dansylion - Daily Prophet

The wonder of the dansy-lion

24-08-2021

Sukie Gorgonsi

'𝓗𝓪𝓯 𝓽𝔀𝓸 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓼, 𝓱𝓪𝓯 𝓽'𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓾𝓵𝓵 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓾𝓰𝓪𝓻

𝓒𝓾𝓭 𝓷𝓪𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓹𝓾𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓷𝓮𝔁𝓽

𝓓𝓲𝓵𝓵𝔂-𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓸𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓪𝓷𝓭 '𝓽𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓷𝓸 𝓾𝓼𝓮,

𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓪 𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱' 𝓶𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓯 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓽𝓱 𝓸𝓯 𝓲𝓽 𝓪𝓵𝓵!'

The dansy-lion, the dandiest flower and one young witches are warned by their mothers never to give to impressionable 'young warlocks on their birthday or when they'art to become the best man.'

We are all familiar with the mystery of the dansy-lion flower, even without such folk sayings or the verse in Shuckworth's Cookbook of Common Potion Mistakes, a reminder of its perennial status as one of the most mercurial potion ingredients.

A relation of the dandelion but with a bloom that is quite unique among the flowering fraternity, it has yellow petals that are like to those of sunflowers, but the dansy-lion forms a feathery ball of seedlings that do not so much as detach and swirl on a passing breeze as they do actively absorb the essence of the air around them and fly even when there is no wind.

The gentle vapours of a dansy-lion soup are known to beguile and charm the strongest of minds, as attested to by many unwary potion makers and herbalists who have used it only to wonder at its mysterious and to this day little understood properties.

Nevertheless, it is an ingredient in quite a few well known potions such as the Draught to Cure All Fitful Sleep, though the Ministry has tried to ban its use a few times on the grounds that its behaviour in potions conforms to no known law of potion brewing.

But there are wizards who vouch for its efficacy in treating lumbago, and mild rheumatism, as well as curing insomnia and its intoxicating effects find a use in healings that require the patient to maintain an open eye, according to Anculus Bogrid, Chief Scribe of the Society of Small Apothecaries and Herbalists.

"Not having a proper use in potion making does not rule out its being employed as an aide in other treatments. I have made efficacious use of this most excellent flower, dried and soaked in lime water, in the dissipation of blood disorders, where its vapours can provide the kind of uplifting environment that other deep acting potions require," opines Bogrid.

The power of the dansy-lion will once more be a topic of vibrant discussion among potion brewers at the forthcoming Conference of European Herbalists, which will focus on this member of the dandelion family. The meeting, the 215th annual moot, is being held in the all wizarding village of Bourjés in northern France this year. There will be an opportunity for the amateur potioneer or herbalist to present their own dansy-lion potions, cordials and even cakes and other recipes they may have invented, for the experts to test.

The event starts this Friday and runs for three days. Attendance is free, but participants will need to pay a fee of 15 Sickles. Book your stool early if you wish to present, in order to avoid disappointment!