Magical Draughts and Potions

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Dear Readers— Whether you come from a Muggle or Wizarding family, you’ve probably been exposed to various portrayals of potion-making throughout the years. Most of these images probably involved objects being randomly thrown into a kettle, loud bangs, and a spectacular end result. You’ll soon find that, in reality, potion-making is a laborious, precise practice. Oftentimes, the entire potion can be ruined if you do not follow the instructions given directly. On the other hand, there are hundreds of ways to come to roughly the same end result, and I do encourage experimentation once you have a basic grasp of the concepts involved in potion-making. In this book, we have included the simplest methods, which are typically the most popular as well.

I would like to clarify that “simple methods,” does not mean that potion-making is at all easy. A keen attention to detail is critical to this art, as is knowledge of the techniques discussed throughout this textbook. However, the most important virtue in potionbrewing is patience. While some only require a few minutes and others require several months, a large part of potion-making is waiting. Some ingredients may only be gathered during certain parts of the year, while specific potions must sit for a long while to thicken. These periods of inactivity are crucial, and must never be ignored. You will find that you waste even more time by not fulfilling these wait times, as you must then return to the beginning.

The study of potion-making is far more than learning mere techniques. To become a true master of the subject, you must understand how these potions should be applied.

As Edgar Moran (Order of Merlin, Second Class), once said, “Mixing up the potion is only a small portion of the whole ordeal. The quality of a potion-maker is determined by how he uses the potion, rather than how he made it.” Many potions may be used to benefit or harm others. Take, for example, the Draught of Living Death. While Healer Ren Russelburn modified the recipe to be administered to patients during particularly complex treatments, her co-worker Herman Quigley used the same potion to render his patients unconscious while Quigley stole their money. Russelburn earned herself the Outstanding Healer Award, while Quigley was promptly dismissed and sent to Azkaban.

Included with each entry is information regarding the possible uses of the potion and side effects associated with that particular brew. Please pay careful attention to these warnings and use the potion wisely. Also, note that every potion can and may go wrong, and weigh these possibilities for disaster against the use of the potion.

The Hogwarts edition of Arsenius Jigger’s original text, while containing most of the same potions, has modified all of these recipes to some extent. As discussed earlier, there are multiple ways to brew the same potion. Thus, discoveries are constantly made in the field which simplifies how certain potions are brewed. While the Hogwarts writer staff provided most of these modifications, a plethora were borrowed from a small group of students who attended Hogwarts within the past century. Likewise, more uses have been found for older potions, and we have included them within our text.

Happy brewing!

Mallory Harris

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Adam C. (Ravenclaw) Hogwarts ‘00 Writer As a 2000 graduate of Hogwarts and a proud member of Ravenclaw House with a focus on animated plants, I went on to become the proprietor of the most dangerous walking garden in the United States. I maintain that the goblin came into my garden missing that finger, and there are absolutely no refunds.

Saoirse C. Writer Stephanie C. Editor Andrew Dewar (Ravenclaw) Hogwarts - Currently attending Writer Even though I moved to the USA when I was six, my Scottish parents wanted me to go to Hogwarts, where they grew up. Only one of my four sisters have graduated and left the school. At home, I am always surrounded by magic, which I truly love. A proud Ravenclaw, I’m the top of my year in Herbology and Potions; the reason my professors recommended I apply for this textbook position. It is absolutely thrilling for me to be writing for myself and my fellow students for this oncoming year at our phenomenal school. Some of my other interests include music, Quidditch, exploring Hogwarts, and playing with my Crup, Dash.

Felicia Grady (Hufflepuff) Salem Witches’ Institute ’10; Pomona College-Currently attending Editor While I attended the Salem Witches' Institute, I was a prefect near the top of my class. I received N.E.W.T.s in Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, History of Magic, and Tranfiguration and wanted to be a Welcome Witch at St. Mary's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries in San Francisco. Unfortunately, my parents being Muggles, there was no way that their oldest daughter was not going to attend a Muggle college as well. As such, I am studying Spanish, Russian, and German at Pomona College in order to boost my qualifications for the position I someday hope to have. San Francisco is a very diverse city, and my skills in these languages, English, Portuguese, and Hindi will certainly be of some use when communicating with patients!

Shawna P. Writer Sara R. Editor

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Sarah Riffel (Slytherin) Writer for Hogwarts Textbooks Hogwarts ‘11; Texas Tech University - Currently attending As a Muggle-born and recent graduate of Hogwarts, I was quite impressed when they contacted me to return and be a part of this fantastic new program.

Writing has always been a passion of mine and I’ve always had an eye for facts and details that I couldn’t rid myself of. That’s why it’s sort of a no-brainer that I should write textbooks for the two subjects I loved the most in my time at school.

Potions and Herbology go hand and hand a lot of the time and I enjoyed both thoroughly in my time at school, and now as a writer as well.

Emily Vanderwell (Ravenclaw) Editor Hogwarts ‘08 A Ravenclaw through and through, I strived to succeed in all my classes, but Herbology and Potions were my best classes. It’s due to my love of grammar, instilled in me by my mom who home-schooled me before I attended Hogwarts, that I applied for a job editing textbooks. I’m the middle of five kids from a Muggle dad and a witch mom, so I used my academic success to try and stand apart from my many siblings. Since graduating from Hogwarts, I’ve been furthering my studies in Herbology, hoping to become a Professor someday. I’m also attending a Muggle university to get a degree in Psychology. In the future, I’m hoping to study the effect magic has on the psychology of witches and wizards.

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TECHNIQUE

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Ingredient Handling Your ingredients are what make your potions possible. It is essential, therefore, that you have a thorough understanding of the different techniques for handling your ingredients. The following topics will be covered in this text: storage and handling, chopping and measuring, and tools of the trade. All of the information contained in this book will be useful as you embark on what is sure to be a promising career in potions.

Storage It is obvious that all of the ingredients listed within these pages can be easily and readily obtained. This means that most ingredients are not extremely dangerous to store and can be found in any basic potions kit. Depending on their state, most ingredients can be stored in simple glass bottles or boxes. Many ingredients are somewhat perishable, so it is important to follow any instructions given by the apothecary regarding expiration date, storage temperature, recommended containers, etc. The storage instructions will be most important with perishable ingredients, though it is obviously important to keep the non-perishable items safe and sound as well. It should be noted that though ingredient storage can be left to the potioneer’s discretion, contamination can and will occur if ingredients are not stored according to the specific instructions given for a particular ingredient. What is important for our purposes, however, is acquiring the ingredients and keeping them in a useable state.

Measuring for Use There are a number of measurements listed in this book. While many measurements are done by weight, sometimes measurements of length or even simple counts can be used. When “one beetle� is called for, you would obviously use one entire beetle. If a potion calls for a specific weight of beetle eyes, simply weigh them out using a set of scales (brass, copper, gold, etc.). If a recipe asks for two inches of daisy root, use a standard ruler to measure two inches of your roots. It is really very simple, and the writers of this text have made every effort to point you in the right direction in terms of measurements. The instruments used for these processes will be prescribed by your instructor. As always, it is important that things are done in a standard way. The wizarding world weighs in ounces, pounds and stones. We measure in inches and feet.

If you have a firm grasp on wizarding measurements, you should be able to work through any potion recipe listed in this book.

Tools of the Craft The right tools are essential to the success of a potion. If your ingredient is supposed to be squeezed with the broad-side of a silver dagger, and you decide that

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you would rather use your mother’s best china plate to crush said ingredient, your potion will likely end up a disaster, and your mother might not be too happy.

When not specifically stated in this book, it is preferred that you use silver daggers for your cutting and/or crushing needs. Your scales can be made of any number of materials; most will not cause negative effects on the desired potion. Gloves (dragonhide) are sometimes necessary for handling particularly nasty ingredients. Your cauldron should be made of either pewter or silver. Unless otherwise called for, glass or crystal phials will be suitable for most basic storage purposes. Your wand is necessary for most, if not all, potion brewing, so be sure to keep it readily available. A mortar and pestle can be used as well, and darker stone is preferred. However, there is serious debate over the legitimacy of the claim that the shade of the stone truly matters in potioneering.

Using Ingredients When you are asked to crush something, the mortar and pestle is your best option. It is especially useful when a specific recipe calls for ingredients to be made into a powder form. Other forms of crushing include using the side of a knife to flatten or extract the juices from the ingredient.

Juicing your ingredients can be difficult. As previously mentioned, you can crush an object to obtain juice. Certain ingredients can also be cut and squeezed to release their juice. However, using this technique can present difficulties because some ingredients can be rather tough to get through with a knife. If an ingredient is stubborn, it is often most prudent to find an alternative method. Crushing seems to be the easiest alternative, though ingredients can be juiced using another method, if one can be found.

There are a variety of ways to cut your ingredients. They can be chopped either finely or coarsely. A finely chopped ingredient can sometimes be sprinkled into a brewing potion, though it can also be added normally as is often the case with leaves or roots of various plants. A coarsely chopped ingredient will yield bigger bits, and they are often added early in order to soften. They can be removed before the potion is completed, though this is not necessary in every situation. Ingredients such as fruit and thick stems of plants are often coarsely chopped. Additionally, ingredients may be sliced. When slicing is called for, the recipe will often specify the thickness required.

Slices are often done lengthwise, though this too can vary.

There are a number of other things that can be done to the various ingredients.

Most recipes will specify what it is you are supposed to do, and it is usually best to follow the instructions. If handling a specific ingredient becomes too difficult, alternative methods or materials should be employed. However, it is always best to

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ensure that the integrity of your resulting potion will not be compromised if these alternative measures are taken.

Safety The most important thing when brewing a potion is to ensure your safety and the safety of those around you. It is imperative that you follow the aforementioned guidelines for handling your ingredients. Extra care must be taken when you handle animated things. You should also pay close attention to known poisonous ingredients.

Remember, fire will burn you. Chomping cabbages will bite you. If you decide to gnaw on your Nightlock, things might not turn out very well for you in the end. Be sure you are using the proper tools for the specific potion you intend to brew, and do not hesitate to ask for assistance from your professor when needed. In short, you must remember to play it smart during all stages of potion brewing.

Stirring The act of stirring may seem simple, but in a potions class you are not cooking soup with your mother. The ingredients that you stir can be extremely dangerous, and the resulting concoction can be equally dangerous. Stirring is an art that must be perfected in order for you to advance in your potions career. It is one of the most basic and important tasks in the art of potioneering, and, if not done correctly with extreme care, you could injure yourself or others. As always, it is most important that you follow the instructions set forth in this book as well as anything your professor says on the subject. Safety is always the first priority.

By definition, stirring is the act of disturbing the relative position of the particles or parts, especially by a continuous circular movement. For our purposes, we will define it as moving the contents of your cauldron circularly. This chapter will outline the various tools and methods that you can use to stir your potion.

Obviously, you have already acquired the most basic tools. A potion that is being brewed must be held in a particular vessel. Cauldrons have already been covered in your list of basic supplies, but it is important to pay attention to the material that your cauldron is made out of before selecting your stirring implement. By doing so, you can protect your cauldron from damage and avoid contaminating the potion with which you are dealing. Additionally, by noting the cauldron’s material, you can avoid endangering yourself and others. The size of the cauldron is also important. The smaller the cauldron, the smaller your stirring implement must be. If it is too small, you will not be able to stir safely. If it is too big, you probably will not be able to stir at all.

It is also important to note if any heat is being used for brewing. Certain stirring implements do not do well in heat, and you should forgo their use. Once again, safety is 8

key, so you must be very mindful of what it is you are doing during all stages of the potion brewing process.

Implements

Wands You can choose to stir your potion with a variety of things. Your wand is quite obviously the easiest of options. No contact is necessary. You merely learn a very simple stirring spell, and you are ready for whatever you need to do. The incantation is simple, and there is little wand movement required. A slow, circular motion above the cauldron is all that is needed. The contents within the cauldron will move to match your wand movements. This movement can also dictate the speed at which the contents will be stirred, which is a very important concept in some brews.

The second most obvious choice for stirring your potion would be a paddle or spoon of some sort. While these implements went out of style when the stirring spell was invented in the late sixteenth century, they are still important to discuss. Some potions require stirring be done by hand, while others prefer it to be done by wand. It simply depends on the potion in question, but learning about hand stirring is an essential component to any potions education. Of course, neither of these methods is necessary when using a Self-Stirring Cauldron.

Spoons There are many different varieties of spoons - slotted or non-slotted, wooden or metal, long or short, wide or skinny. Each characteristic makes a specific spoon better suited for one potion or another. Much of the decision depends on which ingredients you are using and what your eventual outcome is supposed to be.

For things that are supposed to be more viscous, the slotted spoon is the way to go. It allows the contents to be more thoroughly mixed. For the less viscous, the wider, non-slotted selection is the most prudent. Obviously, a longer handle is necessary for many things and should be used most often, unless otherwise stated in the recipe of said potion. Selecting the material of the spoon apparatus in question is a basic task. If you are working with heat, metal might not be best suited for the task as it is a conductor of heat. Therefore, the wooden variety is favored. In fact, a wooden spoon is the most commonly used spoon in the art of hand stirring because it does not often interfere with potion ingredients. It is worth noting that wooden spoons have been popular for many centuries.

When dealing with spoons, however, the most important issue is keeping the potion safe from contamination. For example, you would not want to walk into the kitchen and get a spoon from the sink that your mother used for dinner that evening.

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Nor would you return a spoon that you used in your potioneering to the sink after you were finished with it. These spoons are to be used specifically for potions and are often labeled by the manufacturer so as to avoid any terrible disasters that might result if they were used for a different purpose. That being said, most any spoon you purchase can be used if absolutely necessary.

Paddles A paddle is much like a spoon and is therefore similar in handle length and material. However, it should be noted that paddles are often favored only for extremely large cauldrons. Larger cauldrons are typically used for potions with many ingredients and those that take considerable time to brew. Paddles are most common in commercial potions manufacturing where a large amount of product is made and can be handled by more than one person at a time, depending on the size of the paddle/cauldron combination in question.

Other If you find some other item to stir your potion, there should be no problems, provided the implement in question is safe. In historical accounts of quick potioneering, a great number of things have been used including sticks and even hands in some situations. If it can be used to move the contents of your cauldron around, then it technically can be considered a stirring implement.

Process The act of stirring is simple but can be done in a variety of ways. You can stir your potion with great speed, or you can do it very slowly. You can stir your potion both clockwise and anti-clockwise. You can do it repeatedly, or you can do it once in a great while. These rules are frequently listed in the potion’s directions or are set forth by your potions instructor. There are a few things to note, however.

Frequency When a potion’s instructions say that it is supposed to be stirred a certain number of times, it is important that the potion is stirred precisely that many times. This means that you must physically or mentally mark where it was that your stirring implement began to move so you can see when the implement passes over that point, making one full rotation and no more.

Direction Clockwise and anti-clockwise are two very easy concepts. To clarify for our purposes, when facing your cauldron, if the potion calls for clockwise stirring, your implement should move from the furthest point away from you to the right and from the closest point to you to the left. In comparison, when stirring anti-clockwise your 10

implement should move to the left when it is at the furthest point away from you and to the right when it is closest to you. Basically, the anti-clockwise motion is the opposite direction of a clock’s hands.

Path Your implement should make a full circle around the cauldron. It should never cut through the middle for any reason, as that would not create the accurate circular motion that is called for in stirring potions.

Bottling and Storage Proper bottling and storage of potions are imperative aspects of your potions career. While in your early years of study, you are not likely to make a potion that needs to be stored for an extended period, but the bottling of your potions is what makes it possible for your professor to assign a grade to the work you are doing in potions class. Certain potions must be bottled and stored for a certain amount of time so they can age and mature properly. As with most things in this field, bottling and storage must be done correctly, or there can be grave consequences.

Bottling

The Vessel If you are to bottle your potion, you must have something in which to put that potion. Most often, this bottle or phial is made of glass, but they can also be made of various other materials. At one point, most storage vessels were made of wood until it was realized that the wood absorbed some of each potion into it, thereby contaminating the next potion stored in that vessel. Therefore, wood is unadvisable as an option.

Certain metals can also be used, though at times they can interact with the potion being stored. Prolonged exposure to metals can result in contaminated potions. For that reason, metal containers should not be used for potions that require long-term storage.

A container can come in every shape, size, colour and type. It is important to select those containers that best fit a potion’s contents. Some potions need to be stored in darker containers, while others need to be stored in lighter vessels. Certain potions need room to expand during their ageing process and should be put into larger containers. Others can only be bottled in very small quantities. Some situations call for enormous bottles, but turning samples in to your instructor will only call for very small phials.

Your container (glass, metal, or otherwise) should always have a stopper, most of which are made of cork. If you do not have a stopper, certain spells can be performed in order to keep the potion from being exposed to the elements. These charms are difficult, and it is often much easier to simply locate a stopper. All of the potions that you will 11

make in this course will need to be presented in stoppered containers so your professor can evaluate them.

The Means Most potions are viscous enough to be poured. Pourable potions can be funneled into your vessel. A simple funnel contraption is often used for this particular method.

While this method is simple enough to do, it can become rather cumbersome if a large cauldron is being used or if the cauldron in question is heated. In such situations, it is much easier to use a siphoning charm. If you use this simple charm, you will be able to siphon your entire potion into the correct bottle or phial. This charm is the most often employed and by far the easiest method of transferring liquids from one vessel to the next.

Storage Specifications Once bottled, potions must be stored somewhere. There are countless varieties of potion cabinets on the market including tabletop, wall mounted, etc. These cabinets provide several racks of varying sizes in which to place your bottles. They come in handy but are not entirely necessary. As long as you have a space with the right conditions, your potion will be fine.

Light Sometimes light exposure can ruin a potion or upset its ageing process in some way. You can combat this problem in one of two fashions. First, you can place your potion in a dark glass bottle. The bottle itself will prevent light from interfering with your potion. Another suitable option is to store your potion somewhere dark. Closets, the special cupboards previously mentioned, drawers, etc. can be used for this purpose.

It is important that absolutely no light be let in while the potion is being stored as it might ruin the potion, even if exposure is extremely limited.

Temperature Some potions need to be cooled while stored, while others should be kept warm.

It is important to review the potion’s instructions before attempting to bottle and store.

The temperature is perhaps the most difficult part of storage, as temperature regulation can be quite difficult. Most potions do not call for specific temperatures, but rather state that they can be stored at room temperature or in cooled or warmed conditions. A good rule of thumb is to always keep the temperature comfortable for you. Your storage cupboard should not make you shiver or sweat, but it should be right around the “too cold for me” point or the “too hot for me” point. These differences in temperature will vary from person to person but are good gauges when the instructions are so unclear.

The method of temperature regulation is widely left for the individual to decide. With 12

so many different places to store and so many situations, it would be impossible to explain how to regulate temperatures for your specific situation. Most of your potions can be stored at room temperature, so you should be fine, especially in this course, without any special sort of temperature regulation technique.

Other Things to Take Into Account Some potions will need to be stored for a very long time. Longevity of stay often dictates the place in which a potion is stored. If it will only be there for a day or so, it might be acceptable to put the potion in your sock drawer, but if the potion needs to age for a few months or a year, it most likely will need a place of its own. Some potions will need to be isolated when stored, while others can be stored with a variety of different potions. Certain potions need to have different environments at different stages of their ageing process and will therefore need to be moved at some point or, at the very least, have the circumstances changed. These are all very important things to note, and they are all regulations that are set forth in a potion’s recipe. If there are any questions, as always, ask your instructor.

Ageing Potions After brewing, some potions require time to age. This process can take a short time, or it can take a long time. Most potions have sufficient time to age while the potion is bottled and then stored for a specific amount of time before use. Some potions mature and become more potent as time passes, while others lose their potency as they age.

Longevity Most potions, after they have reached maturity (either during brewing or by ageing), can be stored for later use. Others must be used as soon as maturity is reached for the desired effect to result. Potions can eventually expire. Once this happens, they need to be disposed of properly. Expired potions can be dangerous if used, and the results of using an expired potion can be extremely different from the originally desired outcome.

