Harry Potter Wiki
Harry Potter Wiki
Tags: Visual edit apiedit
m (Added a note from Severus Snape)
Tags: Visual edit apiedit
(One intermediate revision by one other user not shown)
Line 23: Line 23:
   
 
==Brewing instructions==
 
==Brewing instructions==
  +
[[File:Draught-of-living-death.png|thumb|A bottle of the Draught of Living Death]]
 
The following recipe can be followed to brew this potion:<ref name="sc">''Scholastic Official Site''</ref>
 
The following recipe can be followed to brew this potion:<ref name="sc">''Scholastic Official Site''</ref>
 
#Add the [[Infusion of Wormwood]].
 
#Add the [[Infusion of Wormwood]].
Line 30: Line 31:
 
#Add the [[Sopophorous bean]]'s juice.
 
#Add the [[Sopophorous bean]]'s juice.
 
#Stir seven times anti-clockwise.
 
#Stir seven times anti-clockwise.
  +
[[File:Screenshot 450.png|thumb|220x220px|Recipe (LEGO)]]
 
 
===Severus Snape's notes===
 
===Severus Snape's notes===
 
*The Sopophorous bean should be crushed with a [[silver]] dagger, not cut, releases juices more efficiently.
 
*The Sopophorous bean should be crushed with a [[silver]] dagger, not cut, releases juices more efficiently.
  +
*The juice from 13 Sopophorous beans should be used, rather than 12.
 
*Stir anticlockwise seven times and clockwise once instead.
 
*Stir anticlockwise seven times and clockwise once instead.
   
Line 40: Line 42:
 
==Behind the scenes==
 
==Behind the scenes==
 
{{Quote|I dare to say that one drop would kill us all.|Horace Slughorn on Harry Potter's potion.|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)}}
 
{{Quote|I dare to say that one drop would kill us all.|Horace Slughorn on Harry Potter's potion.|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)}}
[[File:Draught-of-living-death.png|thumb|A bottle of the Draught of Living Death]]
+
[[File:Screenshot 450.png|thumb|220x220px|Recipe (LEGO)]]
 
*This potion is briefly mentioned in [[first year]], though they did not create it until [[sixth year|five years later]]. It was never really used in either case.
 
*This potion is briefly mentioned in [[first year]], though they did not create it until [[sixth year|five years later]]. It was never really used in either case.
 
*In [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|the first film]], it is called "The Draught of the Living Dead".
 
*In [[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|the first film]], it is called "The Draught of the Living Dead".

Revision as of 02:23, 3 October 2015

"The Draught of Living Death brings upon its drinker a very powerful sleep that can last indefinitely. This draught is very dangerous if not used with caution ... This is an extremely dangerous potion. Execute with maximum caution."
Advanced Potion-Making[src]

The Draught of Living Death is an extremely powerful sleeping draught, sending the drinker into a deathlike slumber, similar to suspended animation.

Difficulty

The potion is difficult to concoct, since Hermione Granger, a very talented potion-maker, who managed to concoct Polyjuice Potion in her second year, had trouble doing it. Indeed, Horace Slughorn exposits that only once before in his career was a student (presumably Severus Snape, the Half-Blood Prince who knew various shortcuts in the potion-making process, though this was never confirmed) able to brew a mostly finished draught in only a single hour.

Brewing instructions

Draught-of-living-death

A bottle of the Draught of Living Death

The following recipe can be followed to brew this potion:[1]

  1. Add the Infusion of Wormwood.
  2. Add the powdered root of asphodel.
  3. Stir twice clockwise.
  4. Add the sloth brain.
  5. Add the Sopophorous bean's juice.
  6. Stir seven times anti-clockwise.

Severus Snape's notes

  • The Sopophorous bean should be crushed with a silver dagger, not cut, releases juices more efficiently.
  • The juice from 13 Sopophorous beans should be used, rather than 12.
  • Stir anticlockwise seven times and clockwise once instead.

Notable examples

The Wiggenweld Potion is capable of reversing the effects of the Draught. The Hag Leticia Somnolens used the Draught in an attempt to kill a princess who made her jealous. A prince who placed Wiggenweld Potion on his lips revived the princess with a kiss.

