Arabella Figg and the Polyjuice Potion (no Latin!)

[naamagatus]

No: HPFGUIDX 42763

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., eloiseherisson at a... wrote:

<snip> 

> The idea that Arabella is polyjuiced came out of someone's 
observation that her house smells of cabbages and that we learn in 
COS that this is the smell (taste? A child has the book at the 
moment) of Polyjuice. One of those details that Must Be Significant. 
(Sorry, I can't credit the observant listie who noticed this.)
> 
> I myself brought up the fact that there must be a hair donor 
somewhere and envisage an elderly and by now rather bald witch 
(Arabella's mother or aunt, or Dumbledore's sister, perhaps?) who 
willingly gives her hairs for the potion. I don't think she's got a 
little old lady captive in the back bedroom! (Although that would 
>give Arabella a bit of 'Edge', come to think of it!)
> 
> It could of sourse, be an aging spell/potion. But we then have less 
canonical justification for the theory. We could say that there has 
to be some reason why we were introduced to the concept in GOF, but 
we have no specific connection to Mrs Figg, whilst the smell of 
cabbages relates both to Mrs Figg *and* to a potion we know can be 
>used to alter appearances.
> 

The apothecary shop at Diagon Alley is also described as smelling of 
cabbage (rotted cabbage, to be exact). I've always thought of the 
cabbage smell motif as another example of JKR's rather limited choice 
of descriptors (like the twinkling eyes, the twisted smile or Harry's 
excitable stomach). She probably dislikes the smell of cooked cabbage 
very much, so when she wants to describe an unpleasant smell, up it 
pops again. 

Aside from that, I have a question: why is it necessary for Arabella 
Figg, the attractive young witch, to appear as an old woman in order 
to keep watch over Harry? (I'm sure it's been explained in depth in 
some TBAY message, but I haven't always been able to follow each and 
every thread.)


Naama, who sometimes feels that she IS Occam's Razor :-)