#potion brewing

"Okaaaay, so some frog legs here.... A unicorn horn there.... @theasexualagent 's liver here..."

"Aaaaand WHALA!"

*EXPLOSION*

If this post gets eaten twice, I might stab tumblr. Had this answered and was ready to hit Send last night and then everything just blanked out. Whole page. Post go byebye. ...that’s been happening on my Ask page a lot lately. WTF, Tumblr.

ANYWAY! I didn’t keep ALL of it readily available, but I did keep the listing info about cauldron metals, because it was completely awesome to take real-life characteristics of metals and think about how they’d apply to potions-brewing. (Also, I got to go find lots of fun and sometimes ancient examples.)

Brass: alloy made of copper and zinc. Better for medical potions; has bactericidal properties and kills pathogens/microorganisms, including antibacterial-resistant bacteria, within minutes to hours of contact. Susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (cannot use for temp-cold potion-brewing). Highly malleable, resistant to corrosion, acoustic qualities (more malleable than bronze or zinc). Mohs: 3

Bronze: Alloy consisting of a typical ratio of 90% copper/10% tin in Wizarding world. Ductile alloy, less brittle than cast iron, superficial oxidation, lower melting point that steel/iron. 10% denser than steel. Resists corrosion of the air (though gets copper oxide outer layer) and resists salt water corrosion; less metal fatigue better than steel, better conductor of heat and electricity. Electrical conduit properties, non-magnetic; struck bronze will not generate sparks. Also has acoustic qualities but far less than brass; preferred for bells instead of woodwinds. Mohs: 3

Tin: element Latin Stannum. Soft, malleable, ductile (deform under stress), highly crystalline, silvery-white. Melts at low temp, resists corrosion from water, but susceptible to acids and alkalis. Acts as a catalyst when oxygen is in a solution and accelerates chemical attack. Mohs: 1.5

Pewter: malleable alloy, low melting point. 99% tin/1% copper (no other additives aside from copper allowed in wizarding world). Mohs: 1.6

Zinc: chemical element, named by Paracelsus. Electrochemical properties, hard and brittle at most temperatures, malleable between 100-150C; conductor of electricity, reacts with acids and alkalis and non-metals; stable bonder. Anti-corrosive agent when bonded to other metals; absorbs the oxygen. Mohs: 2.5

Copper: element Cu (cyprium, later cuprum Latin). Soft, malleable, ductile, high thermal and electrical conductivity (second only to silver). Also useful in restorative potion brewing as is key trace dietary mineral. Does not react with water, but will with oxygen and turn green; produced in massive stars (astronomical qualities). Is biostatic and will not grow microorganisms and destroys MRSA, staphylococcus, clostridium difficile, Influenza A, adenovirus, and fungi. Mohs: 3

Gold: element Au (aurum Latin). Dense, soft, malleable, and ductile, least reactive chemical element, solid under standard conditions; resistant to most acids (except aqua regia) and dissolves in sodium or potassium cyanide when oxygen is present, and with mercury. Corrosion-resistant, high conductor of electricity; gold salts are anti-inflammatories. Does not react with oxygen at any temperature, but does with potassium, rubidium, caesium, tetramethylammonium to form auride salts (anti-inflammatories sodium aurothiomalate and auranofin). Gold thread embroidery for thread magic work. Mohs: 2.5-3

Pyrite: iron sulfide mineral, common sulfide mineral (Greek pyrites, “of fire”). Early ignition for firearms (wheellock, pyrite against a circular file for sparks). Creates sulfur dioxide (used in paper industry), manufacture of sulfuric acid. Semiconductor material; used as mineral detectors in radio receivers before vacuum tube, creating a crude point-contact rectifier, to receive AM radio signals. (Pyrite is marcasite jewelry!) Pyrite exposed to air and water decomposes quickly into iron oxides and sulfate, when hastened by acidithiobacillus bacteria – a cauldron of pyrite would have to have some sort of charm in place to protect it—unless it’s remade every time? (but also insoluble in water, what?). Mohs: 6-6.5

Silver: Ag element, Latin argentum. Ductile transition metal, highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal; catalysts in chemical reactions, less malleable than gold. Water purifier: prevents bacteria and algae from growing, catalyzes oxygen, sanitizes water (silver ions added to water replace chlorination). Mohs: 2.5-3

Iron, Lead, and Steel are not used because it reduces the effectiveness of the magic.

Nickel is too common as an allergen.

Titanium: the element (Ti); poor conductor of heat/electricity.

Tungsten: rare to be found by itself, so VERY expensive but doesn’t seem to impart any useful magical properties.

Rhodium: most often found naturally bonded to nickel, so axed due to allergen difficulties.

Palladium: (if not bonded to nickel) is not good for potions because it is a toxic metal to plants and thus has negative effect on potential outcomes. Maybe useful for certain poisons, though.

Platinum: Extremely rare, only used for exceptionally high temperature potion-brewing due to its inertness at high temps.

Successful on the first try:

Mining Fatigue: Haste + fermented spider eye

Blindness: Azure bluet extract

Hunger: Saturation + fermented spider eye

Bad Luck: Luck + fermented spider eye

Conduit Power: Dust from a Heart of the Sea and salt water

Bad Omen: Hero of the Village + fermented spider eye

Not successful on the first try, but eventually succeeded:

Haste: Sugar and kelp paste

Resistance: Sugar and a powdered turtle shell

Wither: A drop of Basalt's blood

Absorption: Gold dust

Saturation: Dandelion extract

Levitation: Shulker bullet (Even though this was the first ingredient they tried, Sky struggled to contain a Shulker bullet, so I'm counting it as an eventual success and not a first-try success)

Glowing: Gold dust and Glowstone dust

Luck: Emerald dust and rabbit foot

Hero of the Village: Emerald dust and iron dust

Currently unsuccessful:

Health Boost

Dolphin's Grace

Failed so hard that something happened to make Sky never want to try that effect again: