Hogwarts Potions (Class)

> You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. 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 the human veins, bewitching the minds, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death — if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.
>
> Professor Snape's introduction of the subject, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

**Potions** was a core class and subject taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and ***Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry***. In this class, students learnt the correct way to brew ***potions***. They followed specific recipes and used various magical ingredients to create potions, starting with simple ones and moving to more advanced ones as they progressed in knowledge.Template:Class
The Professor of this subject was referred to as a ***Potions Master***. The Potions Master at Hogwarts for many years was ***Horace Slughorn*** and later Severus Snape. By ***2016***, Professor Slughorn had retired for a second time, and ***an unidentified teacher*** had taken over.

## Class information

> When they arrived in the corridor they saw that there were only a dozen people progressing to N.E.W.T. level.
>
> Harry Potter on the very few people who were able to advance to sixth-year Potions, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

 File:Potions.jpg
At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Potions was a required subject for students, from the first year to the ***fifth year***. Potion recipes could be found in many books, including the books the students at Hogwarts used in their classes, but the intricacies of timing, ageing, stirring techniques, and bottling which are much more difficult to learn without the mentoring of the experienced masters. Certain ingredients could be found in the cupboard in the classroom, but others had to be bought before the start of the year at the apothecary. Around 1981, Severus Snape became the professor of Potions at Hogwarts. Snape served as the school's potions professor through ***1996***, until he became the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and was replaced by ***Horace Slughorn***.

## Location and time

Potions lessons took place in the Dungeons.

### Classroom layout

The classroom used to be squared-sized, very large, with large tables and windows. In the corner resideed a stone basin used to wash students' hands and ladles. From 1992-onwards, the classroom was of an oval shape and relatively smaller, with small work tables. In ***1996***, the classroom was extended, adding space for more work tables.

### Lesson times

 Friday
 Second | Monday
 Friday

## Curriculum

### First year

> Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness Potion.
>
> First year exam in 1992, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Besides potions and their ingredients, other information was covered in the first year as well. Students were informed of the basic details on preparation of the Draught of Living Death, along with the nature of various ingredients, such as ***Infusion of Wormwood***, ***Powdered Root of Asphodel*** and ***Aconite***. The class also covered the twelve uses of ***dragon blood***, the types of ***cauldrons***, and the types of ***phials*** used in potion-making. ***Bezoars*** were briefly mentioned and the ***Standard Ingredient*** was also used in most beginner potions.

### Second year

> Thursday afternoon’s lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients.
>
> A second year Potions lesson, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Second-year students were set an essay on ***Flobberworm Mucus*** and its uses in potions. Also homework included something that involves ***Hair-Raising Potions***. This year appeared to focus more on actual potion brewing then the previous one.

### Grades

* ***Exceeds Expectations*** [E]
* Acceptable [A]
* ***Dreadful*** [D]
* ***Troll*** [T]

## Known O.W.L.s

Severus Snape †Profile - Draco Malfoy COS.pngDraco MalfoyProfile - Harry Potter-COS Promo.jpgHarry PotterProfile - Hermione Granger-COS Promo.jpgHermione GrangerProfile - Ronald Billius Weasley.pngRon WeasleyProfile - Percy Ignatius Weasley.pngPercy WeasleyBill WeasleyTom Riddle † (possibly)Profile - Lily J. Potter.jpgLily J. Potter † (possibly)Profile - Molly Weasley COS.jpgMolly Weasley (possibly)
* All ***Healers*** and ***Aurors***, as an O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. at ***Exceeds Expectations*** or ***Outstanding*** is a compulsory requirement in this subject in order to apply for their relevant training.

## Media

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Potions with SlughornPotions With Slughorn
## Behind the scenes

 File:PotionsClass6.jpg
* In Template:HBP, many more students are shown to be in Harry's ***N.E.W.T.*** level Potions class than are mentioned in the book. The book specifically names Harry, Ron, and Hermione to be the only Gryffindors to have moved on to ***N.E.W.T.*** level, but the film shows Neville Longbottom, ***Dean Thomas***, ***Seamus Finnigan***, and ***Lavender Brown*** to be in the class as well. ***Katie Bell*** and ***Romilda Vane*** are also in the class in the film, although they are actually a ***seventh year*** and a ***fourth year*** student respectively, along with ***Leanne***, whose year is unknown. ***Gregory Goyle*** and ***Vincent Crabbe*** are Slytherins depicted as attending sixth year Potions class in the film, which also contradicts the novel.
* In **Hogwarts Mystery**, if players take ***Jacob's sibling*** to the O.W.L. through an optional side quest, they will definitely gain at least an A, even if they fail to answer every question and make every potion.

### Author's comments

***Chemistry** was my least favourite subject at school, and I gave it up as soon as I could. Naturally, when I was trying to decide which subject Harry's arch-enemy, Severus Snape, should teach, it had to be the wizarding equivalent. This makes it all the stranger that I found Snape's introduction to his subject quite compelling ('I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death...'), apparently part of me found Potions quite as interesting as Snape did; and indeed I always enjoyed creating potions in the books, and researching ingredients for them. Many of the components of the various draughts and libations that Harry creates for Snape exist (or were once believed to exist) and have (or were believed to have) the properties I gave them. **Dittany**, for instance, really does have healing properties (it is an anti-inflammatory, although I would not advise Splinching yourself to test it); a bezoar really is a mass taken from the intestines of an animal, and it really was once believed that drinking water in which a bezoar was placed could cure you of poisoning.*

## Appearances

* Template:PS Template:1st
* Template:GOF
* Template:OOTP
* Template:HBP
* Template:DH Template:Mention
* Template:FB Template:C
* Template:WBP Template:Mention
* Template:HPK
* Template:TCG
* Template:PM
* Template:WW
* Template:HPV
* Template:MHP
* Template:FBC Template:Mention
* Template:HM
* Template:WU Template:Mention
* Template:PAS
* Template:MA
* Template:HL

## Notes and references

Template:Reflist

1. ↑ Template:PS
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:WW
3. ↑ Template:FB Template:See image
4. ↑ Template:HBP
5. ↑ Template:OOTP
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Template:HBP
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Template:HBP
8. ↑ Template:HBP - Chapter 8 (*The Half-Blood Prince*)
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Template:COS - It is said that both Percy and ***Bill Weasley*** earned twelve ***Ordinary Wizarding Level***s, meaning they must have earned an O.W.L. in this subject.
10. ↑ Template:WW

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