Potions and Ingredients

POTIONSstudy


~Aging Potion

This causes the drinker to become older. Whether this is in body only or in body and mind, isn't clear. It is clear, however, that the more of the potion is drunk, the larger the aging which occurs. The effects of this potion are most likely to be temporary.

~Amortentia

The most powerful Love Potion in the world, it causes a powerful infatuation or obsession in the drinker. It has a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen, and steam rises from it in characteristic spirals. It has a different aroma to everyone who smells it, reminding each person of the things that they find attractive.

~Anti-Poison Potion

This is an antidote to a variety of poisons. The Bezoar is used to combat most poisons, but not all of them.

~Antidotes

Different antidotes exist for different effects. Known antidotes exist for Doxy bites, petrification, and of course, poisons.

~Babbling Beverage

Causes the drinker to babble nonsense.

~Boil-Cure Potion

Ingredients: Dried nettles, Crushed snake fangs, Stewed horned slugs and Porcupine quills. Cures boils. Little else is known about this, except that it is an elementary potion taught to first-years.

~Baruffio's Brain Elixir

Increases brain power. Eddie Carmichael tried to sell a pint of this to Ron and Harry for 12 Galleons when they were revising for their OWLs, claiming that it was entirely responsible for him getting 9 “Outstanding” grades the previous year. Hermione confiscated the bottle and poured it down the toilet.

~Beautifying Potion

This was invented by Sacharissa Tugwood, and makes the drinker more physically attractive. Whether this effect is temporary or permanent is unknown. As her epitaph says, “Thanks to Sacharissa Tugwood, the world is a more beautiful place”.


~Befuddlement Draught

Ingredients: Scurvy-grass, Lovage, and Sneezewort. Causes the drinker to become fuddled, or confused. This may be the same potion as “Confusing Concoction” under a different name. [OP18]

~Blood-Replenishing Potion

Tops up the blood levels of the drinker after injury.

~Bruise Removal Paste

This is a thick yellow paste guaranteed to remove any bruise within an hour. It was invented by Fred and George Weasley, who found that as they had to test most of their joke shop products on themselves, a decent bruise remover was a necessity.


~Burn-Healing Paste

Not exactly a potion, but a thick orange paste used to heal burns. Madam Pomfrey uses it on Cedric Diggory after the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

~Calming Draft

A potion that relieves stress and induces calm in the drinker. Hannah Abbot was given a Calming Draught by Madam Pomfrey after becoming so upset about her impending OWL exams that she burst into tears in Herbology.

~Confusing Concoction/Confusing Draught

Ingredients: Scurvy-grass, Lovage, Sneezewort. Causes confusion in the drinker. [OP18]

~Deflating Draught

Causes anything swollen by magical means to shrink back to normal size. This is the opposite to a Swelling Solution and acts as an antidote to it.

~Doxycide

This a black solution used to spray Doxies. It renders them unconscious for a time.

~Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction

A medicinal potion given to Ron by Madam Pomfrey after he had been attacked by brains in the Department of Mysteries. It proved effective in healing the injuries caused by the brains' tentacles and thoughts.

~Draught of Living Death

Ingredients: Wormwood, Asphodel, Sopophorus Bean and Valerian Roots . This is an extremely powerful sleeping potion. Snape thought Harry should have read up on it in Magical Drafts and Potions before arriving for his first year at Hogwarts.

~Draught of Peace

Ingredients: Powdered moonstone and Syrup of hellebore. Calms anxiety and soothes agitation.

~Dreamless Sleep Potion

A medicinal potion, used to induce dreamless sleep in the drinker and aid recuperation.

~Emerald Green Potion

A mystery potion that Lord Voldemort used to protect his locket Horcrux. It induces fear and delirium in the drinker, and is almost certainly highly poisonous. It has a highly debilitating effect on the drinker and will cause death if left untreated.

