Potions: A guide to Perfection.

It is often asked whether a Muggle could create a magic potion, given a Potions book and the right ingredients. The answer, unfortunately, is no. There is always some element of wandwork necessary to make a potion (merely adding dead flies and asphodel to a pot hanging over a fire will give you nothing but nasty-tasting, not to mention poisonous, soup). Some potions duplicate the effects of spells and charms, but a few (for instance, the Polyjuice Potion, and Felix Felicis) have effects impossible to achieve any other way. Generally speaking, witches and wizards favour whichever method they find easiest, or most satisfying, to produce their chosen end. Potions are not for the impatient, but their effects are usually difficult to undo by any but another skilled potioneer. This branch of magic carries a certain mystique and therefore status. There is also the dark cachet of handling substances that are highly dangerous. The popular idea of a Potions expert within the wizarding community is of a brooding, slow-burning personality: Snape, in fact, conforms perfectly to the stereotype. "I don’t expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses.... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death —" — Professor Severus Snape on the nature of brewing potions A Potion (Latin potio, 'beverage') was a magical mixture, commonly brewed in a cauldron and used to create a number of magical effects on the drinker. Potions ranged in effects, nature, and brewing difficulty. An example of a beginners potion was the Cure for Boils, which is the first potion learned at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredibly advanced and challenging one was the Polyjuice Potion, that even adult witches and wizards had trouble with. A wizard or witch who specialised in potion brewing was known as a potioneer or a Potions Master. Potion-making was also the wizarding equivalent of Muggle chemistry. "Potions are not for the impatient, but their effects are usually difficult to undo by any but another skilled potioneer. This branch of magic carries a certain mystique and therefore status." — The nature of potion-making Potion ingredients Potions were brewed from ingredients with magical properties. Potions could be used as: medicines, antidotes, solutions, poisons, or give the drinker any magical effect from strength enhancement to immunity to flames. Potions were not necessarily used by drinking them, as some could be applied by physical contact or create an effect simply by being created, such as the Regeneration potion. According to former Hogwarts Potions Master, Professor Severus Snape, potions could be used for numerous different magical purposes. A potions lab, containing various ingredients and equipment Potions had a distinct advantage over typical spells in that they could be used even by the non-magical, provided that they had the potion itself at their disposal. There were also certain magical effects that could only be induced through the use of potions. Some potions duplicated the effects of spells and charms, but a few (for instance, the Polyjuice Potion, and Felix Felicis) had effects impossible to achieve any other way. Generally speaking, witches and wizards favoured whichever method they found easiest, or most satisfying, to produce their chosen end. Potions were not for the impatient, but their effects were usually difficult to undo by any but another skilled potioneer. This branch of magic carried a certain mystique and therefore status. There was also the dark cachet of handling substances that were highly dangerous. The popular idea of a potions expert within the wizarding community was of a brooding, slow-burning personality. Potion brewing always required some degree of wand work to complete the brewing process, contrary to the introductory speech Professor Snape gave to his first years in 1991. Hence, non-magic people could not brew them even if given the ingredients and instructions, as it would only result in nasty-tasting (and possibly poisonous) soup with no magical effect whatsoever. Dangers Potions had to be brewed carefully to achieve the proper effects. In certain cases, those that were brewed incorrectly or in a dirty cauldron could become poisons. In other cases, even potions that had been brewed correctly may in some cases had deleterious effects, even if their intended effect is beneficial; for example, Felix Felicis caused recklessness and overconfidence when used more than sparingly, while the Elixir to Induce Euphoria had side-effects such as excessive singing and nose-tweaking, though these could be countered by adding peppermint to the potion. Teaching and labeling "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic." — Professor Snape in Potions class A first year Potions lesson There was a Potions class, devoted to the study of potion recipes, brewing execution and effects, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was a core class and is mandatory throughout the first five years of a students education. It was optional to students in their sixth and seventh years to those who achieved a high score on their Ordinary Wizarding Level exam. An advanced N.E.W.T.-level Potions class In this class, students learnt the correct way to brew potions, following specific recipes and using various magical ingredients to create the potions, starting with simple ones first, and moving to more advanced ones as they progressed in knowledge. To enter into the N.E.W.T. class, a Hogwarts student had to achieve either an 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations' on their O.W.L. exam. Anyone who achieves anything less would not be able to keep up with the advanced course work nor the increase of housework. Potions was also noted to be a hard subject to achieve an O.W.L. in, as proven when only twelve students advanced to N.E.W.T.-level class in 1996. There existed a Potions Association that oversaw the labelling of certain potions, and possibly other aspects of the field. The association was directly associated with the Ministry of Magic. Jobs related to potion-making A potioneer A potioneer, also known as a potion-brewer or potion-maker, was a witch or wizard who made potions for a living, meaning that their primary source of income came from making potions or in someway related to potions in general. This could include working as a professional brewer, studying or inventing potions, or teaching potions as a subject at a wizarding school. A N.E.W.T. in Potions was one of the necessary qualifications required to become a Healer and an Auror. A person who taught potions is sometimes known as a Potions Master, one who has achieved a N.E.W.T. in the subject. Severus Snape was the Potions Master at Hogwarts from 1980 to the fall of 1996. Horace Slughorn, who had taught Potions many years before, took over as Potions Master in 1996. Other known potions professors were Swoopstikes and Vindictus Viridian. Swoopstikes was an entomologist, with a vast knowledge of magical insects and Viridian was a former Headmaster at Hogwarts and author. Known potioneers: Arsenius Jigger Damocles Belby Erica Stainwright Fleamont Potter Gethsemane Prickle Gilderoy Lockhart Glossy Glover Hipworth Golpalott Gregory the Smarmy Gunhilda de Gorsemoor Hector Dagworth-Granger Hesper Starkey Horace Slughorn J. Pippin Laverne de Montmorency Linfred of Stinchcombe Mulpepper Mundungus Fletcher Nicolas Flamel Regulus Moonshine Rubens Winikus Sacharissa Tugwood Severus Snape Skower Swoopstikes Tilden Toots Dr Ubbly Vindictus Viridian Zenith Xeep Zygmunt Budge Texts on potions Potions Books Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi Pottermore One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore Advanced Potion Making. Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage Moste Potente Potions Moste Potente Potions by Phineas Bourne PotionOpuscule Potion Opuscule by Arsenius Jigger Potion-related businesses An advertisement could be seen in The Quibbler about a potion-making business or potioneer called Ancient Potion Maker. In 1996, a business called Potions Lady that specialised in making potions for women placed an advertisement in the Daily Prophet. An antidote was a substance, generally a potion, that would protect against or act as a remedy for specific ailments. Sometimes time was all that was needed for certain magical effect to wear off, such as in the case of Polyjuice Potion, but others required a special application to counteract such effects. Antidotes were essential study for Aurors. The Mandrake formed an essential part of most antidotes. There was a sign at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries reading "Antidotes are anti-don'ts unless approved by a qualified Healer." By Zara Laurier