Love potion

Love potion
Potion information
Effect	Causes the drinker to become infatuated with the giver of the potion
Side-effects	Drinker remembers being under potion's influence and is typically left embarrassed because of the potent and obvious effects of the potion on the drinker.
Difficulty level	Advanced
Known ingredients	Ashwinder eggs Rose thorns Peppermint Powdered Moonstone
Inventor(s)	Laverne de Montmorency Fred and George Weasley

"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.

Love Potions are brews which cause the drinker to become infatuated or obsessed with the person who gave it to her/him. Love potions are considered to be power and highly dangerous. Amortentia is the most powerful love potion in existence.

Ingredients and brewing

Ashwinder eggs are a common ingredient in many varieties of love potions, as are rose thorns, peppermint, and Moonstone. Since there are many different types of love potions, therefore there are many different methods in which to brew them.

Effects

Ron: "It's no joke! I'm in love with her!"

Harry: "Alright, fine, you're in love with her! Have you ever actually met her?"

Ron: "No. Can you introduce me?"

— Ron Weasley declares his Love Potion-induced feelings for Romilda Vane

Love Potions ostensibly cause the drinker to fall in love with the person who gave him or her the potion. However, true love cannot be produced through artificial means, and thus the feelings that Love Potions create are more like obsession than affection.

The effect that a Love Potion has will wear off over time. In order to maintain the potion's effect, the giver must continually administer doses, or else the recipient may "fall out of love" with him or her. A single dose typically lasts up to 24 hours, but the precise duration is dependent on the weight of the drinker, as well as the attractiveness of the giver.

Love Potions will work regardless of whether the giver is present when the recipient consumes them. The longer the recipient keeps the potions (or potion-spiked items), the more potent their effect will become, as Love Potions mature over time.

There is an antidote to counteract the effect of Love Potions, but, even after it has been given, one will still retain all the embarrassing memories of how one acted under the influence of the administered Potion. Love Potions can cancel out the effects of a Hate Potion, and vice versa, as they are the opposite of each other.

Varieties

"And they've ordered Fred and George's Love Potions, which I'm sorry to say probably work."

— Hermione Granger stating that there are varieties

Laverne de Montmorency with one of the Love Potions she invented

Laverne de Montmorency invented a number of different Love Potions in the 1800s. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes sold a whole "range" of Love Potions in 1996, including Cupid Crystals, Kissing Concoction, Beguiling Bubbles and Twilight Moonbeams, further suggesting that there is more than one kind, possibly each with its own unique effect.

Amortentia is the strongest Love Potion in the world. It is recognisable by its mother-of-pearl sheen and by the spiraling steam that rises from it. The smell of the potion varies from person to person and is dependent upon what each individual finds appealing.

Use of love potion

"Watch out, these potions can strengthen the longer they're kept."

— Description of use

Love Potions are probably banned at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry but this has not stopped students from making them, or from trying to win hearts by their use. Even Molly Weasley admitted to having brewed a Love Potion when she was a girl at Hogwarts. Normally, a Love Potion is hidden in food or drinks so the intended victim won't notice.

On Valentine's Day, 1992, Gilderoy Lockhart implored his co-workers to join him in celebrating the occasion, suggesting that students should ask Professor Snape how to brew a Love Potion. Snape did not approve of this, and "was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison."

In her fourth year, Pansy Parkinson told Rita Skeeter that she believed Hermione Granger was capable of brewing a Love Potion, and that this was the method she thought Hermione had used to win the interest of Viktor Krum and, allegedly, Harry Potter. Skeeter published these false claims in Witch Weekly and urged Albus Dumbledore to investigate them further.

Ron Weasley thinking about Romilda Vane under the influence of Love Potion

The Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes shop began carrying a range of Love Potions as part of its WonderWitch line in 1996. When Argus Filch banned all Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products from Hogwarts, Fred and George Weasley began shipping Love Potions disguised as perfumes and cough potions, allowing Hogwarts students to order Love Potions, despite mandatory searches on owls. Hermione Granger overheard girls in the bathroom discussing ways to sneak Harry Potter a love potion. Romilda Vane tried to give one of the Weasleys' Love Potions to Harry Potter by spiking Gillywater and a box of Chocolate Cauldrons. Having been warned by Hermione, Harry refused the Gillywater when Romilda offered it to him, but was forced to accept her chocolates. Harry kept the unopened box in his room until March of the next year, when Ron Weasley found it, and, mistaking it for a birthday gift, ate half the chocolates. Ron instantly became obsessively smitten with Romilda and had to be taken to Horace Slughorn to be given an antidote.

Albus Dumbledore believed that Merope Gaunt used a love potion to obtain the affections of Tom Riddle Sr., a wealthy Muggle who lived in her village and whom she was infatuated with, as it would seem to be a more romantic method of obtaining his "love" than the also possible method of the Imperius Curse. She then seemed to stop giving it to him and he ran off, leaving her and her unborn baby to fend for themselves.

Behind the scenes

• J. K. Rowling has said that it is of important symbolic significance that Voldemort, incapable of love himself, was conceived in an act of coercion, rather than genuine love.
• Given how easily the potion can be abused to manipulate others, much like the Imperius Curse, it is unclear why the Ministry did not ban it, or why Hogwarts allowed it to be part of the Potions curriculum.
• As it is the case with Voldemort, conceiving a child while one of the parents is under the influence of a Love potion will render the child incapable of feeling love.
• It is unknown what effects Love Potions, even Amortentia, would have on Voldemort since he is utterly incapable of affection towards anyone/thing.
• Love potions are noted to have an "expiration date" of safe usage, as they mature over time; using the Love potion after the expiration date amplifies the desired effects, but it's unknown if it also lengthens thé time of the effect above 24 hours.
• It was never explained what would have happened if someone willingly uses the Love potion on himself/herself.

See also

• Love
• Love Potion Antidote
• Amortentia
• Hate Potion

Appearances

Bottles of WonderWitch Love Potions.

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
• 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)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Daily Prophet Newsletters (Mentioned only)
• Famous Wizard Card (Laverne de Montmorency)
• Pottermore