~Elixir to Induce Euphoria

A sunshine-yellow potion and creates a feeling of euphoria in the drinker. Side-effects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking can occur on occasions, although adding a sprig of peppermint should help to counter-balance these.

~Elixir of Life

This is produced by the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, and grants the drinker immortal life for as long as they keep on drinking it.

~Essence of Insanity

A potion that Ron thought Harry might have taken instead of Felix Felicis. [HBP22]

~Essence of Murtlap

Hermione gave this to Harry to help his hand heal after his detention with Umbridge and her revolting punishment quill. When Lee Jordan was given a similar detention later in the year, Harry recommended it to him as well.

~Essence of Rue

A potion that Ron was prescribed by Madam Pomfrey to aid his recovery after he had been poisoned by Malfoy’s mead. [HBP19]

~Everlasting Elixirs

Unknown, but presumably the effect is everlasting.

~Exploding Potion

Ingredients: Erumpent fluid. The erumpent produces a remarkable fluid in its horn which causes anything it is injected with to explode. This is used in potion-making to produce an exploding potion.


~Felix Felicis

Lady luck in liquid form. Felix Felicis makes the drinker lucky for a period of time, dependent on how much is drunk, during which time everything they attempt will succeed. It must be used sparingly, however, because if taken in excess it causes giddiness, recklessness and dangerous overconfidence. It is highly toxic in large quantities, and is also a banned substance in all organised competitions.


~Forgetfulness Potion

Causes the drinker to become forgetful.


~Gregory's Unctuous Unction

Makes a person drinking it think that whoever gave it to them is their best friend.

~Hair-Raising Potion

Ingredients: Rat tails. Effect unknown.

~Hiccupping Solution

Causes the drinker to hiccup.

~Invigoration Draught

Effect unknown, but presumably it invigorates the drinker and increases energy levels. Harry had to make this in a 5th year Potions lesson. Snape had taken to ignoring him rather than bullying him at the time and so Harry’s effort was rather more successful than usual. [OP29]

~Love Potion

Ingredients: Ashwinder eggs. Causes the drinker to fall in love. During his Valentine's Day event, Lockhart suggested that the students ask Professor Snape to knock up a quick Love Potion for them. Professor Snape did not approve. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes sell their own range of Love Potions, which - as Ron can testify to - really do work.

~Mandrake Restorative Draught

Ingredients: Mandrake. This is used to revive people who have been petrified. It was particularly useful when the Basilisk was released from the Chamber of Secrets and petrified a number of students.

~Memory Potion

Ingredients: Jobberknoll feathers. The effect of this in not known, but it is likely that the potion is used to give the drinker improved access to their memories.


~Mrs Scower’s Magical Mess Remover

Cleaning solution favored by Argus Filch.


~Pepperup Potion

This relieves the symptoms of colds and flu, although it doesn’t seem to actually provide a cure. It has the side-effect of causing steam to come out of the drinker’s ears for several hours after imbibing it.


~Photograph Developing Fluid

Even though Colin Creevey has a Muggle camera, he was told that he could still produce wizard-style moving photographs by developing them in the correct fluid.


~Polyjuice Potion

Ingredients: Fluxweed, Horn of bicorn, Knotgrass, Lacewing flies, Leeches and Skin of boomslang. This potion allows the drinker to assume the appearance of another person. The effect lasts for an hour, but as Bartemius Crouch Jr showed when impersonating Alastor Moody, repeat doses can be taken indefinitely. In addition to the standard ingredients listed, this potion also requires a part of the person you want to assume the appearance of. The fluxweed has to be picked at full moon, and the lacewing flies stewed for 21 days before the potion is made.


~Protective Potions (Fake)

Ingredients: Bubotuber Pus and Gravy. Following the return of Voldemort, a vast market appeared for protective potions, most of which were fake and did nothing. Small-time crooks like Mundungus Fletcher sold them to the frightened hordes, who apparently didn't notice that they were often made out of gravy.

