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"Powerful infatuations can be induced by the skillful potioneer, but never yet has anyone managed to create the truly unbreakable, eternal, unconditional attachment that alone can be called Love."
Hector Dagworth-Granger on love potions.[src]
Amortentia

A cauldron full of Amortentia.

Amortentia is the most powerful Love Potion in the entire world. It causes a powerful infatuation or obsession in the drinker. It has a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen, and steam rises from it in characteristic spirals.

It has a different aroma for everyone who smells it, reminding each person of the things that they find most attractive, even if the person themselves don't acknowledge or are unaware of their fondness for the object of their affection e.g. Hermione Granger smells fresh cut grass, new parchment and spearmint toothpaste.[1] Harry Potter smelled treacle tart, a broomstick, and "something flowery that he thought he might have smelled at the Burrow" (which he later realised as the smell of Ginny Weasley's hair). Ron Weasley smelled his mother's cooking, bacon and the perfume he gave Hermione in their 5th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for Christmas.

"Amortentia doesn't create actual love, of course. That's impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room."
Horace Slughorn while in Potion class in 1996.[src]

The effects of the potion on a person are described to be near instantaneous; with the person who drank the potion appearing "pale and sickly," and becoming obsessed with the object of their affections, speaking of them as though "hit by a ray of purest sunlight," and becoming excited or dangerously unstable towards others.

The potion must be administrated continuously in order to maintain the false love in the drinker. Otherwise, as with Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle Sr., the effects will wear off and the victim would regain their own free will.

Etymology

Amor is a Roman god of love, and the word "Amor" in Latin means "Love."

"Tentia" is also Latin for "held." Not only that, but "temtia" is Italian for "attempts."

Known aromas for individuals

Person Smells
Hermione Granger Freshly mowed grass, new parchment, spearmint toothpaste, and Ron Weasley's hair.[1]
Harry Potter

Treacle tart, a broomstick handle and Ginny Weasley's hair.

Ron Weasley

Molly Weasley's cooking, bacon and Hermione Granger's perfume.

Behind the scenes

Love Potion design for T-Shirt

Amortentia, described as the Most Powerful Love Potion in the World.

  • It was stated by J.K. Rowling that a large fountain filled with Amortentia could be found in the love room in the Department of Mysteries.
  • In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Hermione does not say what the third thing she smells is, although Rowling revealed in an interview that the third smell was Ron's hair. However, in the film version, Hermione states that the third thing she smells is spearmint toothpaste, due to the fact that in an earlier scene at The Burrow where Ron points out to Hermione there is toothpaste on her face.

Appearances

Notes and references

Potions (class)
Wideye-or-awakening-potion
Potioneers
Arsenius Jigger · Baruffio · Bella Navarro · Bilius Finbok · Blossom Degrasse · Dai Ryusaki · Damocles Belby · Dorothy Sprottle · Erica Stainwright · Fatimah Lawang · Fleamont Potter · Gethsemane Prickle · Gilderoy Lockhart · Glossy · Glover Hipworth · Golpalott · Gregory the Smarmy · Gunhilda de Gorsemoor · Hector Dagworth-Granger · Hesper Starkey · Jalal Sehmi · J. Pippin · Laverne de Montmorency · Libatius Borage · Linfred of Stinchcombe · Mulpepper · Mundungus Fletcher · Nicolas Flamel · Phineas Bourne · Priya Treadwell · Quintia McQuoid · Regulus Moonshine · Rogue alchemist · Rubens Winikus · Sacharissa Tugwood · Skower · Tilden Toots · Dr Ubbly · Vindictus Viridian · Zenith Xeep · Zygmunt Budge
Potions at Hogwarts
Cauldron cupboard · Dungeon Five · Potions basement · Potions Classroom · Potions Club · Potions Staircase · Potion Master's office · Potions Storeroom
Professors Bartholomew · Horace Slughorn · Severus Snape · Swoopstikes · Unnamed Professor (16th century) · Aesop Sharp (19th century) · Unnamed Professor (2021)
Textbooks A Collection of Above Three Hundred Receipts in Cookery, Physick, and Surgery · Advanced Potion-Making · Ingredient Encyclopedia · Magical Drafts and Potions · One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
Potions studied at Hogwarts
Ageing Potion · Amortentia · Antidotes · Antidote to Common Poisons · Antidote to garish pink blended poison · Antidote to Uncommon Poisons · Antidote to Veritaserum · Babbling Beverage · Befuddlement Draught · Calming Draught · Cheese-Based Potions · Confusing Concoction · Cough Potion · Cure for Boils · Deflating Draught · Doxycide · Draught of Living Death · Draught of Peace · Elixir to Induce Euphoria · Erumpent Potion · Essence of Insanity · Everlasting Elixirs · Felix Felicis · Fire Protection Potion · Forgetfulness Potion · The Famous French Method for the Bite of a Mad Dog · Garish pink blended poison · Garrotting Gas · Girding Potion · Hair-Raising Potion · Herbicide Potion · Hiccoughing Solution · Invigoration Draught · Laughing Potion · Mandrake Restorative Draught · Memory Potion · Pepperup Potion · Polyjuice Potion · Pompion Potion · Potion for Dreamless Sleep · Rat Tonic · Regerminating Potion · Scintillation Solution · Shrinking Solution · Skele-Gro · Strength Potion · Strengthening Solution · Swelling Solution · Undetectable Poisons · Veritaserum · Weedosoros · Wideye Potion · Wiggenweld Potion · Wit-Sharpening Potion · Wolfsbane Potion · Wound-Cleaning Potion
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