Post by Prof. Destiny Smith on Apr 25, 2009 23:27:54 GMT -6
Gregory's Unctuous Unction
Invented by Gregory the Smarmy, this potion makes a person drinking it think that whoever gave it to them is their best friend. There is a statue of Gregory the Smarmy at Hogwarts, behind which is a secret passage [FW, PS/SS9].
Hair-Raising Potion
Ingredients: Rat tails
Effect unknown, but we can assume it has something to do with hair. This is a fairly easy potion, taught in the second year at Hogwarts. Ron and Harry had some homework about it just after Christmas in their second year, when Hermione was in the hospital wing recovering from Polyjuicing herself into a cat. Ron regretted not asking her for information about it when they were visiting her [COS13].
Hiccoughing Solution
Causes the drinker to hiccough. Malfoy made this in the 6th-year Potions class where he, Harry and Ernie were the only ones present, as everyone else was old enough to be off taking their Apparition test. Slughorn asked them to make something amusing: Malfoy plumped for Hiccoughing Solution, which at the end of the lesson Slughorn described as "passable". Malfoy, for one, was not amused [HBP22].
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. Snape still managed to give him zero marks, however, by dropping Harry's flask of potion on the floor when Harry wasn't looking, so he couldn't test it. Malfoy, for one, was extremely amused [OOTP29].
Love Potion
Ingredients: Ashwinder eggs
This potion causes the drinker to fall in love with the person of the potion maker's choosing. During his Valentine's Day event in 1993, Gilderoy Lockhart suggested that the students ask Professor Snape to knock up a quick Love Potion for them. Professor Snape did not approve [COS13].
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes sell their own range of Love Potions, which Fred proudly proclaimed were the best in the world. These particular potions work for up to 24 hours, depending on the weight of the drinker and the attractiveness of the person they are meant to be falling in love with [HBP6]. All Love Potions wear off over time in this way. Dumbledore was of the opinion that Merope Gaunt attracted the attentions of Tom Riddle Snr by the use of a Love Potion, and had to keep dosing him up every day to maintain the effect. When she stopped, in the hope that he really did love her by now, she didn't see his heels for dust [HBP10].
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Love Potions are banned at Hogwarts, along with every other product they make, but that doesn't stop them getting in. As part of their Owl Order Serves, the Weasleys disguise them as perfumes and cough potions, and they slip through the net [HBP15]. This is presumably how Romilda Vane procured the potion she used to spike some Chocolate Cauldrons she gave to Harry before Christmas in 1996. Wisely, Harry didn't eat them [HBP15]. Unfortunately, 3 months later Ron did, and the evidence shows that they really do work. According to Horace Slughorn, Love Potions can get stronger as they age, and this would account for the immense vigour with which Ron fell in love with Romilda, before Slughorn managed to mix him up an antidote [HBP18].
Mandrake Restorative Draught
Ingredients: Mandrake
Mandrake is a powerful restorative, used to return people who have been either cursed or Transfigured back to their original state. It also has the power to revive people who have been petrified. Mandrake is administered via Mandrake Restorative Draught, which is made from the plants once they have been harvested, cut up, and stewed [COS13].
The Mandrake itself is a tufty purplish-green plant - the young Mandrake is, at least. No description of the full-grown plant has been given. The above-ground parts of the Mandrake look entirely normal, but the roots are anything but. Instead of normal roots, the young Mandrake plant instead has a small, muddy and extremely ugly baby with mottled green skin, with the leaves of the plant growing directly out of its head [COS6]. Professor Sprout makes several references to Mandrakes growing up as the months pass during Harry's second year, and so it is reasonable to assume that as the plant matures, so does the underground baby.
Mandrakes must be mature before they are harvested for making the Draught [COS9]. This means waiting until they have gone through their moody and secretive phase and allowing their acne to clear up. Once this stage has been reached, the Mandrakes are ready for cutting, and the Draught can be made.
Mandrake Restorative Draught came in particularly useful in 1993, when the Basilisk was released from the Chamber of Secrets and petrified a number of students (and Mrs Norris). The Madrakes were grown by Professor Sprout, the Draught was made by Professor Snape, and the cure was administered by Madam Pomfrey. All of the students, and, regrettably, Mrs Norris, made a full recovery [COS18].
Memory Potion
Ingredients: Jobberknoll feathers
The effect of this is not known, but it is likely that the potion is used to give the drinker improved access to their memories. The Jobberknoll, whose feathers are used to make Memory Potion, is a bird that remains silent until the moment of its death, when it emits a lengthy cry consisting of every sound it has ever heard, delivered backwards [FB].
Mrs Scower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover
This is a cleaning solution used throughout the wizarding world. It can fairly safely be assumed that it's good stuff, although it's only been seen in action once, and on that occasion it was ineffective. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise, however, as this was when Voldemort had made Ginny Weasley write "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware" in blood on the school wall. Filch scrubbed it over and over again, but it wouldn't shift [COS9].
Large stocks of the potion are known to be kept at the school, however. When Rita Skeeter interviewed Harry in a broom cupboard after he'd just become a Triwizard champion, an entire crate of Magical Mess Remover was in there [GOF18]. It was also advertised at the Quidditch World Cup with the slogan "No Pain, No Stain!" [GOF8].
