Felix Felicis

> "*Mine own invention, my masterpiece; the crowning achievement of my career. Bottled good fortune. Brewed correctly the drinker of this potion will be lucky in all their endeavours, but be warned … excessive consumption is highly toxic and can cause extreme recklessness. Fans of Quidditch were quick to protest that a potion which gives the drinker good luck was hardly fair and use of my potion was banned, quite rightly, from all competitive events … except potion-making tournaments.*"
> ― Zygmunt Budge[source]
>
>

**Felix Felicis**, also called "**Liquid Luck**", is a magical potion that makes the drinker lucky for a period of time, during which everything they attempt will be successful. It turns an ordinary day into an extraordinary one.

It is meant to be used sparingly, however, as it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence if taken in excess. Felix is highly toxic in large quantities and is also a banned substance in all organised competitions, such as Quidditch, along with all other methods of cheating. It is very difficult to make, disastrous if made wrong, and requires six months to stew before it is ready to be consumed.

## History

> "*Trust me, I know what I'm doing... or at least, Felix does.*"
> ― Harry Potter after drinking Felix Felicis for the first time[source]
>
>

Zygmunt Budge invented this potion in the 16th century and deemed it his greatest accomplishment ever, dubbing it "*the crowning achievement of [his] career*".

Horace Slughorn claimed that he used the potion twice in his life: once when he was twenty-four years old, and again when he was fifty-seven, each resulting in a perfect day.

In September of 1996, Harry Potter won a small vial of Felix Felicis from Professor Slughorn for brewing the best Draught of Living Death potion in the class (using the instructions of Severus Snape's textbook). The bottle would give Harry twelve hours of luck .

Harry later pretended to add a small amount to Ron Weasley's drink at breakfast before a Quidditch game so that Ron would feel more confident about his abilities. Hermione noticed what Harry did, and believing that he had actually put something in Ron's drink, warned Ron not to take a drink. He ignored her and drank the pumpkin juice, and he then went on to play a nearly perfect game. Following the game, Hermione berated Harry for what he had done, and Harry told her and Ron that he had not given Ron the potion at all, and that Ron played that well all by himself.

The first real use of the potion by Harry was in attaining an important memory from Slughorn when Ron suggested it; he was originally hesitant in using it, as he wanted to use it to win Ginny Weasley's affections. He took only a small dosage, for roughly three hours worth. The second use was distributed between Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley in the battle against the Death Eaters in their invasion of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

In between the potion's first and second use, Harry suggested using some to discover what Draco Malfoy was up to in the Room of Requirement, but Hermione advised against it as it would be a waste on using it on a powerful defensive location such as the Room. When Ron suggested they brew more for themselves, Harry found the potion's complexity and time-consumption to be too much of a hassle.

## Recipe

1. Add Ashwinder egg to a cauldron, then add horseradish and heat.
2. Juice a squill bulb, add to the cauldron and stir vigorously.
3. Chop up anemone-like growth on the back of Murtlap, add to mixture and heat.
4. Add a dash of tincture of thyme and stir slowly.
5. Grind up Occamy eggshell and add to mixture.
6. Stir slowly then heat the cauldron.
7. Add a sprinkle of powdered common rue.
8. Stir vigorously then heat the cauldron one last time.
9. Wave wand over potion in a figure of eight and say incantation ‘Felixempra!’

## Physical appearance

> "*It is the colour of molten gold, and large drops leap like goldfish from its surface, never spilling.*"
> ― Description of its appearance[source]
>
>

This potion is said to greatly resemble molten gold, with droplets leaping out at intervals like goldfish soaring from their bowl. It is noted that the drops of potion that leap across the surface never spill and that the potion splashes about merrily when in a cauldron.

## Effects

> "*Felix Felicis is liquid luck, which makes the person who drinks it lucky for a certain period of time.*"
> ― Description of the effects of the potion[source]
>
>

Felix Felicis causes the drinker to have a limited period of good luck, during which they are likely to to succeed in all endeavours in which success is possible. They have a strong perception of this effect, including a high level of confidence and a "sensation of infinite opportunity." This is accomplished not through direct application of force or granting the drinker any extraordinary powers, but by inspiring the drinker with a favourable pathway through the circumstances. When Harry took the potion, he had the sensation that 'Felix' knew what it was doing and that he needed only follow its inspiration, however unlikely the approach seemed as a means of accomplishing his goal. It indeed led him into a near-freakish but plausible set of circumstances in which all the right choices seemed obvious to him. Along the way, without even meaning to, he also accomplished some minor side goals, such as breaking up Ron's bad relationship, and destabilising Ginny's relationship with Dean to give Harry more of a chance.

A person under the potion's inspiration would likely prove highly adaptable to any unexpected change in the circumstances. There are always infinite possibilities in any situation, some of which doubtless lead to the desired outcome, and Felix can highlight them no matter what happens.

Though Felix Felicis confers no extra powers on the user, it seems capable of drawing out the best reserves of their ability if needed. Harry was able to use Refilling Charms non-verbally, even though he had not yet managed it in his previous classroom practise.

There is a period of 'coming down' when Felix Felicis wears off. During this time, the user's sense of confidence fades, and unlucky circumstances can quickly catch up to them if they are not vigilant. It is unclear whether Felix wearing off actually increases the user's bad luck in a small overbalancing period (though obviously not so great as to undo whatever they have just accomplished), or whether the user simply keenly perceives the return of 'ordinary' levels of luck and all the subsequent challenges and dangers.

### Limitations

> "*Luck can only get you so far, Harry... Luck is not powerful enough to get through a powerful incantation.*"
> ― Explanation of the limits of the luck induced by the potion[source]
>
>

As Hermione pointed out, the potion is not able to better the chances of the drinker against particularly powerful enchantments, since members of the D.A. were not able to bypass the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder that Draco Malfoy used. Hermione also claimed that Harry's usage of the potion to help discover what Draco was up to in the Room of Requirement would be a waste, as the Room was too powerful for the potion to help penetrate.

The potion's effectiveness seems to wane after a certain amount of time, as it did in Harry Potter's situation when he made his way back to the Gryffindor Common Room and he ran into Peeves, but was only just barely able to dodge him with the potion's influence.

Overdosing is dangerous, as it is very toxic in large quantity, and over-reliance on it may lead to dangerous overconfidence, giddiness, and recklessness. The potion is very difficult and time-consuming to brew, and disastrous if concocted incorrectly. Due to its effects, it is considered a tool of cheating and therefore prohibited in organised events such as Quidditch and examinations.

## Known uses

### Battle of the Astronomy Tower

Before leaving with Dumbledore to search for one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, Harry gave the rest of the Felix Felicis to Ron and Hermione with the instruction that they were to share it with Ginny, as he believed Draco Malfoy was ready to act on his mission from Voldemort. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny split the potion between themselves and effectively used it in the ensuing battle to dodge the curses sent their way by Death Eaters, many of which were Unforgivables.

## Etymology

Felix is the Latin word meaning happy or lucky. 'Felicis' is from the same root, but declined in the genitive case. It is translated as 'of luck.' Therefore, Felix Felicis means 'Luck of Luck', 'Lucky Luck' or 'Luck's Luck.' Another translation might be 'Happy Luck.' In Latin, nouns and adjectives are usually cited by saying their nominative followed by their genitive, so a dictionary entry for the word "felix" could start as "felix, felicis ..."