There were so many questions about Polyjuice Potion in fandom:
We see that one acquires not only the inborn traits of the donor but also acquired ones (Barty Jr acquiring Moody's various injuries) - what about magical traits - would Polyjuicing into a DE give one a functional Dark Mark? Or just the look of having one? When the 6 Polyjuiced into Harry - did they become Parseltongues for the duration?
The effect of the potion is only temporary, and depending on how well it has been brewed, may last anything from between ten minutes and twelve hours.
So the Polyjuice in the later parts of DH was of higher quality than the Polyjuice Hermione brewed in COS, Barty brewed in GOF and Moody in the early part of DH? Except Hermione claimed she used Moody's potion, so what gives? (And later she said they only had one dose left - so it seems like she didn't brew any more of it.)
Do they need to cast magic in the potion somehow?Caeria, in Pet Project proposes exactly that. It's a subplot that runs through several chapters of that fic, that
( ... )
I know I've read at least one novel-length fanfic that dealt with conception while the partners were polyjuiced into opposite genders; I forget the details though.
Yes, I've read the "Pet Project" and I think that it's take on potion (and pretty much everything else) is brilliant. It's just bother's me that JKR will say things like "magical ability" affect the potions but then never bother to explain how or why.
Shame she stopped carefully selecting things after first few books.
Poor Hermione had to be dumbed down to match the story and the plotting capabilities of her author. :-(
... may last anything from between ten minutes and twelve hours.
You know, I was going to come out all charging about how this is yet another Rowling retcon. I've always thought that the 'one hour' limit of Polyjuice was a hard solid fact in the earlier books, and that the kids using Polyjuice all over the place in DH, with absolutely no mention of taking pains to avoid the deadline, was another flaw in the final novel, Rowling just didn't care about the details any more.
But I see in CoS when Hermione first mentions the potion:
"It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand.
"After a while". Not the specific 'one hour' limit I'd thought was the rule.
Maybe Crouch!Moody's taking it every hour was just erring on the side of caution.
Was the 'one hour limit' actually mentioned anywhere in the earlier books as absolute fact?
I think the one hour comes from GOF, with Dumbles claiming Barty *had* to take the potion every hour, on the hour. I'll check again in the evening. Of course, in retrospect he knew roughly how often he had seen 'Moody' drinking from his hip-flask, and he saw when he transformed back, so he may have estimated the one hour from what he remembered.
Still, DH is inconsistent, because according to Hermione they were using the Polyjuice Potion from Moody's stock, yet early in the book - for example in the 7P battle or the Ministry invasion it only works for about an hour yet later it works for however long the plot demands.
OK. in COS chapter 12, just when they are about to take the potion Hermione says "... once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves."
And in GOF chapter 35 Albus says "But I think in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done... on the hour ... every hour. ... We shall see."
Oh, thank you very much Oryx! I thought I'd done my homework, but I should have kept looking - through CoS at least.
Okay, so DH - with the kids using Polyjuice all over the play with nary a mention of time limits - and certainly some things taking more than an hour - contradicted the earlier canon. One of the many errors in Rowling's sorry final HP novel.
I'm not sure where I stand on Pottermore's 'canonicity'. Hmmm. It's 'published', I guess, and one step further than an author just publishing her musings on her own personal web site (which isn't canon). This is material 'published' to her readers. I suppose it's canon? So the new info is canon and consistent with DH but breaks those earlier quotes you found. So the 'brokenness' has shifted from DH to CoS and GoF, then. Hey, I can live with that. :-)
I would say blame that '60s Disney cartoon version, but apparently the Prose Lancelot also makes them one and the same, and we can't blame Disney for that. So it's probably just a rarer variant that got popular because Disney picked it for simplicity's sake.
You can change age, sex and race by taking the Polyjuice Potion, but not species. Well, you can only partially change species I guess.
their knowledge and outlook remains at the level it had attained during life, so that old resentments (for instance, at having an incompletely severed neck) You're kidding. Nick was upset about this while he was still alive? This is complete rubbish. The ghosts clearly do gain knowledge after they are dead. What about the deathday party chapter, for example? How else would Nick even know the students' names?
