Potions

Death Shocks International Potion Community
Reported by Hannelore Gemini Caelum

Baghdad- The International wizarding community reeled yesterday after having recieved word that the world renouwned alchemist, Hazim Al Bakhim, was found dead in his dungeon, apparently a victim of foul-play.

Kadeejah Ibn Zakir, the ministry official in charge of the investigation, offered few clues to who may be the culprit in this despicable act.

" All, we know as of now is that Mr. Al Bakhim was poisoned, possibly by a dram of sleeping death. Medi-wizards are currently performing an autopsy and the results are expected within 24 hours."

Her words however did little to quell the fears of alchemists around the world, who believe that Al bakhim may have been avictim of You-Know-Who or one of his henchmen.

Pepin Neuville-DeCartes, president of the Alchemist Society for the Promotion of Potions (ASPP), had only this to say about his deceased comrade,

" Hazim, was a brilliant man. There is no doubt in my mind that he was murdered by Lord Voldemort in an attempt to sway him over to the dark side and gain valuable information to aid in his quest for global domination. All alchemists should be very afraid, for if Lord Voldemort can fell one of the greatest minds of our time, no one is safe."

Al Bakhim was said to be working on a top secret potion for the Iraqi Ministry of Magic, something that insiders say would have been valuable to the Dark Lord.

Whatever the case may be, Hazim Al Bakhim was a genius and a forerunner in his feild. The potions community shall never recover from his loss.

Letter from a Reader
Reported by Hannelore Gemini-Caelum

My dearest readers, recently I have received a letter of such startling intellect concerning the art of potion making that I found myself moved to make a break from tradition and share the letter with all of you.

Dear Miss.Gemini-Caelum,

As a potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and an enthusiast of the bubbling cauldron, I have always looked forward to your inspired and informing columns. I often find as a teacher of the subtle art of potions that too few a student really understands the subject as the most difficult yet most exceptional part of wizardry. In my years at Hogwarts I have seen many a dowdering idiot attempt and fail miserably in my class. They simply do not understand that I assign hard work out of my deep and unfailing love for the subject. Alas my hard work goes unnoticed, and each year more and more students graduate Hogwarts with a loathing for potions, not to mention a complete ineptitude for it. Day after day the little worts trudge into my classroom making mess after mess of the mixtures, consistantly substituting things such as eye of newt for toe of frog in a serum!Yet, I continue my work in the hope that one day out of the masses of retched stupidity I shall find a student worthy of my talents, a student who will understand my methods, and truely love the art! But, until that day I shall continue to devotedly read your articles, for no other journalist remains as devoted to transcribing the world of potions into the written words as you.

Your devoted reader,
S. Snape
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Thank you, Mr. Snape for your letter and do continue your labors at Hogwarts!

Parents And Potions: Gifts For The Young
By Hermiona Pisces-Dumbledore

Parents, got kids who are intrested in Potions but are nowhere near going to Hogwarts? Teach and entertain the kids with these neat gift sets. But, a few things on these gift sets,;1, they smell, 2, they are more fun then teaching.

Potion Making With Just A Wand and You: The Wizard's Art Shop, 2 galleons

Potions For The Kids: Potion Stores Worldwide, 17 sickles

The Kids' Way To Potions: Make Your Own: Potions Store For The Clueless, 3 galleons.

Potions For The Young, Potion Stores Woldwide, 56 sickles.

Those are just my favorites I found, but there are more.

Ministry Installs New Potion Restrictions
Reported by Hannelore Gemini Caelum

Alas it is with a sad heart that I inform you, my readers, of the latest restrictions placed on potion making by the Ministry of Magic. As we all know, since recent events have prompted the notion that You-Know-Who has returned to power once more, there has been a huge crack-down on potion making by the Department of Regulation and Control of Liquid Magic. Over the past months the list of illegal potions and ingredients (almost 125 as of yesterday) has been steadily growing, leaving many potion connoisseurs angry and frustrated.

"How can I teach my students the antidotes to powerful potions if I can't legally use the blasted ingredients!" said an outraged Professor Snape, Potions master at Hogwarts, of the latest wave of Potion laws. Like Snape, many wizards have been crying foul, stating that many ingredients are necessary for a large number of potions, not just the darker ones.

"Those blundering dolt heads at the Ministry of Magic have instated laws that are going to ruin the potion making industry!" said Herodotus Nottingham, President of Nottingham Beauty Potions. "These potion regulations are absolutely idiotic, and an infringement on our rights!"

In defense, Ministry Representative Iris Moon said yesterday, "The potions and ingredients recently outlawed are weapons of You-Know-Who and his followers, for the sake of public safety the new regulations have been put in place."