Timing Timing, as they say, is everything. In potion brewing, it is no different. The order in which you put the ingredients in is important, but perhaps even more important are things such as the rate at which you put ingredients into the brew, the amount of time between ingredients, or even total brewing time. These are important factors in most potions, and while the potions you will brew in most classes will not take more than the allotted class time, it is important to realize that not all potion brewing is so short-lived.

This section will venture to take you beyond certain brews and into a more thorough 13

understanding of what timing means to a potioneer. Some of this information can only be imparted through years of experience, while some of it is listed word for word in the potion’s recipe. However, the theory of timing is simple to both understand and convey to others.

Ingredients The use of most ingredients is staggered throughout the potion brewing process.

Potions are not soups, and it is not advisable to throw everything in your cauldron at once and just let it be. It takes time and careful attention in order to get a potion just right. It can also take a certain amount of time to collect your ingredients as they may have to be collected at a precise time. Both collection and addition of ingredients are imperative to a potion’s success.

Collection When it comes to the ingredients required, most potion recipes are very specific.

If a recipe merely says that you need to add daisy roots, then it is not really important when or where your daisy root was gathered. However, if it specifies that a certain ingredient must be picked during the full moon, it is extremely important that you time the rest of the potion accordingly. For example, if there are seven steps before you get to the step that calls for the full moon ingredient and those seven steps take a total of two weeks to complete, it is a good idea to look at your calendar and begin brewing two weeks before the full moon. This way you will be able to use your new ingredient almost immediately, and your potion will be done in a reasonable amount of time.

Timing is very important when it comes to the collection of ingredients for several other reasons as well. Some ingredients must be used fresh, whereas other ingredients need to be aged. These are important considerations to take into account when you look into brewing a potion because they dictate when you must start your collection and when you must start to brew. Without these specifics listed, it is very difficult to time the brewing and collecting processes correctly. Some advanced potioneers keep a specific brewing calendar for this purpose, though most of the potion making you encounter during school will not require you to do so.

Addition Adding ingredients is another aspect of potioneering that must be timed perfectly in order to correctly brew a potion. Some of the issues related to the addition of ingredients have been covered, but there are still several issues that need to be addressed. First and foremost, not all potions are set to a specific time schedule.

Depending on the type of potion, the recipe may not always require a specific amount of time between the addition of each ingredient. It may instead call for the potion to be a particular colour or have a certain characteristic before the next ingredient is added.

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For example, a recipe might specify that once the potion turns dark brown, the next ingredient should be added. However, it is important to note that the recipe may not state how long the potion will take to turn brown. It could take no time at all, or it could take hours or even weeks to reach that point. It is important, therefore, that potions without specific times assigned are not taken on lightly. Most basic potions are much simpler than this and will give certain time limits or, if done correctly, should all begin to reach a certain point at about the same time. Potioneering is not the most exact of sciences though, so there is always room for change. It is important to listen to instructions and carefully follow the directions set forth in this book to ensure that all of your ingredients are added at the correct time.

Order is also related to timing as far as ingredient addition goes. Putting the ingredients in out of order can have disastrous results and should be avoided. Order also relies heavily on the directions given by your instructor and the book, so be sure to pay very close attention not only to the timing, but also to when an ingredient should be added in relation to others.

Total Brewing Time The calculation of the total time it takes a person to brew a potion is very inexact.

There are too many contributing factors. If you calculated all the times between ingredient additions and the amount of time needed for the entire potion to brew, you would get the closest possible estimate. Such an estimate is typically referred to as ‘Estimated Brewing Time’ or ‘EBT’. EBT is the generally accepted amount of time it takes to brew a potion. If your total amount of brewing exceeds that estimate by a great amount, it is often assumed that you have done something wrong during the process.

However, your potion might still turn out alright in the end. It is a very inexact art, and some of the most practiced experimental potioneers still have a difficult time assigning a correct EBT to their new-found brews. Some potioneers and recipe writers find EBT to be so inexact that they choose not to include one at all. A famed author once stated, "A potion will be ready when it is ready. You do not tell an egg when it is to hatch.

Likewise, you do not tell a potion when it should be completed." There is a lot of scholarly discussion on the matter because waiting on a potion to finish for too long can often be a tedious and possibly failing effort. The assigned EBT makes it easier to know when you have done something wrong, and it gives you a point at which you should begin again.

The EBT for short-brew potions is much more exact than it is for long-brew potions. If a potion is simple, the ingredients are all pre-gathered and ready to go. If the potioneer follows the instructions closely, the EBT should be a good estimate of how long that potion should be brewing before it is ready. If a potion is extremely complex and its ingredients have to be gathered throughout the brewing process, then the EBT 15

becomes less accurate, especially if said potion requires a more advanced knowledge of potioneering. It is a general rule, therefore, that EBTs shorter than one 24-hour period are recognized as standard, and all those exceeding that time frame are to be taken as very loose estimates.

Maturity Deviating from Estimated Brewing Time, there are some potions that need to mature for a certain amount of time after they are brewed. These are often stored and left until mature. Maturity is addressed more completely in the Bottling and Storage section of this book. However, it is important to address maturity in terms of timing.

Like EBT, the Total Maturation Period (or TMP) is not the most exact of sciences. While it is generally more correct than EBT and therefore less disputed, there are cases in which a potion does not reach full maturity in the allotted TMP. Potion maturity is a very serious matter, and each potion typically has a set of standards or characteristics that it needs to possess in order to be considered mature. Such standards and characteristics are more important than the listed TMP. If the potion has yet to reach those standards after the allotted time, it is a good idea to wait until it does or contact your instructor.

Medicinal By now, you have no doubt realized that potions can be used for a great many things. You can create potions that will cause you to shrink, get bigger, sprout boils, grow profuse amounts of hair, or any number of equally exciting things. Perhaps the most useful potions are those that do not cause anything to grow or boils to pop up in inopportune places. They are not potions that you would brew for amusement or sport.

They are truly useful concoctions that provide remedies to a great number of ailments and other medical issues. Commonly referred to as the medi-potion, a potion with properties for healing or bettering of the health in some form or fashion can be called a medical potion. These potions can be simple or extremely complex in nature. They may contain easily obtained ingredients or ingredients that are extremely difficult to retrieve.

Medical potions can heal simple wounds, and they can save lives. The field of medical potions is constantly evolving because there is always a new strain of a virus or a new way that people have injured themselves. The ability to brew medi-potions is an excellent one to have, and it is a skill that can be used for many years to come.

History The idea for medicinal potions occurred at a very early point in Wizarding history. Humans have nearly always had ailments. About the time that Muggle medicine began to develop, the Wizarding world took the same basic principles and quickly excelled in the formulation of solutions to both normal and magically induced 16

problems. Because many in the Wizarding world had a vast knowledge of ingredients and the way they work together in ordinary situations, the development and implementation of medicinal potions was easy. Some early potioneers gradually shifted focus, and apothecaries began stocking more medicinally powerful ingredients. Thus the medicinal potions movement was born. Many of the first Healers were actually converted potioneers who decided to take up arms against Wizarding illness and injury.

Types As previously mentioned, medi-potions can be used for a vast number of things, but there are a few categories into which they can be sorted. First and foremost, there are topical potions used to treat minor cuts, bruises and scrapes on the outside of the body. There are also core potions that deal with issues inside of the body such as viruses and minor infection. Next, there are the inhibitors that can inhibit things like pain. Finally, the experimental and advanced potions are used to treat the more devastating injuries and ailments.

Topical Potions A topical potion can generally be applied directly to the source. Topical wounds are visible to you or the Healer working with you, and topical potions are therefore considered the easiest to use in such situations. That does not necessarily mean that they are the easiest of the bunch to make. In fact, many of them have special application processes that require a certain brewing process in order to achieve the correct consistency. The most basic of these potions can be used for a variety of different things, while the more advanced potions tend to have a very specific purpose. For example, Essence of Murtlap is relatively easy to make and can be used to treat a variety of different scratches, scars, and scrapes that occur on the surface of the body. The commercial Billie’s Bruise Removal Balm, which can only be used to treat bruises obtained in magical situations, would be an example of a topical potion that is extremely difficult to manufacture but has a very specific purpose.

Other things that can be treated with topical medi-potions include boils created by a health issue, extreme acne, or a rash occurring as a result of an allergic reaction or other health problem. The less severe the skin irritation or issue is, the less likely it is that you will need to treat it with a medi-potion. As it stands, there are many potions used to treat minor skin issues that are not considered medicinal in nature.

Core Potions Core potions are so named because they are used to treat issues at your core, such as those that affect your organs or cause some other internal problem. These potions are slightly more difficult to master than topical potions, but they are often 17

easier to use because most are simply ingested and do not have a specific method of application. While not all core potions are ingested (some are injected or administered in some other similar way), they do tend to be easier to brew than topical potions, though they are a bit more advanced in their ingredient content. Certain brews, such as the Pepper-Up-Potion, have effects that are blatantly obvious. Others are more subtle.

Because they work internally, sometimes the only sign that they are doing their job is improved health. The more advanced your symptoms and health problems are, the more advanced the potion to treat it can become.

Some potions deal solely with symptoms and are therefore taken more often. A potion that deals with a cough can be used in any circumstance in which a person has a cough. A potion that treats the Fiberian Flu, however, would only be used to treat a person who has this particular flu. Taking a medi-potion that you do not need can sometimes have devastating consequences and should be avoided.

Inhibitors Inhibiting potions are aptly named because they inhibit things such as feeling physical pain. Inhibiting potions deal primarily with problems on the neurological level and are therefore among the most complex potions to brew. Pain inhibiting potions are some of the most commonly used potions, and they are also commercially distributed.

Experimental or Advanced Medical Potions There is always need for a new medi-potion. If you need to treat something that has not been dealt with before or of which you are completely unaware, the best course of action you can take is to check yourself into the nearest health facility and let trained professionals, such as Healers, take care of the issue. These trained professionals may have to create a potion to treat your needs or decide which combination of existing potions would be best. These experiments and combinations are not to be taken lightly and should not be attempted in your studies. However, it is necessary to inform you that such situations may arise.

A Note on Antidotes Though antidotes work within the body to target problems, they are not considered core potions because they deal with different aspects. Venoms and poisons can cause specific symptoms and injuries. These symptoms and injuries can be treated with medi-potions. However, the venom or poison itself is treated separately from the body and must be treated with an antidote. Since the venom or poison is not considered part of the body, these antidotes are not considered core potions. They are not even considered medi-potions in some situations.

Safety 18

The medicinal potion should not be taken lightly. They are perhaps the most important potions a person can brew, and they have the ability to save lives. That being said, they can also be extremely dangerous or detrimental to your well-being if they are not made or used properly. It is extremely important, therefore, that you carefully follow all instructions given regarding these potions. The ingredients, their amounts, and the brewing times all become extremely important when dealing with a potion that will be used for medical purposes.

Why Choose Potions?

This section poses an obvious question: Why one should one even bother with potions? After all, most minor injuries can be cured with a simple incantation. The answer is simple: preferences vary. There are actually many things that can be done with just a wand and a few words. However, there are people in the world who simply prefer methods that are more advanced, and the effects might even last longer if a potion is used. Additionally, potions can be used to solve problems that simple incantations cannot. It is nearly impossible for charms to fix an allergic reaction or work within the body on ailing vital organs, so potions are often used in those situations.

Generally speaking, it is up the Healer and the patient to figure out the best course of action for a particular situation.

Administration Potions can be administered in any number of ways. In fact, there are nearly as many ways to administer as there are potions. However, each potion must be administered in a certain way, so be mindful of this fact as you read through the instructions for each potion. Simply following a potion’s preparation instructions is not enough; if incorrectly administered, even the perfect potion can be completely worthless, or worse, it might even become dangerous to use. Each potion’s information and recipe will tell you exactly how it should be administered. This section offers a general overview of all that potion administration entails, though not every method can be covered. If in your quest to delve into your newly brewed substances you happen across anything of which you are unsure, ask your instructor for guidance.

History Potion administration was formerly considered a very difficult task because nobody could really be sure which method would work best for each potion. During a potion’s creation, potioneers would experiment, and the potion would be administered using many different methods until the desired results were reached. Sometimes a potion could do several different things depending on the way in which it was administered, while other times the potion merely varied in its degree of effectiveness.

Over the years, it became blatantly obvious that, in order to ensure proper use, potion 19

administration needed to be regulated in the recipe of the potion. In older books, there is often no mention of administration at all, and, after a few too many catastrophes, the Ministry of Magic began requiring that authors of published potions books include the steps by which a potion should be administered. This created quite a stir among those in the potions community, but it was generally agreed that these steps to regulate the administration of even the most common potions would better potions as an institution.

Tools of the Trade From the very basic spoon to very advanced injection tools, the implements used to administer potions are sometimes imperative to its success. Obviously, spoons can be used when administering a potion orally or even topically if the potion is administered by pouring a small amount onto something. Other tools include droppers, which can distribute the potion to its target drop by drop. Droppers are often used for medipotions or other viscous liquids. You can also use needles to inject certain potions into the object or being that is in need of the potion. Obviously, injecting the potion is the most direct form of administration. Other forms of administration require methods that are more advanced. Some are taken orally in capsule form; others can be administered without the need for any special tools.

When dealing with potion administration tools, it is important that you use appropriate materials. All injections will likely be done with metal needles, and it is important to be sure that the metal you select for your needle will not interact negatively with the potion. Most droppers are made of glass and rubber, but in certain circumstances, other materials will be required. As always, these specifications can be found in the administration instructions. If they are not and you are unsure, ask your instructor.

Administration Techniques

Orally Some potions are administered orally. This means that the recipient takes them via the mouth. This can be done many ways. When viscous liquids are taken orally, it is common for the recipient to sip the potion or drip it from a spoon into the mouth and then swallow. Other methods of oral administration include placing bits of a potion into capsules, which will allow the potion to begin taking effect once swallowed. Typically, medi-potions and some transfiguration potions are taken orally. However, this is one of the most dangerous ways to take a potion, as ingesting certain substances can often cause harm to the recipient. Therefore, it is imperative that you pay particularly close attention to the instructions and dosing information of all orally administered potions.

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Topically Potions that are applied directly to the surface requiring the potion are called topically administered potions. This method is a more direct way of potion administration, and topical application will work in any number of situations. For example, you can rub a potion onto the spot you wish to affect, or you can drop a few drops of a liquid potion onto a ball you wish to shrink. You can also coat cloth that you wish to strengthen by dipping it into the cauldron. You can truly do any number of things with topically administered potions. The process of topically applying a potion is often outlined in the instructions, but if it is not, it is usually best to use the drop method, as it is direct and precise. However, if the potion is not viscous enough, other methods of topical application should be used.

Injection If you want to get right to the heart of the problem, injection is the best method to use, though it can be a rather finicky operation. The use of needles is not as attractive to some as it is to others, and many potions that require injection will suggest alternative methods of administration. When using the injection method, you directly insert the potion where it needs to be, which is often inside something. This means that you have to break the surface of the object or being receiving the potion in order to get the potion inside. A phial of the potion is typically attached to a hollow needle, and the potion is then pushed through a small tube and into its desired location.

Other Methods Some other methods of potion administration include adding the potion to something that would otherwise be used normally, such as a food additive or cosmetic.

Some potions can be inhaled in gaseous form. Various other ways for getting a potion into your system can also be used. As long as the potion can find a way to get to where it needs to be, it can do its job. Even though the methods for administration may seem bizarre, they can still be effective.

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RECIPES

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GRADE 1 Breath Freshening Solution History In the early 1730s, Marie H’Aleine was born to a Muggle family living in Nice.

When her powers began to manifest, she was sent to live with her magical grandmother in Cannes. It was her grandmother who secured a place for Marie at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, located just outside Cannes. Marie was a mediocre student who showed prowess in potions, though not enough to secure a good job outside the Academy. After graduating, she found a job in Paris as a housekeeper for Pierre Fauchard, who was a pioneer in Muggle dentistry. She showed an interest in Pierre’s work, and, after a few months, he took her on as an unofficial apprentice. She took what she learned during her days with Pierre and attempted to put a magical twist on it.

Using her knowledge of herbs and potions, she created a solution that sweetened even the foulest of breath for a period of time. After Pierre’s death, she was homeless and not much richer than she was when she started working with him. She used the last of her money to buy the supplies needed to make a large batch of the potion, and she traded it to some sailors in exchange for passage to England. After arriving in England, she sought out the fabled Diagon Alley and set up shop there. Selling the potions was not a lucrative business, but she made do with what she had. One winter in the early 1800s, she passed away on the street. Her body was discovered clutching the recipe and a halffilled bottle of the solution. To this day the potion is still sold on Diagon Alley--the very place where Marie died for her art. Valentine’s Day is the most popular day for this potion. When combined with Amortentia, it is believed to make your kisses irresistible.

Uses The most obvious use for this solution is to freshen the breath in the mornings.

As Muggle and wizard dentistry improved, the Breath Freshening Solution lost its appeal, though it still remains popular around Valentine’s Day. It is also a useful tool to carry in your bag for emergencies. There has been some speculation that if the solution is mixed with some Felix Felicis the user will not speak a word out of turn. They will become a sweet talker. However, due to the nature of Felix Felicis in its pure form, it is hard to prove this theory.

Description When brewed properly, this solution should be a pale, pastel green with flecks of blue shimmering through it. It should have the consistency of water and should be completely smooth. The taste can be tweaked once you have a proper grasp on brewing this potion. Both the original recipe and the one listed here taste of mint with a hint of 23

rose. If the potion is brewed incorrectly the flecks will not be blue. A badly brewed solution has been known to burn through a cauldron.

Warnings The recommended dose is a sip or two; it is potent and effective. Spearmint is a natural irritant, and if the dose is exceeded, you will break out in ulcers. It can also burn your throat. It is rare that a superfluous dose of the solution is fatal, but in one such case a young witch hiccupped rose and mint scented bubbles for three months. This potion is relatively harmless, though after a year the solution will curdle, and the blue shimmering flecks will turn black. If the potion is ingested in this state it will rot the teeth almost instantly. If the potion is left longer than a year, it will slowly become more and more acidic. A three-year- old Breath Freshening Solution has been known to burn through a wooden table. This potion will not replace good dental hygiene. It is an archaic method that only has a cosmetic effect - changing the scent of your breath. If your breath is consistently bad, you should seek the help of a Healer.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

3 rose petals 2 dill leaves 1 sprig of spearmint 1 pint of rosewater A dash of flobberworm mucus to thicken rose quartz (whole point)

Grind three rose petals, two leaves of dill, and a good sprig of spearmint into a fine powder. Mix with a pint of rosewater and simmer gently for an hour. After the hour, mix in a dash of flobberworm mucus to thicken, stirring only in a clockwise direction. Tap the side of the cauldron thrice sharply to amplify the effects of the solution. Decant into a crystal phial with a rose quartz gem in the bottom. Place a stopper on the phial, and the potion is ready for use. Label your potion with the date brewed so that it is not consumed after the year is over.

Coughing Concoction History Though the Pepper-Up Potion has long been considered the standard cure for the common cold, there was still a market for the treatment of chest infections. The Coughing Concoction was a useful tool because it contained an expectorant, but it was more widely used as a treatment for asthma attacks and smoke inhalation. Constance Tussis watched her Muggle mother suffer with tuberculosis toward the end of her life.

In order to soothe her ailing mother, Tussis developed the Coughing Concoction. The 24

ingredients are all found in the Muggle world, and, though it will not be as effective as the magically brewed version, this concoction can be made without channeling magic.

Constance focused on ingredients from the Muggle world so the concoction could be easily made when she and her father were attending to business in the wizarding world. The remedy became popular among Muggles and wizards alike, though Tussis was careful never to give the magical version to Muggle people.

Uses This potion has been used as a remedy for chest infections and coughs. It is not a cure for asthma or bronchitis, but it can be used to alleviate the symptoms. Constance’s mother was never cured of her tuberculosis, but she was granted a respite from the coughing in the later stages, making her death more peaceful. Constance never set out to find a cure, so do not use the potion as such. It is essential to consult your nearest Healer for a long term solution. It was once said that a perfectly brewed version of this potion could cure asthma permanently, but unfortunately this is just a rumour, and, if such a recipe exists, it is long gone.

