I've considered developing new potions to be analogous to developing new medications; the researcher starts with an existing effect from a known baseline substance either from nature or derived from earlier alchemy and then refines or modifies it to see if they can improve or transform the effect.

I think this is believable and familiar, but what if you could develop potions by design?

'I need a potion to seal a wound as well as Essence of Dittany, but wear off later, leading to the victim dying quietly in bed from bloodloss.'

'I need a solvent that will undo a Permanent Sticking charm but not damage the two objects that are stuck together. Or at least one of them.'

'I need something to use against a competitor who I suspect is using Felix Felicis, to cancel the advantage'


I remember one or two stories using potions like this, but I doubt they did much more than use it as a way for Harry/Hermione/witch of the week to show off mad alkamee skilz and rub it in Snape's and/or Dumbledore's face.

Anyone remember a story that delved into potions for more than yet-another-power-up-they-used-once?

 

I kinda wanna see a HP potion's master making recipes a la Gordon Ramsey from The F Word. I can see it now, "Lily Potters Perfect Polyjuice Draught".

 

Insane thought 4129:

"Next week on Iron Alchemist: Willy Wonka! Baba Yaga! Nicolas Flamel! The ghost of Helga Hufflepuff!

"A cook-off for the ages, the category is 'Puddings' and the surprise ingredient is rumoured to be... dragon blood!"

 

Another insane thought, I guess.

I just had a vision of Snape standing over a cauldron of coffee and telling students that it's the Wakefulness Potion.

Do you think any such thing might ever have happened? Like, before the Statute was being effectively enforced?

How many popular (or unpopular) Muggle drinks are just potions that wizards gave them at some point before the Statute was conceived and interaction with wizards and witches often involved the ingestion or preparation of one potion or another?

 

Coffee does not require magic to prepare, and it's made with one ingredient. Hard to see how it qualifies as a potion.

 

Well, it was more of an example than anything else, and it would have been one of the first 'potions,' so its simplicity might not automatically discount it. "Magic beans" anyone?

 

Harry and the Beanstalk? Yes, please, make it real.

 

All just a caffeinated hallucination brought about by a friendly neighborhood wizard who wanted see some kid trip bawls in his back yard for a day.

 

Love potions are another example of potions that create a non-physical effect.

Even if they don't cause real love, just obsession and lust.

 

Well, thanks to Pottermore we have the Awakening Potion

Pottermore has added more to the HP world by providing actual potions to brew along with listed ingredients. Seriously, you can lose hours looking at the HP wiki with all the different Potions that have up.

 

Wakefulnees pastilles... getcher Wakefulness pastilles here! Tested safe for muggles and sold as Ritalin...