Quintessence: A Quest was a book about charms.[1]
History
In 1996, Filius Flitwick instructed his sixth-year N.E.W.T. Charms class to read this book.[1]
Harry Potter pretended to be absorbed in this book, so as not to have to respond to Ron Weasley's complaints about Hermione Granger having snogged Viktor Krum.[1]
During the Calamity in the late 2010s or early 2020s, a Calamity Investigator working for the Statute of Secrecy Task Force read through their old copy of this book on a whim. In doing so, they realised that they had almost entirely forgotten the material presented in the book and that the information contained within had an impressive number of takeaways, including information that enabled the investigator to increase the number of times they could cast the Inn Charm in quick succession.[2]
Etymology
Quintessence comes from the Latin quinta essentia, literally meaning "fifth essence". Though the term can have a number of meanings, the most likely one being referred to here is the concept of a fifth classical element (the other four being air, water, fire, and earth) that makes up the regions of the universe beyond the terrestrial sphere. This element is more commonly referred to as æther, although different mythologies have differing standards, the Japanese godai, for example, designating it as the void, and the film "The Fifth Element" (1997) deeming it humanity.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (First appearance)
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 15 (The Unbreakable Vow)
- ↑ Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
