Lesson 4: DON'T DRINK THAT

The title of this lesson, "Don't Drink That", might make you stop and refuse to drink any one of the three potions we will be making up next. Amortentia, Felix Felicis and Veritaserum are all potions which can bring about both good and dangerous results. The idea of drinking any one of them, just for the fun of it, could lead to disastrous and life changing situations.

The Amortentia Potion, according to Professor Horace Slughorn, is the most powerful love potion in the world.  He explained that it can create a powerful obsession or infatuation effect on the drinker. Now an "infatuation" is a tremendously intense, but short-lived admiration or passion for someone (or thing for that matter).  To have an "obsession" for someone or something is an idea or thought which can continually occupy or invade ones mind.  Now of course this potion, no matter how strong or powerful it is, will slowly wear off over time. Amortentia would therefore need to be taken or given on a regular bases for it's effects to keep the intended drinker under its control or spell as you might say :)

Felix Felicis was first introduced to us, again by Professor Slughorn. He was offering this potion, in the tiny bottle, for the student who made the best Draught of Living Death potion. He allowed Hermione Granger to tell the class just what Felix Felicis was. She proceeded to explain that it was "Liquid Luck".  Professor Slughorn gave even more in-depth information saying it would make the drinker lucky and successful over certain period of time. The amount of time depended on how much of this potion was taken. The class was all attentive as the professor told them that everything they attempted to succeed at, while taking this potion, would be fulfilled. He also gave them a stern warning that over indulgence could cause recklessness, giddiness and very dangerous overconfidence. The making of this potion was said to be very very difficult, required six months to stew and making it incorrectly would have disastrous results.

Veritaserum, according to Professor Severus Snape, is an immensely powerful truth serum. When he thought Harry had stolen potion ingredients from his personal storage room, he threatened to make Harry drink this potion. He told Harry that three drops of this Veritaserum Potion would have a person or even the Dark Lord spilling their innermost thoughts. Now this potion is controlled by the Ministry of Magic, so not just anyone can get a hold of it. But Professor Snape, being a Master Potion Maker could make this potion without any trouble at all. He told Dolores Umbridge that is takes about a  full luna phase or a month to make, when she had foolishly wasted the bottle he had given her. There are some problems with Veritaserum, if the person given the potion is capable of resisting or fighting off the effects of the potion. The Ministry refuses to allow   confessions, obtained using Veritaserum, as admissible in their courts, believing it can not give definite proof of guilt or innocence.  It is also thought that an insane person using the potion, would not offer credible testimony.

ARMORTENTIA

Love potions, we know they exist as Merope Gaunt most likely used one on Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort's father. But all came crashing down on Merope, when she either stopped giving Tom the potion or he figured it out on his own. So sadly this kind of potion can be very dangerous to drink or give to someone else, without carefully considering the possible consequences.

APM Potion Ingredients for the Amortentia Potion:

Jobberknoll Feathers: The feathers will be cooked and the liquid will be used. These feathers have long been used to attract love.

Apple: The juice of the apple pulp will be used. It is one of the main ingredients for a love potion.

Ginger: The powder of this spice will be added to our potion. It is mainly used in love spells or potions.

Lavender: These purple flowers will be dried and crushed into a fine powder. Lavender is known to be used to attract love.

Olive: The small green olives will be squeezed and their oil will be used. The Olive is a most powerful love generating ingredient.

Liquorice: This sweet flavored purplish/blue flowered herb is used only in love potions.

MAKING THE AMORTENTIA LOVE POTION:

  1. All our ingredients have been laid out on our work table.
  2. Our cauldron must be half filled with water and brought to a boil.
  3. The Jobberknoll Feathers, half a dozen feathers, need to be added first to the boiling water. They have to cook on a high boil for one hour. The water needs to cool and then poured through a fine strainer into a bowl and then added back into the empty cauldron.
  4. The fire must be set on low to create a low simmering liquid.
  5. One large apple, must be peeled, cored and the pulp smashed and  forced through fine strainer. The liquid must then be added to the boiling water.
  6. One teaspoon of Ginger powder needs to be dropped into the cauldrons water and stirred quickly, being sure it dissolves.
    7. The dried purple Lavender flowers, about a half cup, have to be crushed into a fine powder.  One tablespoon must be stirred slowly into the simmering potion.  The steam from our simmering potion is rising in spirals.
  7. Four small Olives need to be squeezed and their juice poured a few drops at a time into the simmering now almost complete potion.
    8. At this point the liquid from the olives has given our potion a mother-of-pearl sheen.
  8. Our Liquorice flowers must have been dried and crushed into a fine powder. Two teaspoons of the powder is gently folded and dissolved into the potion, immediately giving off a different smell to each student, as well as the professor in the class.

