Boil-Cure Potion

• Type: Potion
• Effect: Cures boils. If brewed incorrectly, it can cause them.
• Difficulty: Beginner. It is one of the first potions taught to Hogwarts first-year students.
• Known Ingredients:
  • Dried Nettles
  • Crushed Snake Fangs
  • Stewed Horned Slugs
  • Porcupine quills
• Characteristics: When brewed successfully, the potion emits puffs of green smoke. An incorrectly brewed batch may be green-and-orange and has explosive properties.

The Boil-Cure Potion is a simple healing potion designed to cure common boils. It is a standard part of the first-year Potions curriculum at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and its recipe is found in the textbook Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger. The brewing process involves several key steps, including the addition of dried Nettles, stewed Horned Slugs, and crushed Snake Fangs. The final and most critical step is the addition of Porcupine quills. These must be added after the cauldron has been taken off the fire. Adding them while the potion is still heating is a common mistake that causes a dangerous chemical reaction: the potion will melt the cauldron (even a pewter one) and spray the contents, causing those hit by the splash to break out in painful boils.

The Boil-Cure Potion is the very first potion Harry Potter and his classmates attempt to brew in their first Potions lesson with Professor Severus Snape. The lesson served to establish several key character dynamics. Hermione Granger successfully brewed the potion, demonstrating her academic diligence and natural talent. In contrast, Neville Longbottom, intimidated by Professor Snape, made a critical error by adding the Porcupine quills too early. This caused his cauldron to melt into a “twisted blob” and the potion to shoot across the dungeon, spattering several students. Neville himself was covered in the potion and immediately broke out in boils, requiring a trip to the Hospital Wing. Professor Snape unfairly blamed Harry for the incident and docked a point from Gryffindor, highlighting his immediate and deep-seated bias against Harry.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the scene in the Potions classroom is depicted similarly to the book, with Neville's cauldron melting and Seamus Finnigan's face being covered in boils.
• The Boil-Cure Potion is a frequently featured potion in various *Harry Potter* video games, such as Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. These games sometimes list additional ingredients not mentioned in the novels, including Flobberworm Mucus and Pungous Onions (video game).