First Year Of A Ravenclaw
This book includes my work in my first year classes. Please use it only as an example to inspire your own work, and do not plagiarise.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
22
Reads
1,260
Potions Vii - Magical, Mundane And Otherwise
Chapter 7
Notes
Magical ingredients : ingredients imbued with magical properties in their natural state (do not give to Muggles)
- often from magical creatures (ex : dragons), also from plants (ex : Mandrake).
- effective faster than mundane cream/pills : temporaly speed up metabolic reactions of the body = catalyst
- effect more powerful
- change impact : quicker and more effective : may be dangerous for very young, very old, pregnant
- long term : can have permanent effects if body relies too much on potions
- add with caution to Potion : fatal effects ! Can break and reform chemical connections
Mundane : study of science, the cultivation of the land, or the application of non-magical ingredients in cures or Potions
- more gentle, less impact
- ex : ginger can relieve digestive inflammation and ease motion sickness, ok for young children, good taste
- can be added to Potions to improve taste (lavender, mint) or counter slightly unpleasant effects (ginger, rose)
- add with caution to avoid ruining end product
Transitional ingredients : ingredients which have no magical qualities on their own but will display magical properties when used in conjunction with magical ingredients and the magic of a Wizard
- ex : dragonfly thoraxes
- latent magical quality : something in genetic composition
- signs of development of magic in non-magical species (like dinosaurs to dragons) ?
- form of magic : some breed of allure or magic that we have yet to access or understand ?
- vestigial organ of magic when they were powerful elementals on Earth ?
Essay
Prompt
For this last full lesson, I would like you to use your own judgment and be creative. We discussed three theories - including my own mother’s tales when I was young - of ingredients that display no magical properties unless used in conjunction with true magical ingredients. Do any of these ring true? Based on what we’ve studied this year, do any make more sense? Or do you have another completely original theory? I would like to see you discuss in at least 250 words if one theory makes more sense to you. Please remember you must:
State and support your own opinion with reasons as to why you believe it correct.
Refute the other opinions mentioned in the lesson.
Discuss one “transitional” ingredient and how you think it supports your theory. It can be from the lesson, or you can do your own research.
Today, we've studied the difference between magical and mundane ingredients. We've also discussed "transitional ingredients". These ingredients do not possess magical properties on their own. However, when mixed with magical ingredients and with the help of a Wizard magic, they will have their own magical effect.
Several theories exists about this type of ingredients. The least popular is that this magic is a vestige of a once powerful magic, when these creatures were elementals on Earth. Depending on versions, this magic slowly faded away or disappeared because of a trauma. This theory is popular in tales and children stories, but seems to fictional to be real. We haven't found any trace of these elementals, like a fossil with preserved magic.
An other theory is that these magical properties are, in fact, another form of magic talent. Different forms of magic exist in the world, like House Elves and Centaur magic. This is a believable theory, but I feel like it doesn't explain that the magical properties only reveal themselves when in contact to magical ingredients.
The last theory is that these properties comes from a "dormant magic", present in these creatures and plants genetics. This would mean they are slowly developing a magical ability. My theory is my favorite, because I believe magic is indeed present in genes. That's why it can disappear in a family (with a Squib child) and reappear decades later (with a Muggle-born child), like red hair or blue eyes. I also think it fits well with the theory of Evolution. I think that in contact of magic, these genes awake and they display their future abilities.
The transitional ingredient studied in the lesson was dragonfly thoraxes. According to my favorite theory, dragonfly are developing a magical gift. Since their thoraxes are used in Potions relative to speed, it could mean that in the future they may have the magical ability to improve their speed.
