:25 am

i interpretted it as a potion that stops death. Do you think snape made this potion and gave it to lord voldermort, making him immortal?

Do you think he has a potion that reverses it? I guess harry would find that very useful in book7.

I had the same thoughts that it would prevent death if you were dying i.e. not immortality but make it more difficult to kill. He was a DE so it is possible that he has given such potions to Voldemort, and since we know Snape trusting noone he probably made the reversal potion at the same time.

bowlwoman

June 18th, 2004, 12:42 am

The quote from the book says: "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death --"

To me, this is simply another way of saying you can make a potion which causes death. JKR couldn't use "bottle" or "brew" again, because she had already used it with "fame" and "glory". She wanted to avoid repetitions, so she used "stopper" only as a literary device. It's also clearly a verb.

According to the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (www.askoxford.com), the definition of stopper is as follows:

stopper

• noun
1 a plug for sealing a hole.
2 a person or thing that stops something.

• verb
seal with a stopper.

In the context of potions and Snape's statement, I think only the first noun definition and the verb definition apply here. He's clearly meaning he can brew a potion that can cause death and seal it in a flask or tube. He uses the verb stopper, which then refers back to the 1st noun definition, to plug something (like a flask).

In the PS/SS movie, Snape says the line "Put a stopper in death". I think that's where a lot of confusion is coming from; the screenwriter slightly changed the dialogue and it opened up a big can of worms. You can extrapolate several different meanings from the MOVIE line, but the book clearly says "stopper death".

bowlwoman

Knut4UrThghts

June 23rd, 2004, 8:34 pm

He doesn't say "stopper to" or "stopper in" or "stopper from." He says, "stopper death." He is talking about deadly potions that kill the person who drinks them -- nothing more dramatic than that. A stopper is another word for a cork.

jen15poms

June 23rd, 2004, 9:02 pm

Snape was likely referring to the steps that Voldemort took to ensure that he could not die a "mortal death". I'm sure there are ancient potions (probably a load of dark magic) which can be used for such things.

harripottrfreek

June 24th, 2004, 2:54 am

By the way a "stopper on death" means he could give them a potion that would kill someone. A stopper is a cap/cork on a bottle. So he could teach them a potion to kill someone, not how to stop death.
In other words, after the potion is brewed they would put in in a bottle and put a stopper/cork in the bottle.

This is what I always thought. Like make a potion to kill someone, like a posion...

simplybecky

February 11th, 2005, 3:50 am

I have always thought that this quote meant that someone can "stopper" the effects of death. Why would you need to "stopper" death if that meant to keep someone dead? As far as we know, there isn't any way of bringing someone back from the dead anyway, so wouldn't that be a little redundant?

KatieJoy

February 11th, 2005, 4:19 am

I think he was just saying it to get students attention on the first day. We know it's possible to "put a stopper on death" because of Ol' Nick Flamel and his sorcerors stone. :) You need that to brew the potion to "put a stopper on death." I think he said it (or JK wrote it in) because it's relevance was that the SS/PS was hidden in Hogwarts at the time. I know a lot of things can be read into, but I don't really think this is one of them.

yrome

February 11th, 2005, 6:59 pm

When Snape says "stopper death" I think he means you can brew a potion that will cause someone to die, not a potion to stop death. A stopper is a cork or a cap...so what I took that phrase to mean was that he can teach you how to make a death potion. Some reasons to believe that this is the case are:
1) If Snape knew how to make a potion to stop death, would it be known? If he kept it secret, then he wouldn't be telling a bunch of first year students it can be done. Or, if it was known, don't you think everyone would be trying to get some of it!
2) We know that there is no blocking the AK curse. A potion that stops death would be a way to block the curse.
3) Isn't one of the potions in the potions Riddle in SS/PS a deadly one?
and the biggest reason....
4) Stopper means plug or cork, not "to stop."