~Scintillating Solution

Effect unknown. However, one satisfied customer of the Kwikspell course happily wrote to tell them that their recipe for this potion was now in great demand. [CS8]


~Shrinking Potion

Ingredients: Caterpillar, Daisy roots, Leech juice, Rat spleen, Shrivelfig. This a an acid green potion which is on the third year syllabus. Snape uses it to turn Neville’s toad into a tadpole; it is unclear whether the potion makes things simply reduce in size, or actually reduce in age.


~Skele-Gro

This causes lost bones to re-grow, which is a slow and painful process. Harry only had his arm bones removed because of Lockhart’s incompetence; it seems unlikely that under other circumstances Skele-Gro has to be used very often.


~Sleekeazy's Hair Potion

This is used to calm down problem hair so it can be styled. Hermione used liberal amounts of it when she went to the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum.


~Sleeping Draught/Potion

Causes the drinker to fall asleep. A standard Sleeping Draught differs from the Draught of Living Death, which is a much more powerful version.


~Strengthening Solution

Ingredients: Pomegranate juice and Salamander blood. Effect unknown, but presumably this potion makes the drinker stronger. It could, however, be designed for inanimate objects if the potion was intended to be applied to them. Harry made this potion (very badly) in a 5th year class whilst Snape was being assessed by Umbridge. Umbridge disapproved of teaching this particular potion to the students, and Snape took very little notice of her. [OP17]

~Swelling Solution

Causes whatever it touches to swell up in size.


~Ten-Second Pimple Vanisher

This comes in a small pink pot and is excellent on anything from boils to blackheads. It is sold at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

~Veritaserum

A powerful truth potion. It is used to make the drinker answer any questions put to them truthfully. Use is strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic.

~Wiggenweld Potion

Leticia Somnolens was a spiteful hag who was jealous of the king’s daughter and caused her to prick her finger on a spindle tainted with a Draught of the Living Death. A young wizard smeared his lips with Wiggenweld Potion, kissed the princess, and brought her out of her trance.


~Wit-Sharpening Potion

Ingredients: Scarab beetles, Ginger roots, Armadillo bile. The effect of this is not known, although it is likely to involve sharpening the wit of the drinker (in other words, making them able to think better).


~Wolfsbane Potion

A new and complex potion, this relieves the symptoms of lycanthropy (although it does not cure it). If the affected person drinks the potion at full moon, they transform only into a normal wolf (and retain control over their actions) rather than bloodthirsty out-of-control werewolf.

~Wound-Healing Potion

This is a smoking purple liquid which heals and closes open wounds. Madam Pomfrey uses it on Harry when he has been injured during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Ingredient Description/Uses Notes

Abyssinian Shrivelfig A plant, composed of withered stalks.

An ingredient in Shrinking Solution. Harry's Herbology class prunes Shrivelfigs in their second year [COS15].

In their third year, the students use Shrivelfigs to make Shrinking Solution. Harry is forced to skin Draco Malfoy's because Malfoy is faking an arm injury at the time [POA7].

Aconite See "Wolfsbane".

Acromantula Venom The use of Acromantula venom in potions remains unknown.

Venom is almost impossible to procure from a living Acromantula. During Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, Acromentula venom is worth approximately a hundred Galleons a pint [HBP22].

Alihotsy Leaves Alihotsy leaves cause hysteria in anyone who eats them.

Glumbumble treacle is an effective antidote for the hysteria caused by these leaves. Alihotsy leaves are mentioned in the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them [FB].

Armadillo Bile A liquid produced by the gall bladder of an armadillo.

An ingredient in Wit-Sharpening Potion. In his fourth year, Harry purposely spills his jar of armadillo bile to stall for time so he can eavesdrop on Professor Snape and Karkaroff [GOF27].

Ashwinder Eggs Eggs from an Ashwinder, a serpent that only lives for an hour, just long enough to lay eggs. The eggs are bright red, extremely hot, and will set their surroundings on fire if they are not found and frozen [FB].

