Magical and Mundane Plants - A Wizard's (and Witche's) Guide
written by Katherine Lutz
This book will guide you through all that you need to know in your primary years at Hogwarts in the subject Herbology. Enjoy!!
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
106
Reads
2,247
CAULDRONS, JARS AND PLANTS
Chapter 95
Actions and Reactions with Five Cauldrons
To begin, we will go over various cauldron types and how plants are observed to interact with the corresponding metals. These notes are taken from studies using cauldron sizes between size one and size seven.
Pewter - made of mostly tin and a bit of copper and perhaps some lead. Bronze is an alloy of a similar nature to Pewter; Pewter merely has more tin, making it the stronger material for carrying plants. These cauldron's are known to be good for beginner brewers (with a melting temperature of between 190 and – 240 Celsius) and are used here at Hogwarts. What you may not know is that Pewter is often found in objects from churches. The melting point is not overly low, which can lead to more melting and explosions. Personally, out of a score of ten, I'd maybe give Pewter a seven. If processed incorrectly with plants of a high toxicity level, the edges of the pewter will wear down into chunks inside your cauldron. Pewter does not mix well with any living organisms, which is helpful in keeping the potion from mixing with the potion, making it possible to salvage the potion after a plant with a Class E (corrosive) designation has been added to the cauldron. If your potion only requires basic herbs or plants with lower levels of toxicity Pewter is an excellent inexpensive choice.
Brass - made of a mix of copper and zinc. It has a higher melting point than Pewter being at around 920 degrees Celsius give or take twenty degrees. It is usually considered the midway option between Pewter and Copper. I've seen a beautiful baptismal font made of Brass; however, a more common use for the metal can be found in musical instruments. For those of you (wonderful) students who recognize the need to care for the balance between humanity and the environment, you'll be glad to know that Brass is entirely made up of recyclable materials. Yay for plants! Nine out of ten for usability with plants. Brass is resistant to wear and tear from Class E (corrosive) plants. Something to note, if the plants begin to burn to the cauldron, a green/blue fire will release zinc into the air.
Copper - made of ... copper! Right away I'll have you know that I'd give Copper a rating of nine and three quarters of ten. Not only is Copper completely recyclable, the material can be used again with no loss in its quality. Super yay for plants! Copper is associated with a goddess (Venus) known in Alchemy under the symbol for females. Copper is also used in currency and alloys. Another great thing about Copper is its high melting temperature: 1 085 degrees Celsius. Class E plants may be added to cauldrons made of Copper. Some Class F (reactive) plants may be added to Copper. It is best to look into each individual plant to see what materials it reacts to.
Silver - made of silver, cheaper options with some percentage of aluminum content. Silver is used to purify water, is in food colouring, and even in photography. Magical plants are especially well suited to being brewed in a Silver cauldron. Silver can withstand a little more heat than Brass, melting between 780 and 961.8 degrees Celsius. True Silver melts at 961.8 degrees. I really don't recommend getting a Silver cauldron unless you are paying for a pure Silver one, as an underestimate in melting temperature will result in a mixing in of silver with your plants and perhaps a bit of KABOOM! The love between plants and silver can send sparks flying in all the wrong ways if one is not careful. Basically the only good thing I can say about aluminum in a Silver cauldron is that the aluminum can be recycled without any loss in quality after it causes everything to explode.
Gold - made of Gold. I'm sure many of you would like to have the "cauldron of kings and queens." I'm sure you are all aware of the use of Gold in currency and jewelry, so let us get straight to how it interacts with plants. Gold receives a ten out of ten for me. The metal resist acids released by plants, making it ideal for all plants. Brewing with a Class E or Class F plant? Not a problem when you have a Gold cauldron. Its melting point is only a little below Copper at 1064 degrees Celsius. Although magical plants technically prefer Silver cauldrons, both magical and non magical plants are comfortable in a "pot of gold." Unfortunately, Gold cauldrons are rather expensive, so marry someone wealthy or become familiar with long lost relatives who can give you an inheritance. Never, I repeat NEVER buy a fake Gold cauldron. Pyrite is actually banned by the MoM under the list of materials not to be used in cauldron making. Pyrite melts at approximately 1100 degrees; however, it reacts with plants and heat and water and is a very weak material to build anything with. Cheap Gold cauldrons are not even an option.
Unbreakable
This part of your lesson should be very simple. In fact, I will put it in point form for easy reading.
