Speculation on Liquid Luck

[terri-testing.livejournal.com]

This idea came up in an exchange with, if I recall, madderbrad, but for those who missed it there, here’s my theory on Felix Felicis.

Horace told his class it was “Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong.” (HBP 9)

Old Sluggy is glossing over things a bit here because Dumbledore is so hot against any Dark Arts theory being taught at Hogwarts.



It’s potentially disastrous to brew Felix Felicis right. There’s at least one step that has, say, a fifty-fifty chance of blowing up in the brewer’s face. Fatally. And every attempt ever made to make that step less dangerous, shield against the possible explosion, or rework the formula, has resulted in a mess with no luck-conferring properties at all.

Because the brewer is purchasing the luck s/he’s infusing in the potion by taking that risk, in essence offering hir life for the chance of luck. Thus, while there will always be the occasional brewer who’s desperate enough for money or glory to try a batch, it basically isn’t available on the open market.

We can infer that it is not generally available, not for any money, for if it had been, Draco’s mother would surely have purchased some for him.

(Now that I think about it, this might have been the original reason for Tom’s recruitment of one S. Snape. Someone disposable, but good at brewing, to try a batch. If so, how bitter Severus must have been when he realized, and how motivated to prove his long-term value so the Dark Lord would take him off that project.)

Three guesses where Slughorn’s sample came from; he’s certainly never brewed any himself. Indeed, he never claimed to have.

Comments

[terri-testing.livejournal.com]

He. First off, condwiramurs was right; the 50/50 chance is part of my theory, not a canon citation. The only canon citation to it is Sluggy's that I quoted. Which I do think suggests rather strongly that Sluggy means that it's not to be attempted lightly. We remember that in Harry's first-ever potions class Neville made a mistake. His potion melted a pewter cauldron into a twisted blob, filled the air with smoke, burned holes in leather shoes, and caused boils on exposed skiin. That's a first-year potion gone wrong. So in that context, "desperately tricky to brew and disastrous to get wrong" doesn't sound like my "the time I put a CUP instead of a TABLESPOON of vinegar in my vinegar taffy" cooking "disaster story."

It was a small cauldron, not a large one. If a "small cauldron" is comparable to a small saucepan or mixing bowl, that's perhaps a cup or two (I checked a saucepan). If 1 T lasts 4-6 hours, that's perhaps 100-200 hours worth of luck. Yes, probably worth millions if sold. But I don't think it was ever on the open market; my speculation is that it's the last of the batch brewed by Severus for Albus, way back before Tom's return when Snape's life could be risked that way.

To answer your real objection, yes, Mr. Doyle-ist, of course the real reason is Rowling's incompetence. No arguments there! And really, this is not the kind of thing you want to introduce, or why isn't everyone and her sister drinking the stuff--not everyday, she had an out for that (highly toxic if overused) but every important day?

Actually, I remember a great SS/HG story about Hermione trying to do independent research on Felix, and ODing badly. (Snape came in as her illegal ingredient supplier.) Long time ago though--I don't recall its name.

.

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

To answer your real objection, yes, Mr. Doyle-ist --

There's that word again. I'm so glad I finally looked up what it/you meant with this post!

But yeah, sometimes it's (too) hard to detour around Rowling's horrible plot voids.