Description The Coughing Concoction should be a thick, honey coloured syrup. It should glide down the throat smoothly but will be sticky to touch. It tastes considerably sweet for a coughing solution, but the taste can vary from person to person depending on their sensitivity to the base ingredients. To me it tastes very gingery, but my friend says it tastes very much of fennel. A properly brewed concoction should stick to the back of a wooden spoon but pour smoothly and not stick to your throat.

Warnings/Side Effects This potion is generally harmless if brewed correctly. There was an old story that told of a woman who left the concoction in the bottle so long that it became rancid. She gave some of the potion to her sister, and it was so thick that it blocked her airways, and she suffocated. To be safe, you should brew a fresh batch of this potion every six months. That is the main warning for the potion, but you should also be careful not to give a magically brewed version to a Muggle as it may arouse suspicion. Because the magic will amplify the effects, use only the exact amount of ingredients listed.

Otherwise, it may cause you to literally cough up a lung.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

1 sprig of fennel 1 inch of ginger root 2 sprigs speedwell 1 scruple of anise seeds 8 drachm of manuka honey 25

Finely slice the ginger root, and bruise it with the side of the blade. Collect any liquid released, and add it to the cauldron with the ginger. Let it gently simmer in the honey whilst the other ingredients are prepared. Using the same knife, finely chop one of the sprigs of speedwell and the fennel, and add to a mortar with the anise seed.

Grind as finely as you can, and add this powder along with the final sprig of speedwell to the ginger and honey in the cauldron. Leave to simmer gently for three hours. When the brewing time is done, stir the concoction three times clockwise and three times anticlockwise to mix the ingredients thoroughly. Finally, dip your wand into the centre of the mix, and raise it out gently, letting the concoction drip from the wand back into the main brew. The concoction that drips should be silver in colour. Mix the concoction one final time in three clockwise strokes to disperse the silver droplets throughout the brew. Remember to omit the final wand stage and mixing when preparing this for a Muggle. If anise is unavailable, you can swap it out for half a scruple of fennel seeds.

Fattening Potion History Adriana Wilde was a fixture of the wizarding fashion world in the early 1920s.

She immigrated to England and eventually set up shop in Diagon Alley. Her robes were the most sought after fashion items of her time. Her secret, you ask? When designing robes, Adriana used real women instead of mannequins! This technique allowed her to see how the garment moved thereby enabling her to make the robes even more attractive to prospective buyers. But problems arose when she realised that she had no clothing for larger women. Upon spotting this gap in the market, Wilde began to toy with the idea of a potion that would, for a period of time, increase the size of the person who ingested it. After much trial and error (and a few trips to St. Mungo's), she finally perfected her formula. Adriana’s business boomed, and soon she was selling robes to witches of all sizes across the United Kingdom. Her robes were so popular that they brought several celebrities to her doors. One such celebrity was actress and rising star Louise Brookes. After witnessing the effects of the Fattening Potion firsthand, Louise was struck with a brilliant idea. She could use this potion in order to plump up for certain roles! After begging and badgering Adriana for some time, Brookes was finally given the secret formula. Unfortunately, Louise was unable to keep the formula a secret, and many began using the Fattening Potion to exact revenge on their foes. This is a prime example of how something made with the best intentions can become an item of malice and petty jokes. The Fattening Potion is a more controlled version of the Swelling Solution. If brewed correctly, this potion will last up to three days.

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Uses This potion has several practical uses. Despite the fact that many consider the Fattening Potion strictly a tool for revenge, it has been used in many different ways. For example, it can be used to create a disguise, though it is only effective if the individual you are attempting to trick does not know you very well. It can also be fed to animals to plump them up before slaughtering them for food. However, the potion has been known to transfer its magic to the person who has consumed the fattened animal, so it should only be used in dire emergencies. Wrestlers have also used this potion to move up a weight class. Your imagination is the only limit when working with this particular potion.

There has been some work on the formula to make the effects more gradual and long lasting. This would make the potion an excellent ration and an effective treatment for malnutrition. Unfortunately, there has been no progress in making the gained fat healthy.

Description The potion itself is a creamy off-white colour. It has a thick consistency that is quite similar to lard. When brewed correctly, it will give off puffs of brownish smoke at random intervals. In terms of flavour, it is quite tasteless, but in larger doses it has a distinct bacon taste. For the potion to work, it must be mixed with a food or drink that has natural fat content. The potion binds to the fat cells and amplifies their effects to gigantic proportions. If the potion is not brewed in the correct manner, it can appear to be very thin and will resemble chicken soup instead of lard. An incorrectly brewed potion will still cause the person who ingests it to balloon, but the effects will not last as long. Additionally, the effects will not be as pronounced as when the potion is properly brewed.

Warnings This potion is known to have a few undesired side effects. It can cause itching as the skin expands. The potion contains sneezewort which is a natural irritant. When the effects are amplified, this potion may cause great swelling. There have also been recorded cases of extreme gas, though this is more common when the potion is mixed with foods that are known to cause excessive gas in humans.

Warning: Although the potion is harmless in moderation, it has been known to increase cholesterol and blood pressure when used too frequently. Miss Wilde rotated out her models on a weekly basis to ensure their safety. There is one recorded case of bullying where students consistently spiked a fellow student's food with the potion. Although she died at a normal weight, the cause of death was a heart attack due to hardened arteries, a complaint most common in people who eat high fat foods over long periods.

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Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

2 puffer fish eyes 3 sneezewort leaves ½ pint of pig sweat 6 drops of flobberworm mucus

Grind two puffer fish eyes and three sneezewort leaves into a smooth paste. Heat half a pint of pig sweat over low heat whilst gently mixing in the paste made in the previous step. When the ingredients are combined, add six drops of flobberworm mucus and stir three times clockwise. Leave the potion to simmer over medium heat for ten minutes. The potion should emulsify and become thick and creamy, giving off puffs of brown smoke at random intervals. When you feel the potion is ready, gently tap the side of the cauldron once with your wand, and decant immediately into a darkened glass bottle. Leave it to rest for twenty-four hours to achieve the maximum thickness.

The potion is now ready to use.

Forgetfulness Potion History Seamus GrĂĄmuith was a pioneer of his time. Born in Ireland in 122AD, he fronted the Irish quest for the Draught of Immortality. At this time, magic was still abundant in Ireland due to the fact that Paganism was the primary religion, and the Muggles were less suspicious. This made Seamus more protective of his works, so he wrote them in code lest they be discovered. Unfortunately, his quest was never completed. The combination of ingredients he thought to be the Draught of Immortality was in fact the first Forgetfulness Potion. Because he was so protective of his works, he decided to test the mixture himself. The Forgetfulness Potion targets the short term memory, and the dose he gave himself was quite strong. As a result, he forgot how to read his notes, and the Forgetfulness Potion recipe remained untranslated. After being bitten by the snake he kept for testing the Immortality Draught, Seamus was sent to a wise woman in the neighbouring village. She treated him but eventually wrote him off as being mentally unstable. He later left her care in search of the mythical Nair Uh Ghals and was never heard from again. Some believe he settled down and started a family. It is now known that the Wit Sharpening Potion can help alleviate severe cases of Forgetfulness Potion abuse.

Uses This potion has been known to help counteract the effects of Veritaserum, and, when used correctly, it can disguise any knowledge recently gained. However, it can also have the opposite effect. The Forgetfulness Potion is a volatile mixture. The effects are 28

random and unpredictable and can leave a person even more open to the effects of Veritaserum. This potion can also be used as a stopgap for Obliviate. It will not completely mimic the effects of Obliviate, and it must be used soon after the event in order to be effective. Obliviate should still be used to ensure the memories are truly forgotten.

Description The correctly brewed potion should be a fairly thick, swirling, dark silver liquid. It will taste quite earthy with a hint of bitterness to it. If incorrectly brewed, the potion will not swirl of its own volition. The potion should be smooth; a lumpy potion is a sign that the ingredients have not been handled correctly, and the potion will not work. A light coloured potion indicates that there is too much Lethe water, and the potion will have a very negative effect on the mental prowess of the person who ingests it.

Side-Effects: The potion has been known to cause dizziness and headaches. Due to the nature of mistletoe berries, it can also cause an upset stomach. Drowsiness is another common side effect, and users should refrain from flying a broomstick after ingesting this potion. Additionally, an improperly brewed potion may cause nightmares.

Warnings If taken regularly in small doses this potion can completely erase an individual’s short term memory, rendering them unable to remember anything that happens to them on a day to day basis. If a large dose is taken, the potion can also cause long-term forgetfulness such as Gråmuith experienced. The leaves of the mistletoe plant are toxic, so great care should be taken to ensure they remain out of the potion.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

Lethe water 2 sprigs of Valerian 2 measures of the standard ingredient 4 mistletoe berries Pestle Mortar

Add two drops of Lethe water to your cauldron, and heat gently for twenty seconds. Lethe water is a powerful liquid from the River Lethe; add any more than two drops and you risk complete memory loss. Add two sprigs of Valerian to your cauldron, and stir three times clockwise. Wave your wand over the mixture, and leave the Valerian to brew in the Lethe water for ninety-five minutes. Add two measures of the standard ingredient and four mistletoe berries to a pestle and mortar. Grind into a medium-fine powder. Mistletoe is an irritant to the stomach, so only the required amount should be used. Add two pinches of this powder to the cauldron, and stir five 29

times anti-clockwise to blend the ingredients. Wave your wand over the cauldron to finish the potion, and decant carefully into a crystal phial.

Knee Buckling Potion History In a small store in Diagon Alley, a young witch worked to make a living by selling herbs and potion ingredients that were native to her father’s homeland of India.

This young woman was Tabitha Patel. Apart from larger institutions, theft is not an issue with which most in the wizarding world are concerned. However, for such a small shop with a low income, every rare herb stolen was money from Patel’s pocket. In the early 1770s, Tabitha began formulating a potion that she could readily have on hand for such situations. She wanted it to be easy to use and relatively harmless to the person on which she used it. Around the same time, several Indian potioneers began working on creating magical gases by mixing two separate potions together. Inspired by this new way of potion making, Tabitha began her quest. The result was the Knee Buckling potion, which was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. The fine balance between the weights of the potions made it volatile at first, and she had many a disaster.

However, a true potioneer will persevere for their art. Approximately five years after she started formulating her potion, Patel finally had a viable working potion, although it was not perfected for some time.

Uses The potion is made of two separate parts. When combined, they create a magical gas that ensnares the target or targets and causes the knees to buckle, immobilizing them for a period of time. The primary use of this potion was to stop thieves from easily escaping stores within the wizarding community, but it has developed into a very useful part of the wizarding defence repertoire. As you should be aware, a wizard cannot practice magic outside of Hogwarts until they are over the age of 17. This leaves younger wizards vulnerable. The Knee Buckling potion can be used by minors but only in dire circumstances. This potion has also become a popular anti-theft device in Gringotts. The potion is placed under a stone slab, and when weight is put on the slab, the phial breaks, causing the potion to activate and immobilize the would-be intruder.

However, I doubt very much that you will ever make it far enough into Gringotts to experience this. Some Aurors have been known to keep this potion on hand for when they are trying to immobilize someone with minimum damage. The fact that it can be used in front of muggles without too much suspicion (although NOT recommended) makes the Knee Buckling potion a very useful Auror tool.

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Description One part of the potion should be light and smooth. It should be dark blue with flecks of silver through it. The second part should be thick, syrupy, and bright red in colour with soft swirls of yellow moving through it. Neither part of the potion should be tasted. To test if the darker side is properly brewed, take a few drops and place them in a bowl of water. The drops should hold their shape and float gently on the surface of the water.

Warnings Both parts are highly dangerous if consumed. The dark part will cause your central nervous system to shut down, causing paralysis and death. The red part will cause third degree burns if it comes in contact with the skin. If swallowed, it will burn through the throat and stomach. It is best to brew the potions either separately or far away from each other. The steam rising from them as they simmer will combine and give mild knee buckling effects. If the potions are mixed in large amounts, they will cause nerve damage that is only partially reversible by a Healer. Constant exposure to the gas can cause hysteria and eventually minor nerve damage. So please brew in moderation and use sparingly.

Recipe First Part (Dark; contains the ingredients that cause the knees to buckle) Ingredients and Equipment:

1 ounce lovage ½ ounce tansy 1 ounce rue 1 ounce parsley ½ ounce wormwood ½ ounce elecampane 2 ounce larkspur (freshly sprouted) 2 pints of mist water

Grind the wormwood, elecampane, larkspur and tansy into a fine paste and put to one side. Coarsely chop the lovage, rue and parsley, pressing them with the flat side of the blade to bruise them. Mix the chopped herbs into the herb paste and place in the cauldron. Carefully pour the mist water into the cauldron, and cover it with either a magical barrier or glass. Heat gently for three hours until the herbs and the water have fully combined and the potion has gone dark. Remove the barrier or the glass and tap the side of the cauldron once with your wand. Silver flecks should begin to appear in the potion. When it resembles the night sky, it is ready for use.

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Second Part (Red; causes the first part to evaporate, creating the mist) Ingredients and Equipment:

½ quart liquid flame (Harvested from a Fire Crab) 1 gill Syrup of Ghost pepper 1 salamander tail

Pour the liquid flame into a very thick cauldron, preferably one treated with magic to prevent melting. Slowly incorporate the syrup. The potion will sizzle and spit occasionally, so take precautions. Leave the potion to simmer in its own heat for three hours. After the three hours, the potion should have turned thick and darker red. Stir it carefully with the salamander tail three times clockwise. The tail will disintegrate into red sparks. The potion will turn vivid red, and the yellow swirling will begin. The potion should also be emitting puffs of smoke at this point. This potion needs to be left to cool, which can take up to four days. When a full hour has passed without any smoke being emitted, it is ready to decant.

You can buy special dual sided bottles for this potion. You decant the individual potions into either side. This is completely unnecessary, being more for show than practical use. To use a normal potion phial you will need some spring water and your two potions. Fill the phial halfway with the red potion and then add a thick layer of water; this will solidify the top layer of the red potion. To be extra cautious, you can leave the water there and pour in the dark potion, which will float. However, this is only necessary if the bottle will be jostled. If you plan to keep the bottle stationary then you can remove the water layer before adding the dark potion.

Nail Growing Formula History Clavus Grandir was an unlikely candidate for the invention of a formula that is currently a very popular item in wizarding spas. However, the secret to a perfect manicure has a dark and bloody past. Such a simple and seemingly impractical formula was originally developed as a weapon. Clavus was a pureblood wizard who witnessed the brutal murder of his family for being magical. He sought revenge but had made an Unbreakable Vow with his father to never to turn his wand on a Muggle. Clavus was brutal and bloodthirsty, so it seems fitting that he would create a weapon that was effective yet still gave him the satisfaction he needed from the revenge and complimented the hand to hand combat training that he had received from his father.

The idea was a simple one: make the hands more deadly and efficient without sacrificing the joy of the kill or using his wand. The answer? Nails. Clavus developed a solution that made his nails grow quicker and stronger than the average nail. He sharpened them and had his murder weapon. Upon killing the Muggle ‘witch hunter’ that had slaughtered his family, he was sent to Azkaban. Although he had managed to 32

bypass the Unbreakable Vow, he was unable to escape the law. It is unknown how his formula became known to the wizarding world. Some say that it was carved into the wall of his cell, while others say he did not invent it at all. The mists of time have a habit of muddying the truth.

Uses The formula is most effective when massaged into the nail beds. Unfortunately, this formula is no longer as effective in turning the nails into weapons, as the strength of nails has decreased over time. It does, however, have a use within the world of Magical Cosmetology. It can be used to grow nails to a desired length for cosmetic reasons. When used in small quantities, it is very effective in strengthening brittle nails.

In the past, it has also been used on owls to make their talons longer, thereby enabling them to be more efficient in carrying mail. It is also useful in case of an unfortunate accident in which the nails are lost. It is believed that this formula was a pre-cursor to Skele-Gro, a potion that causes vanished or otherwise lost bones to regrow.

Description The correctly brewed formula should be thick, yellow, and buttery. It is for external use and should not be take internally. It should not be runny in any way, but rather it should be soft and malleable.

Warnings Do not ingest this formula. It will short circuit the body into making all keratin grow at an exponential rate thus causing very unpleasant side effects and in some cases, death. If too much of the formula is used at once, it can cause the nails to grow rapidly and fall off. In these instances, the body rejects the formula, and you will have to wait for the nails to grow back naturally.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

12 sunflower petals 4 lemon balm sprigs ½ ounce crushed Scarab beetle shell 2 pints Flobberworm mucus 7 chamomile flowers 3 ounces refined bubotuber pus

Bruise the sunflower petals and chop finely; add them to a mortar with the chamomile, lemon balm, and beetle shells and crush finely. Simmer the bubotuber pus in your cauldron for 20 minutes and add the powdered ingredients. At this point, the distinct smell of the pus should begin to fade. Add the Flobberworm mucus slowly to let the formula thicken to the required consistency. Stir 12 times clockwise with your 33

wand. Decant the formula into a jar, and leave it to develop for a week. You will know it is brewed correctly by the distinct lemony smell. If it smells like petrol, the pus was not refined enough.

Shivering Potion History Isis Green was a great herbologist of her time. She led the field in discovering new herbs and their uses. Although she dabbled in potions and potioneering, her true loves were Herbology and exploration. It was during her time in the French Alps that she discovered the herb glacialis and its magical properties - the ability to infuse a person with cold. She was in the Alps when she lost her pack and was unable to transfer the food up to herself. She tried using accio, but the cold was already getting to her and slowly draining her magic. She used the last of her supplies, which included a small cauldron, spearmint, and a spark of magic, to ignite a fire. She melted some snow and mixed it with nearby herbs that she had tested earlier and guaranteed them safe to be consumed. She used the stem of a snow drop to mix it, but unfortunately the magic from the magically cast fire was already in the potion. The soup she thought she had created was actually a potion. This potion became known as the Shivering Potion, and it nearly destroyed what was left of the witch. Fortunately, she was found by another travelling herbologist, Apollo Green, who saved her, and the two eventually wed.

Whilst in St. Mungo’s, Isis met a woman who was suffering from a terrible fever. She gave her a few drops of the Shivering Potion when the nurse was distracted; this broke the fever. From that day forward, the nurses of St. Mungo’s kept a few vials of the potion for use in cases where high fevers are present but the cause of the fever is unknown.

Uses The potion can also be used in the case of an overdose of Pepperup Potion, but it must be used sparingly and wisely as to not exacerbate the situation. Some children have tried to use this potion to get out of doing chores, and students have used it in attempt to get out of classes. Unfortunately for them, the smell of the Shivering Potion is known to most wizarding mothers and the staff at Hogwarts, so this plan rarely succeeds. There is also a case of this potion being used as a method of immobilizing enemies, making them shiver so hard that they are unable to move. Although quite effective, considering the lengths one would have to go to in order to conceal the taste and appearance of the potion, it would be just as quick to use spells or poison the target.

One woman swore by it as a cure for warts, applying it externally to the wart and making it drop off. Healers have not adopted this as a recognized treatment, but it is believed to be worth trying.

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Description A properly brewed Shivering Potion should be a translucent blue colour of exceeding, startling clarity and iridescence. The very top of the potion should bubble lazily, releasing white smoke that floats upwards before turning into snowflakes and flower petals and falling back down to settle on the surface of the potion as a foam. The potion has a fresh taste, like mint but amplified. It is how a winter storm would taste, and it melts away delicately on the tongue like snowflakes.

Warnings: Columbine contains a toxin that targets the heart; the magical fire burns off most of the toxin, but if taken regularly, the potion can cause heart failure. If taken in a single large dose, it can cause pneumonia and nerve damage similar to frostbite. One woman was known to have shaken so hard that she dislocated her hip. In addition to shaking, the potion can cause ridiculously fresh breath. If brewed with enough magical power, it can cause the shaking person to breathe snowflakes. Whilst this is an attractive side effect, the potion that causes it must be used with caution. It is far more potent that its weaker brewed brethren, thus meaning that the negative side effects will be easier to attain. If the potion is mixed with Pepperup, it may become volatile and explode.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

10 columbine petals 20 glacialis petals 3 generous sprigs of spearmint 1 snowdrop, with stem attached A quart of freshly melted snow

Put the freshly melted snow in your cauldron and use incendio to light the fire under the cauldron. This step is essential as it is what gives the potion its magic. Next, hand-tear the columbine and glacialis petals before dropping them into the cauldron.