The Amortentia Potion must be cooled and then placed in a tightly corked bottle.

CAUTION: Adult use only!

FELIX FELICIS

Liquid Luck is what Hermione called it. This potion cannot be made quickly. The ingredients must be carefully added and then it must stew for 6 months.

APM Potion Ingredient for Felex Felicis:

Allspice: Our potion will include the dried brown powder of this fruit. It helps promote luck.

Leprechaun Four Leaf Clover: The powder of four leafs will be part of our potion. Known as "lucky leaf" for bringing good luck.

Sage or Salvia: The chopped up stems will be used. The properties of this plant include luck.

Nutmeg: We will be using the powdered seeds of this spice. Nutmeg is well known for presenting luck.

Ginger: The powder from the ginger root will be used. Gingers properties can bring about success.

Jasmine: The crushed and powdered vines of this plant will enrich our potion. This herb is a very powerful luck ingredient.

MAKING THE FELIX FELICIS POTION:

  1. All the potion ingredients are ready on the work table.
  2. The cauldron must be filled with boiling water.
  3. First a half a cup of allspice powder is stirred into the boiling water.
  4. Next three teaspoons of four leaf clover must be added.
  5. One cup of the sage stems needs to be poured into the cauldron.
  6. VERY IMPORTANT  - One must stir the contents, of the cauldron,  continuously for 10 minutes. This is a very crucial point in our potion, as the potions droplets should be jumping like fish.
  7. Next two tablespoons of powdered ginger and one tablespoon of nutmeg need to be added slowly.  The contents must be stirred now and will offer us the recognizable molten golden color.
  8. Now are most powerful ingredient, one half cup of the jasmine crushed and powdered vines needs to be poured quickly over the surface of the bubbling potion. It must be left there for 5 minutes.  Then quickly, in large stirring motion mixed in with all the rest of the ingredients and covered.
  9. Finally the fire under the cauldron must be dropped to a low stewing flame. Over the course of the next 6 months, it must be stirred only once a month. Once this time period has lapsed, the potion needs to be cooled. The contents need to be strained through an extremely fine strainer and poured into a tiny tightly corked bottle.

CAUTION -  Over use can cause recklessness, giddiness as well as overconfidence. It is extremely toxic, if taken in large doses.

VERITASERUM

Severus Snape said only 3 drops will force the drinker to confide their innermost secrets.  It has no odor and it is colorless.  This is another potion that will need to brew for one lunar month, before it is ready to be used.

APM Potion Ingredients for Veritarserum Potion:

Ashoka: This is a flowered tree and we will use the powdered bark and dried and powdered flowers. It is used in truth serums.

Reishi: It is a rare Asian mushroom, it will be dried and crushed into a fine powder.  Its properties help create the strongest memory potions.

Iris: We will be using the crushed and powdered fan shaped leaves of this plant. Iris gives the drinker a clear mind.

Rehmannia: This is a fuzz covered, bell shaped flowered plant. We will use the dried and powdered flower for our potion. It is a very powerful ingredient that helps to recall memories.

Thiopental/PentatholA powerful clear liquid Muggle truth serum.

  1. All ingredients are assembled on the work table.
  2. The cauldron is half full of just below boiling water.
  3. One half cup of powdered Ashoka must be carefully laid into the cauldrons water and stirred gently.
  4. Two tablespoons of powdered Reishi needs to be quickly stirred into the water.
  5. The powdered Iris, about two teaspoons full, must be added and stirred continually for 5 minutes.
  6. One half cup of the powdered Rehmannia must now be sprinkled a little at a time, over 10 minutes, stirring gently. The potion must then be quickly stirred, so that clear foam bubbles arise and cover the surface of the potion.  
  7. Finally 3 drops of Thiopental/Pentathol need to be added and cauldron is covered.
  8. The fire under the cauldron must now be lowered to a slow brewing fire. It will remain on this fire for one lunar month. The cover will be removed once a week and the potion must be very gently swirled around  and the cover returned. As the lunar month expires the cauldrons contents must be allowed to cool and then strained into a dark colored bottle and corked tightly.

CAUTION - Only three drops should be used. Excessive use will be fatal!

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