Felix Felicis

Felix Felicis (IPA pronunciation: //, // Classical Latin: FELIX•FELICIS) is the name of a potion in the fictional Harry Potter that brings the drinker a temporary spell of good luck. The name is derived from Latin, translating to "the luck of the lucky". People who did have a luck streak most likely didn't have it all on their own luck, but by means of the potion, therefore the Latin translation does fit. This potion literally was the Luck of the Lucky.

The potion is based on Rowling's own personal philosophy. When asked on her website whether or not she believes in fate, Rowling responded, "No, I believe in hard work and luck, and that the first often leads to the second." Rowling feels that Felix best exemplifies this philosophy, as it is the user's confidence in himself that leads to his being "lucky" and the user's hard work that leads to a creation of pure luck.

Description of the Potion

The potion is very difficult to make, requiring six months of preparation. A dose of incorrectly made Felix Felicis can result in dangerous consequences, although these have never been explicitly clarified. The potion is described as looking like "molten gold".

Drinking too much of the potion can cause "giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence", as explained by Professor Slughorn. Due to the effects, Felix Felicis is also banned from all competitive events, including elections, sports, contests and exams.

Role in the books

In the novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Potions professor Horace Slughorn offers a small bottle to the winner of a Potion-brewing contest. Harry Potter wins the contest with the help of penciled alterations to his textbook, courtesy of the Half-Blood Prince.

Harry appears to spike Ron's pumpkin juice with the potion before a Quidditch match. As a result, Ron plays extremely well. It is later revealed that Harry only pretended to spike the drink, with the results being a prime example of the placebo effect, and an example of Rowling's philosophy (see above).

As part of the main storyline, Harry uses Felix Felicis to persuade Professor Slughorn to give him the full memory concerning Lord Voldemort's knowledge of Horcruxes. He persuades Slughorn to join himself and Hagrid at Aragog's funeral, where both Slughorn and Hagrid end up drunk. Harry reminds Slughorn of his mother's sacrifice, knowing that she was among Slughorn's favourite students.

As well as getting the memory from Slughorn, Harry also inadvertently causes both Ginny and Dean and Ron and Lavender to break up. Ginny, who had been complaining about the overprotective Dean, was Harry's love interest. On the way out of the common room, Harry (under an Invisibility Cloak) passed Ginny and Dean. He accidentally nudged Ginny, who blamed Dean, leading to a relationship-ending row between the pair. Whilst under the invisibility cloak, he was accompanied by Ron and Hermione. Lavender, who was already suspicious of Ron's interest in Hermione, could not see Harry and concluded that Ron and Hermione had been alone together. This led to the couple breaking up, and allowed Ron to pursue his eventual love interest, Hermione.

Before departing with Albus Dumbledore to find a Horcrux, Harry gives the remainder of the Felix Felicis to Ginny, Ron Weasley and Hermione, knowing that they may need luck when facing Draco Draco Malfoy's scheme. In the ensuing battle with Death Eaters, they avoid serious injury.

Besides helping them to avoid serious injury, the Felix potion guides their actions in the battle. It is their intention to thwart Draco's mission (which, they are unaware, is to kill Dumbledore). Instead, the potion leads them to take actions that allow Draco to reach the tower to face and disarm Dumbledore, Professor Severus Snape to reach the tower to kill Dumbledore, and Snape to escape.

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