Wait until they sink into the water, and then gently rub the spearmint sprigs between your hands to bruise it. Add the bruised spearmint to the cauldron. Finally, take the snowdrop and drag it through the water in diagonal strokes to mix the ingredients fully. Leave to simmer and infuse for two hours. Decant into a thick crystal phial. If the crystal is too fine, the potion with freeze the crystal and cause it to shatter, rendering the potion useless.

Shriveling Potion (For Plants) History

Avarian Wilde was a herbologist who made one of the biggest discoveries to affect modern Herbology. Whilst he was gardening one day, he noticed that if he used salt (to deter Flobberworms) around certain plants, the plant died. He did some 35

research and found a Muggle book that stated that salt draws in all the moisture around it. This got him thinking about all the practical uses of salt. If he combined it correctly and used a little bit of magic, perhaps he could quickly extract the liquids stored in a plant and use them for oils and syrups. So he began experimenting. He used different concentrations of salt and different carriers for the potion. He killed half his greenhouse before he came upon the winning solution. This potion is known as the Shrivelling Potion. The potion has to be injected into the root of the plant. The salt causes the plant to expel the liquid within, making the plant shrivel and thereby allowing the user to collect the liquid easily with minimum waste.

Uses As stated above, the potion has to be injected into the root. As any herbologist knows, that is where the plant absorbs moisture and distributes it throughout the plant.

It is recommended that you hold the plant in a cauldron before you inject it. This allows the liquid to have somewhere to run. If you stir the liquid with your wand clockwise three times and inject the liquid back into the plant, it will revive. However, there has to be the exact same amount of liquid injected for it to work fully. You can also soak the plant in the potion and let the plant transfer its fluids via osmosis. This method is not good when you need to extract the liquids for a magical purpose, but it does work well in situations where you are extracting the moisture from a plant before drying it. This step makes the plant dry out completely in a fraction of the time, which is essential for storage of magical ingredients that can be used dry. Some experimentation has been conducted with this potion and dangerous plants such as devils snare and mandrake, but thus far the results have not been satisfactory. It has also been used as a weed killer, but it will not destroy the plant unless used in larger quantities. It will, however, damage them enough to make them easier to remove.

Description The potion should be bright green if brewed properly. If the solution is darker, too much salt was used. There should also be flickers of bright yellow flashing through it. The texture will be smooth and runny, thereby allowing the plant to absorb the solution easily. Because this potion is administered via a needle, it can often be mistaken for a poison, but it is harmless to humans. It smells like the ocean with a hint of freshly cut grass.

Warnings This potion is harmless to humans unless ingested or injected in ridiculously large amounts. You would have to inject someone with three standard cauldrons full in order to make them shrivel slightly (about the amount you shrivel after swimming in a pool for a few hours). They would have to ingest five times this amount to get the same 36

effect as a plant. If you use too much on a plant, however, you can destroy it completely. It is recommended that it only be used by a trained herbologist on rare and endangered plants. If you spill the potion over a flowerbed, you will risk damaging all the plants growing there.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

3 inches of pruned yelp root 3 ounces of rock salt 2 quarts of salt water 1 medium Abyssinian Shrivelfig

Chop the Shrivelfig and the pruned yelp root as finely as you can and add to a mortar. Add the rock salt to the mortar and grind it up with the plants until you make a gritty paste. In a cauldron over low heat, allow the paste to dissolve in a quart of the salt water for three hours. The mix should become quite thick and reduced in volume over this time. Whilst still on the heat, slowly stir in the final quart of saltwater until the mix is combined. Finally, stir the potion three times anti-clockwise using a stirring spell.

Decant into any container that is not metal or wood. The potion will cause metals to rust and wood to warp.

Vomiting Solution History The Vomiting Solution was an accidental creation by Glover Hipworth as he attempted to achieve the cure for the common cold (see Pepperup Potion). It was created around the year 1773 but was not widely known until the early 1800s. Despite not being liked, the potion is still part of most wizarding households due to its usefulness.

Description The Vomiting Solution, often confused with the Anti-Vomiting Solution, is one of the foulest potions in the wizarding world, yet it is very common to most wizarding households. It is easily recognized by its putrid scent of sulphur and thick, goopy appearance. The Vomiting Solution is greenish-brown and often has floating chunks of solid potion suspended inside of it (precipitate). This, combined with its taste of rotten eggs and slimy sensation on the tongue, often makes it a young wizard or witch’s worst nightmare.

Uses It is a common action for parents to threaten their children with a dose of the Vomiting Solution if they misbehave. The Vomiting Solution causes vomiting, contrary to the belief of some wizards who mix it up with the Anti-Vomiting Solution. The main use of 37

this potion is to aid in the removal of dangerous toxins from the body if they have been accidentally ingested. It is especially useful to magical creature specialists, since it can often prove difficult to force a beast to vomit. Alchemists also keep this potion handy in case of an emergency.

The consumption of the Vomiting Solution is strictly supervised after an unfortunate discovery that some teenage witches had been using the potion to throw up after meals (a disorder commonly known as bulimia). The girls were immediately taken to St. Mungo’s for treatment and recovery, and new rules were created to control the selling of the Vomiting Solution. Each household is now permitted no more than one pint of the potion at any one time, and parents are advised to monitor its use carefully.

Due to its repulsiveness, potioneers have not confirmed whether the Vomiting Solution magically induces puking or if it is simply the foul combination of ingredients that causes the drinker to barf. However, there are rumors that the Vomiting Solution is one of the ingredients in the famous ‘Puking Pastilles’ by the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes company. Examination of these Puking Pastilles has led potioneers to theorize that there is some magical quality to the Vomiting Solution (provided it is included in the sweets) because the Puking Pastilles do not carry the distinctive rotten egg flavour and could perhaps be a variation upon the potion with which the flavour is smothered by other ingredients.

Warnings One of the reasons the Vomiting Solution’s use is monitored so closely is also due to some of the nasty side-effects that can occur as a result of poor brewing skills, an overdose of the potion, or improper storage. This solution is effective immediately after swallowing it and will cause the drinker to vomit very quickly. If too much is consumed, it is likely that the victim will begin to throw up uncontrollably and have to be taken to St. Mungo’s. The maximum amount to be taken at one time is one teaspoon.

A similar reaction occurs if the potion is brewed improperly, and the affected witch or wizard may suffer internal damage to his or her digestive system due to a severe rejection of the potion. Lastly, great care should be taken in the storage of this potion.

Wizards are advised to ensure a good seal with a new cork and to throw out any remaining potion after a period of two years.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

1 cup powdered dehydrated frog brain dissolved into 1 gallon water 2 cups cider vinegar 1/2 ounce Avinlock 1 tbsp human blood sucked from a mosquito 18 thistle heads 38

3 tbsp chickweed seeds 8 Daffodil flower heads 12 Eel eyes 4 Leeches 7 ounces of ramaria 2 Rat spleens 1 quart Flobberworm mucus 2 cups Bubotuber pus 26 frozen dead cockroaches 1 ounce adult Gytrash hair 8 Horned Slugs

Fill your cauldron with the water and dehydrated frog brain mixture, and light a medium-sized fire beneath it. Pour in the cider vinegar and stir five times counterclockwise. Add the Avinlock and mix well. Boil your potion for eight minutes, stirring occasionally, or until it begins to thicken. Mix in the blood so that your potion turns a deep red. Using a mortar and pestle, lightly mash the thistle heads. Add the chickweed seeds to the mortar and grind the two together into a rough powder. Add this to your cauldron and stir it slowly five times clockwise. Drop the daffodil flower heads and eel eyes into the potion and reduce the fire beneath it to low. Let it sit for six minutes.

While you wait, use a silver knife to slice open the leeches lengthwise and drain the liquid from them. Wash your knife off and do the same to the horned slugs. When your potion is done sitting, it will have a solid skin on top, like a crust. Push the crust to the bottom of your cauldron (you may have to use your knife around the edges to loosen it) and stir clockwise while adding the leeches. Take your mortar and pestle again and break up the ramaria into small, fingernail-sized pieces. Tip them into the cauldron along with the rat spleens. It is around this point that your potion will begin to give off nauseating fumes, so it is advised to perform a Bubble-Head Charm before continuing.

In a separate container, combine the Flobberworm mucus and Bubotuber pus. The mixture will be thick, so be careful when adding it to your potion to avoid any nasty spills. Mix it in thoroughly, stirring counter-clockwise as many times as needed for all the ingredients to be completely incorporated. Your potion should be very thick at this point and you may have to use two hands to stir it. Finally, finish up by adding the remaining three ingredients, putting out the fire, and covering your cauldron. Let your potion sit overnight, and when you return it should be greenish brown and have precipitate floating in it. Bottle the potion and store it well out of reach of children. If you have more than one pint of the potion (which is likely), you can either dispose of it with a Vanishing Spell or sell it to a qualified Apothecary for storage.

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Wiggenweld Potion History The Wiggenweld Potion is a very ancient potion that was invented by Sir Joshua Ramblebee in the early 900s. However, only witches and wizards of noble descent were able to brew it at the time due to the cost of many of the ingredients. The general wizarding community was only introduced to the Wiggenweld Potion an astounding seven centuries later in the 1600s. The Wiggenweld Potion was most famously used by a young wizard named Phillip, who smeared the potion on his lips and kissed the king’s daughter to awaken her from the influence of the Draught of Living Death. A spiteful hag known as Leticia Somnolens had stained a spindle with the Draught of Living Death and placed the princess under the Imperius Curse, and then subsequently forced her to prick her finger upon the point. Leticia was later found and tried by the Wizengamot and sentenced to Azkaban. This very useful potion has found its way into most wizarding families’ homes. In 1915 it was integrated into a wizard’s standard first aid kit and is highly used by Healers in St. Mungo’s.

Uses Occasionally the Wiggenweld Potion is used on magical creatures, with varying results. While some beasts take to the potion very well, others completely reject it. It is for this reason that it is highly recommended you check with a specialist before giving your pet the potion. The main use of the Wiggenweld Potion is to mend minor injuries; however, it also counters the Draught of Living Death and can be used for a variety of other things. This potion is also known to heal first-degree burns (such as sunburns) and is often incorporated into the material of casts and bandages. Recently, Healers at St. Mungo’s have determined that drinking medicinal tea with a few drops of Wiggenweld Potion can be beneficial to your health.

Description One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the Wiggenweld Potion is its clear periwinkle blue colour. It is approximately the viscosity of water and its aroma is often associated with blueberries. It leaves a very pleasant, sugary aftertaste that many wizarding children adore. If applying it directly to a wound, it is recommended to double the amount of cisab to thicken it.

Warnings Some of the downsides of the Wiggenweld Potion are easily avoided with common sense. Wizards and witches are advised to seal or cork the potion after each use and store it in a cool, dark place. Dosages should be kept to a maximum of half a cup per day for adults, and a 1/3 cup for children under 10 years of age. If applying the 40

potion directly to your wound, do not apply more than twice a day. If your potion reaches the expiration date, immediately dispose of it. Expired potions can sometimes infect your injuries and make them worse.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

1/2 gallon cisab root juice 1 pint Horklump juice 2 drops Flobberworm mucus 7 Chizpurfle fangs 1 teaspoon Billywig sting slime 1/2 cup Boom Berry juice 1 Sprig of mint 1 Stewed Mandrake 3 Drops of Honeywater 1 tablespoon sloth brain mucus 2 drops of Moondew 2 tablespoons Powdered Root of Asphodel 1/4 cup Shredded dittany Approximately 6 square inches of Wiggentree bark 17 Moly petals 1/8 cup Salamander blood 10 lionfish spines 1 Unicorn horn 1 stem with flowering wolfsbane 1/2 cup powdered root of cisab

Start with the cisab root juice in your cauldron, but do not light a fire under it yet. Add the pint of Horklump juice and mix it in thoroughly until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the liquid. This is the cisab reacting to a toxin contained in the Horklump juice. Light a small fire underneath your cauldron and mix the Flobberworm mucus into the potion by stirring clockwise. Drop the Chizpurfle fangs in, one at a time, and let your potion sit for fifteen minutes. When you return, your potion should have almost doubled in volume and turned a murky orange colour. Measure in the Billywig sting slime and the Boom Berry juice and constantly mix counter-clockwise for one minute.

Increase the fire beneath your cauldron to medium-high and add the stewed mandrake.

Your potion should become a deep purple-red colour and start to give off a bluish steam. In a small glass vial, combine the Honeywater, sloth brain mucus, and moondew, then shake to completely mix the three ingredients together. Pour the contents of the vial into your cauldron and mix it again. Add the dittany and asphodel, and reduce the fire to low again while you stir the potion until the dittany and asphodel are completely incorporated into it. Cover your potion with a lid.

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Using a silver knife, scrape along the Wiggentree bark to receive shavings. Continue to scrape the bark until you have one cup of Wiggentree shavings. By now your potion should have been sitting for approximately ten minutes and is ready for the next step.

Your potion needs to sit for longer if it has not turned bright purple. Drop in the moly petals, salamander blood, and lionfish spines, then raise the temperature of the fire so that your potion begins to boil. Carefully add the unicorn horn, with the tip pointing down. The potion will begin to change to a light blue. Finish by adding the wolfsbane and powdered root of cisab.

Your Wiggenweld Potion will become periwinkle blue. Extinguish the fire beneath your cauldron and let the potion cool before bottling and using it.

GRADE 2 Cleansing Formula History The Cleansing Formula is typically thought to have been the invention of a person named “Mrs. Skower”, however, this is not the case. “Mrs. Skower’s” is, in fact, a company and not just one person. The employees at Mrs. Skower’s worked together to develop a highly effective product that would get rid of most sorts of ‘magical messes.’ “Mrs. Skower’s All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover” was the first known example of the Cleansing Formula from its release in 1872. The prototype sold out almost immediately and spurred many people to attempt to create their own version of the Cleansing Formula. This led to other companies showing up, such as Madame Glossy’s Silver Polish, which would prove to be Mrs. Skower’s biggest rival in the magical cleaning products business. Madame Glossy’s biggest advantage over Mrs. Skower’s company was their specialized products, which focused on a certain sort of mess and fine-tuned and were fine-tunes to clean them up in the the easiest and most efficient way. Mrs. Skower’s, by contrast, had a single, all-encompassing product, which performed well on most messes but did not offer the specific care of Madame Glossy’s products.

The Cleansing Formula evolved over the years to become more adept at scrubbing away messes. The biggest change was the addition of leaping toadstools, which altered the potion so that it left a pleasant scent behind after clearing something away. The Cleansing Formula is also one of the easiest potions to experiment with and is often the first time a student is allowed to be creative while brewing a potion. Before simmering your potion for an hour, it is possible to add various ingredients to achieve different aromas. The instructions in this book call for vanilla beans and lilacs, but those ingredients easily allow for substitution.

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Uses Besides the obvious purpose of cleaning up spilled potion, the Cleansing Formula can also be used for a variety of other tasks. Some of these jobs include removing stains by dipping the stained material in the potion and/or painting it on the affected spot, cleaning up magical animal droppings, cleaning dirty clothing, and wiping away other magical substances such as the Mimbulus Mimbletonia’s Stinksap.

Most wizarding families, nannies, maids, and caretakers have the Cleansing Formula (whether bought or homemade) on hand in case of messes.

Description The Cleansing Formula is a very bright white colour, like snow. It is also very frothy and has multicoloured bubbles that will float out of it constantly. The smell of the Cleansing Formula depends on the ingredients added to it. In this case, the vanilla beans and lilacs give it a flowery vanilla aroma. It is thick, like honey, but should never be eaten. If eaten it is known to cause severe indigestion and sometimes will even corrode your organs from the inside. If you or someone you know consumes the Cleansing Formula it is advised to immediately drink the Vomiting Solution to throw it back up and contact a Healer. If the Cleansing Formula is not properly brewed, it becomes a yellowish white colour and will smell of ginger. Dispose of the potion right away if this happens.

Warnings If too much bleach is added to the Cleansing Formula (the most common mistake), the potion will eat away at the things it touches, including skin. If too little bleach is added, it causes dust to gather on the cleaned area twice as fast as usual.

Sometimes the potion may also seem to leave behind mould, in which case it has likely been improperly brewed and should be thrown out. Often the finicky nature of this potion causes wizards and witches to purchase the potion in a cleaning product rather than brewing it themselves.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

1 pint alcohol 2 tablespoons black beetle eyes 6 lionfish spines 4 horned slugs 12 Chizpurfle carapaces 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon syrup of hellebore 7 leaping toadstools 1/8 cup bleach 4 lilac flower heads 1/3 cup vanilla beans 43

Fill your cauldron with the alcohol and dump in the black beetle eyes. Light a fire beneath your cauldron and tap the rim with your wand. Allow the potion to heat up for a few minutes, and in the meantime, put the lionfish spines, horned slugs, and Chizpurfle carapaces in your mortar and crush into a medium-fine powder. Mix your potion counter-clockwise until it starts to bubble and give off a dark smoke-like vapour.

Add the ingredients you previously pulverized to the mixture and tap again with your wand. Leave the potion for 22 minutes or until the dark vapour has disappeared and your potion has a very thick layer of foam on top. Scoop the foam up with a spoon, ladle, or some sort of straining device, and set it aside. Try to remove any of the liquid from the bottom of the foam. Pour the tablespoon of syrup of hellebore over the foam and the 1/3 cup of it into your cauldron. The foam should begin to glow. Put the leaping toadstools into your cauldron and increase the fire beneath it to high. Stir counterclockwise for five minutes, then stir once clockwise. Sprinkle the bleach over the foam that you set aside, and then add the foam mixture to your cauldron. It should hiss and envelope the foam, then create another foamy top. Finally, add the lilacs and vanilla beans (or the ingredients of your choice to scent the potion, see above) and allow your potion to simmer on low heat for one hour. Make sure the potion has completely cooled before decanting into jars and using.

Colour-Changing Formula History Annaleigh Wishart was a famous interior decorator of the 1920s. Her rise to fame was largely contributed to by her invention of the Colour-Changing Formula. Far from being a potioneer, the Colour-Changing Formula actually came to Wishart when she was attempting to brew a Beautification Potion. In an interview, Wishart confessed, "I'd only made it [the Beautification Potion] once. For my friend, you know. And then once I wanted to make it again but I couldn't find the recipe! So I said to myself 'It can't be too bad, I'll just go by memory'. And Merlin, did I ever screw up on the Beauty Potion, but out came the first version of my Colour-Changing one!"

Indeed, the Colour-Changing Solution is far from the Beautification Potion.

Wishart sold her creation and its recipe to expert potioneer Vivica Fraxen, who altered the instructions so that the potion's abilities were expanded. The main change Fraxen made from the original was adding the salted Plimpy liver (which made the potion last longer), and she also discovered that by adding certain ingredients one could achieve different shades of colour (see Uses, below).

Uses The Colour-Changing Formula is very popular among the interior decorating, hair stylist, and clothing designer professions. It is easy to change the colour of items 44

such as clothing by simply submerging them in the potion (being careful not to let it touch your skin) and extracting them from it an hour or so later. For larger items such as furniture, it is necessary to 'paint' the potion over the area you would like to change colour. A man named Shane 'Snip' Schmidt discovered that by combining the potion with a potion made specifically for hair (such as the Hair-Growth Potion), it was simple to dye hair any colour. Occasionally it is even possible to use the potion to dye the fur of animals, although if you are considering this it is advised to check with a specialist before proceeding.