Ashwinder eggs are used in love potions and can cure ague when eaten whole [FB]. Love potions are banned at Hogwarts [GOF27].

Asphodel Root Asphodel is a flowering plant said to grow in Hades.

Asphodel root is an ingredient used in Draught of Living Death. In his first year, Harry loses a point for Gryffindor for not knowing what an infusion of wormwood and asphodel creates [SS/PS8].

Belladonna Also known as Deadly Nightshade, Belladonna is a shrub with extremely poisonous berries and leaves.

Assumed to be used in the creation of several common potions. Essence of Belladonna is a standard ingredient in a Hogwarts student's potion-making kit [GOF10].

Bezoar A bezoar is a small, shrivelled, kidney-shaped stone taken from the stomach of a goat. The name derives from the Persian word pâdzahr, which literally means "protection from poison."

Bezoars are used by wizards as an antidote for most poisons. Bezoars are initially mentioned during Harry's first potions class. Harry fails to answer Professor Snape's question regarding where bezoars can be found, losing points for Gryffindor in the process [SS/PS8].

Harry won heavy praise and ten points for Gryffindor from Professor Slughorn when, aided by the advice of the Half-Blood Prince, he presented a bezoar as the cure for the mystery poison with which he was presented in Potions class [HBP18].

Harry also used a bezoar to save Ron's life when Ron accidentally ingested some poisoned mead on his 17th birthday [HBP18].

Bicorn Horns Horns from a two-horned beast that survives by eating virtuous husbands.

Powdered bicorn horn is a key ingredient in Polyjuice Potion. Bicorn horn is not a common potion ingredient, so Harry, Ron and Hermione steal it from Professor Snape's private storeroom when they brew Polyjuice Potion [COS11].

Billywig Stings Billywigs are small, sapphire blue insects native to Australia. Their stings are long and thin, and the effects of being stung include giddiness, followed by levitation.

Dried Billywig stings are used in several potions, although specific examples remain unknown. Billywigs and their stings are mentioned in the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them [FB].

Black Beetle Eyes Black beetle is another name for the common large black cockroach. Their eyes are small and glittery-black.

The use of black beetle eyes in potions remains unknown. During Harry's first year, black beetle eyes were five knuts a scoop at the Apothecary [SS/PS5].

Boomslang Skin A Boomslang is a large, venomous snake from the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Its name in Afrikaans means "tree snake."

Boomslang skin is brown for females and green for males, which makes it excellent camouflage.

Boomslang skin is a key ingredient in Polyjuice Potion. Boomslang skin is kept in Snape's private stores. Hermione steals some for the Polyjuice Potion during her second year at Hogwarts [CS11].

In Harry's fourth year, Snape accuses Harry of stealing Boomslang skin from his private stores [GOF27].

Bubotuber Pus Bubotubers are black, slug-like plants that are covered in pus-filled protrusions. The pus is a yellow-green color and smells very strongly of petrol.

Bubotuber pus is a highly corrosive substance that is extremely harmful when applied to human skin undiluted. In this state, it can cause boils and irritation. In a diluted form, Bubotuber pus can be used to cure acne. Fourth year Hogwarts students learn about Bubotuber pus and its properties from Professor Sprout [GOF13].

After Rita Skeeter publishes an article claiming that Hermione is two-timing Harry with Viktor Krum, Hermione begins receiving hate mail. One of the envelopes is filled with undiluted Bubotuber pus. The Bubotuber pus gets on Hermione's hands, causing them to break out in boils. As a result, Hermione is forced to wear bandages on her hands while they heal from the contact [GOF28].

Bubotuber pus is also mentioned by Mrs. Weasley as she tells Harry about fake protective potions that are being sold to those fearful of Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Part of Mr. Weasley's new job is to stop the sale of such dangerous items [HBP5].