Use an Unbreakable Charm
With a plant in stable liquid form (eg. sap, dittany)
With a plant which may try and grow inside the jar (eg. Puffapods)
With any other plant that doesn't satisfy a bullet point below (eg. lilies, vanilla)
Avoid Jars with an Unbreakable Charm
With a plant that can explode under pressure (Bubotuber)
With a plant that is/could be growing in the jar and may not have enough oxygen (eg. devil's snare)
With a plant that is noted to be claustrophobic (touch me not or Mimosa Pudica)
Spells for longevity of storing:
We have gone over some spells for storing fruits in lesson seven of last year; however, most plants you will be storing are not going to be for eating in the near future. There are two spells which we will go over right now are to preserve the freshness of the plant. The first spell is praecentia, which keeps the plant in a coma-like state. The wand movement is basically a counter clockwise rain drop. The spell is rather flowy, and easier to cast when the wand is held loosely. Praecentia will keep the plant in the jar in good condition for up to 1000 days without needing to be recast. The other useful spell is tempore subsistio. The wand movement for this spell is a counter clockwise hexagon (six-sided figure). What tempore subsistio does is freeze the plant in time until it is exposed to fresh water. Isn't that more useful when storing a plan for a longer period time? Exactly!
What Was That Again?
White Dragon bush or White Jade bush? Hmm... will it make a great tea or poison me? I should have labeled my plant leaves better!
This would describe the thoughts of the great but often too easy going Herbologist Iroh. Iroh is actually one of my favorite Herbologists from the Ancient Asian traditions. But enough about him...
Sometimes texture, appearance, scent, and all the magic in the world isn't enough to tell the difference between two plants before it is too late. White Dragon bush leaves make a brilliant tea that everyone should try. You'll be able to tell the plants apart by the flowers, not their leaves. If the flower is a red/magenta colour with white streaks take the leaves and make a tea. If the petals are white with dark orange or red-orange then destroy the plant before someone consumes the rash inducing throat-closing poison.
Anyways, Herbologists discovered after the passing away of other Herbologists that it was important to make a universal labeling technique so that all Herbologists would understand each other's store rooms. This also extends to shop keeping. A common form was agreed upon over time by Herbologists, and in 1783 made the lawful format for British apothecaries to use by the MoM. Individuals not selling their plants can technically label their plants however they would like. Many potioneers have personal methods they prefer for their own stores. While at Hogwarts you will use the standard form, and that is the form that my family and I use. You will find some of my store include additional marks, but these notations are in addition to the standard form and not in replacement of.
Here is an example proper label:
Frivli exactimuso (Blue Sunlight) Class A (3)
1996.07.21
leaves and petals
scent of petals causes confusion/hallucinations
In other words:
Latin name (Common Name) Classification(s) (Level if applicable)
Date stored
What is in the jar of the plant
Details on classification
From this anyone trained in Herbology should know how to handle the plant. Potioneers sometimes include a notion of common potions the ingredient is used in.
To begin, we will go over various cauldron types and how plants are observed to interact with the corresponding metals. These notes are taken from studies using cauldron sizes between size one and size seven.
Pewter - made of mostly tin and a bit of copper and perhaps some lead. Bronze is an alloy of a similar nature to Pewter; Pewter merely has more tin, making it the stronger material for carrying plants. These cauldron's are known to be good for beginner brewers (with a melting temperature of between 190 and – 240 Celsius) and are used here at Hogwarts. What you may not know is that Pewter is often found in objects from churches. The melting point is not overly low, which can lead to more melting and explosions. Personally, out of a score of ten, I'd maybe give Pewter a seven. If processed incorrectly with plants of a high toxicity level, the edges of the pewter will wear down into chunks inside your cauldron. Pewter does not mix well with any living organisms, which is helpful in keeping the potion from mixing with the potion, making it possible to salvage the potion after a plant with a Class E (corrosive) designation has been added to the cauldron. If your potion only requires basic herbs or plants with lower levels of toxicity Pewter is an excellent inexpensive choice.
Brass - made of a mix of copper and zinc. It has a higher melting point than Pewter being at around 920 degrees Celsius give or take twenty degrees. It is usually considered the midway option between Pewter and Copper. I've seen a beautiful baptismal font made of Brass; however, a more common use for the metal can be found in musical instruments. For those of you (wonderful) students who recognize the need to care for the balance between humanity and the environment, you'll be glad to know that Brass is entirely made up of recyclable materials. Yay for plants! Nine out of ten for usability with plants. Brass is resistant to wear and tear from Class E (corrosive) plants. Something to note, if the plants begin to burn to the cauldron, a green/blue fire will release zinc into the air.
Copper - made of ... copper! Right away I'll have you know that I'd give Copper a rating of nine and three quarters of ten. Not only is Copper completely recyclable, the material can be used again with no loss in its quality. Super yay for plants! Copper is associated with a goddess (Venus) known in Alchemy under the symbol for females. Copper is also used in currency and alloys. Another great thing about Copper is its high melting temperature: 1 085 degrees Celsius. Class E plants may be added to cauldrons made of Copper. Some Class F (reactive) plants may be added to Copper. It is best to look into each individual plant to see what materials it reacts to.