Description When brewed properly, the unspecialised (term given to the potion if ingredients have not been added to make it a certain colour) Colour-Changing Formula is one of the most stunning potions to behold. It is constantly changing colours, each new shade staining out from the middle like ink splotches. The potion also has an odd sort of steam that rises out of the cauldron about a foot high and then suddenly turns back into liquid and drops back into the cauldron, sparkling like raindrops. The Colour-Changing Formula is approximately the viscosity of tomato juice and is often said to smell of bleach or chlorine. This solution should never be drunk, and users are advised to keep it from touching their bare skin.

Warnings Potioneers must take extra care to not allow the Colour-Changing Formula to touch their bare skin. Often the potion will stain the skin permanently and sometimes causes a skin condition that makes the skin change colours constantly. This can usually be reduced if one drinks the antidote twice a day (morning and evening). If the ColourChanging Formula is brewed improperly, it becomes black and will stain everything it touches (including your cauldron). The potion may also react badly to certain furs and fabrics, even burning a hole through some material! The main known exceptions to the potion are Crups, Kneazles, and Thestrals, who are known to often react badly to it. Silk and spandex are unable to be stained, and copper, silver, bronze, iron, pewter, gold, and many other metals repel the potion and are completely unaffected by it.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

1/2 gallon water with 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup rosewood oil 8 Fairy wings 1/2 tablespoon bleach 12 Rue flower heads 16 measures of standard ingredient 1 Salted Plimpy liver 45

Stir the water and sugar together on medium heat for three minutes. Slowly pour the rosewood oil in, letting it sit on top of the sugar water. Add the fairy wings and bleach to your mortar and crush to a fine powder with the pestle. Sprinkle into your cauldron and bring it to a boil. While the potion is boiling, stir it clockwise until it becomes reddish-orange. Add the rue flower heads, one at a time, completing one rotation before adding another one. Your potion should begin to turn green but still have swirls of the reddish orange left in it. Reduce the fire beneath your cauldron and let it sit for 45 minutes. When you return, you should be able to make out patches of blue, yellow, and purple along with the red and green marbled together. It is advised to put on dragonhide gloves at this point to protect your hands from any splashes of the potion. Put half of the standard ingredient into your mortar and crush it five times with your pestle. Add it along with the remaining uncrushed standard ingredient into your cauldron and stir slowly counter-clockwise. Finally, add the salted Plimpy liver and let your potion sit for seven minutes. There are several different methods to achieve the desired tint when colouring your hair, and how to get the primary colours (along with black and white) are listed here. These ingredients are added at the end. The amount you need to use will vary depending on the intensity of the colour you want, and you can also mix ingredients to get secondary, tertiary, and all other sorts of colours (i.e. 2 teaspoons salamander blood and 1 teaspoon bleach gives a nice pink hue).

White: extra tablespoon of bleach Red: 1 tablespoon salamander blood Yellow: 1/4 finely grated lemon rind Blue: 3 bluebird feathers and 4 forget-me-not flower heads Black: 3/4 cup octopus ink

Fulgeo Niteo History Fulgeo Niteo was created by a powerful ancient Roman sorceress known as Sylviana the Curer. Born of Etruscan bloodline, Sylviana lived deep within the Apennine Mountains. People from near and far journeyed to her home so she could help them with their problems. She cured even the most debilitating of their maladies and helped the poor become rich. This potion was created in an attempt to make a young maiden beautiful again after being attacked by an imp. However, when Sylviana finished and administered the potion, it only caused the maiden to shimmer and shine.

When modern wizarding historians discovered her fabled cottage in 1834, potioneers modified the recipe, making it the effective cleaning potion known to date.

Uses 46

Fulgeo Niteo can be used to make the grimiest windows shine and even the most overused cauldrons sparkle. It is also included in most wand and broom polishing kits.

Description

When brewed sufficiently, Fulgeo Niteo should appear to be no certain colour, but rather it should give off an extremely bright light. It can be applied to a rag or cloth and used like an ordinary cleaner.

Warnings Improperly brewed Fulgeo Niteo can singe anything it touches, especially if too much lavender or too many haliwinkle brains are added. If incorrectly made, it can appear yellow or gold in colour, and it may cause any object it comes in contact with to become brown and sticky. If ever drank, it will induce permanent blindness.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

3 sprigs of lavender 1 cup sunflower oil 2 dried haliwinkle brains 6 porcupine quills 13 pine needles 3 rabbit eyes 1/3 cup sunwater

Shred the lavender and add it to the cauldron along with the sunflower oil. Boil the mixture. Grind the dried haliwinkle brains and porcupine quills into a fine powder and add to the sunwater. After concoction has been boiling for around 12 minutes, add the sunwater mixture. The brew should now appear light green or teal. Bring it down to a simmer, and stir anti-clockwise for four minutes, adding a clockwise stir between every sixth anti-clockwise stir. Cut or crush the rabbit eyes, and add the fluid to the potion until it appears vermillion. Let it stew for 16 minutes and 30 seconds. Add the pine needles (whole), and the potion should adopt its characteristic shine, otherwise known as its light.

Tip: For most effective results, use a cauldron made of gold, silver, or other precious metals.

Giggling Solution History The Giggling Solution is known for its many variations. Many different civilizations have invented a form of the Giggling Solution, with the earliest known being Po-Qao Xia of the ancient Huang He civilization in China. However, the most effective one and the base for the modern Giggling Solution is that of Sir Christopher Leigh Wood of Scotland. A Giggling Solution was unheard of in Scotland, but the 47

ingenious Wood invented many revolutionary, abstract, and brilliant potions including the Screaming Draught, the Throat-Swelling Potion, and the Hearing Enhancement Solution. He first completed his Giggling Solution in 1611.

Uses The use of the Giggling Solution is quite simple - it is meant to induce unstoppable giggling. The effects will wear off after a few hours. The Giggling Solution is a main ingredient in several joke shop merchandises.

Description When completed, the Giggling Solution should be fizzy and clear. The recommended dosage is one-quarter to one-third of a cup. Once ingested, the consumer will take on an irksome, high-pitched giggle. Too much of the solution will cause elongated endurance and severity. Extreme amounts can cause serious vocal chord damage. Too little ingestion will only cause minor effects.

Warnings An improperly brewed solution can induce giddiness and increased heart rate.

These side effects can be dealt with by chewing a healthy sprig of Vervain. If too much frog salt is added, a low croak could ensue rather than a giggle.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

2 cinnamon sticks ½ cup jus de pommebleu 5 raccoon fangs 3 ½ ounces frog salt ¼ cup bass pus 6 lily stems Grind the cinnamon into a granular powder. Add the raccoon fangs and frog salt to the mortar and crush until fine. Mix with cinnamon, and stir into the jus de pommebleu. Heat the mixture to about 82 degrees. Stir clockwise until the potion turns very thin and light green. Let it stew for 30 minutes, and then pour in the bass pus. A puff of smoke should appear, and when it dissipates, the potion should be clear. Chop up the lily stems, and wait three minutes and 45 seconds before adding them to the brew. Stir 18 times anti-clockwise and then four-and-a-half times clockwise. Stir once more anti-clockwise, and wave the wand twice above the cauldron in a figure eight shape. Bottle and cork your potion. The Giggling Solution is now complete.

Tips: Oak, maple, or birch wood containers are best for storage because they keep the potion fresh and effective. Glass and steel containers are considered some of the worst, and their use should be avoided.

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Repetition Solution History

When a user, or victim, intentionally (or unintentionally) ingests the Repetition Solution, he or she will repeat whatever they hear, using the same emphasis as the original speaker, but always in a loud and clear tone. The potion can be used to repeat whomever the person hears, or it can be limited to repeating only the words of certain witches and wizards. The Repetition Solution was the brainchild of the founders of Zonko’s Joke Shop in Hogsmeade and one of the first products sold on their store shelves. Although it is uncertain exactly how the potion came about, it quickly rose to fame after the opening of the shop and continues to be a bestseller. The potion was originally banned at many wizarding schools, but to little avail. With its inexpensive price tag and fairly easy recipe, many of the schools’ authority figures gave up on banning the potion altogether in favour of issuing disciplinary consequences for use during lessons. For generations of students, the popularity of the Repetition Solution has never waned and to this day it remains a favourite prank.

Uses

This potion is most commonly used for pranks, although it has been used by wizarding politicians and businesspeople in making speeches. Some professional wizards and witches have opted out of using cue cards or notes, preferring the use of this potion combined with a charmed earpiece or extendable ear. An assistant or partner will read the speech in another room while the speaker flawlessly reiterates what he or she is hearing.

Description

The Repetition Solution is a nearly colorless and flavourless solution, adding to its perfect pranking qualities. If taken alone, the potion has a very light peppery taste and visually resembles lemon juice in color and consistency. However, when added to food or a beverage, the potion becomes nearly undetectable. One small phial of Repetition Solution will put the taker under its effects for roughly one to two hours.

Warnings

Although few side effects have been noted from professionally made batches of Repetition Solution, quite a few have arose from those which have been homemade. If made incorrectly, the user can get stuck in their state of repetition for an unknown amount of time. Some witches and wizards, unfortunately in this position, have been stuck in repetition for a matter of hours, some a matter of days, and some a matter of months. In one instance, a young wizard was stuck under the influence of this potion for an entire year, even under the close eye of the healers at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. To this day, the boy who brewed the batch and administered the potion still claims not to know where he went wrong.

Recipe

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Ingredients and Equipment:

10 measures of Lethe River Water 2 drops of Bundimun Secretion 1 pinch of Scurvy Grass 5 measures of dried Lovage Leaves 2 Spines of Lionfish 1 Moonstone 1 Jobberknoll Feather 1 Hair of the Desired Listener(s) (optional) First, place the ten measures of Lethe River Water into the cauldron, followed by the two drops of Bundimun Secretion. Then, take one pinch of Scurvy Grass, five measures of dried Lovage Leaves, and two Spines of Lionfish and crush into a medium-fine powder using the mortar and pestle. Add this mixture to the Lethe River Water and Bundimun Secretion already in the cauldron. Cover your cauldron and heat the mixture on high for fifteen minutes. While this mixture is brewing, crush the Moonstone into a very fine powder. Once the fifteen minutes are up, uncover your cauldron and stir ten times in a clockwise motion. Immediately after, add the finely crushed Moonstone and stir counter-clockwise five times. While the potion is still hot, gently drop in the Jobberknoll Feather, which should disintegrate almost immediately after coming in contact with the potion (if done correctly). A single hair of the person, or people, who wish to be repeated may be added to the potion at any time if the giver (or taker) so chooses. The hair should dissolve within one minute after being dropped into the potion.

Swelling Solution History

The Swelling Solution is an old and celebrated potion first discovered by the famed Chinese wizard and potioneer, Li Shizhen. Shizhen was working as a pharmacologist (a “non-magic� potion-maker), employed by the ruling Muggles of the Ming Dynasty in China, at the time of his discovery. In the year 1562, he was travelling along the banks of the Yangtze River in the city of Jiangyin when he came across other people he knew to be witches and wizards harvesting puffer fish. He asked them what they had planned to do with the puffer fish, and they explained to him their intention behind the harvests and the utilization of its toxin. The magic townspeople of Jiangyin explained that many of them were stuck working under Muggles, as they made up the vast majority of the town population, who would often treat them poorly. Whether it was because of fear, prejudice, or jealousy, their Muggle employers would often terribly overwork and underpay their witch and wizard employees, never appreciating the invaluable work they would contribute. A few of these witch and wizard townsfolk decided to get together one day to brainstorm a discreet and easy way that could give their employers no choice but to grant them a day off since, as they desperately needed 50

any kind of a break. It was well known to the witch and wizard communities along the Yangtze that, although they could kill a Muggle, the toxins carried by puffer fish had a very different effect on those with magic blood. Making a topical solution out of the liver of the puffer fish, along with a few herbs, and applying it to an area of the body would cause it to swell, perfectly imitating an injury. There were only two problems with this: not only did the potion hurt, but it would also cause swelling that was much too severe. As the chosen area would begin to swell, it would go numb, and the numbness would soon be followed by an intense burning sensation and then a prickling feeling that shot from the chosen area and began coursing throughout the body.

Although these symptoms were not life threatening, they would last nearly an entire day, and simply were not worth the short time off the witch or wizard would receive.

The magic townspeople agreed that they would rather spend that time working under a hundred Muggles.

When Shizhen heard this, he became intrigued. He was one of the greatest potionmakers of this time, and even he could use a day off every once in a while. He joined in with the harvesting, and after catching five puffer fish, he returned home and got to work. At first he began studying the toxin levels in different organs of the puffer fish, and quickly saw where the townspeople of Jiangyin had gone wrong. They insisted upon using the livers of the fish, which appeared to contain the most concentrated amount of toxin. Shizhen thought an easy fix would be to test different toxin concentration levels throughout all of the organs of the fish. This method proved fruitful, and Shizhen found that the levels in the eye were far less than that of the liver but still of a significant level to cause the desired swelling effect. In his preliminary tests of the potion, he was able to concoct a perfect blend of eyes and herbs to greatly lessen the side effects, while still giving the user of the potion the desired amount of swelling.

He delivered his final product to the people of Jiangyin and received ample amounts of praise and appreciation for his efforts. Although offered, Shizhen accepted no payment for his work and gladly shared his recipe pro-bono with the people of the town.

Uses

The Swelling Solution is a topical potion used to cause swelling in a desired area. The potion can be used on any creature with magic blood and is popular for faking injuries and carrying out pranks. Although sometimes controversial, it is typically taught in wizarding schools to highlight the famed 16th century potion maker Li Shizhen. The Swelling Solution is Shizhen’s most famous work in potion-making, as well as his most popular act of philanthropy to his fellow witches and wizards.

Description

The Swelling Solution is a thick and dark topical solution. The scent is somewhat salty due to the puffer fish eyes but can sometimes have a slightly sweeter quality which is dependent upon the freshness and fragrance of the complimenting herbs. The solution 51

should stay on the skin until the desired effect takes place, at which time the remainder may be rinsed off. The swelling caused by the potion typically lasts between 12 and 18 hours, or until a Deflating Draught is applied.

Warnings

Occasionally, users of the Swelling Solution will still experience some limited numbness and tingling on the affected area. This normally lasts roughly an hour after rinsing and is very rarely anything more than a temporary nuisance. On a few limited occasions, an unpleasant stinging sensation has been reported, although this is normally found to be due to rushed or sloppy brewing.

Recipe

Ingredients and Equipment:

2 puffer fish eyes 2 measures of crushed plum flower 5 drops of Aloe Vera gel 1 measure of ground licorice root 3 drops of dragon’s blood

While throughout the centuries substitutes have been added and the potion has occasionally been modified, this is the original formula created by Li Shizhen.

Using the mortar and pestle, grind two puffer fish eyes into a creamy paste and put into your cauldron. Make sure to clear your mortar and pestle of any remnants before beginning the next step. Next, combine two dried plum flowers, the five drops of Aloe Vera gel and the measure of licorice root in the mortar and crush into a rough paste.

Add this mixture to the puffer fish eyes already in the cauldron. Heat the cauldron on low-to-medium heat for thirty minutes, slowly stirring clockwise five times once every five minutes. After the thirty minutes is up, immediately remove the cauldron from the heat. If done correctly, a salty and sweet steam should be emanating from a thick black liquid. While still steaming and removed from the heat source, carefully add the three drops of dragon’s blood and stir counter-clockwise five times. One batch of this size is typically sufficient for four successful applications.

Tickling Solution History A Polish man, Thomas Thornwell, invented the Tickling Solution in 1956. The original purpose was to amuse his nine children while he was away, since Thornwell was a very busy man and was a potioneer only during his spare time. The Tickling Solution gave him the short rise to fame that he needed. Thornwell went on to create the Twitching Solution many years later, although he spent a year in Azkaban after the Ministry discovered that he was using his children as involuntary test subjects for his potions. The Tickling Solution was initially made to last for fifteen minutes; however, 52

this was eventually altered to be effective for only two minutes since any longer than three minutes and the drinker's chance of suffering internal organ damage increased by 40 percent.

Uses Oftentimes the Tickling Solution is used by daycare workers who wish to amuse children for a short period of time. It should be used sparingly, however, as there are many side effects if it is administered too frequently (see below). It is also taken advantage of by wizarding actors and actresses, especially for horror movies, because it creates spooky-looking ripples on the skin. It is more potent on children than on adults, which is part of the reason that adults hardly ever use it. Unfortunately, some Dark wizards from a third-world country got ahold of the recipe for the Tickling Solution and found out that if it was brewed improperly it could cause immense pain, akin to being prodded with sharp knives. They incorporated the potion into a torture method but were later discovered and sentenced to a life term in Azkaban for their crimes against wizardkind. It is possible to administer the potion to an animal, but this is often advised against because creatures tend to react badly to it.

Description The most unique trait of the Tickling Solution is the curious way it behaves when moved around in a container. If it is properly brewed, the potion will cling to the edges of your cauldron or bottle when stirred or shaken. The Tickling Solution is thick and creamy, with a complex shade of purple that becomes darker towards the edges. It smells of sweat and heat, with a bitter flavour that leaves a salty aftertaste. Once consumed, the potion will cause odd sensations all over the body and seem to move of its own accord in the drinker's stomach. These odd sensations are often found to be ticklish, hence the name.

Warnings The Tickling Solution is relatively easy to brew, but if done wrong it can have some nasty consequences. The mildest side effect is that the potion's effects will last much longer than usual (sometimes up to an hour), which can cause digestive problems and occasionally internal damage to the drinker's organs. If too much crushed rose thorns are added, the potion will cause a painful stabbing sensation and sometimes even leaves internal scarring if not cured immediately.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

2 cups pond scum 2 tablespoons crushed rose thorns 1/8 cup ashes from recently burned dandelions 53

2 pints water A pinch of salt 1 tablespoon pepper 14 seagull feathers 3/4 cup baby powder 16 thin spider legs 2 tablespoons snot 1/4 teaspoon human fingernail clippings 1 goat tongue

Add the first three ingredients to your cauldron and sift together thoroughly.

Pour in the water and light a fire beneath the cauldron. Mix several times clockwise until the mixture thickens. Add the salt and pepper and stir it in using the seagull feathers. When the salt and pepper are mixed in, drop the seagull feathers in as well.

The potion should become very thick with sections that are still liquid. Push the thick bits into the center and allow the liquid to gather around the outside. Sprinkle the baby powder in slowly, stirring until it is completely incorporated after each addition.

Reduce the fire to low and let your potion sit for 30 minutes. When you return, it should be a dark grey colour with a bit of a crust forming on the top. In a small container, add the spider legs, snot, and fingernail clippings together and stir. Dump the snot mixture into your cauldron and stir 15 times counter-clockwise. Finish by adding the goat tongue and extinguishing the fire. Allow the potion to sit for ten minutes before removing it into a large glass container. It may be difficult to get out due to its habit of sticking to the sides.

Twitching Solution History It took potioneer Thomas Thornwell twenty-two years to create the Twitching Solution after much trial and error. However, the solution was not entirely of his own creation, as one of his nine children, Abigail (who was eight years old at the time) thought to add the flowers of a laburnum tree. What had at first appeared to be a horrible mistake turned into a miracle. Thornwell released the Twitching Solution to the public in 1964, claiming it was made solely by him. When word got out about how instrumental his daughter had been in finalizing the potion, there was much controversy. In 1967, Abigail Thornwell was given credit in the creation of the Twitching Solution. In 1969 a law was passed banning the use of the Twitching Solution in organized competition due to its effects. A year later in 1970 it was banned from being used on animals because of the high rate of side effects.

Uses The Twitching Solution affects the muscles (specifically the fast-twitch muscles) and allows them to contract faster for a longer period of time before becoming fatigued.

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It is commonly used by athletes to help train; however, athletes are banned from using the potion during the two weeks prior to an organized competition. The Twitching Solution is only useful for activities that require short bursts of intense energy, such as sprinting, fighting, and playing Quidditch. If enough training is done with the Twitching Solution in an athlete’s system, eventually the fast-twitch muscles will strengthen and can be used for a longer period of time. This potion strengthens the fasttwitch muscles twice as fast as training without it would. The Twitching Solution should never be used on animals, however, because there is a high risk of heart or nervous system failure. This solution is one of the small number of potions that is injected directly into the bloodstream via needle, allowing it to become active more quickly.

