[HPforGrownups]Elixir of Life (was Re: What makes you think Harry lives?)

[Richelle Votaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 52254

I (Richelle) wrote:

> by the theory that Harry will die and not be completely dead, thus 
> live due to some sort of modified Elixir of Life potion or something 
> else entirely.<<  <snip>

Greicy wrote:

> You know you reminded me of something about stone. Was it really 
> destroyed?  I don't think Dumbledore would lie, though.  Anyhow, 
> Dumbledore said they destroyed the stone, but that Nicolas Flamel 
> still has some Elixir of Life to last him some more years.  So you 
> never know it could be used to RESSURECT Harry! :D  I like that 
> idea, Richelle, what do you think?!

Well, since you asked. :) I'll also cover a few points made by others in response your post.  First, we know Dumbledore said the stone had been destroyed.  Not would be or anything like that, but "has been destroyed."  It was a done deal.  Second, we know that Nicholas Flamel had enough Elixir stored up to set his affairs in order. As someone (bboy_mn I think) pointed out, it could take quite a while for someone who's lived that long to set his affairs in order, he could very well still be alive, even by book 7. Third, we don't *really* know what the Elixir of Life can do.  Voldemort said that with the Elixir of Life he could "create a body of my own."  That is much more complicated than sustaining life for hundreds of years.  It's edging a great deal closer to resurrection.

Finally, we know that Dumbledore was a partner of Nicholas Flamel in alchemy.  That they worked together.  Alchemy is defined as:

"A medieval chemical philosophy having as its asserted aims the transmutation of base metals into gold, the discovery of the panacea, and the preparation of the elixir of longevity."

So, if Dumbledore is really who we think he is, he's "only" 150 years old.  With Nicholas Flamel being, what, 700? he'd obviously already made the stone and produced elixir for years before Dumbledore was ever born.  So how exactly was Dumbledore involved as his partner?  Surely some more research must have been done?  I've got a number of theories there.  The most outlandish being this:

Dumbledore and the Potters were working on a chemically adapted form of Elixir that they weren't certain worked yet.  They knew it wouldn't harm baby Harry, but also didn't know if it would save him either.  Harry was given this adapted Elixir as a baby, once they knew Voldemort was coming after them, and *that* is why the AK curse bounced.  Along with this, Lily's sacrifice kept Voldemort from being able to *touch* Harry, literally touch him.  My only canon for that is Voldemort was telling Quirrell to use his wand, as if perhaps that could not be blocked by the same thing that protected Harry from being touched by Voldemort/Quirrelmort.  And I mean touched as in physical contact.

Even I will admit that's a little outlandish (and I'll believe most anything, I'm still determined Harry's the combined heir of Gryffindor and Slytherin, even if there are countless things that don't add up!)

So here's another, possibly more believeable theory about the Elixir.  This one is that since I'm convinced Dumbledore has to have done *something* unique with Flamel, that he (and perhaps even Snape as an understudy of sorts) experimented with the Elixir to create a new, stronger Elixir.  One that not only sustained life against all odds, but regained life against all odds.  Problem is, it may not have been tested properly.  Really, who wants to volunteer to be killed to see if it can resurrect them?  But it would be worth a try if death was unavoidable.  Therefore at the moment of Harry's death, Voldemort is either eliminated simply because Harry died and he can no longer exist, or weakened so that he can be killed.  As soon as Voldemort's dead, Dumbledore/Snape/whoever rushes onto the scene, dribbles a few drops of this experimental Elixir into Harry's mouth and as it rolls down his mouth, he slowly comes alive again.  Whew, close one.

Take it or leave it, but that's my imagination for you. Or someplace in between the two. :)

Richelle


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