För att lägga till detta, menar Slughorn att han inte trodde Snape kunde ha bryggt utkastet till levande död bättre än Harry gjorde, medan Snape var en student.
“Stop skulking and come and join us, Severus!” hiccuped Slughorn happily. “I was just talking about Harry’s exceptional po- tion-making! Some credit must go to you, of course, you taught him for five years!” Trapped, with Slughorn’s arm around his shoulders, Snape looked down his hooked nose at Harry, his black eyes narrowed. “Funny, I never had the impression that I managed to teach Potter anything at all.” “Well, then, it’s natural ability!” shouted Slughorn. “You should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death — never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, I don’t think even you, Severus —”
Detta tillägger bara att Slughorn lärde Snape och kände intimt sina potionsförmågor i Snapes ungdom, några kapitel tidigare.