Description The Twitching Solution’s most characteristic feature is its spiky surface, caused by its inability to stay still. The potion is constantly moving and creating ridges on its surface, despite the fact that it is liquid and non-viscous. It has a vivid, neon green colour and gives off a metallic aroma. Although the Twitching Solution is meant to be injected, sometimes it is consumed orally, in which case it tastes of toast with a rather sour aftertaste. If brewed incorrectly the Twitching Solution will have a bubbly surface instead of a spiky one, in which case it should be discarded immediately because it means that it has become poisonous.

Warnings Like any other potion, the Twitching Solution should not be used in excessive amounts or else permanent twitching may occur. Overuse of this potion can also be responsible for the failure of the nervous system. It is recommended to only use up to one teaspoon a day and 3 teaspoons a week. One injection (about half a teaspoon) will last up to one hour. Occasionally the Twitching Solution causes a magical disorder known as Sporadic Twitching Condition (STC), which only occurs when the drinker is allergic to the potion and will cause them to twitch at irregular intervals. It is advised to check with a Healer before attempting to use the Twitching Solution.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

1 gallon water from a small pond 2 tablespoons moonseed seeds 3 caterpillars 16 dragonfly wings 2 ounces water hemlock roots harvested during springtime A dash of pepper 1/2 cup of sap collected from an elm tree 11 tubeworms 55

15-17 Flowers from a laburnum tree

Light a small fire beneath your cauldron and pour in the water. Add the moonseed seeds to your mortar and use a pestle to grind them into a fine powder.

Scrape the seeds into your cauldron and stir clockwise until the mixture begins to boil.

Using a silver dagger, slice the caterpillars and tubeworms diagonally into pieces about 1/8 an inch thick. Add the caterpillars and wave your wand over the potion once. It should immediately become red. Increase the fire beneath the cauldron and add the dragonfly wings. Take your silver dagger again and scrape it along the hemlock roots to receive shavings. Continue to scrape it until the roots are completely finished and sweep them into your cauldron. Add the next three ingredients and stir clockwise.

When the mixture begins to thicken and become blue, add the laburnum flowers, one at a time, making sure to stir after each addition. If your potion is still slightly bluish after adding the fifteen flowers, add one or two more until it becomes a brilliant green.

Extinguish the fire beneath your cauldron and decant into small glass vials to finish.

Grade 3 Crying Concoction History

In 1532, while preparing for the opening night of his play The Tragedy of Harold the Heroic, director James Stolton realized that his lead actress, Victoria Highfellow, was still laughing through Harold the Heroic’s emotional death scene. Of course, the true solution would have been to hire his leading actress based on her theatrical expertise rather than appearance, but it was too late for that. Desperate, Stolton turned to his good friend, Robin Greatview, renowned potioneer, and requested a solution. The story goes that right before Miss Highfellow entered the stage, Stolton offered her a glass of water imbued with Greatview’s Crying Concoction. Highfellow, unaware of what had just transpired, entered the stage and promptly burst into tears, remaining inconsolable for the remaining two hours of the play due to Stolton’s carelessness in measuring the dosage. After her heart-wrenching performance in The Tragedy of Harold the Heroic, Victoria Highfellow became one of the most sought-after actresses in London, until her next performance, when she laughed all through her own suicide scene. Highfellow then assumed a career as a Cauldron Cleaner.

Uses

For several decades after Greatview’s invention of this potion, it remained unknown to all but he and Stolton, until the two decided to form a lucrative business, selling the potion to actors with problems similar to that of Highfellow. This remained its solitary use until 1872, when an unknown Healer of the Magical Hospital of Teng Mao Kuang discovered its merits in treating eye infections. Three decades letter, Luís Lacrima of 56

Bolivia began spraying a variant of the Crying Concoction at his enemies, rendering them incapacitated by irritations of the eyes, lungs, nose, and mouth, as well as temporary blindness in some cases.

Description

The Crying Concoction closely resembles a vial of tears, with its transparency, ease of flow, and salty taste. It is recommended that one estimates the quantity of liquid in the amount of tears shed desired, and then administers twice this amount to the desired recipient.

Warnings

This potion has been known to irritate the eyes, mouth, and nose when applied in excess. Prolonged use of the Crying Concoction may also trigger depression in the recipient for several months after use has been discontinued. If more than the recommended dosage is applied, the recipient may cause a public disturbance. In extreme cases, one’s tear ducts may become permanently damaged. If brewed incorrectly, the potion may render the user blind.

Recipe

Ingredients and Equipment:

1 onion 2 cups water (set cups separately from each other) 1 cup Black Beetle Eyes (fresh) 1 drop Akanaki juice 2 teaspoonful pepper 8 eyeslashes of camel 1 fresh jalepeño

Using the blunt side of the knife, cut the tip off of the jalepeño. Squeeze over 1 cup water until the jalepeño is drained of juice. Next, add 1 drop Akanaki juice and stir potion seven times clockwise. The mixture should be a light pink color with a thin layer of foam at the top. Use the knife to transfer this foam to a separate vial, and then add the two teaspoonfuls of pepper. Stir three times counter-clockwise and then blow on the mixture lightly, repeating this process until the foam is a bright orange. Add the eyelashes of camel and Black Beetle Eyes to a separate bowl and grind finely, being careful that the juice does not escape from the bowl. Add this mixture and then the orange foam to the second cup of water. Stir counterclockwise 8 times, clockwise 5 times, counterclockwise thrice, clockwise twice, and counterclockwise once, maintaining a steady rhythm. Allow the blend to settle for four minutes.

Meanwhile, begin to chop the onion into small pieces, until they are approximately equal in size to the initial Black Beetle Eyes. When you return, the potion should be a light green color, with small remainings of camel eyelashes and the Black Beetle Eyes.

Using a strainer, separate the liquid from the solids. Select the thirteen smallest onions 57

and add them to the potion. They should dissolve instantly producing bubbles. Stir clockwise 21 times and then measure out the amount of potion desired.

Dehydration Formula History

This potion likely had its origins in Medieval farms, as wizards sought means of keeping their fruits fresh through the winter. The Dehydration Formula regained popularity and was produced in bulk during times of war, allowing soldiers to carry and preserve their food. In the 1800s, the Dehydration Formula gained popularity as a treatment for influenza, until the end of the century when the dangers of this practice were unearthed.

Uses

This potion is predominantly used in the preservation of fruits and vegetables, although it is continuously being investigated for possible human uses. It is still unclear whether dehydration can have any positive medical applications. Instead, the Dehydration Formula has been used frequently in pranking or other malicious activity.

Description

The Dehydration Formula is rather difficult to conceal in beverages due to its sandy texture and dark orange coloring. The potion is most effective when heated.

Warnings

If excessive amounts of potion are applied to fruits or vegetables, they will disintegrate into powder. After dehydrating fruits and vegetables, it is imperative that one washes them to remove traces of the potion, which can have many harmful health effects on humans. The side effects of this potion include but are not limited to vomiting, dizziness, fainting, and erratic heartbeat. If you or someone you know has consumed this potion accidentally, consume an amount of water greater than or equal in volume to the amount ingested. It is important also to note that any contact with water will immediately negate the effects of this potion.

Recipe

Ingredients and Equipment:

3 cups salt 1 Tortoise Shell 3 cups lemon juice 3 teaspoons Powdered Dragon Claw 1 inch ginger root 8 pinches cinnamon 2 pints Flobberworm mucus

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10 Spines of Lionfish Will produce enough of the formula to dehydrate 1 gallon of food Set the Tortoise Shell in the lemon juice. Add 1 pint Flobberworm mucus to the cauldron and spread it across the bottom to prevent the other ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the cauldron. Add Spines of Lionfish, Powdered Dragon Claw, and ginger root to the cauldron, and then set the cauldron to 212 °C. Wait five minutes for the ingredients to become a fine powder. Remove any chunks.

Add all of the salt and the cinnamon to the second pint of Flobberworm mucus in a vial.

Mix this clockwise until the powder is completely suspended in the mucus, and then add them to the cauldron. At this point, bits of the Tortoise Shell should have dissolved into the lemon juice, turning the mixture a golden yellow color. Remove the remaining shell from the container and then add the lemon juice to the cauldron. Stir clockwise until the formula has turned dark orange. If desired, you may heat the cauldron below boiling once more for great effectiveness.

Freezing Solution History A Russian man named Ezra Savitskoi invented the Freezing Solution sometime during the fifth century. He lived with his mother near Russia's southern border and wanted to create a potion for two main reasons. The first of these reasons was to keep his food cold during the summer so it would not spoil, and the second had to do with his mother, who had a very bad fever throughout the spring that continued into the summer months. Savitskaya hoped that his potion would give his mother some relief because it would be cold when drank. After many months of hard work, he succeeded in both respects and created the Freezing Solution. Shortly after creating his potion, however, Savitskaya's mother passed away despite her son's efforts. This fuelled Savitskaya’s desire to create a better, more powerful version of his potion.

Unfortunately, due to a horrible accident when he decided to approach a stray Ukrainian Ironbelly/Antipodean Opaleye hybrid, he died. It is not confirmed what Savitskaya's motives were in going to the dragon; some say he was overcome with grief over the death his mother, while others claim he thought the dragon was sleeping and wished to use some part of it as an ingredient for the Freezing Solution. Whatever the reason, Savitskaya's potion was discovered in his home a few weeks after his death, but it seems to have been hidden by bandits as there was no trace of the potion until the mid-700s, when a version of it surfaced in Austria. It was properly released to the public shortly thereafter and became very popular. It continues to be used all over the world today.

Uses 59

In the olden days, the Freezing Solution was primarily used for preserving foods and soothing pain. In modern times, however, it is a versatile potion that is used in many different occupations and households. SoirÊe, a restaurant in the all-wizard community of Cœur de Verre in France, was the first to rim glasses with the Freezing Solution because it sticks to and crystallizes on objects when removed from the cauldron. In a similar way, interior decorators have taken advantage of the Freezing Solution by coating ornaments with it so the crystals make the ornaments sparkle. This potion is still used by greengrocers, bartenders, and restaurants to cool food and drinks, and even Healers use it for relief of some symptoms of certain maladies. This potion is not to be used on animals, magical or otherwise, and it is a punishable offense to use this potion to freeze any being or entity. There was once a case in which a woman named Brietta Grimsleigh gave a fairy some of the potion; the potion froze the fairy’s body and caused her to die. Grimsleigh then proceeded to use the frozen fairy as a decoration but was discovered and fined severely for her cruelty to other beings.

Description The Freezing Solution is identified primarily by the way it acts when removed from your cauldron. If any sort of object is dipped into the cauldron, the potion will crystallize the portion that came in contact with the solution. This feature makes it popular among interior decorators and bartenders (see above). Although the potion is clear when it crystallizes, the liquid form of the Freezing Solution has a lovely bluishgreen colour with what appears to be the occasional ice cube floating within it. Its smell is typically associated with snow because of the crisp, fresh scent it gives off. The potion will often give off a whitish vapour because it is colder than the air around it, much in the same way that our breath makes vapour on a cold day. Once consumed, the Freezing Solution will crystallize in your mouth, and you will have to chew it. It goes down freezing cold and seems to seize up your insides for a short period of time. It also tastes a bit sour and usually causes amusing facial expressions.

Warnings If the Freezing Solution is consumed directly and in small doses, it is effective in cooling the body or soothing certain maladies. However, if it is consumed in large doses, it can cause mild to severe hypothermia. There is one known case in which an ill woman named Jillian Fredrickton drank so much of it that her body actually froze, and she almost died. Similarly, if the potion is brewed improperly, it may freeze your trachea, leaving you unable to breathe (Anapneo is usually effective in this case).

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

8 snake fangs 2 teaspoons cinnamon

60

A pinch of pepper 3 pints snow, still cold 1 unicorn tail hair 1 foot-long icicle 1 tablespoon sour milk 2 cups salt water 1 dried paw of a snow hare 1 caribou hoof 1 shell of a penguin egg 7 pinecones, each around 2 inches tall

Put the snake fangs into your mortar and crush in a circular motion with your pestle. Its consistency should be approximately as powdery as the cinnamon. Add the cinnamon to your mortar, and sift the two ingredients together. Sprinkle the pepper in as well. Without lighting a fire beneath your cauldron, add the snow and put the contents of your mortar on top of the snow, along with the unicorn tail hair. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together and mould into small snowballs about three inches in diameter. If you do this properly, the snow will not melt because of the unicorn tail hair.

In a separate container, mix the salt water and sour milk together thoroughly, and pour the mixture into your cauldron. Prod the snowballs with the icicle until they have dissolved. Drop the icicle in as well. Add the paw, and stir anti-clockwise until it turns magenta, then add the hoof. Stir clockwise 10 times so the potion becomes blue.

Cover your potion and freeze it overnight (about 12 hours). It is easy to store the potion at this point and finish it later if you so desire. At this stage, however, it should not be frozen more than two months or less than 12 hours.

Light a fire beneath your cauldron, wait until the potion has warmed up enough to be stirred, and then put the fire out. For the best results, there should still be solid chunks of the potion in your cauldron, but it is not spoiled if there are not. Finish up by adding the eggshell and pinecones, and stir for five minutes. The potion will be ready for use an hour after its completion.

Tip: This potion works best when brewed outdoors, particularly during the winter.

Girding Potion History A long time ago, around the first century, a Chinese alchemist by the name of Hu Ng invented the Girding Potion. For centuries, its recipe was kept within the Ng family, but around the 400s, its secret was revealed to the everyday people of China. However, the Chinese people were not quick to give away their prized potion to just anyone. It was not until many hundreds of years later that it was publicized that there was, in fact, 61

a potion that could increase the drinker’s endurance for a limited period of time. The Girding Potion was officially revealed to the public after a student was caught using it during the Triwizard Tournament of 1319. The student was disqualified, and the potion was immediately confiscated and taken away for studying. After much research, the potion was traced to its origins in China, where officials recovered the recipe and experimented with it until it could be deemed safe for the vast wizarding population.

Uses It was previously suspected that people used the Girding Potion as a way to cheat in competitions, and it is for this reason that the use of the Girding Potion within 24 hours of an organized competition is prohibited. However, this does not mean that the potion is completely banned in all situations. Athletes are allowed to use the potion during training. When it was first invented, the potion was mainly used by children and adults so they could work longer in the fields (or work longer at their jobs in general).

However, today it is less frequently used for the aforementioned purpose and is now mainly supplied to Aurors to aid in their quests against Dark wizards. The wizarding teenagers of the 21st century have also found a use for the Girding Potion: to help them stay up late to finish schoolwork. While this practise is not encouraged, it is undoubtedly useful in some situations.

Description The Girding Potion has a vibrant orange hue, and it smells like wood smoke. It is a bit thicker than water, like oil, and has small grooves on its surface that form lines. If you put mild pressure on the surface of a properly brewed Girding Potion, it will bend in as though it is rubber and spring back. The Girding Potion is typically made into a pill. However, if drinking it directly, it is said to taste tangy and make your tongue prickle afterwards. The pill form is found to be the most effective and quickest to activate (half an hour to kick in).

Warnings As with any potion, if the Girding Potion is incorrectly brewed, there will be some nasty side effects. In this case, a poorly brewed potion will make the drinker fatigue more quickly, and they will often be tired for the remainder of the day. It may also permanently deplete the drinker’s energy, and replenishing potions will need to be drunk every two hours in order for the drinker to remain active. This was occasionally the unfortunate fate of some Chinese people who had not yet refined the potion’s recipe enough to make it completely safe.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment: 3 pints orange juice 62

23 dragonfly thoraxes 12 fairy wings 1/8 cup sugar 9 flying seahorses 3 ounces ginger root 16 purple beans 1/2 cup coconut milk 2 kiwis 1 tablespoon soy sauce 35 Doxy eggs

Pour the orange juice into your cauldron and light a medium fire under it. Using a silver dagger, slice the dragonfly thoraxes once lengthwise and once across, then add them to your cauldron. Press the fairy wings between your fingers until they crumble and crack, and add the pieces to your cauldron as well. Stir several times clockwise until your potion turns blue. Dip the flying seahorses in the mixture and roll them in the sugar. Let them sit for 30 minutes, during which time you should be constantly stirring your potion clockwise. Take the sugarcoated flying seahorses and add them to your potion. Using your silver dagger again, slice the ginger root diagonally into pieces about a quarter inch thick. Add the slices together with the purple beans and coconut milk and stir the potion six times anti-clockwise. Raise the temperature of the brew, and boil it hard for five minutes. Next, lower the fire again, and take a spoon and scoop the kiwis out of their husks. Add the husks but not the full fruit. Finally, put the soy sauce and Doxy eggs into your cauldron and stir 37 times anti-clockwise, then extinguish the fire. You may need to take your potion to a qualified apothecary to have them make it into pills suitable for consumption.

Hair-Growing Solution History The Hair-Growing Solution was invented during the medieval era by a witch named Gothel. Gothel administered this potion to a child named Rapunzel, thereby causing her hair to grow immensely long. The witch had hidden Rapunzel inside of a tall tower, and her main goal in creating the Hair-Growing Solution was to make the child’s hair long enough to be used as a rope to climb up into the tower. Famed singer Lisa Lyle used the solution frequently and is credited for its rise to popularity in the twentieth century. During this time, many wizarding celebrities used the solution to achieve the long tresses that were currently in style. However, this fame eventually led to mistakes being made in the creation of the potion, and many people found that after using it their hair either fell out or began to grow all over their body. It was Georgina Wimbleton who first realized that the Hair-Growing Solution goes bad approximately 24 hours after being completed. Wimbleton also discovered that if you add a drop of 63

honeywater to the potion after bringing it to a boil, the potion would turn brown if it is rancid.

Uses There are many ways to use the Hair-Growing Solution besides consuming it as a beverage. The most frequent methods include applying it directly to the hair and washing it off or cooking it directly into a meal. Users are cautioned never to allow the potion to touch facial hair as this nearly always results in disaster (see below). Owners and vendors of Puffskeins apply the brew to the Puffskein’s fur to make it luxuriously fluffy. Some hair care products include minor doses of this potion to boost hair growth.

This potion may also be used in combination with other potions such as the ColourChanging Formula in order to achieve various effects like dyeing one’s hair a variety of colours.

Description The hair-growth potion can be recognized by its handsome shade of olive and aroma of tree bark. Many expert potioneers have concluded that these aspects represent growth because of their plant-related characteristics. This potion has the viscosity of honey and is suitable for cooking into foods; however, it tends to give the food a rather salty flavour. When eaten directly, the Hair-Growing Solution becomes stringy and tastes of asparagus.

Warnings Commonly used in conjunction with beautifying potions, the main drawback of the Hair-Growing Solution is that it must be used shortly after being brewed, or the user risks some nasty side effects. Some of these side effects include uncontrollable hair growth, damage to the hair, hair growth in other areas beside the head (e.g. nose, lip, and armpit hair), and occasionally severe loss of hair, resulting in baldness.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

2 gallons water 1 ounce shredded scurvy grass leaves 3 drops of Moondew 2 ounces silverweed roots, sliced diagonally 2 teaspoons Horklump juice Honeywater 3 tablespoons Bubotuber pus 1 cup maple tree bark, powdered

Fill your cauldron with two gallons of water and bring it to a boil, keeping the fire beneath it relatively small. Carefully shred one ounce of the scurvy grass leaves into small squares and scatter it over the surface of the water. Immediately begin to 64

incorporate the leaves into the potion by stirring it three to five times clockwise. When the potion turns yellow, add three drops of Moondew. Allow the potion to simmer for one minute, during which time the potion should become a brilliant shade of orange.

Lower the temperature to approximately 120°F and add the sliced silverweed roots.

While stirring the potion clockwise, measure in the Horklump juice. Continue to stir until the potion thickens. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly until the potion becomes green. Add a drop of honeywater and boil hard for one–and-a-half minutes, stirring continuously. Next, add the Bubotuber pus (Warning: Do not allow the Bubotuber pus to come in contact with skin) and mix it in by stirring twice anti-clockwise and once clockwise. Remove your cauldron from the heat and sprinkle the maple tree bark on the top. Once the Hair-Growing Solution has cooled, it is ready for use. You must use it within 24 hours of completing it. Any potion leftover after the 24-hour period should be disposed of using a Vanishing Spell.

