Lesson Seven

Ingredients: Magical, Mundane, and Otherwise

Magical Ingredients: Ingredients possessing magical qualities in their natural state, of which Muggles are intolerant. They might quite often derive from magical beings and creatures, or plants. They tend to be quicker when taking effect, as they tend to speed up metabolic reactions, and you cannot control the intensity. One must be careful when taking potions with a weaken immune system. They can be finicky and have disastrous results, and, unlike with Mundane ingredients, never add them if they are not on the ingredients list 

Mundane Ingredients: These provide a biologically gentler alternative to avoid the harsh impacts of magical ones. However, they can weaken the stomach and immune system, and the body might depend too strongly on the potion for digestion. As a plus, many of them are likely to be better tasting than their magical counterparts. They can be used to:

• Improve flavour
• Counter unpleasant side effects
• An example would be ginger

Transitional Ingredients: These ingredients have no magical properties on their own, but do when used or mixed with magical ones.  An example would be dragonfly thoraxes. Scientist believes this is controlled by something in their genetic compassion, but are not sure. Another theory is that the "hibernation" of the magic is a form of expression, of a talent, or gift. Another, the less popular theory, says the small creatures with untapped magical ability were once powerful elementals on Earth.