I won't even start on the loathsomeness of the other two bits. Just trying to make the good guys and bad guys black and white again.
Every time she opens her mouth she makes it worse. (cries)
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Because of course, its goblin maker couldn't possibly have a valid idea about who its true owner is.
Damn you. Damn you so much.
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We see that one acquires not only the inborn traits of the donor but also acquired ones (Barty Jr acquiring Moody's various injuries) - what about magical traits - would Polyjuicing into a DE give one a functional Dark Mark? Or just the look of having one? When the 6 Polyjuiced into Harry - did they become Parseltongues for the duration?
The effect of the potion is only temporary, and depending on how well it has been brewed, may last anything from between ten minutes and twelve hours.
So the Polyjuice in the later parts of DH was of higher quality than the Polyjuice Hermione brewed in COS, Barty brewed in GOF and Moody in the early part of DH? Except Hermione claimed she used Moody's potion, so what gives? (And later she said they only had one dose left - so it seems like she didn't brew any more of it.)
Do they need to cast magic in the potion somehow?Caeria, in Pet Project proposes exactly that. It's a subplot that runs through several chapters of that fic, that ( ... )
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(Maybe my subconscious wanted to forget. :-))
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It's just bother's me that JKR will say things like "magical ability" affect the potions but then never bother to explain how or why.
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Poor Hermione had to be dumbed down to match the story and the plotting capabilities of her author. :-(
... may last anything from between ten minutes and twelve hours.
You know, I was going to come out all charging about how this is yet another Rowling retcon. I've always thought that the 'one hour' limit of Polyjuice was a hard solid fact in the earlier books, and that the kids using Polyjuice all over the place in DH, with absolutely no mention of taking pains to avoid the deadline, was another flaw in the final novel, Rowling just didn't care about the details any more.
But I see in CoS when Hermione first mentions the potion:
"It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand.
"After a while". Not the specific 'one hour' limit I'd thought was the rule.
Maybe Crouch!Moody's taking it every hour was just erring on the side of caution.
Was the 'one hour limit' actually mentioned anywhere in the earlier books as absolute fact?
Reply
Still, DH is inconsistent, because according to Hermione they were using the Polyjuice Potion from Moody's stock, yet early in the book - for example in the 7P battle or the Ministry invasion it only works for about an hour yet later it works for however long the plot demands.
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And in GOF chapter 35 Albus says "But I think in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done... on the hour ... every hour. ... We shall see."
Definitely contradicted by the new info.
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Okay, so DH - with the kids using Polyjuice all over the play with nary a mention of time limits - and certainly some things taking more than an hour - contradicted the earlier canon. One of the many errors in Rowling's sorry final HP novel.
I'm not sure where I stand on Pottermore's 'canonicity'. Hmmm. It's 'published', I guess, and one step further than an author just publishing her musings on her own personal web site (which isn't canon). This is material 'published' to her readers. I suppose it's canon? So the new info is canon and consistent with DH but breaks those earlier quotes you found. So the 'brokenness' has shifted from DH to CoS and GoF, then. Hey, I can live with that. :-)
Thank you again!
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*facepalms*
Excalibur was not the sword in the freakin' stone. It just really annoys me when people make that mistake for some reason. :P
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Well, you can only partially change species I guess.
their knowledge and outlook remains at the level it had attained during life, so that old resentments (for instance, at having an incompletely severed neck)
You're kidding. Nick was upset about this while he was still alive?
This is complete rubbish. The ghosts clearly do gain knowledge after they are dead. What about the deathday party chapter, for example? How else would Nick even know the students' names?
I won't even start on the loathsomeness of the other two bits. Just trying to make the good guys and bad guys black and white again.
Every time she opens her mouth she makes it worse. (cries)
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