Any sufficiently advanced J. K. Rowling is indistinguishable from magic.
- note
- reference
- link
A reference to Arthur C. Clarke's third law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke%27s_three_laws
"That does sound like the sort of thing I would do, doesn't it?"
- title-quote
A quote from Dumbledore later in this chapter, that he would hire Snape as the Potions Master simply because a wizarding school should have an evil Potions Master.
rasher
A thin slice of bacon or ham.
"Excuse me," came a worried voice from behind him.
Probably another minor character coming to warn Harry about Snape.
Zabriskan Fontema
- reference
- link
An alien from the Lensman series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lensman_series).
Acromantula
- original
Acromantuals are giant spiders that Harry encounters in the Forbidden Forest in the original series.
a large dust ball with eyes and feet
- reference
- link
Probably one of the Sootballs from Spirited Away (http://spiritedaway.wikia.com/wiki/Sootballs).
monksblood and wolfsbane
- mistake
This is a typo, if anything, the plant is "monkshood", but Snape says it correctly a few paragraphs down.
Harry stared into Severus's cold gaze and remembered that the Sorting
Hat had warned him not to meet anyone's eyes while thinking about -
Harry dropped his gaze to Severus's desk.
- spoiler
Severus is trying to use Legilimency to figure out what happened with the sorting hat.
things seemed clearer somehow when he was angry.
- spoiler
mysterious dark side
Dumbledore winked at him.
- backref
Dumbledore previously incinerated a chicken, which was not Fawkes.
"Oh, indeed, in very deed, this is my punishment if ever there was
one! Of course you're in here blackmailing me to save your fellow
students, not to save yourself! I can't imagine why I would have
thought otherwise!" Dumbledore was now laughing even harder. He
pounded his fist on the desk three times.
- spoiler
Dumbledore knows about Harry's mysterious dark side, and is continually amused at how "Good Tom Riddle" behaves.
which leaves only the question of why you're not already gone. Is
Hogwarts too financially strapped to afford a real Potions professor?
- spoiler
The reason is that Snape is an agent for Dumbledore within the Death Eaters, and he must appear evil to keep up the facade.
There was the muffled sound of someone snapping his fingers, and then
nothing.
- snapping
Harry, Minerva thought despairingly, you promised you wouldn't bite
any teachers!
And in her mind she could see very clearly the reply, Harry's angry
face and his outraged response: I said I wouldn't bite anyone who
didn't bite me first!
- backref
(2/"Fine, I won't bite anyone who doesn't bite me first.")
Harry glanced briefly at him, smiling grimly. "Oh, so we are a
Slytherin, then," Harry said. "I was starting to wonder."
Harry knows that Severus is lying, and can't help but show him.
I am not a meek little Frodo.
- reference
A reference to Lord of the Rings, in which Frodo is led along on his quest by an old wizard, Gandalf, to whom Dumbledore is frequently compared.
"I am beginning to doubt your suitability as my Gandalf, Mr.
Dumbledore. Boromir was at least a plausible mistake. What is this
Nazgul doing in my Fellowship?"
- reference
More Lord of the Rings references. Dumbledore, as the mysterious old wizard, it likened to Gandalf. Harry is saying that Snape is too evil to be compared to Boromir (who betrayed the Fellowship of the Ring), and that he is just an outright agent of the enemy who has no place at Hogwarts.
Severus had turned his face away from Harry's field of vision and was
smiling.
- subtle
Severus obviously has some knowledge about the Lord of the Rings (and other Muggle culture, as he showed earlier), so Harry's attempt at encoding his statement to Dumbledore failed.
As the gargoyle stepped back into place, Fawkes left her shoulder, and
swooped to hover in front of Harry.
- phoenix
- spoiler
As is explained later, phoenixes respond to heroism. Fawkes is sizing up Harry after his actions which may have saved so many students from abuse.
We give them a potion which lengthens their sleep cycle by the
necessary amount
- spoiler
This is actually the same explanation for why Harry's sleep cycle is two hours longer. TODO: link where Dumbledore admits this.
The Ministry has delivered the protective shell for your Time-Turner.
- backref
These are the protective shells suggested by Harry himself.
(14/you ought to provide your time machines with some sort of protective shell)
Fred and George had gingerly stepped near.
- subtle
- pun
Because they're gingers.