Potions summary

[dfrankiswork at netscape.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 28106

> 5) Some potions seem to need time to stew and simmer. Ex: ?You should have
> finished adding your ingredients by now; this potions needs to stew before
> it can be drunk?? (POA 127)

and the polyjuice potion has to go for ages

> Potions class does have homework; however, I don't think we ever know the
> nature of it (please, someone correct me if I'm wrong). Possible homework
> ideas may be writing essays on the merits of a particular potion or possible
> applications of a potion.

The other obvious homework is to write out the recipe or write up what you did and what happened.  Or explaining what happens if you add bats' wings instead of rats' kidneys to a concoction.  Just like chemistry at school.


Questions:

> 1) I?ve asked this before, but I thought I?d ask it again. Besides the
> magical quality of the ingredients themselves, there doesn?t seem to be any
> overt magic used in the making of a potion. Do you think that if a Muggle
> were to prepare a potion correctly, it would work? If not, why not?

Perhaps, although no wands or spells are used, there is still magic from the wizard.  After all, both wands and spells are most easily understood as focussing and amplifying devices for the wizard's intentions.  Waving a stick - even if it does contain a magical object, or saying a word are no more or less magical than stirring a cauldron.

Cindy said something about wands not being used for potions.  I can't remember, but Molly Weasley does use a wand in making a soup.

> 2) What is the difference between a potion, draft, draught, solution, and
> concoction? Or is there no distinction and they are simply arbitrary names?
> (I wouldn?t know, I struggled quite a bit in chemistry class in school!)

I would say some rather loose distinctions: a potion covers the full range of things, as does probably a concoction, but the emphasis in the latter is on the delicacy or complexity of the process.  A draught or draft is specifically something to be drunk, rather than, for example, applied externally.  A solution is a potion where one substance has been dissolved in another - in many cases it is clear from the description that potions are not straight solutions but mixtures (like mud) or colloids (like mayonnaise).

I see someone has pointed out the Mandrake Draft.  Since in the past I have laughed inwardly at listies laboriously wondering how petrified people could swallow it and thought *of course* it can just be applied externally, I am now hoist by my own petard.  Call me Lockhart.  But I'm pretty sure (away at conference, no dict to hand) a draught is to be drunk.  Presumably originally something that was drawn, as from a well? Craig, you're good at this stuff?

> 3) Why do you think Snape is so good at Potions? Does it fit his
> personality?

He would be good at almost anything he tries (although it is hard to see him as a convincing liar - how did he manage to spy for Dumbledore?), with the posible exception of Quidditch.  Potions appear to demand precision even more than charms - that fits;  potions lessons in the main require less teaching as opposed to supervision - the students learn from doing long experiments during which he can content himself with snarling at Neville, reading extracts from Witch Weekly, checking to see if more Boomslang skin has disappeared etc.

> 4) It should be noted the Madam Pomfrey uses Potions as well (Pepperup
> Potion); do you think these are drastically different from the kind that
> Snape prepares? Do you think Snape could prepare ?health? potions or does it
> demand extra training? 

I think not very different; a little extra specific knowledge would be required - it's broadly the difference between pharmacy and chemistry but IMO they are closer in the wizarding world as potions are largely designed to affect people directly not as industrial processes. 

> Is this a silly question?

If the answer is 'Yes', then it doesn't deserve an answer, in which case it isn't 'Yes', so it must be 'N...  Oh, you mean the question about Snape and Pomfrey... oh no, it isn't silly at all, I'm sure they'd be very happy together, er, where were we?

> 5) Would you personally enjoy Potions class? Forget about controversial
> Snape for the moment, what about the actual class itself?

Oh, yes, quite apart from the stock 'I'd do anything if I could get into Hogwarts...'.

> 6)Fun Question: If you could make up a potion, what would be its name, what
> would it do, and what ingredients would go into it?

Fertiliser to grow chocolate bar plants, and similar things.

~Amber
(Please, please, please, please, please, someone respond!)

Hi Amber



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