Silver - made of silver, cheaper options with some percentage of aluminum content. Silver is used to purify water, is in food colouring, and even in photography. Magical plants are especially well suited to being brewed in a Silver cauldron. Silver can withstand a little more heat than Brass, melting between 780 and 961.8 degrees Celsius. True Silver melts at 961.8 degrees. I really don't recommend getting a Silver cauldron unless you are paying for a pure Silver one, as an underestimate in melting temperature will result in a mixing in of silver with your plants and perhaps a bit of KABOOM! The love between plants and silver can send sparks flying in all the wrong ways if one is not careful. Basically the only good thing I can say about aluminum in a Silver cauldron is that the aluminum can be recycled without any loss in quality after it causes everything to explode.
Gold - made of Gold. I'm sure many of you would like to have the "cauldron of kings and queens." I'm sure you are all aware of the use of Gold in currency and jewelry, so let us get straight to how it interacts with plants. Gold receives a ten out of ten for me. The metal resist acids released by plants, making it ideal for all plants. Brewing with a Class E or Class F plant? Not a problem when you have a Gold cauldron. Its melting point is only a little below Copper at 1064 degrees Celsius. Although magical plants technically prefer Silver cauldrons, both magical and non magical plants are comfortable in a "pot of gold." Unfortunately, Gold cauldrons are rather expensive, so marry someone wealthy or become familiar with long lost relatives who can give you an inheritance. Never, I repeat NEVER buy a fake Gold cauldron. Pyrite is actually banned by the MoM under the list of materials not to be used in cauldron making. Pyrite melts at approximately 1100 degrees; however, it reacts with plants and heat and water and is a very weak material to build anything with. Cheap Gold cauldrons are not even an option.
Unbreakable
This part of your lesson should be very simple. In fact, I will put it in point form for easy reading.
Use an Unbreakable Charm
With a plant in stable liquid form (eg. sap, dittany)
With a plant which may try and grow inside the jar (eg. Puffapods)
With any other plant that doesn't satisfy a bullet point below (eg. lilies, vanilla)
Avoid Jars with an Unbreakable Charm
With a plant that can explode under pressure (Bubotuber)
With a plant that is/could be growing in the jar and may not have enough oxygen (eg. devil's snare)
With a plant that is noted to be claustrophobic (touch me not or Mimosa Pudica)
Spells for longevity of storing:
We have gone over some spells for storing fruits in lesson seven of last year; however, most plants you will be storing are not going to be for eating in the near future. There are two spells which we will go over right now are to preserve the freshness of the plant. The first spell is praecentia, which keeps the plant in a coma-like state. The wand movement is basically a counter clockwise rain drop. The spell is rather flowy, and easier to cast when the wand is held loosely. Praecentia will keep the plant in the jar in good condition for up to 1000 days without needing to be recast. The other useful spell is tempore subsistio. The wand movement for this spell is a counter clockwise hexagon (six-sided figure). What tempore subsistio does is freeze the plant in time until it is exposed to fresh water. Isn't that more useful when storing a plan for a longer period time? Exactly!
What Was That Again?
White Dragon bush or White Jade bush? Hmm... will it make a great tea or poison me? I should have labeled my plant leaves better!
This would describe the thoughts of the great but often too easy going Herbologist Iroh. Iroh is actually one of my favorite Herbologists from the Ancient Asian traditions. But enough about him...
Sometimes texture, appearance, scent, and all the magic in the world isn't enough to tell the difference between two plants before it is too late. White Dragon bush leaves make a brilliant tea that everyone should try. You'll be able to tell the plants apart by the flowers, not their leaves. If the flower is a red/magenta colour with white streaks take the leaves and make a tea. If the petals are white with dark orange or red-orange then destroy the plant before someone consumes the rash inducing throat-closing poison.
Anyways, Herbologists discovered after the passing away of other Herbologists that it was important to make a universal labeling technique so that all Herbologists would understand each other's store rooms. This also extends to shop keeping. A common form was agreed upon over time by Herbologists, and in 1783 made the lawful format for British apothecaries to use by the MoM. Individuals not selling their plants can technically label their plants however they would like. Many potioneers have personal methods they prefer for their own stores. While at Hogwarts you will use the standard form, and that is the form that my family and I use. You will find some of my store include additional marks, but these notations are in addition to the standard form and not in replacement of.
Here is an example proper label:
Frivli exactimuso (Blue Sunlight) Class A (3)
1996.07.21
leaves and petals
scent of petals causes confusion/hallucinations
In other words:
Latin name (Common Name) Classification(s) (Level if applicable)
Date stored
What is in the jar of the plant
Details on classification
From this anyone trained in Herbology should know how to handle the plant. Potioneers sometimes include a notion of common potions the ingredient is used in.
