Antidote to Uncommon Poisons

• Type: Potion (Antidote)
• Maker: The standard recipe is credited to Libatius Borage in his textbook, Advanced Potion-Making. An improved version was created by the Half-Blood Prince (Severus Snape).
• Known Brewers: Horace Slughorn, Severus Snape, Harry Potter. Hermione Granger also attempted to brew it.

When brewed to perfection, the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons is a smooth, turquoise-coloured liquid. The quality of the final potion is highly dependent on the brewer's skill and technique. An improperly brewed version, such as the one attempted by Hermione Granger following the standard textbook instructions, can result in a lumpy, grayish-blue mixture. The improved brewing method developed by the Half-Blood Prince yields a flawless result that Horace Slughorn described as “perfect.”

As its name implies, the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons is a powerful remedy designed to counteract the effects of rare and complex poisons for which simpler cures, such as a Bezoar, are ineffective. It is a highly advanced potion, taught only to students at the N.E.W.T. level, signifying its complexity and the skill required for its creation. The standard brewing instructions are found in the textbook Advanced Potion-Making. However, the Half-Blood Prince's annotated copy of the text revealed superior techniques for achieving a perfect brew:

• Sopophorous bean: Instead of cutting the bean, it should be crushed with the flat side of a silver dagger. This method releases significantly more juice, a key component of the potion's efficacy.
• Stirring: A single counter-clockwise stir should be added after every seven clockwise stirs, a nuance not mentioned in the official instructions.

These modifications drastically improve the quality of the finished antidote.

The Antidote to Uncommon Poisons has been a standard part of the advanced Potions curriculum at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for many years. Its recipe is detailed in Libatius Borage's classic N.E.W.T.-level textbook, Advanced Potion-Making. During his time as a student at Hogwarts, Severus Snape experimented with and improved upon many of the standard recipes in his textbook. He recorded his more effective methods in the margins of his personal copy, which he used under the moniker of the “Half-Blood Prince.” His improved instructions for this particular antidote proved to be far superior to the published version.

The Antidote to Uncommon Poisons plays a pivotal role in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In the first Advanced Potion-Making class of the school year, Professor Horace Slughorn offers a vial of Felix Felicis as a prize to the student who can brew the best sample of this antidote. While Hermione Granger struggles by meticulously following the official recipe, Harry Potter uses the Half-Blood Prince's annotated textbook. The Prince's clever modifications allow Harry to brew a perfect turquoise potion, astonishing Slughorn and winning him the “Liquid Luck.” This event serves multiple purposes: it immediately establishes the Half-Blood Prince as a masterful potioneer, creates academic tension between Harry and Hermione, and provides Harry with the Felix Felicis, a crucial tool he later uses to retrieve a critical memory from Slughorn regarding Tom Riddle's Horcruxes.

The scene in which Harry brews the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons is depicted in the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*. The film closely follows the book's narrative, showcasing Harry's surprising success and Hermione's frustration, and culminating in him winning the Felix Felicis (film).