Head-Spinning Potion History In 1963, a Swiss woman by the name of Jane-Evelyn Rousseau created the HeadSpinning Potion quite by accident. Rousseau once said in an interview that she “had made a punch for a party, and instead of throwing it out, I decided to spice it up a little and reuse it. But things began to get really interesting, and I started working with it so it could become what we now know as the Head-Spinning Potion!” (To read more about Jane-Evelyn Rousseau, see her autobiography, Parties and Potions: The Life of Jane-Evelyn Rousseau). The Head-Spinning Potion became quite popular with Rousseau’s children, the neighbours’ children, and many others as well. Eventually, Rousseau decided to copyright her potion with the Ministry of Magic. Some restrictions were placed on the potion including banning its use on animals and children younger than six years of age.

The Head-Spinning Solution’s popularity reached its peak in the late sixties, particularly in 1968. It was largely hippies who enjoyed the potion and its effects.

Uses When it was first invented, the Head-Spinning Potion was used primarily as a source of amusement, but more recently, it has worked its way into our health system where it is sometimes used as a sedative. However, it is one of the less frequently used ways to sedate a person due to some of its side effects (see below). If consumed in moderation, the Head-Spinning Potion is thought to reduce stress, and it is also said to have a ‘restarting’ effect on the brain.

Description

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The Head-Spinning Potion is easily identified by its brilliant colours that swirl constantly. Still images of the potion have shown that it has a vibrant pink hue with patches of blue and purple that seem to be tie-dyed into the pink. However, because the potion is constantly moving, it typically appears simply as a swirl of colours. One of the remarkable things about this continuous movement is that, although the potion is very sluggish and thick like molasses, it spins as if it is as non-viscous as water. The HeadSpinning Potion has a sharp and powerful aroma, and its taste is closely associated with an intense combination of cranberries, almonds, and sweat. Once consumed, the drinker will immediately feel dizzy, and the world will seem to spin around them. It typically renders the drinker very unsteady and unable to walk until the effects wear off.

Warnings The side effects of the Head-Spinning Potion are directly related to the drinker’s physical health and history of disorders. There is approximately a one in 4000 chance of having an epileptic seizure simply by viewing the vivid colours contained in the potion.

Drinking the potion may also cause some people to throw up or injure themselves if they are not in a suitable area when they consume the potion. If improperly brewed, the potion can last up to an hour and may cause serious problems with the inner ear and thus the balance of the drinker. If you are having trouble with your balance 24 hours after drinking the Head-Spinning Potion, it is advised that you see a Healer as soon as possible.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

35 guarana berries 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup white vinegar 3 cups fermented cranberries 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/8 cup syrup of Arnica 4 male peacock feathers 3 purple emperor butterfly wings 22 porcupine quills 2 Jobberknoll feathers 1 inner ear of a goat

Add the guarana berries to your mortar and crush them repeatedly until you have extracted most of the juice. Strain the juice so the seeds and peelings are separate and set aside for later use. Add the juice to your cauldron and light a small fire beneath it. Stir in the lemon juice and vinegar. Without splashing the potion out of your cauldron, stir clockwise 37 times as quickly as you can. Wash out your mortar and put some of the cranberries into it. Crush them into a juice as well. Do this until all of your 66

cranberries have been juiced and add all of it to your potion. Stir clockwise again for ten minutes. Sprinkle in the baking soda and stir anti-clockwise 37 times. Your potion will turn a violent shade of green and begin to bubble and fizz. This is a good sign. Put out the fire and keep your cauldron in a cool, dark space for 12 hours or overnight.

When you return, it should smell slightly rancid. Put the peelings and seeds from the guarana berries into your cauldron and stir twice clockwise and three times anticlockwise for six minutes. Your potion will begin to thicken and become harder to stir.

Add the peacock feathers and raise the temperature of your cauldron to high. Stir 16 times anti-clockwise and once clockwise. Next, add the butterfly wings by crumbling them between your fingers. Stir them in using an anti-clockwise motion for three minutes. Drop in all of the porcupine quills and lower the temperature of the fire beneath your cauldron. Stir 30 times clockwise. Your potion should now be turquoise with shots of purple in it, and it should be spinning very quickly even when you are not stirring it. Stir the potion constantly anti-clockwise as you add the Jobberknoll feathers and the inner ear. Extinguish the fire beneath your cauldron. When the potion has cooled, you can decant it into glass phials, and it is ready for use.

Wide-Eye Potion History In 1908, the Wide-Eye/Awakening Potion was invented by an American potioneer named Glenn Jones. The potion was meant to serve as an antidote to the Draught of Living Death. After a particularly traumatizing experience as a child in which his cat somehow ingested a lethal dose of the Draught of Living Death, Mr. Jones dedicated his life to creating an antidote so there would be no more similar instances. It turned out to be a much more difficult task than he had envisioned, and it took him the better part of 70 years to perfect. Due to the severe hyperactive effects the potion produces when taken without previous exposure to the Draught of Living Death, it is heavily regulated by the Ministry of Magic. If it is not administered properly, children who use this potion can actually experience heart attacks and die. Further, it is not uncommon for adolescents to try to “get high” off of the Wide-Eye Potion; therefore, it is required by law that all samples remain in the presence of a trained potioneer. Failure to comply with these laws can result in severe punishment and/or fines.

Uses Although the potion’s original and primary use was its ability to counteract the Draught of Living Death, it has more recently become popular due to its stimulating effects. The potion has proved effective in increasing the pumping strength of the heart and counteracting depression. As previously mentioned, Wide-Eye Potion is occasionally abused due to its stimulating characteristics. Finally, it has been suggested 67

that actress Louisa Hubbleford ingested small doses of the Awakening Potion in order to obtain the wide-eyed look for which she is best known. Hubbleford has denied these claims.

Description This potion is as clear as fresh spring water, but it has an odd consistency.

Though it appears to have the consistency of water, touching it will reveal that it actually has a sludgy and thick consistency that is completely at odds with the appearance. Further, it tastes like sour apples that are on the verge of rotting.

Warnings The potion has been known to cause a rash on the neck. In rare situations, the user may experience sleeplessness lasting for up to 72 hours. However, being unable to sleep for 12-24 hours after taking the potion is fairly normal (up to 75% of all witches and wizards who have ingested it have reported this), so it is strongly advised that you ingest this potion with caution. If it is taken, your eyes will widen and take on the innocent look of a child looking at something in wonder for the next 72 hours. You have been advised.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

6 snake fangs 4 measures of standard ingredient 6 dried Billywig stings 2 sprigs of wolfsbane 4 dried lavender leaves 1 ounce ginger

To begin, light a fire under the cauldron and let it sit for five minutes. During this time, use the mortar and pestle to grind the snake fangs and standard ingredient into a paste. When the five minutes are up, add the dried Billywig stings to your cauldron and heat to a medium temperature. Stir clockwise for three turns, then counterclockwise for five turns, and clockwise again for seven turns. The potion should be a clear yellow. Let it simmer for four minutes, and then add four measures of the snake fang mixture. Stir clockwise three times.

Using your hand, crumple four lavender leaves into the cauldron, making the bits as small as you can. It is necessary to use your hands because there will be a small amount of human oil that gets on the leaves, and this oil aids in creating the potion’s cohesive structure. The lavender leaves should cause the potion to turn a pale purple, but it will not stay that colour for long. Next, grind up the ginger and add one ounce to the potion. Stir clockwise 17 times and anti-clockwise 13 times. The potion should now be a very, very light blue, nearly clear. Finally, add two sprigs of wolfsbane and stir 68

anti-clockwise three times. The potion will turn crystal clear, but if you touch it, it will feel sludgy. Let it simmer for 12 minutes before bottling.

Wit-Sharpening Potion History The Wit-Sharpening Potion was first created in 1902, making it one of the newer potions on the market. An American wizard by the name of Carlton Brown, who hoped to improve his political standing by making himself a better debater, first created this brew. Unfortunately for him, his unethical means of better debate was uncovered nearly immediately, and his political reputation was ruined. After this failure, he stuck to potion brewing and left politics to better equipped individuals. However, the scandal did not cause Brown’s famous Wit-Sharpening Potion to suffer in America. If anything, it caught on like wildfire, and for several years, Salem Institute had to test each and every student coming in for an exam to make sure they were not under the influence of this performance enhancer. Hogwarts’ own Anti-Cheating Quills come equipped with a spell that cancels out this very potion. It is currently on the banned substances list of every wizarding school in existence, and using it for political gain is strictly forbidden.

It is on the Ministry of Magic’s list of controlled substances and having it in your possession without permission will result in a hefty fine and suspension, if not expulsion, from school.

Uses Due to the strict regulations on this substance, few alternative uses for it have been discovered. However, an ongoing research project at St. Mungo’s is currently attempting to use the potion to counteract neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. In the late 1960s, an American owl food company called “Brain Food” was shut down after it was discovered that this potion was a key ingredient in their product.

From this incident, magizoologists learned that this potion may increase owls’ knowledge retention by over 400%. However, the practice of administering this potion in animals remains illegal.

Description This potion is royal blue in colour and emits a soft, swirling steam that is very enticing to those who catch a whiff of it. It smells simultaneously of new parchment and old books, making it very hard for the intellectual type to avoid ingesting if they come across it.

Warnings It is illegal to drink this potion without Ministry authorisation. However, it is a required potion for the Hogwarts curriculum, so take special care if you know you love 69

books and learning because it can be very tempting. Professors are under strict guidelines to make sure all Wit-Sharpening Potions are properly vanished at the end of class, so be sure not to be caught with it outside of the Potions classroom.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

3 ounces armadillo bile 4 cups sea water 2 cups fresh water 5 Flitterbys (dead) 3 rat tails 1 rat spleen 4 sardines 1 cup knotgrass 2 ounces leech juice 5 dragonfly thoraxes 4 Jobberknoll feathers

Mix the seawater, fresh water, and armadillo bile together in the cauldron before lighting the fire. The potion should be almost clear with a faint yellow hue to it. At this point, light a fire beneath the cauldron. Let it simmer while you crush the flitterbys into a fine powder. Add the flitterbys to the potion and stir three times clockwise, three times anti-clockwise, and two more times clockwise. The potion should be a hot pink.

Next, chop the rat tail into one-eighth inch bits and mix with the rat spleen to create a chunky paste. Add the rat parts to the potion and stir anti-clockwise seven times, clockwise five times, and anti-clockwise three times. At this point, the potion will be a murky, puke-pink colour and smell like rotten eggs. Do not worry; it will not be like this for long! Grind the sardines and knotgrass together into a paste and add it to the cauldron. Let it simmer for one minute before stirring clockwise for four minutes and anti-clockwise for two minutes. By this point, the potion should smell of the ocean and be a pretty sky-blue colour.

Add the two ounces of leech juice and stir three times clockwise. Let it simmer while you crush the dragonfly thoraxes into a fine powder and add them to the mix. Stir nine times clockwise, six times anti-clockwise, and three times clockwise. At this point, the potion will need to simmer for 10 minutes. During this time, it will morph into a royal blue colour, but it will retain the seaside scent.

The final ingredients are the Jobberknoll feathers. Start by removing the feathers from the stalks and adding the feathery bits to the potion after the 10 minutes of simmering. Stir them in thoroughly – five minutes clockwise, five minutes anticlockwise. Next, chop the stalks into tiny pieces and add them to the cauldron. Stir twice clockwise, twice anti-clockwise, four times clockwise, four times anti-clockwise, and finally, six times clockwise, six times anti-clockwise. Let it simmer for eight more 70

minutes. At the end of the eight minutes, it will take on the scent of new parchment and old books, and it will begin to emit the swirling steam. It is now safe to bottle the potion for use, though in practice, you are to vanish it properly after your professor has seen it (as per Ministry regulations).

Ageing Potion History Wallace Trinket created the Ageing Potion in his quest to produce the Elixir of Life. In the early fourteenth century, alchemists such as Trinket were still attempting to create the ‘ultimate potion’ - one that would allow the drinker to achieve immortality.

Nicolas Flamel eventually created this potion a few decades later, but Trinket’s attempt was the closest before Flamel’s discovery. However, instead of reducing the drinker’s age, the Ageing Potion advanced it. Sadly, Trinket never lived to see the real Elixir of Life created. The Ageing Potion was not widely known until the occurrence of the “Ageing Scandal” in the eighteenth century. A twelve-year-old girl drank the potion daily in attempt to make her Muggle Studies teacher fall in love with her. Shockingly enough, the two were eventually married despite the fact that the teacher was over three times the girl’s age.

Uses In modern times, the Ageing Potion is occasionally used in the film industry in order to age actors for certain roles. Since the Ageing Potion is temporary, it allows actors to easily assume a more mature look or to film a scene set in the future. Many people have also taken advantage of the potion to age themselves in order to obtain access to clubs, parties, and other age exclusive activities. It is possible to administer the potion to animals in dire situations in order to age them enough for slaughter; however, the person who eats the animal then indirectly consumes the potion, and the person will often physically age as well. The Ageing Potion will only age the drinker’s body and physical appearance; intelligence and mental age remain the same. The amount you age depends on the quantity consumed.

Description The Ageing Potion is primarily an off-white colour with a slight grey hue, and it becomes yellow towards the edges. It has the same viscosity as milk, and its taste is often compared to a mixture of sour blackberries and boiled eggs. The potion smells a bit like decay and plastic, and it is very buoyant, as most things placed in it will float. It settles very quickly after being stirred and once consumed, will take effect immediately.

Warnings 71

A teaspoon of the Ageing Potion will age the drinker approximately three months, and one cup ages the drinker about twelve and a half years. After drinking the potion, the effects will last up to twelve hours. If it is improperly brewed, the potion may permanently age you or cause you to age twice as fast per dose. In a rare case, a poorly brewed Ageing Potion caused 20-year-old Gloria Thistledown to age twice as fast for the remainder of her life. She died at age 55, though she appeared to be 90. The drinker may also experience stretch marks due to the rapid gain and loss of wrinkles.

Because aches and other maladies often occur with old age, the process of ageing artificially can also be a painful one.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

1 banana 68 snake scales 1 cup Boomslang skin 2 cups day-old urine 43 wild strawberries, collected at night during the summer 1/2 cup warthog hair 1 teaspoon Chizpurfle fangs 18 cicada wings 3 teaspoons powdered elephant tusk 2 cups fresh goat milk 2/3 cup Knarl quills 3 soft-boiled eggs

Directions Light a fire beneath your cauldron and peel the banana. Mash it thoroughly in your mortar and add it to the cauldron. Using a silver dagger, slice the banana peel into small strips and set aside to add later. Scatter the snake scales into the cauldron. Take your silver dagger again, and carefully shred the Boomslang skin into ½-inch squares and add to the cauldron. Pour in the urine and stir 17 times clockwise, finishing off with a single anti-clockwise turn. Cover and let it sit for one hour. When you return, the potion will have tripled in size and should be green with a foul odour. You may want to perform a Bubble-Head Charm before continuing.

Slice the strawberries into quarters and remove the stems before adding them to your cauldron along with the previously sliced banana peel. Sprinkle in the warthog hair and stir 32 times clockwise, adding an anti-clockwise turn every fifth rotation. Add the Chizpurfle fangs to your mortar and crush into a rough powder. Bring your potion to a boil for three minutes before adding the fangs. Add the cicada wings, powdered elephant tusk, and goat milk to a jar and seal, then shake 42 times until it is very frothy, and pour the mixture into your cauldron. Stir twice clockwise and thrice anti-clockwise.

Drop the Knarl quills into the cauldron and peel the shells off the eggs. Drop only the 72

shells into your cauldron and stir 19 times anti-clockwise, adding a single clockwise turn on the eleventh rotation. Boil for 13 minutes before extinguishing the fire beneath your cauldron and decanting into glass phials.

Beautification Potion History In the early twentieth century, Sacharissa Tugwood pioneered the creation of cosmetic potions such as the Beautification Potion. A great deal controversy surrounded the potion as it gained popularity, and it raised many moral questions. Some regions of the world completely banned both the creation and use of the Beautification Potion within their borders. However, this negative view of the Beautification Potion has significantly lessened in strength. Although Tugwood is credited with the creation of the first Beautification Potion, there have been many versions of the potion throughout history, most notably in the medieval era, when a hag known as Malodora Grymm used a type of Beautification Potion to disguise her true form and marry the king.

Uses The Beautification Potion is particularly popular among teenagers, where versions promising the riddance of pimples and worse sell like wildfire. Advertisers often gear their products toward young adults, stating that these potions will help them through the “awkward” phase in life. Many wizarding celebrities used the Beautification Potion when it first came out, but they were criticized for this because of the lessons it was inadvertently teaching about appearance. It was later banned from beauty contests of any sort, animal or otherwise, as it is possible to administer the potion to animals. The Beautification Potion will last up to twelve hours at a time and may be consumed regularly to maintain the effects.

Description The Beautification Potion has a rich, sparkling blue colour and smells like fragrant flowers. It has a thick consistency, similar to cream, and it tastes sugary sweet, much like icing. When completed, the potion will bubble pleasantly in flowerlike shapes, and it will also bubble in your mouth.

Warnings One common misconception surrounding the Beautification Potion is that it will alter the drinker’s appearance to whatever the viewer sees as attractive. This is untrue; instead, the potion will modify the drinker’s appearance to whatever the drinker believes is attractive. There are some limitations to this, as the potion will only enhance and reduce features rather than completely transform them. If this potion is improperly brewed, it may give the drinker wrinkles, acne, warts, or deformations instead of 73

removing them. Occasionally even a correctly brewed potion will give the drinker a rash, and it can sometimes take away his/her voice.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

1 gallon clear spring water 6 eggs 2 freshwater Plimpies 1 1/3 cup Bubotuber pus 1 cup dried blueberries 1/4 cup walnuts 15 Fairy wings 1/2 cup salt water 1/8 cup watermelon seeds 7 avocado pits 1/3 cup ginger roots 2 tablespoons rosewater 6 drops honeywater 12 Moonseed seeds

Directions Boil the water in your cauldron for 30 minutes. Crack the eggs into the cauldron and stir eight times clockwise. Add both Plimpies and the Bubotuber pus (be careful not to let it touch your hands), and reduce the fire beneath your cauldron. Cover the potion, and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring twice clockwise every two and a half minutes.

Chop the blueberries and walnuts into small pieces, mix them together, and add them to the potion 1/4 cup at a time, stirring thrice anti-clockwise after each addition. Place the fairy wings in the salt water and shake until it turns bright gold in colour.

Pour the mixture into your cauldron and stir slowly anti-clockwise until your potion becomes orange. Immediately bring it to a boil for a full six minutes, stirring anti-clockwise constantly, adding a clockwise turn every fourteenth rotation. Sprinkle the watermelon seeds on top of your potion and slice each avocado pit into 20 equal pieces before adding. Take your potion off the heat for 30 minutes. Evenly slice your ginger roots into at least 42 equal pieces before adding them to the cauldron. Let your potion sit off the heat for seven more minutes, during which time you can combine the rosewater and honeywater, and shake 56 times until it becomes violet-coloured. Pour the mixture into your cauldron and light a fire beneath it. Stir clockwise until it begins to boil and becomes indigo in colour. Add the Moonseed seeds, and stir vigorously 60 times clockwise, adding four anti-clockwise turns every 20 rotations until your potion becomes a lovely clear blue. Remove the potion from the heat, and allow it to cool before decanting into triangular glass containers.

