Magical Drafts and Potions By: Arsenius Jigger

Introduction

Love potions, elixirs of immortality, sinisterand undetectable poisons:

Magical and Muggle communities alike have been drawnfor thousands of years to the concept of the Potion, a concoction ofingredients infused with magical energy that gives the creator an advantageover others. The brewing cauldron has been a romantic icon of the magical,mysterious, and even grotesque in Muggle culture, including the above harrowingscene in Muggle playwright William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth. Evenmany witches and wizards see something romantic in the image of the PotionMaster or Mistress shut away in the dungeons, gleefully concocting some newcreation that casts important consequences on our magical communities.

Despite this affiliation of the "potion" withsinister intentions and death - owing not only to the effects of the potionsthemselves, but also the large number of slaughtered animals and animal partsused in the brewing process - Potioneering is not only an art, but a scienceequally if not more complicated and nuanced as any Muggle chemistry class. Asany young person who has grown up with potions knows, an error in even thesimplest brewing instructions can lead to painful and potentially fatalconsequences. Also, while Witches and Wizards are free to consume Mugglemedicines and remedies, our own healing elixirs are fatal to non-magical beings.

As such, it has become the responsibility of Witches and Wizards to educateyoung minds as to the importance and responsibility involved with ethicalbrewing of potions.This brings us to the cause of this book, MagicalDrafts and Potions. Within these pages the author seeks not to romanticizeor glorify the profession of Potioneer. Those who practice know well themselveshow difficult their position is within the magical world, as they holdresponsibility for most of our major medicinal mechanisms.

They also know whatglory can be found in the correct discovery and interpretation of ingredientsand magical mixtures. Instead, the author hopes that this book will serve toassist young minds as they begin their own careers in the magical world, andwill show them the fundamental aspects of brewing potions, and perhaps sparktheir curiosity to learn more about the "how" and "why" of this ancienttechnique of our kind. With that, the introduction will come to a closein order to continue with the text, expanding young minds and encountering newand exciting experiences.