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

[madderbrad.livejournal.com]

The implication that poor old Slughorn got manipulated into teaching Potions just so Harry could get that memory.

I've never thought of that, seen that implication, until now. Hmm. Yes, I guess you're right. I'm just so ... completely underwhelmed ... by that particular story element, so disengaged by the stupidity of it all, I guess I just couldn't believe we were supposed to swallow that as well. But it makes sense; if we were supposed to believe that the memory was SO OMG IMPORTANT - even though Dumbledore merely accepts it, after all the fuss, with a simple omnipotent "yes, I thought so" - even though the memory/number is no proof at all - even though a simple reference by Riddle about 'seven' being a magic number is nothing close to solid PROOF that he fixated on that number in due course - even though we learn for a FACT later on, given that Harry is a seventh Horcrux, that this was no 'proof' at all, thus showing that Dumbledore's faith in the memory was foolish in the extreme - I guess it follows that Slughorn's employment was part of it all too. Duh.

I'm still underwhelmed by Rowling's pathetic storyline. :-)

And, you know, we still don't know what a Horcrux really is or how they are created.

Neither does Rowling. :-)

As to destroying them, I do love the theory that the Dementors could and should have done it.

Yes, I've read a couple of fanfics that have that happen. I loved the idea when I first read it.

It's funny how Rowling has provided such fodder for writers so much better than her to come up with such gold, isn't it? Well, maybe not 'funny'.

They also proved to be pretty useless, in the end

I think they materialised for half a page in the final battle. Remember how the Trio suddenly were unable to repel a gang of dementors, but were rescued by, uhm, Luna, Ernie and another student?

And, speaking of magical brethren, what was all that nonsense with Grawp in the previous book!)

I guess Grawp was one of the earlier signs that Rowling needed an editor; he really didn't matter to the story at all.

And then book 6 came out with half of that book being pedestrian filler.