Whatever the case may be, thousands of potions and ingredients carrying stores are rushing to empty their supplies of illegal ingredients and potions, and the public is warned that any illegal substance found in a wizard's possession will result in immediate Ministry action.

So, faithful readers, as always the subtle art of potion making has taken another blow. When will the madness end, when will wizards and witches wake up and see potion making for the powerful magic it really is? Until next time.

Love Potions Still not Allowed at Hogwarts!
By Candace Finnegan

I've had several reports about a group of girls making love potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. All of those girls are reminded that love potions are absolutely not allowed at hogwarts! As we know, the love potion wil make the person fall in love with the next person it sees, when I was there doing an interview, I noticed a boy following around the caretakers cat, most likely a love potion gone wrong because everyone hates the cat, and of course, it's not a person. Several of those potions were meant for the famous wizard, Harry Potter, from talking to his teachers, he has been so nervous, he's been cutting classes to avoid the girls. Professor mcgonagall added that "any girl caught making or giving a love potion will be given detention and 20 house points will be taken, so I advise that you don't do it." this is Candace Finnegan reporting for the Daily Prophet.

Perfect Party Potion Punch
By Candace Finnegan

Perfect for the Muggle, Squib, or just generally pathetic at potions, impress your friends with these recipies!

Magic Color Changing Potion

Ingredients:
Sprite or another clear soft drink concentrated fruit juices
Supplies:
- Ice tray, star shaped if you want it to look really good.
- Large bowls or pitchers to mix the concentrate.
Step 1: Mix the concentrated fruit juices with twice the amount of water called for.
Step 2: Pour the fruit juices into the ice trays and freeze overnight.
Step 3: At the party, put a few ice cubes in each drink and watch them be amazed as their drink changes color but not flavor!

Potion Mixing Punch

This is an activity everyone will love! Mixing the "potions" to get different colors and flavors! For a little something extra, Label the jars with potion names!
Ingredients
- Lots of colored juices, single flavor, like gatorade, etc.
- Clear soft drink such as 7-Up or Sprite.
Supplies
- Lots of clear glass or plastic pitchers
Step 1: Put all the flavors in different pitchers.
Step 2: Fill cups 1/2 with the clear soft drink.
Step 3: Let your guests have fun creating their drinks!
Tip - For both of these you can use cauldrons and dry ice to make the drinks in the cauldrons appear to be smoking.

Death to the Bargain Hunter
By Christine Glandorf

Sickles,galeons,and knuts... so hard to let them go. I myself am the avid bargain hunter ( Have you seen the prices on robes these days? 7 galleons? Do these people think that money grows on trees? However I did come upon a clan of the wizard Malaysian mafia who had almost managed to do such a thing). These days with the rocky economy everyone's trying to pinch and save, especially on potion ingredients. Why spend full price on fancy-shmancy old plants and animal parts? Why? Because there is no room for the smallest change in a potion, no matter how minute without serious catastrophe. In the last month no fewer than 17 separate (almost separate, a certain Belinda Pecunia, insisted upon substituting dandelions for tiger weed in a sleeping draught and ended up with toes that sang Christmas carols - though the quite lovely harmonizing left Mrs. Pecunia dreaming of a white Christmas) cases of substitution of ingredients. These poor tight fisted souls found themselves in a pinch, when their noses began to grow at fantastic rates (substitution of frog warts for ... their own, in a botched truth serum), their chairs to sprout wings and feather seats (substitution of lintseed for plain lint), and numerous unfortunate events involving musical toilets, and tap dancing ladles. Thus, I beg of you, do not ever substitute ingredients in potions, it is never worth it. You may in fact find yourself paying more to get your toilet to stop yodeling (most wizard plumbers charge as much as 10 galleons for this service). So, my friends when you find yourself tempted to cheat remember what Flavius the Flighty once said, "Stupid is the man who searches for the shortest route, they often find themselves a few inches shorter."(He WAS known as flighty, you know. Ah well, the sentiment remains).

Fantastic Gift Ideas for the Potion Lover
By Hannelore Gemini-Caelum

Ahh... the Holiday Season is fast approaching, the carols, the cheering charm, the eggnog, and one must not forget the gifts!!! But alas what to get for that finicky person on your list. You know her, she is that picky person for whom ten galleons is too much and a huge anthology of spells to little. But, before you resort to drastic measures ( smell-proof socks, singing earrings and that old sweater your Aunt Eugenia gave you that you have never worn) your lovely Daily Prophet Consultant has compiled a list of fantastic Gifts ( which she has discovered in her travels around the world) that are sure to please even the miserliest of wizards.

