RE polyjuice - Time Release Polyjuice

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 179854

---  Laura Lynn Walsh <lwalsh at ...> wrote:
> 
> 
> I wonder if Moody's PJ potion was actually brewed by Snape,
> since it was never clear that the real Moody was good a 
> brewing potions. If so, the Half-Blood Prince could have 
> made significant changes in the PJ potion.  After all, the 
> book that Hermione got the recipe from was very old.  And 
> the HBP was certainly an outstanding potion master.
> 
> Laura
>

bboyminn:

Two points, one relevant, the other pure fantasy.

We do know it takes a month to /brew/ Polyjuice potion, but 
once brewed, how long is it good for; what is its shelf-life?
Since the Trio keep the same batch for nearly a year and
keep using it, we must assume that once brewed, it will
keep for a long time. 

Consequently, it may be possible to simply walk in to an
appropriate shop and purchase ready-made potions. That could
very well be where Slughorn got the potions he demonstrated
on the first day of class. He simply bought them at the 
local potions shop. 

Next, regarding the one hour time limit. In a still unwritten
fan fiction, one of Harry's friends, on Harry's behalf, 
approach Snape with a novel concept. They bring Snape a muggle
time release cold capsule, the kind that are filled with 
little colored beads and explains the concept of the coating
on the beads taking a certain time to dissolve and release
the medicine. That way, a 4 hour medicince can be extended 
over 12 hours. They then ask Snape to apply that to Polyjuice
potion, only instead of 4 hour increments of coatings, they
use one hour increments. 

Conceivably, I'm not the first person to think of this. Maybe
some advanced potions maker has already conceived of Time
Release Polyjuices, and that time release Polyjuice is 
available in advanced potions shops. 

Of course, none of this is explained the books, so we will
never know. I do however like the idea that JKR simply didn't
want to clutter her story with those little details, so we
are to assume more doses of polyjuice are being taken off-
page. 

Deeply into the realm of speculation.

Steve/bboyminn