Behind the scenes

"I dare to say that one drop would kill us all."
— Horace Slughorn on Harry Potter's potion.[src]
Screenshot 450

Recipe (LEGO)

  • This potion is briefly mentioned in first year, though they did not create it until five years later. It was never really used in either case.
  • In the first film, it is called "The Draught of the Living Dead".
  • In the sixth film, Slughorn tests the potions by placing a leaf into each; when he places it into Harry's, the leaf disintegrates. He also states that it was "so perfect one drop would kill us all"; this was likely an exaggeration because the potion is a sleeping potion not a poison.
  • The Valerian root is a natural sedative.
  • The film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince gives the following recipe:
  1. Cut up the Sopophorous bean
  2. Pour in 250 fl.oz. of water and add 5 oz. of African sea salt to the beaker. Set the beaker aside after all the water has been added. Be very careful not to shake or move the beaker now.
  1. Leave the water and salt to rest for five minutes.
  2. Slowly pour all the water into the cauldron.
  3. With your left hand use the graduated cylinder to obtain 40 fl.oz. of essence of wormwood.
  4. With your right hand hold the cauldron at a slight angle and pour ten drops (20 fl.oz.) of essence of wormwood.
  5. Now with your left hand hold the cauldron at a slightly different angle and pour another ten drops of wormwood essence.
  6. Chop three Valerian roots into small squared pieces. After cutting place it in a beaker with water. Leave it to settle for five minutes. Your potion should now be resembling a smooth blackcurrant-coloured liquid.
  7. Carefully pour the Sopophorous bean's juice into the cauldron
  8. Add seven drops of the reduced liquid from the beaker; make sure there are no traces or fragments of Valerian root.
  9. Stir the potion ten times clockwise; your potion should now be turning a light shade of lilac.
  10. With your right hand stir the potion counterclockwise until the potion turns as clear as water; every stir should take approximately two and a half seconds.
  11. Slowly put in seven square pieces of Valerian root.
  12. Stir the potion ten times counterclockwise.
  13. Add one hundred and fifty fl.oz. of powdered root of asphodel.
  14. Hold the cauldron with your right hand; with your left hand gently stir the potion ten times counterclockwise and eight times clockwise.
  15. Leave the potion to settle for two and a half minutes.
  16. Add one small piece of Valerian root.
  17. Your potion should turn to a pale pink colour; the preparation is now complete.
  • In the film, the following equipment is necessary:
    • Standard size cauldron (presumably pewter)
    • 150 fl.oz beaker
    • 50 fl.oz. graduated cylinder
    • Standard test tube
    • 250 fl.oz. measuring cup
    • Stirring rod
    • Dropper
  • The Nintendo DS version of the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince gives this recipe, as altered by the Half-Blood Prince:
  1. Shake vial of moondew and replace.
  2. Heat cauldron to the marked temperature.
  3. Pour moondew into cauldron. Potion should turn pink.
  4. Pour sloth brain into cauldron. Potion should turn cyan.
  5. Add flower heads to cauldron. Potion should turn green.
  6. Stir potion until blue.

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. Scholastic Official Site
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
Potions Club
Potions Club HBPG
Members
Harry Potter · Hufflepuff girl · Horace Slughorn (possibly)
Potions
Antidote to Common Poisons · Cure for Boils · Dragon dung fertiliser · Draught of Living Death · Draught of Peace · Elixir to Induce Euphoria · Girding Potion · Love Potion Antidote · Oculus Potion · Polyjuice Potion · Shrinking Solution · Stamina Game · Volubilis Potion · Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Love Potion · Wiggenweld Potion · Wit-Sharpening Potion
Badges
Last Gasp Badge · Master Potioneer Badge · Messiest Mixer Badge · Potions Beginner's Luck Badge · Potions Club Member Badge · Potions Club Star Badge · Potions Club Veteran Badge · Potions Endurance Badge · Smoky Brewer Badge · Speedy Brewer Badge
Locations
Hogwarts greenhouses