Invented by Gregory the Smarmy, this potion makes a person drinking it think that whoever gave it to them is their best friend. There is a statue of Gregory the Smarmy at Hogwarts, behind which is a secret passage [FW, PS/SS9].
Hair-Raising Potion
Ingredients: Rat tails
Effect unknown, but we can assume it has something to do with hair. This is a fairly easy potion, taught in the second year at Hogwarts. Ron and Harry had some homework about it just after Christmas in their second year, when Hermione was in the hospital wing recovering from Polyjuicing herself into a cat. Ron regretted not asking her for information about it when they were visiting her [COS13].
Hiccoughing Solution
Causes the drinker to hiccough. Malfoy made this in the 6th-year Potions class where he, Harry and Ernie were the only ones present, as everyone else was old enough to be off taking their Apparition test. Slughorn asked them to make something amusing: Malfoy plumped for Hiccoughing Solution, which at the end of the lesson Slughorn described as "passable". Malfoy, for one, was not amused [HBP22].
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. Snape still managed to give him zero marks, however, by dropping Harry's flask of potion on the floor when Harry wasn't looking, so he couldn't test it. Malfoy, for one, was extremely amused [OOTP29].
Love Potion
Ingredients: Ashwinder eggs
This potion causes the drinker to fall in love with the person of the potion maker's choosing. During his Valentine's Day event in 1993, Gilderoy Lockhart suggested that the students ask Professor Snape to knock up a quick Love Potion for them. Professor Snape did not approve [COS13].
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes sell their own range of Love Potions, which Fred proudly proclaimed were the best in the world. These particular potions work for up to 24 hours, depending on the weight of the drinker and the attractiveness of the person they are meant to be falling in love with [HBP6]. All Love Potions wear off over time in this way. Dumbledore was of the opinion that Merope Gaunt attracted the attentions of Tom Riddle Snr by the use of a Love Potion, and had to keep dosing him up every day to maintain the effect. When she stopped, in the hope that he really did love her by now, she didn't see his heels for dust [HBP10].
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Love Potions are banned at Hogwarts, along with every other product they make, but that doesn't stop them getting in. As part of their Owl Order Serves, the Weasleys disguise them as perfumes and cough potions, and they slip through the net [HBP15]. This is presumably how Romilda Vane procured the potion she used to spike some Chocolate Cauldrons she gave to Harry before Christmas in 1996. Wisely, Harry didn't eat them [HBP15]. Unfortunately, 3 months later Ron did, and the evidence shows that they really do work. According to Horace Slughorn, Love Potions can get stronger as they age, and this would account for the immense vigour with which Ron fell in love with Romilda, before Slughorn managed to mix him up an antidote [HBP18].
Mandrake Restorative Draught
Ingredients: Mandrake
Mandrake is a powerful restorative, used to return people who have been either cursed or Transfigured back to their original state. It also has the power to revive people who have been petrified. Mandrake is administered via Mandrake Restorative Draught, which is made from the plants once they have been harvested, cut up, and stewed [COS13].
The Mandrake itself is a tufty purplish-green plant - the young Mandrake is, at least. No description of the full-grown plant has been given. The above-ground parts of the Mandrake look entirely normal, but the roots are anything but. Instead of normal roots, the young Mandrake plant instead has a small, muddy and extremely ugly baby with mottled green skin, with the leaves of the plant growing directly out of its head [COS6]. Professor Sprout makes several references to Mandrakes growing up as the months pass during Harry's second year, and so it is reasonable to assume that as the plant matures, so does the underground baby.
Mandrakes must be mature before they are harvested for making the Draught [COS9]. This means waiting until they have gone through their moody and secretive phase and allowing their acne to clear up. Once this stage has been reached, the Mandrakes are ready for cutting, and the Draught can be made.
Mandrake Restorative Draught came in particularly useful in 1993, when the Basilisk was released from the Chamber of Secrets and petrified a number of students (and Mrs Norris). The Madrakes were grown by Professor Sprout, the Draught was made by Professor Snape, and the cure was administered by Madam Pomfrey. All of the students, and, regrettably, Mrs Norris, made a full recovery [COS18].
Memory Potion
Ingredients: Jobberknoll feathers
The effect of this is not known, but it is likely that the potion is used to give the drinker improved access to their memories. The Jobberknoll, whose feathers are used to make Memory Potion, is a bird that remains silent until the moment of its death, when it emits a lengthy cry consisting of every sound it has ever heard, delivered backwards [FB].
Mrs Scower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover
This is a cleaning solution used throughout the wizarding world. It can fairly safely be assumed that it's good stuff, although it's only been seen in action once, and on that occasion it was ineffective. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise, however, as this was when Voldemort had made Ginny Weasley write "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware" in blood on the school wall. Filch scrubbed it over and over again, but it wouldn't shift [COS9].
Large stocks of the potion are known to be kept at the school, however. When Rita Skeeter interviewed Harry in a broom cupboard after he'd just become a Triwizard champion, an entire crate of Magical Mess Remover was in there [GOF18]. It was also advertised at the Quidditch World Cup with the slogan "No Pain, No Stain!" [GOF8].