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Podcast Question of the Week






Episode 15 is about to come out - and what an episode it is! It's long and filled with a great many discussion questions. Here's our very exciting posed question of the week!

Thinking about Polyjuice Potion, it occurs to me that potions are a lot like spells, in the sense that each are produced from a combination of "ingredients." For potions, these materials range from lacewing flies, to rat tails to newt eyes - for spells, a single spell is usually produced from a combination of latin words, and can thus also be considered to be composed of parts.

Given this connection between potions and spells, what does this reveal about magic in general? In the same way that there exists a certain language of spell work - one latin word corresponding to an equivalent magical effect - is their a language of potion-making such that each ingredient represents a word, theme or essence, which when combined with another produces the appropriate potion?


Some responses to this question will be read on the next episode of Alohomora!

Posted by Noah Fried on November 04 2012 12:26 PM (30 Comments)


Comments
I would like to submit this piece of evidence that Jo provided us on Pottermore this week (it would have been so great if those chapters had come out sooner, but alas). In regards to Polyjuice Potion, Jo says this,

"I remember creating the full list of ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion. Each one was carefully selected. Lacewing flies (the first part of the name suggested an intertwining or binding together of two identities); leeches (to suck the essence out of one and into the other); horn of a Bicorn (the idea of duality); knotgrass (another hint of being tied to another person); fluxweed (the mutability of the body as it changed into another) and Boomslang skin (a shedded outer body and a new inner)."

So, she has clearly selected her ingredients very carefully based on both what their names mean (the language component) and what kinds of ideas and images they can stand in for (the metaphorical aspect).
- LumosNight3 on November 04 2012 03:55 PM



Great response. We'll be sure to bring this up on the next episode!
- Noah Fried on November 05 2012 05:32 AM



Well, thanks! I love that Jo has given us Pottermore. There is just so much more we're learning about HP there, it's great. :)
- LumosNight3 on November 05 2012 11:22 AM



In the first book, Snape describes potion-making as " 'the subtle science and exact art of potion-making' ". This is a somewhat contradictory statement. Science is not ‘subtle’, nor is art exact. So, in this way, Snape is almost saying that potions is contradictory to things that one may think that they know. He further illustrates this by saying “ ‘As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic.’ “
Perhaps he is hinting that potions is really a different kind of magic, but that it comes down to the same essential parts. Magic is something that seems to consist mostly of metaphors, but less so in spoken incantations. Maybe potion-making was one of the better parts of magic, or possibly the older one. After all, in “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot”, it seems like the more acceptable mode of magic was using a cauldron. That would make sense, seeing as it’s very much like our own progression of civilization. We ‘go forward’ in technology by making things faster and more efficient. Spoken incantations are probably more like that. Many spells are dangerous to perform, but it seems that potions, such as the polyjuice potion, involve much more risk, just like old technology. So it is, then, a ‘subtle science’ but its metaphorical aspect makes it an ‘exact art’.
- The Ravenclaw Authoress on November 06 2012 08:56 AM



Dear Alohamora and Co,
I don't think that an ingredient would represent a word. I think it would be more that the word is representing an ingredient. I think that the Latin word, or the phrase used in a spell is named (or used) so due to the effects when something is to consume the "ingredient". Say for example if lacewing flies made someone puke, then I'm sure Fred and George would use it in a sweet that a student would use to get out of class due to vomiting. If the Latin word for lacewing flies was holleum maneu, then I'm sure if you wanted someone to puke the hex would be something like hollaneu.

Think about it what came first, the word or the object?
- HermionesLittleSister on November 06 2012 04:48 PM



I see potion making to be a lot like cooking or baking which is basically a bunch of ingredients that react with each other when heated. If I am going to make a cake and I add all of the correct ingredients but dont stir it or bake it long enough my cake will not turn out right. Same goes for making potions. Just like there are great cooks there are going to be wizards that are great potion makers like Snape. You can give two people the same recipe for chocolate chip cookies but one persons cookies may turn out way better or worse than the other persons cookies. A great example of this is in HBP when even though Hermione is following the same potion recipe hers doesnt turn out quite perfect like Harrys does. Harry has Snapes old potion book which has the same kinds and amount of ingredients but a slightly different way of incorporating them into the potion. The same goes for baking. You usually need to add the ingredients in a certain order and mix or stir them a certain way for the best results. Some of this is a skill some others dont have.
As for ingredients you cant just throw a bunch of stuff in a caldron say some Latin or magic words and get a working potion. Just like in the baking metaphor you need to put ingredients together that complement and react with each other. For example you wouldnt put ground beef in your cookie recipe because it would taste gross and not cook well. JKR confirms this theory with her thoughtful choices of ingredients for the Polyjuice potion.
- FawkesFan on November 08 2012 07:12 AM



@fawkesfan

I completely agree! Potion making is so similar to our (slightly less exciting) muggle baking/cooking. I love that you brought up the idea of 2 people receiving the same recipe but having different outcomes because of the unique way each person made their recipe. (that's why mom's/grandma's/insert your favorite chef's cookies are always better than other peoples! there is a human element to take into account when dealing with potions/cooking.
- rebeccatheravenclaw on November 16 2012 08:06 PM



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