Pondering Arabella Figg

[maria_kirilenko]

No: HPFGUIDX 56617

Samantha remarked that Arabella Figg's home and the Polyjuice Potion 
smell like cabbagge.

melmel replied:

>First off, well-spotted!  I completely missed the cabbage reference 
>when I 
>first read the books.  

Me too. I only noticed it when someone on the list pointed it out.

>I agree that the cabbage smell seems important, but I 
>don't think it's due to Polyjuice potion.

I don't either.

>Polyjuice potion doesn't just alter your appearance.  It changes 
>your 
>appearance to that of somebody else.  Moreover, a bit of that person 
>is an 
>essential ingredient.  Therefore, for Mrs. Figg to be using 
>Polyjuice potion, 
>she would have to have someone on hand to take bits from.  Since 
>Mrs. Figg is 
>one of the 'old crowd' and presumably on the side of good, I doubt 
>she's been 
>keeping an old lady trapped in her basement.

Yes, that's a factor. :)

>Of course, there could be an impostor posing as the real Mrs. Figg, 
>like with 
>Fake!Moody.  But I doubt it.  JKR's already done that once.  All in 
>all, I 
>think the cabbage reference must have some other significance 
>besides 
>Polyjuice potion.

Actually, the Apothecary in Diagon Alley smells of rotten cabbagge. I 
agree with those who think that it's just the smell of potions in 
general, or perhaps of some very common ingredient.

I don't think Arabella Figg uses Polyjuice Potion because there's the 
Ageing Potion, which is much easier to use. I really hope she's 
young, but I doubt it. 

Maria