CHAPDISC: HBP 18, Birthday Surprises

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 153573

1. What do you think of Golpalott's Third Law? Was it included as an 
example of magical principles? Do you think it will be applied in Book 
7, either actually or metaphorically? And is there any significance to 
the name Golpalott, other than its resemblance to gulp-a-lot?

I saw it primarily as a parody of the kind of laws one learns in RL 
chemistry classes.  (Of Dalton's Law perhaps, except that the antidote 
is equal to *more* than the sum of the antidotes to individual poisons
.) It would be interesting if the wording has a significance in book 
7, either actual or metaphorical, but I thought its main purpose was to 
intoduce us to the fact that there are such things as blended potions.  
I think the potion Dumbledore drank in the cave was probably a blended 
potion.  His is the only example of someone who gulped a lot.  Most 
potions seem to act in very small quantities--three drops of 
veritaserum for example.

The other purpose of including the Golpalott's Law lesson was to 
reacquaint Harry with the use of a bezoar.  He remembered Snape's first 
lesson, but is more willing to accept what he learns from the Prince.  
And Harry's use of the bezoar in class results in its transfer to 
Slughorn's possession.  Otherwise it would have remained in the back of 
the cupboard and Ron might have died.