Drink of Despair
From Harry Potter Wiki
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| Drink of Despair | |
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| Potion information | |
| Effect |
Induces fear, delirium, and extreme thirst in the drinker |
| Characteristics |
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| Behind the scenes | |
| First appearance | |
| Latest appearance | |
- Harry: "You think the Horcrux is in there, sir?"
- Dumbledore: "Oh yes. But how to reach it? This potion cannot be penetrated by hand, Vanished, parted, scooped up, or siphoned away, nor can it be Transfigured, Charmed, or otherwise made to change its nature. I can only conclude this potion is supposed to be drunk."
- — Harry and Dumbledore discuss the potion guarding a Horcrux[src]
The Drink of Despair [1] is a mysterious potion which induces fear, delirium, and extreme thirst. It has an emerald green colour to it, and glows phosphorescently. It cannot be penetrated by hand, Vanished, parted, scooped up, siphoned away, Transfigured, Charmed, or made to change its nature in anyway. It can only be drained away by drinking.
Lord Voldemort used this potion to protect Salazar Slytherin's Locket (one of his Horcruxes) within the Horcrux cave.
- "Kreacher drank, and as he drank, he saw terrible things... Kreacher's insides burned... Kreacher cried for Master Regulus to save him, he cried for his Mistress Black, but the Dark Lord only laughed... He made Kreacher drink all the potion... He dropped a locket into the empty basin... He filled it with more potion..."
- —Kreacher describing when Voldemort forced him to test the potion's defenses.[src]
While its effects are not completely known, the potion would seem to cause the drinker to relive horrible memories. It did cause Albus Dumbledore to either imagine or remember horrific events from his past. His screams of "kill me" could either indicate a resurfacing of the memory of his sister's death (as in, "kill me instead") or a request to be delivered from the horrible pain he was experiencing. It also causes the drinker to become extremely thirsty, and forces its victim to attempt to drink water from the Horcrux cave lake, causing the Inferi to attack.
[edit] Behind the scenes
- In the movie, the Drink of Despair is a completely different colour, appearing as a dark blue/purple colour.
- Also, in the book version, Dumbledore conjured a crystal cup out of thin air to drink the potion, while in the movie version, there was a seashell-shaped cup placed on top of the basin.
- Though unnamed on the books, films and video games, the track from the film's soundtrack which plays over the scene of Dumbledore consuming the potion is titled "The Drink of Despair". This would be a particularly appropriate name for the potion, given the morbid effect that it has on its drinker.
[edit] Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Appears in vision(s))
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (Appears in vision(s))
[edit] Notes and references
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