HBP - Draught of Living Death Potion??

[Darlene Carroll]

No: HPFGUIDX 153302


rebecca <dontask2much at yahoo.com> wrote:
  
Welcome to the group!  :)
<SNIP>

One item to consider for the potion DD drank is the Draught of Peace 
mentioned in OoP. That potion is concocted with hellebore and moonstone. 
Hellebore, while poisonous, is sometimes called the "Christmas Rose" because 
some varieties resemble roses and the plant is known to be violently 
narcotic, with the effects similiar to digitalis. When it is taken by mouth, 
it is said to be highly acidic and "burns." (One might need a drink after 
that, hm?) The symptoms of hellebore posioning might ring a bell:

"....slow, irregular pulse, weakness, labored breathing, irregular heart 
beat, convulsions, respiratory failure and nervous system disturbances such 
as delirium, convulsions and even death due to respiratory collapse"

Moonstone supposedly has many connotations surrounding its use in legend and 
lore, most notably as a "dream stone" (India, where it's from originally and 
where it is considered by some to be sacred) and as a talisman for fertility 
(primarly Arab, according to the ICGA) . Wiccans and new age followers 
believe it balanced the emotions, but also emphasize it enhances divination 
abilities and intuition. Moonstone in ancient times was thought to allow for 
one to "read the future", and interesting thing since it's been speculated 
here that perhaps the potion was a liquified "memory."  (Carol, where are 
you? :))  Could be the potion was enabling Dumbledore to see a future that 
he didn't quite like at all.

Thus there are things to ponder as last we saw Dumbledore's portrait,  he/it 
was sleeping :)  Have we seen the same warning  about  "irreversible sleep" 
applied to the Draught of Living Death?


Honeykissed246:
Thanks for that information.  Now I can't remember reading anything about the Draught of Peace but from what you were saying about it, it sounds like it would eventually kill you.  Now Dumbledore said that Voldemort would not want the individual who got past his defenses to die immediately but be able to question them about "how" they did it.  Does the Draught of Peace "kill you" or just put you in a state of "sleep" were you can be aroused if even temporarily to answer questions.  
   
  And do you think the "Draught of Peace" is what was in the pensieve?  Can I can see that.... Draught of Peace in the pensieve where the locket is hidden and Draught of Living Death is the lake.  That would be very interesting.  
   
  Also can you remember when Harry was making it that the "Draught of Living Death" kept changing colors where it eventually turned a slight "pink" but should have been almost "clear" - like water.  I am going to go back and look at that section where Harry was making the potion.  I don't think he got to finish it but I think it would have looked like water had he completed it.  It was what he made to win the Felix potion.