Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======The Common Cold====== =====Introduction===== The **common cold** is a mundane, non-magical illness that affects both [[Muggles]] and members of the [[wizarding community]]. Despite the vast capabilities of [[magic]] to cure a wide range of ailments and injuries, the common cold is depicted as a uniquely persistent and troublesome condition that even skilled [[Healers]] find difficult to treat instantly. Its presence in the magical world serves to illustrate that [[magic]] is not an infallible solution to all of life's minor problems. =====Magical Remedies and Treatment===== While [[wizards]] and [[witches]] have developed remedies for the common cold, it cannot be vanished with a simple [[spell]] in the same way a broken bone can be mended. The treatment of the cold highlights a curious limitation of healing [[magic]]. * **[[Pepperup Potion]]:** This is a well-known magical remedy specifically designed to counteract the symptoms of the common cold. While effective, it has a notable and somewhat comical side effect: the drinker will have steam pouring from their ears for several hours after consumption. * **Household Cures:** It is implied that effective home remedies exist. [[Ron Weasley]] once boasted that his mother, [[Molly Weasley]], "can cure the common cold," suggesting that proficient homemakers possess knowledge of potions or charms to manage the illness. * **Challenges in Healing:** The difficulty of curing a cold is explicitly noted at [[Hogwarts]]. After [[Harry Potter]] breaks his arm in a [[Quidditch]] match, students remark that [[Madam Pomfrey]] can mend bones in a second but struggles with the common cold. This implies that the viral nature of the illness presents a more complex magical challenge than a straightforward physical injury. =====Notable Occurrences===== * When [[Harry Potter]]'s hair magically grew back overnight after a bad haircut, his aunt [[Petunia Dursley]] worried that his cousin [[Dudley Dursley]] might catch a cold from him, demonstrating the mundane, [[Muggle]] understanding of the ailment. * In a discussion about [[Albus Dumbledore]]'s immense power, [[Ron Weasley]] compares it to his mother's practical magical skills, stating she can cure the common cold. * During [[Harry Potter]]'s second year, after [[Gilderoy Lockhart]] removes the bones from his arm, students in the [[Hospital Wing]] comment on [[Madam Pomfrey]]'s inability to instantly cure a cold, contrasting it with her expertise in more dramatic injuries. * The [[Pepperup Potion]] is mentioned as a standard cold remedy in [[Harry Potter]]'s sixth year, with its ear-steaming side effect being common knowledge among students.