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Befuddlement Draught History In 1747, the first Befuddlement Draught was sold by Claude Laborde-Avoyelles in a small French potion shop. Claude’s Muggle father raised him after his witch mother was lynched by an angry mob in his hometown of Troyes. His father constantly protected him from the Muggles who wanted to kill him. In 1692, the International Statute of Secrecy was enacted and provided seven-year-old Laborde-Avoyelles and his father with further protection. However, they were still cautious. While the pair were hiding in a city near Paris, a traveler from Claude’s hometown recognized and killed his father for marrying a witch. Claude, then 15, lived on his own until he encountered a wizard who mentored him until he was a fully educated man. Claude went out into the world and sought revenge on the Muggle population. He went back to Troyes and set up a potion shop where he worked for many years on gruesome draughts. Claude then sold the potions to wizarding kind in hopes that they would give them to the hated Muggles. The Befuddlement Draught is considered his kindest and least dangerous creation. Today, the Befuddlement Draught is not used as a sick punishment to confuse people into their own deaths, but rather it is used as a way for people to amuse themselves at the discomfort of others.

Uses The Befuddlement Draught is used in many comical prank items. In attempt to engage in criminal activities without being caught, certain individuals have notoriously used this potion to confuse Aurors, witnesses, and victims.

Description When complete, the Befuddlement Draught should be light pink. Steam should rise very high from the potion, and it should give off an attractive aroma. The potion will taste very sour, and the effects should kick in almost instantaneously.

Warnings The Befuddlement Draught can cause utter recklessness and idiocy. It is recommended that the drinker not be left alone. Remember, this draught was originally used to cause people to do unwise things that often maimed or seriously injured them.

In some rare situations, deaths have occurred.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

6 blobs of Flobberworm mucus 3 teaspoons red wine 4 horned slugs 75

1 horned toad 1 cup shredded scurvy grass 1 stalk of lovage 1 giant puffball 5 dried nettles 7 butterfly wings 1 cup Sloth Brain mucus 19 grasshopper legs ¼ cup ground sneezewort 1 teaspoon jesterbug venom

Instructions Add three blobs of Flobberworm mucus to the cauldron and heat until it starts to smoke. Add the red wine and stir clockwise until it thins completely. This may take up to 10 minutes, and the potion will appear pale pink when complete. Add a horned slug and a horned toad. They will eventually disintegrate as you continue with the potion.

Add the scurvy grass, and let it sit for 11 minutes.

The potion will gradually turn darker. Stir the brew once anti-clockwise, add two more horned slugs (the potion should now appear deep purple), and let it sit for another eight minutes. While letting the potion stew, you can prepare some of the other ingredients. Chop the lovage into thin slices. Burn the giant puffball to ashes. Add four nettles and seven butterfly wings to your mortar and crush them into a wet powder.

Add all of these ingredients to the cauldron in the same order as prepared, and the potion should turn paler. Add the last horned slug. Mix the remaining Flobberworm mucus with the Sloth Brain mucus and add the mixture to the brew. Stir seven times clockwise and 28 times anti-clockwise. Wave your wand circularly around the rim of the cauldron thrice. Add the grasshopper legs one at a time, adding a clockwise stir between each addition. Wait 30 seconds after stirring before adding the next leg. Slowly pour in the sneezewort. Stir eight times clockwise and the potion should turn pale pink again. Finally, add the jesterbug venom. The potion should sizzle and start steaming. It is now complete.

Blood-Curdling Potion History In the 1930s, there was a group of Latvian vampires known by locals as the Nightfallers. Before drinking their victim’s blood, they would force the victims to drink a concoction of their own creation. This concoction is the first known variation of the Blood-Curdling Potion. The original intent of the potion was to curdle the drinker’s blood, which was a preferred “recipe” for the Nightfallers. A happy side effect, however, was that the victim became immensely terrified, which only increased the 76

vampires’ satisfaction. The anxiety and sadness in the affected region attracted many Dementors, leading to the Latvian Dementor Crisis of 1939.

Uses The Blood-Curdling recipe and dosage has been modified so that it does not cause literal curdling. Instead, it causes the drinker to become extremely frightened for no apparent reason. Certain medical variations of the potion are used to thicken the thin blood of a patient or to decrease blood pressure.

Description When complete, the Blood-Curdling Potion should appear thick and milky yellow or white. It should be cold as well.

Warnings The Blood-Curdling Potion should never be taken in the presence of a Dementor because it only strengthens their power over the drinker. A Blood-Curdling Potion overdose is extremely dangerous. In such cases, the original purpose of the potion (literal curdling of the blood) may be fulfilled. Side effects may include screaming, waking nightmares, inability to sleep, excessive sweating, self-urination, and unstoppable crying. All effects of the potion should wear off after at least three hours, and no side effects should be lasting.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

5 cups goat milk 4 tablespoons bat blood 3 newt tails 1 chizpurfle claw ½ cup ground bloodroot 9 matsutake 2 cups bloodblanch fluids

Instructions The steps are easy and productive if carried out as precisely as possible. The potion must be started on the day of the new moon. Mix the goat milk with the bat blood, and boil it in the cauldron. Add one newt tail and let it sit for 24 hours. Smash the chizpurfle claw into a rough powder and add it to the cauldron. Stir clockwise 73 times, adding an anti-clockwise stir after every 10th clockwise stir. Slowly add the bloodroot, one pinch at a time. Flourish your wand 36 times above the cauldron, adding a newt tail after the 29th flourish. The mixture will start to thicken. Let it sit until the day of the full moon and the potion will curdle.

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Add the matsutake one at a time, putting one in every minute. Stir the potion anti-clockwise for 17 minutes. Add one cup of bloodblanch fluid. Stir for three minutes, and add the rest of the bloodblanch fluid. Though the potion may look ready for consumption, it is not. The poisons from the bloodblanch must dissipate first. Let the brew sit for at least six hours. Store the potion in a cool and preferably underground area. The maximum recommended dosage is one cup per day.

Numbing Solution History

The Numbing Solution originally came about around the year of 30 AD and is credited to the extensive work of the Roman healer and potion-maker, Aulus Cornelius Celsus.

Although his research is known to magic and Muggle alike, he was notoriously private regarding the Muggle world. Unlike many of his time, he did not feel it necessary to live and work amongst Muggles, giving them nearly no knowledge, with the exception of some of his writings, to his life. He was one of the few of this era who worked almost exclusively with the magical community. Celsus was a native to what is now known as the Provence region of France, although at the time it was a Roman province by the name of Gallia Narbonensis.

At the time of his discovery, he was working as a healer in the wizarding hospitals of the region, as well as making house-calls to local witches and wizards in need of a healer’s assistance. As many magic folk of the time were sent into war while working under the Roman Empire, Celsus was often confronted with the problem of injuries and illnesses so severe, no known magic alone was able to grant them enough comfort to be cured. He needed to find a way to provide some kind of relief strong enough to allow his patients the comfort and calm needed to administer necessary cures. While Aulus Cornelius Celsus was not a potion-maker by trade at this point in his life, he had a proficient enough knowledge in herbs and had worked for many years as a healer, giving him the ability to create and brew his own herbal remedies when needed.

However, even Celsus knew that an anesthetic numbing solution would be a tough undertaking at the time; he also realized it was a dire need for the healers as well as their patients.

He began work on his Numbing Solution in the year 20 AD and finally perfected his potions ten years later. The potions were well received by his colleagues in the field of wizarding medicine. Much to his chagrin, the word of these Numbing Solutions also travelled to Muggle doctors who began using some of the main components to create their own anesthetic medicines. Celsus never got over this fact and was quoted many times expressing his disappointment that Muggles were cashing in on what were possibly the greatest discovery of his life as a healer. Celsus’ writings on healing, as well as the original copies of the Numbing Solution recipes, are currently held in the 78

protected archives of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

Uses

The Numbing Solution is a very important potion in wizarding hospitals and nurse’s offices, and its recipes have been a piece of necessary knowledge to healers since the time of Celsus. It is often used in conjunction with other healing spells and potions, as well as to give relief to a patient who may need to rest in order to recuperate after a particularly painful or severe injury. There are two different versions of the Numbing Solution, one being topical and the other ingested. The topical version is generally used to numb a specific area for a shorter period of time in order to give a patient temporary comfort while the necessary curing potions and spells are applied. The ingested version of the potion is intended to not only provide numbing relief, but also to grant the patient the relief of sleep as well. The ingested version can be deadly if brewed incorrectly and is typically only utilized in the most severe cases of illness or injury.

Description

If done correctly, the topical Numbing Solution should resemble a light yellow/green creamy paste with a floral fragrance bearing a hint of peppermint. The ingested version should under no circumstances be used if any question arises about the quality of its brewing. A correctly brewed ingested Numbing Solution should be a fluid of very low viscosity, with a brownish-red color, and should give off a strong sweet floral aroma.

Warnings

If brewed correctly, the side effects of a topical Numbing Solution are few and harmless.

Most patients begin to regain feeling in the affected area after 2-3 hours of its application, and the only side effect reported has been that of a very brief and mild stinging sensation at the affected site before the numbness begins to kick in. The ingested version, however, can be considerably more dangerous. The side effects of the ingested Numbing Solution include periods of headaches, hallucinations, and nausea upon waking, which usually subside gradually within the course of the day. However, if the potion has been brewed incorrectly, or too much is given, the patient can suffer permanent numbness, irreversible paralysis, insanity, and in some cases, death.

Typically, the ingested version of the Numbing Solution is only brewed by the most skilled potion-makers, and should be administered strictly at the hands of a professional healer.

Recipe

Ingredients and Equipment:

Topical Numbing Solution 4 measures of dried Valerian Root 1 Bezoar 3 drops of Bubotuber Pus 2 Sprigs of Peppermint

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2 measures of Yarrow Flowers 1 measure of Lethe River Water

Combine four measures of dried Valerian Root to a Bezoar in the mortar, and crush into a very fine powder using the pestle. Place the powdered mixture into the cauldron, and add three drops of Bubotuber Pus. Heat the mixture on low for ten minutes. Then, combine two Sprigs of Peppermint with two measures of Yarrow Flowers in the mortar and crush with the pestle until reaching a coarse-medium powder. Add this powder to the warm combination of Valerian Root, Bezoar, and Bubotuber Pus already in the cauldron. Heat the cauldron on medium for one minute, gently stirring in a clock-wise motion throughout. After the minute is up, take the mixture off of the heat source; add the one measure of Lethe River water to your cauldron and stir five times counterclockwise.

Ingested Numbing Solution (WARNING: for educational purposes only; do not attempt unless under the supervision of a professional potioneer or healer) 2 Belladonna Berries 2 measures of dried Datura Metel 1 Mandrake Root 3 measures of Dried Henbane 4 measures of Lethe River Water 4 measures of Dragon’s Blood

Crush two Belladonna Berries into a creamy paste. Transfer the paste into a prewarmed cauldron on low heat. Combine two measures of dried Datura Metel and one Mandrake Root in the mortar, crush into a coarse powder. Add this mixture to the warming Belladonna Berries already in the cauldron. Raise heat from low to lowmedium and stir three times clockwise, one time counter-clockwise consistently for three minutes. Immediately take off of heat. Crush three measures of Dried Henbane into a very fine powder and add to the cauldron. Lower heat source from low-medium back to low, and replace the cauldron. Stir mixture three times in a clock-wise motion.

After stirring add four measures of Lethe River water and four measures of Dragon’s Blood while the cauldron is still on low heat. After thirty seconds, raise heat slowly to medium-high, cover, and allow brewing for 30 minutes. Once the thirty minutes are up, uncover the cauldron, remove from heat source, and stir five times in a clockwise motion, then three times in a counter-clockwise motion slowly and consistently for 7 minutes.

Shrinking Solution History

Contrary to popular belief, the Shrinking Solution is not simply intended to shrink one’s 80

size, but to shrink their age as well. The opposite of the “Ageing Potion,� a Shrinking Potion will cause the taker to regain the appearance of their younger selves, even to the extent of revisiting their childhood form. The common-day Shrinking Solution is thought to have evolved from a 12th century youth serum used by knights and spies working under the ruling or noble families in order to gain information. Long before the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was signed, powerful members of Muggle society would often employ witches and wizards to do specific jobs that only they were qualified to accomplish.

Youth serums were a popular request to witches and wizards and often given to Muggle knights and spies during this time. The person taking this potion would often revert back to their physical childhood form, enabling them to sneak up or eavesdrop on other important members of society while going completely undetected. Often times, the taker would sit in wait in a village square or known meeting place, playing games, having a meal, or gathering herbs in an inconspicuous fashion. When the rival parties would arrive, they would often conduct their business or hold their conversations openly, not realizing that undesirable listeners were within earshot. However, quite a few problems arose with the early recipes of the Youth Serum. At the time, it was unclear just how long its effects would last and seemed to vary from person-to-person.

This issue caused great strife, as the taker would occasionally transform back to his or her original state while still conducting their business. Often this resulted in capture or execution, causing many to shy away from the use of the Youth Serum. Due to this, a more consistent version of the potion developed and has come to be known as what we now call the Shrinking Solution.

Uses

Shrinking Solution is used to cause the taker to revert back to his or her physical childhood form. This is still a popular potion used for spying and eavesdropping, and is often used for pranking as well. Occasionally it is also used by elderly witches and wizards for the nostalgic purposes of revisiting their childhood.

Description

The Shrinking Solution is an ingested potion which is an acidic bright green in color.

Although not recommended, it can be used topically on some non-mammals who bear large pores in the skin. The solution is a slightly viscous liquid which emanates a notoriously unpleasant odor. The flavour has been compared to that of dirt and garbage leachate. The effects from a good batch of Shrinking Solution last between 16 and 18 hours.

Warnings

The Shrinking Solution is a fairly easy potion to brew, but care must be taken to ensure that the potion has been brewed correctly. If the potion is brewed incorrectly, it can become poisonous causing the taker to undergo vicious bouts of nausea, terrifying 81

hallucinations, and the suffering of large festering boils. The most telltale sign of an incorrect Shrinking Solution is the color. If a Shrinking Solution has turned orange or has an orange tint, do not use under any circumstances. However, if done correctly, the potion has very few side effects and is known to have a rather pleasant sensation.

Recipe

Ingredients and Equipment:

2 measures of evenly minced Daisy Roots 1 Peeled Shrivelfig 3 Sliced Caterpillars 1 Rat Spleen 1 dash of Leech Juice Evenly mince two measures of Daisy Roots and add to a cold cauldron. Crush the peeled Shrivelfig into a coarse paste and add to the evenly minced Daisy Roots already in the unheated cauldron. Heat this mixture on low for five minutes, stirring clockwise three times every minute. After the mixture is heated, evenly slice three Caterpillars and add to the cauldron along with one whole Rat Spleen. Allow this mixture to simmer on low-medium heat, undisturbed, for thirty-five minutes. Once the thirty-five minutes are up, add one dash of Leech Juice before stirring. Once the Leech Juice is added, stir ten times in a clockwise motion, followed by ten times in a counterclockwise motion. Allow potion to completely cool before using or transporting into phials.

Sleepwalking Potion History The Sleepwalking Potion was accidentally created in 1639 by the Russian professor, Vladislav Nebogatoff. He was attempting to find the cure for sleepwalking, as his wife, Polina, suffered from chronic nightmares and sleepwalks. Instead of creating the cure, he created its opposite: the Sleepwalking Potion. Since Vladislav did not intend to create this potion, he never modified or improved it. Many years later, after Nebogatoff had passed away, the recipe was found by his eldest son, Bogdan. By simply reversing the steps of the original Sleepwalking Potion, Bogdan was able to make the cure for which his father had so desperately strived. Since destructive sleepwalking is quite uncommon, the original Sleepwalking Potion has become more popular than its antidote. It is commonly used as a joke potion.

Uses The Sleepwalking Potion is used in a large assortment of comical practical joke items, most notably Sleepwalking Suckers, a Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes product.

Description

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The Sleepwalking Potion will appear smooth and black when complete. Nothing can make a ripple in the potion. Should the potion appear grey or bubbly, it is useless. This often occurs when an insufficient amount of Evernox is used.

Warnings The recommended dosage is one cup per 24 hours. If the recommended dosage is exceeded or given too frequently, the victim could fall into a trance-like state when awake.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

6 cups water 2 Plimpies 5 wolf fangs 4 blobs of Flobberworm mucus ⅔ cup chopped chives 6 leaves dried English Ivy ½ cup sage ½ cup diluted Bundimun Secretion 6 Evernox 7 dried rose petals

Boil the Plimpies and one wolf fang in the water for five minutes or until the potion appears dark purple. Add two blobs of Flobberworm mucus, and stir 14 times clockwise. The potion should now be very thick. Add the chives. Next, add the English Ivy, sage, and Bundimun Secretion to the mortar. Mash the ingredients into a creamy paste and add to the cauldron. Add another blob of Flobberworm mucus to potion. It should now turn light pink or red. Stir 28 times clockwise.

Cut or crush the Evernox, and add the fluid and one of the flower remnants to the cauldron. The potion should darken a tad. Add a wolf fang to the cauldron. In a mortar, crush three wolf fangs with five rose petals and mix with the remaining Flobberworm mucus blob. Add the mixture to the potion along with two more Evernox remnants. The potion will stop steaming. Stir clockwise for six minutes or until ripples cease to appear. Add the remaining rose petals and two Evernox. Let it sit for three minutes, and then cast Nox on the potion. Add the last Evernox, and the potion should absorb the blackness of its petals.

Tips: To induce more comical dreams, add an anti-clockwise stir after every fifth clockwise one.

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Weakness Potion History The Weakness Potion was created at the command of Pharaoh Ramses II, otherwise known as Ramses the Great. In order to strategically weaken his enemies, Ramses had his personal potioneers create this draught. After a week and a half, the potion was complete. However, over thousands of years better variations of the original potion were brewed. Today’s Weakness Potion has been a work in progress for a millennium. In contrast to the limited ingredients found in the desert and Nile Delta of Egypt, the current Weakness Potion contains ingredients not only from its native land but also from all over the world.

Uses The Weakness Potion is used to weaken the drinker both emotionally and physically. After drinking the potion, one experiences intense weariness, muscle fatigue, and possibly sadness or emotional instability.

Description When completed, the Weakness Potion will be a glowing bright green and should emit much smoke of the same colour.

Warnings The Weakness Potion should not be taken to help the drinker sleep. It will, in fact, only further perturb the drinker. The Weakness Potion must not be ingested by any seriously ill or injured people or pregnant women.

Recipe Ingredients and Equipment:

2 cups tea tree oil 6 Indian peas 10 leaves of Ezekiel 7 sandbugs 4 Ashwinder eggs Syrup of Hellebore 9 grasshopper legs 3 leaves of wormwood 1 dandelion root

Heat the tea tree oil to a simmer. Add the Indian peas one at a time, stirring thrice clockwise between each addition. Crush four Ezekiel leaves and three Sandbugs in a mortar. Add the mixture to the potion, and stir until it becomes thick in consistency and tan in colour. Coat the Ashwinder eggs in the Syrup of Hellebore. Add two of the coated eggs to cauldron and let stew for 15 minutes.

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After every third minute, stir once clockwise. Add the grasshopper legs one by one. After each addition, a violent smoke plume should erupt from the potion, and the brew should become thinner and darker. Before adding the next grasshopper leg, wait for the smoke to clear. Smash an Ashwinder egg and add it to the potion. By now, the brew should appear yellow.

Add all remaining Sandbugs to the cauldron. Next, shred the wormwood leaves and the remaining Ezekiel and add them to the potion. Stir 38 times anti-clockwise, adding a clockwise stir after the twentieth. The potion will gradually become greener.

Add the last Ashwinder Egg, and let the draught sit until it glows brightly. Finally, add the dandelion root. When the potion starts to perpetually and violently release smoke in heavy plumes, it is ready for consumption.

About the Author Dr/Prof. Arsenius Jigger is a very celebrated author that has written: Potions Opuscule, The Essential Defense against the Dark Arts etc. Dr. Jigger works at the University of Potioneering.

At age 277 Arsenius Jigger ‘s books are still read today and are a required textbook at: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Brazilian Wizarding School, Durmstrang Institute for the Dark Arts, Salem Witches Institute, Mahoutokoro Japanese Wizarding University, Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts and Academy of Advanced Potions.

Note from Author: Dear Students of Potions, You have begun a study that is not only useful in everyday life, but you jobs will usually need it. To be an Auror, you must get an outstanding in Potions. Read this book with heed to my words: One step at a time!

Your humble servant, Arsenius Jigger

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