Skele-Gro

Skele-Gro
Potion information
Effect	Restored bones
Characteristics	Smoked when poured Vile taste Burned on the way down Yellow in colour
Difficulty level	Moderate
Known ingredients	1 Chinese Chomping Cabbage 3 puffer-fish 5 scarab beetles 1 Fanged Geranium 1 arm bone 1 red spider
Inventor(s)	Linfred of Stinchcombe (original version)
Manufacturer	Rubens Winikus and Company Inc.

"What did you expect? Pumpkin juice?"

— Madam Pomfrey regarding the foul taste of Skele-Gro

Skele-Gro (alternately spelled Skelegro) was a dreadful-tasting potion which restored and caused growth to bones. It was able to mend broken bones, or even regrow entire bones that have vanished or been otherwise lost. For regrowing entire bones, the process was notably slow and painful and could take over a full day.

Effects

"It burned Harry's mouth and throat as it went down, making him cough and splutter."

— The unpleasant effects of the potion

The potion was extremely effective when it came to regrowing, growing, and mending bone, but smelled and tasted terrible and it often caused pain. When regrowing an entire bone, Harry Potter described the sensation as having large splinters lodged in his arm. The potion came in a large bottle and smoked as it was dispensed. Swallowing it burned the throat, and, according to Harry, it tasted awful and made him cough and splutter. For a magical treatment, Skele-Gro was surprisingly slow working when regrowing whole bones, taking most of the night to regrow the bones in Harry's arm. However, since he required thirty-three bones to be regrown outright, it is likely that its effects vary with the amount required to be healed or regrown.

History

A bottle of Skele-Gro

Linfred of Stinchcombe, an ancestor of the Potter family, was known for having created many medicinal potions, one of which would be used as the basis for Skele-Gro.

Though she usually bought it, Madam Pomfrey had to brew Skele-Gro herself in the 1985–1986 school year, and was assisted by Jacob's sibling.

Due to a Skele-Gro shortage in the 1987–1988 school year, Madam Pomfrey tasked Professor Severus Snape with producing more for her supplies. Hence, the Potions Master conscripted his fourth-years to concoct this particular brew in Potions class and taught them how to do so, warning them that Madam Pomfrey would not accept subpar Skele-Gro from them.

Linfred's descendant Harry Potter needed a dose of Skele-Gro after the bones in his right arm were broken during a Quidditch match in the 1992–1993 school year. Despite Harry's wishes, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart foolishly attempted to mend the bones, accidentally causing them to disappear instead. Later that school year, when Lockhart completely redecorated the Great Hall as a morale-booster for Valentine's Day, Professor Severus Snape, being one of the teachers, was disgusted by this action, and his disgusted reaction was stated to have looked as though he was fed a large beaker of Skele-Gro.

Draco Malfoy mentioned in the 1994–1995 school year that he had previously attributed Rubeus Hagrid's giant-like stature to a possible accidental overdose of Skele-Gro as a child. However, it is unknown if the potion could have such an extreme growth effect, even when overdosed, and it is known that Hagrid's size is as a result of being Half-Giant.

Griphook was administered Skele-Gro by Fleur Delacour after escaping from Malfoy Manor in 1998, at her home Shell Cottage.

In the early 2010s, St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries ran out of Skele-Gro after a disaster at a Quidditch exhibition. They needed the public to help provide fully grown harvested Fanged Geraniums so they could produce more Skele-Gro.

On 22 May 2014, during the final match of the first round of the 427th Quidditch World Cup between Wales and Germany, the quick administration of Skele-Gro saved German Seeker Thorsten Pfeffer's life after he failed an attempt at the life-threatening Wronski Feint. Pfeffer collided with the ground at what onlookers estimated to be sixty miles per hour, broke most of his bones and due to head injury, his memory was flawed and he was left believing himself to be a budgerigar called Klaus.

Behind the scenes

A real-world Skele-Gro water bottle

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, according to the label on the Skele-Gro bottle: "1100 drops. Bone Regenerator. Bone-fide results every time. Sold only by Reubens Winikus and Company Inc."
• The top part of the bottle is shaped like the rib cage and arms of a human skeleton. The lid of a bottle is shaped like a human skull.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry actually spat the potion out when he first tasted it, leading Madam Pomfrey to chastise him. In the film's following scene, Dobby hits himself in the head with the bottle of Skele-Gro when Harry questioned him about what terrible thing was going to happen to the school.

Madam Pomfrey preparing Skele-Gro in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Madam Pomfrey is out of Skele-Gro, and must make more with the help of Ron and Hermione. Also, the potion is shown to work instantly when used to mend Harry's broken bones.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• The Making of Harry Potter
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Mentioned in History of Magic classes)
• Hogwarts Legacy (Mentioned in NPC dialogue)