Disclaimer: Jo's world, I just live there.
Summary: A magical textbook, if you will, so that I don't have to go into the complexities of magic in the middle of my fic Time For Me.
Chapter 2 : Potions – How and Why it is Not "Just Like Cooking"
When I was learning potions, a phrase commonly heard by a friend of mine trying to help one of her straggling classmates was "Really, it's just like cooking, you only have to follow directions and you'll get it right." Once I understood the true nature of Potions, I cringed each time she said this. Despite common belief, Potions is like cooking only in that it requires heat and the majority of results are ingested. Following directions is not all that is required, nor does it assure a successful potion, otherwise Potions would not require magic.
Every ingredient, or reagent, used in Potions has two sets of properties – chemical and magical. Both of these interact with the respective properties of every other reagent, as well as with its surroundings. Chemically, reagents react with temperature, light, pH balance, as well as chemical properties of the cauldron. Magically, reagents react with spells cast at or around them, natural flows of magic such as those common around water or volcanic activity, lunar phases, magic of the brewer, and the magical properties of the cauldron. As you can see, the cauldron is a common point – this is why there are so many types of cauldrons. Most students begin with a simple size-2 pewter cauldron because pewter is magically as well as chemically neutral and the small size protects the potion from outside magical influences before the student learns to create a buffer zone on their own. This also helps determine which potions are lower level; those potions that do not require specific metals or sizes of cauldron are generally those with few chemical or magical requirements. Other, higher level potions need various metals – copper, silver, gold, steel, lead, or aluminum are the standard metals – and sizes – 1 through 10.
In order to fully examine these interactions, we'll use an example: Caveo Veles.
The ingredients of the Caveo Veles potion are as follows: amber resin, a griffin talon, dragon's blood, iron shavings, dried gladiolus petals, iris roots, and two drops of hydrochloric acid. The first step, as with 92 of potions, is to boil one cup of water in the cauldron. No specific type of cauldron is required, though it is advisable that the target weapon be made of a metal compatible with the metal of the cauldron. One teaspoon of amber resin is added once the water has reached boiling. Amber resin has the magical qualities of security, stability, protection, and peace; without the amber resin, the Caveo Veles potion would be unstable, potentially dangerous to handle, and would inflict the weapon-wielder with a battle-lust like aggression. Using the amber resin as the base for the potion stabilizes it, as well as adding to its defensive strength. Chemically, the amber resin raises the pH level, making the solution basic.
Once the amber resin has melted and dissolved into the water, the griffon talon is added. The griffon is a fiercely aggressive creature, and much of this aggression can be harnessed in the talon. Again, the amber resin comes into play, magically mollifying the dangerous nature of the reagent. The talon has no immediate chemical effect, as it will stay whole until the dragon's blood is added. Dragon's blood also has very aggressive qualities and a corrosive chemical nature. It breaks up the griffon talon, diffusing the magic and chemicals within. This interaction neutralizes both the alkalinity of the talon and the acidity of the blood, leaving the new solution at the same pH as the amber resin solution. Dragon's blood also has the magical property of heat, so the cauldron must be removed from the flame at the this point to keep it just below boiling.
Now the iron shaving are added, held within a sieve so that they do not fall into the cauldron. The potion must simmer for at least half an hour. This is the step at which most people make mistakes. In cooking, a soup can be left to simmer by itself with little or no attention paid. By contrast, simmering is usually the most important step in potions. While the Caveo Veles potion simmers with the iron shavings, the brewer must cast their magic into the potion, focusing on the weapons the potion will be used on – this gives the end result an affinity for those weapons. This is why general Caveo Veles potions that can be bought at an average weaponry store is never as affective as those made professionally for specific weapons – the magic of the brewer affects the end result greatly. Were a muggle making it, at this point the iron shavings wouldn't react at all and the end result would be useless. The shavings themselves are simply a medium through which the brewer can cast their magic into the potion to give it a specific purpose, i.e.: to make weapons sharper and stronger.
The next two, the gladiolus petals and the iris roots, are enhancers and should be added at once. At its most basic level, the potion is finished once it's done simmering with the shavings. However, if left at that stage, the result is sloppy and unpredictable, as well as corrosive – it will eventually eat through any weapon it is used on. Also, the magic is so untamed that, instead of three proximity weapons being the limit, only one weapon per person could have the potion used on it. The Gladiolus traditionally stands for strength of character, and the petals transfers that magical property over, combining with the dragon's blood remnants to give the property of invincibility to the potion. The Iris stands for valor, and the roots combine with the dissolved griffon talon to add that property, which translates, in weaponry, to a weapon that will never fall from it's wielder's hands. Together, the flowers work to unify the potion, making it one whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Chemically, the flowers add to the pH, making the solution more basic, which is why the hydrochloric acid is added – it makes the potion neutral so that it doesn't corrode the metal. Magically, hydrochloric acid is weak as it is a muggle-created chemical reagent, but it does have properties of viciousness and purging, helping the potion to keep the blade shiny rather than leaving any residue and making any wounds caused by the weapon sting rather more than they would otherwise.
As you can see, potions require the proper interactions of magical properties, chemical properties, and the magic of the brewer at nearly every step. Cooking requires only chemical reactions, and comparatively few at that. If I have at all achieved my objective here, none of my readers will again refer to potions as 'just like cooking'.
Author's Notes: First, to address my reviewers (both of them).
Jessica Halliwell Potter – Wow, I am blown away flattered. :D Thank you!
I-Shave-Clowns – I prefer to know who's reviewing because I like to read the stuff of the people who review for me, though I am worried that blocking anonymous reviews may cut down on constructive criticism, which I don't want. Please, don't anyone feel worried about pointing out a flaw, I know they are there, it's just hard for me as the writer to see them.
Now, if you please, I would be grateful for a review, but I realize something this didactic and completely lacking in plot isn't likely to get many. Anyway, thanks for reading at least!
