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Let's start by taking a look into the future! Don't get too excited, this is not about a potion that will let you foretell the upcoming events in your life. Rather it's how one can turn Potions into their daily work. Many people choose to become a Potioneer, making potions for a living. Some spend their days brewing and selling potions. Others study and invent potions. And some, just like me, choose to teach the skill to others.
Ministry of Magic Auror Office Logo
Beyond this you could also choose a career path which involves knowledge of potions, such as Healer or Auror. Healers are qualified witches or wizards who use healing magic for tending to the sick and injured. Aurors are highly trained law enforcement officials working for the magical goverments.
In both of these cases a N.E.W.T. in Potions is part of the qualifications. The Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test is something for your seventh and final year of studies, but maybe you may need to decide on a career path sooner than that.
But why would someone study potions if that won't be their primary duty?
Potions are a unique thing in the world and have some advantages over normal spells. They could even be used by those who without Magic, if they have a ready potion. That's also why leaving potions easily at reach to the public can be a huge problem and should be avoided. But don't worry about leaving ingredients or potions textbooks around. Even though a Muggle in theory could brew a potion, it won't work without the use of some wand Magic. At best it will simply create a disgusting stew.
Potion Bottles & Ingredients
As discussed previously in the class, it's of utmost importance to follow textbook instructions when brewing potions. For one you would avoid creating a disaster while brewing a potion. Whether it's a dirty cauldron or a dash of extra ingredients, both could lead to a poisonous result, an explosion, or many more unwanted side-effects. For example the Elixir to Induce Euphoria causes excessive singing and nose-tweaking, which luckily can be countered by adding peppermint to the potion.
The same goes not just to the brewing instructions but also for applying the potion. The Felix Felicis potion can cause recklessness and overconfidence when you're drinking more than a few drops every several hours. In this case there is nothing that can counteract this effect, you simply have to moderate the intake to prevent this in the first place.
Furthermore you have to note how to apply the potion. Not all of them are drinkable liquids. Sometimes you pour them on the object or being. Other times you smell them. In rare instances the potion brewing itself causes the effect.
Potions are a very powerful item. While many of them recreate the effects of various Spells and Charms, they also create magic that cannot be achieved via any other means. This includes things like:
The Polyjuice Potion, which lets one temporarily assume the form of another human being
The Felix Felicis potion, which makes the drinker lucky and everything they try during this period is successful.
Potion Phial
Alrighty, let's get cooking!
Forgetfulness Potion
Forgetfulness Potion Ingredients & Instructions
2 drops of Lethe River Water
2 Valerian Sprigs
2 measures of Standard Ingredient
4 Mistletoe Berries
Add the 2 drops of Lethe River Water to the cauldron and gently heat for 20 seconds. Add the 2 Valerian Sprigs to the cauldron, and stir 3 times clockwise. Wave your wand and let the potion brew for roughly 45-60 minutes.
Crush the 2 measures of Standard Ingredient an 4 Mistletoe Berries into a medium-fine powder using the Mortar and Pestle. Add 2 pinches of the mixture to the cauldron. Stir 5 times, this time anti-clockwise. Wave your wand to complete the potion.
I hope none of you actually drank the potion. It causes a certain amount of memory loss in the drinker and is not something you should be playing around with. Please put the potion into phials, label it correctly, and bring it over to my desk. As usual, make sure you clean up behind you.
As you do so I'll talk about the ingredients you encountered today. The Lethe River Water may be just that, some water collected from the Lethe River. It does however possess magical properties and can cause forgetfulness.
The Valerian has been known even to the Muggles in the world due to its sedative and antispasmodic properties. You may even find it in the non-Magic world, used as a sleep and nerve remedy and as treatment for epilepsy. Various parts of it are used in potion-making, not just the sprigs that we used in this case.
The Mistletoe plant is actually extremely poisonous and harmful if eaten. However, the berries are relatively non-toxic. If only a small amount is ingested you have nothing to worry about, they can however cause an upset stomach when eaten in larger quantities.
You see, the wonderful thing about potions is that even if you look at all the different ingredients you may be unable to guess what the potion itself will do. During the brewing process the properties of the ingredients are mixed, amplified, diluted, and sometimes even completely changed. This reaction is only controlled by the exact recipe instructions - any deviation means you'll be left with a completely unknown result.
Lethe River Water, Valerian Sprigs, Mistletoe Berries
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