Cauldron

A cauldron is a vessel similar to a bucket or kettle and is used to brew and hold potions and also may be used to carry supplies. Cauldrons are heated over an open fire and can be hung over a fire from an iron handle.

History

Early history

Cauldrons were once used by Muggles and wizards alike, being large metal cooking pots that could be suspended over fires. In time, magical and non-magical people alike moved on to stoves; saucepans became more convenient and cauldrons became the sole province of witches and wizards, who continued to brew potions in them. A naked flame is essential for the making of potions, which makes cauldrons the most practical pot of all.^[1]

Modern developments

While cauldrons remain classic potion-making utensils, there have been attempts to revolutionise the cauldron, like the invention of the Self-Stirring Cauldron by Gaspard Shingleton,^[2] or the Collapsible Cauldron.^[3] Humphrey Belcher once theorised "the time was ripe for a cheese cauldron" (Albus Dumbledore would later comment he had been "woefully wrong" in this belief).^[4]

The fire crab, which resembles a tortoise with a jewelled shell that shoots fire out its back end, is prized for its shell for use as a cauldron. This practise of poaching has lead to protected colonies in its native habitat of Fiji island.^[5]

All cauldrons are enchanted to make them lighter to carry, as they are most commonly made of pewter or iron. Modern inventions include the self-stirring and collapsible varieties of cauldron, and pots of precious metal are also available for the specialist, or the show-off.^[6]

Cauldron thickness

In general, cauldrons must stand up to great wear and usage. As one of his first assignments with the Ministry of Magic, Percy Weasley worked with the Department of International Magical Cooperation lobbying for a standard for cauldron thickness. Apparently, there was an issue with sub-standard imported cauldrons having defective, thin bottoms.^[7] Perhaps this is the cause for Neville Longbottom's knack for melting cauldrons during Potions class. First years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry used pewter standard size 2 cauldrons, as mentioned on the list that accompanied their Hogwarts acceptance letter.^[3]

Types of cauldron

Here is a list of known types of cauldrons, including those created as a joke:

• Exploding Cauldron
• Sloshing Cauldron
• Cheese Cauldron
• Silver Cauldron
• Solid Gold Cauldron

Cauldrons in wizarding culture

• The Leaky Cauldron of London is a popular pub for Wizards.^[3]
• Cauldron Cakes are treats beloved by wizarding children.
• Singer Celestina Warbeck sings tunes called "You Stole My Cauldron but You Can't Have my Heart," and "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love."
• Chocolate Cauldrons are boxed chocolates (eight to a box), shaped like cauldrons and filled with firewhiskey.

Behind the scenes

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the song Something Wicked This Way Comes was performed by the Hogwarts Student Choir at the Sorting Feast. The lyrics are taken from the opening scene of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. It was by John Williams.
• Pottermore once allowed users to brew potions, prior the site's revamp in 2015. When making them, ingredients are added to the cauldron, sometimes after being crushed with the pestle and mortar. The cauldron must be kept at the right temperature using the buttons below the cauldron on the brewing page; if the temperature is too high, the cauldron will melt and the potion maker will lose five points. When a cauldron melts, it cannot be reused and the potion maker must replace it with a new one from Potage's Cauldron Shop.^[8]
• Users of Pottermore are allowed to own only one of every available type of cauldron at Potage's Cauldron Shop - Pewter Cauldron, Copper Cauldron, Brass Cauldron.^[8]
• There exists a business which fixes cauldrons.
• In the wizarding sport Creaothceann, players wear cauldrons strapped to their heads.^[9]

Author's comments

"Cauldrons have had a magical association for centuries. They appear in hundreds of years' worth of pictures of witches, and are also supposed to be where leprechauns keep treasure. Many folk and fairy tales make mention of cauldrons with special powers, but in the Harry Potter books they are a fairly mundane tool. I did consider making Helga Hufflepuff's hallow a cauldron, but there was something slightly comical and incongruous about having such a large and heavy Horcrux; I wanted the objects Harry had to find to be smaller and more portable. However, a cauldron appears both in the four mythical jewels of Ireland (its magical power was that nobody ever went away from it unsatisfied) and in the legend of The Thirteen Treasures of Britain (the cauldron of Dyrnwch the giant would cook meat for brave men, but not for cowards)."

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Quidditch Through the Ages
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Pottermore
• Wonderbook: Book of Potions
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault (mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault (mentioned only)

Notes and references