Martha Stewarts Ultimate Guide to the Art of Potion Making.... 1 galleon

The uber guide to potion making recently re-edited this century old book of household potions belongs in every witches's kitchen. Includes full color pictures, smells, and pop up samples ( the number one reason to buy it!)

Boblestones' Compartment Cauldron-...... 16 galleons

Long recognized as the best in Cauldron making this is the latest and most high tech of all. Compact, it weighs only about 4 pounds, and is a foot tall so you can make almost anything in it, includes hidden compartments to store utensils and ingrediants. has a built in thermometer and is self heating. No fire needed, totally worth the extra penny!

The Travlers Cauldron by Galdwin and Burns.... 14 galleons

A compact foldable and totally durable ( an elephant could step on it and it would still work)cauldron can unfold into different widths and heights depending on your needs. Also doubles as a container that is completly spill proof and spoil proof.

100 Exotic ingredients Kit ........ 25 galleons

Expensive, but contains a myriad of hard to find ingrediants, includes Arrgleshire, lilywort, bogglebreath,goblin toenails, redcap fur Ect. Perfect for the gourmet potion maker.

And for those of you with money to burn...

The Spellbook 50 galleons

- A complete handheld refrence guide, tells you were to find ingrediants, make any spell, and translates runes!!! The must have this holiday season for any top notch alchemist!

Invisible Hyacinth
by Kristen Kholor

Want to become invisible but don't have an invisiblity cloak? No problem! Just whip up one of these. Take an ordinary hyacinth flower petal, and soak it in a confusing concoction and a shrinking soultion mixed. Then perform a simple memory charm on the petal. Now, put the petal in your mouth. Warning: DO NOT SWALLOW!! If swallowed, the eater will become invisible FOREVER! So, enjoy being invisible and don't sneak up behind me or I will curse you.

Hermes at Home
By Hannelore Gemini-Caelum

Awful at apparating? Bumbling with brooms? Pitiful with portkeys? Fearsome of Floo?

Have I got the perfect potion for you! Last used in Ancient Greece by the wizard known as Hermes ( to muggles the ancient messanger god ), this potion was recently rediscoverd by archeolo-wizards. Enscribed on a pillar in the Temple of Hermes, this ancient potion allows the human wearer to take flight. By dropping your everday shoes in this simple yet effective solution, you too can posses the winged shoes ( talaria) of Hermes. Known as the Talaria Potion it's ingrediants include many ingrediants native to Greece. But can easily be found in a quality mail order catalogue like Martha Stewart- Witch Living (you did not really think she was muggle did you?) or at any ethnic potion supply store (also note many of these ingrediants can be found in your local gyro shop).

Talaria Potion

Heat cauldron to blue flame and add-
1 pair of shoes ( sandals are advisable for a more authentic effect)
Freshly Ground Hydra Scales- 2 cups
Water from Delphi- a table spoon
Olive oil- 1 tsp.
Laurel leaf- 1
Harpie feather- 2 ( be very careful if they are two large your sandals may be extremely volitle)Melted Wax - 1 cup ( warning get too close to the sun and your shoes will melt)

Remove shoes from brew. Toss in air 4 times. Let sit for 3 hrs.

To fly- Put on, think happy thoughts ( not really) and jump( should be done out of doors). Use your wand to steer left and right.( It is easiest to fly in a standing postion. Do not worry if its a bit awkward, you'll adjust)

To land- Simply sit down and slowly you will descend.

Warnings- Do not use in extreme heat, snow, rain, fog, sleet or hail. Use extreme caution when operating unlike Hermes, muggles should never catch a glimpse of you. You can not use these shoes on land or they will fall apart. Spell lasts for about 12 hours, it is not advaisable to fly over the ocean. Also note that any misuse of these shoes will result in extreme measures from the Ministry of Magic.

Enjoy!

Common Potion Illegalized
By Nathan Potter

Many a wizard has poured over a complex potion to solve a cure or get revenge. But what about the simple ones that require just a few simple ingredients, the right timing and patience? As most of the magical comunity knows, some of these can be the most dangerous and deadly.

One of the most dangerous is the Draught of Living Death, the most powerful of the sleeping potions made by mixing asphodil and wormwood. Due to a resent development in the science of alchemy(potions making) it has been illegalized. Any one caught making it will serve a three year sentence in Azkaban.

The reason for these harsh punishments is that a forty-six year old witch accidentally swallowed some of her own. (Trying to give some to a neighbor who had been making quite a ruckus late at night.) The specifics have not yet been released but we do know that even the strongest Waking Potion and Reversal Potion had no effect. The Department of Potions at the Ministry of Magic decided that anyone after the age of forty-five would, if swallowed, the potion would make them sleep forever. So as a warning, DO NOT MAKE THIS POTION.

