Harry Magic
Potions in Harry Potter: what each one does
The potions in Harry Potter range from a quick cold cure to a luck potion that takes six months to brew. The best known are Polyjuice Potion, Felix Felicis, Amortentia and Veritaserum. Here is what each one does and where it matters in the story.
We make Harry Magic: Potions Class, an independent game about a potions class. It's not an official Harry Potter product, and these book potions aren't in our game, which has its own recipes.
| Potion | What it does | Where it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Polyjuice Potion | Turns the drinker into another person for about an hour | Hermione brews it in Chamber of Secrets |
| Felix Felicis | Liquid luck: everything goes your way for a while | Harry wins a vial in Half-Blood Prince |
| Amortentia | The strongest love potion, it smells of what you love most | Slughorn shows it in Half-Blood Prince |
| Veritaserum | A truth serum: three drops and you answer honestly | Used on Barty Crouch Jr in Goblet of Fire |
| Wolfsbane Potion | Lets a werewolf keep their own mind during the full moon | Snape brews it for Lupin in Prisoner of Azkaban |
| Draught of Living Death | A sleeping potion so strong the drinker looks dead | Harry brews it best in Slughorn's class |
| Draught of Peace | Calms anxiety | Snape sets it in a fifth-year class in Order of the Phoenix |
| Skele-Gro | Regrows missing bones overnight, painfully | Harry takes it in Chamber of Secrets |
| Pepperup Potion | Cures a cold, with steam from the ears | Madam Pomfrey hands it out in Chamber of Secrets |
| Shrinking Solution | Makes a living thing smaller or younger | A third-year class in Prisoner of Azkaban |
| Ageing Potion | Makes the drinker older | The Weasley twins try it in Goblet of Fire |
| Elixir of Life | Made with the Philosopher's Stone, it keeps the drinker alive | Philosopher's Stone |
Who teaches potions at Hogwarts?
Severus Snape teaches Potions for Harry's first five years, in a cold dungeon classroom. Horace Slughorn takes over in the sixth year, when Snape moves to Defence Against the Dark Arts.
The two teachers feel very different. Snape picks on Harry and Neville, and Slughorn collects favorite students. Harry's marks jump under Slughorn, thanks to a second-hand textbook full of notes from its old owner.
What is the hardest potion in Harry Potter?
Polyjuice Potion is the one the books spend the most time on. It takes about a month to brew, and the ingredients are hard to get, so Hermione has to take some from Snape's private stores.
Felix Felicis is harder still. Slughorn says it takes six months to brew and goes badly wrong if you make a mistake.
What does a potion need to work?
Exact amounts and exact order. In the Potions classroom a recipe is a list of steps, and one wrong ingredient can melt the cauldron, as Neville learns in his first lesson.
That's the part we built a game around. In Harry Magic: Potions Class every recipe is written in exact parts, you pour by eye, and you have one minute before the Professor looks into the cauldron.
Can you brew potions in a game?
Yes. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery has potion brewing as part of its story, and our own Harry Magic: Potions Class is about nothing else. Our list of potion making games covers more options for iPhone and iPad.
Questions about Harry Potter potions
What is the most powerful potion in Harry Potter?
The books call Amortentia the most powerful love potion in the world. For sheer effect, many fans would pick Felix Felicis, and the Elixir of Life keeps its drinker from dying.
What does Polyjuice Potion do?
It turns you into someone else for about an hour. You add a piece of that person, usually a hair, and the potion changes color and taste to match.
What potion is liquid luck?
Felix Felicis. Whoever drinks it has a run of good luck for as long as it lasts, and Slughorn warns that too much of it is dangerous.
How many potions are there in Harry Potter?
There's no single official count. The books and films name dozens, and fan wikis list more than a hundred with the ones from games and companion books.
More guides
- Games like Harry Potter for iPhone and iPad
8 Harry Potter mobile games and games like them, checked in the App Store in November 2026: wizard schools, potions, spells and match-3 puzzles.
- The best potion making games for iPhone and iPad
8 potion making games for iPhone and iPad, checked in the App Store in November 2026: exact recipes, potion shops, card brewing and color mixing.
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