Ghostly Potion
By Heather Lockhart

In the early 1800's, there was a special potion brewed by three famous witches. The Ministry of Magic had asked them to concoct a special potion to make solids become liquids. Well, as you know, potions go wrong! So, the three witches were working on it and they thought it was pretty much done. They needed a specimen to test it on and decided it was safe enough to test it on themselves (which turned out not to be very smart). They each drank a glass and noted that it had a sweet sensation and sour taste. That was the last anyone had heard from them.

The Ministry of Magic hid the rest of the special potion and it's recipe. They told everyone that there was a misunderstanding and that the witches were fine and well. The truth was, the witches were fine. They were also very well. The problem was that they had become..... yep, you guessed it.... GHOSTS!! They haunted the floor where they worked in the Ministry of Magic. So, the Ministry of Magic demolished everything on that floor and replaced it with a snack bar!!! I managed to get an interview with the owner of the snack bar and this is what I got:

HLockhart: Have there been any strange happenings here on this floor?

Owner: Yes! There have!

HLockhart: Like what?

Owner: There have been pots, silverware, and recipe books floating around everywhere! Not to mention people!!

HLockhart: People? Are you sure?!

Owner: Yes! Even people have been floating around! Mrs. Fleety, the cook, was brewing something up and she started to float! We knew she could float and asked her not to use her floating power. Then, the other cook's went shooting out the snack bar and they ended up quitting there jobs!!

HLockhart: Thankyou for your time! That is all I need!

As you see, there have been strange happenings. Now, what is even crazier, is that they are going to add this recipe to the new edition of, "Ghostly Concoctions"! There have been many questions but they all lead to the answer of "yes"on bringing back this old, powerful potion. It is very strange how the Ministry of Magic quickly changed their minds on this dangerous spell! They said it would be only allowed to provide defense against the Dark Arts followers. So, I have concluded that the Ghostly Potion will hopefully be used correctly and not end up used for evil!

Speaking of Ghostly potions, here is one for that special event, Hallow's Eve:

Ghostly Hand Punch

Ingredients::

*1 quart water
* Food Coloring
* 1 clear latex glove (WARNING: be absolutely sure you use a powderless glove. Many latex gloves have a special powder inside that may be harmful. Have your parents doublecheck your glove selection first.)
* Raisins (as fake spiders)
* Maraschino cherries (as bloody eyeballs)
* Green grapes (as infected eyeballs)
* 1 quart fruit punch
* 1 quart gingerale
* Gummy worms

1. Mix water and food coloring in a bowl. (Get a parent to help with this; food coloring is icky stuff!)

2. Fill latex glove with colored water.

3. Freeze overnight.

4. Before placing in punch, you can peel the glove off the iced hand.

5. Mix fruit punch and gingerale in a punch bowl.

6. Add gummy worms, raisins, grapes, and cherries to the brew.

7. Spoon in sherbert and top off with the ice hand!

Paranoia Potion Flooding the Nation
By Drago Flare

First created in the early 70's as a method of torturing many of Azkaban's more vile prisoners, the Paranoia Potion soon became one of the Ministry of   Magic's greatest weapons in the war against You-Know-Who many years ago.  The Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge, stated that he's "very thankful that potion was developed. If not for it, than many of the Ministry's workers would not be with us today." Well, though the Paranoia Potion is praised by many to be one of the greatest brews ever, the terrible things it can do have just recently been discovered. Workers for the Ministry's Poisonous Potions Department have found traces of the potion in the water supplies of some local cities and villages. In fact, large amounts of it have been noticed in rivers, lakes, and streams across the country. Thousands of people drink and swim in this water, taking in much of the fabled potion. It has seeped into the pores of many wizards and witches, though especially unsuspecting Muggles. Hundreds of cases have been reported of people going completely paranoid, attacking even their own spouses and children in distrust. Some reports, however, were only mild, stating that one would only accuse someone, possibly a close friend or neighbor, of lying about even the simplest of things. Paranoia has begun to sweep all of England, causing many to panic, and not just those intoxicated by the potion. Muggle doctors and scientists, some of which have also had a taste of the Paranoia Potion, have been trying to find the reasoning behind the sudden hysteria. The Ministry of Magic has begun doing tests on water contaminated by the potion in the hopes of finding a quick cure, as opposed to the remedy that's even worse than the ailment: eating the snot from an Appalachian mountain troll. The Ministry has also begun a search for what might have caused the potion to get into the water sources throughout the country. The workings of a Dark witch or wizard have not been ruled out, and that is the main theory going at the moment. It is advised that you drink only bottled water, not that of your local village or city and you do not go swimming in a pool or natural water area. A cure for the Paranoia Potion, along with the cause of the panic, will hopefully be found soon.