Growth Potion

• Type: Potion
• Owners: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Herbology Department)
• Maker: Unknown

The canonical novels do not provide a physical description of the Growth Potion, so its colour, consistency, and aroma remain unknown. It is administered in liquid form, likely via a dropper, as it is applied in “a few drops.” In the mobile game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, the potion is depicted as a vibrant green liquid. Known ingredients from this source include Puffer-Fish Eyes, Cowbane, and Daisy Roots (Hogwarts Mystery).

The primary and sole known function of the Growth Potion is to accelerate the growth and maturation of plants. It does not cause instantaneous growth but significantly speeds up the natural process. Its usage is demonstrated in Herbology class, where Professor Sprout instructs her students to administer “a few drops” to young Mandrakes after they have been re-potted. This controlled application suggests that a larger dose might be harmful or have unintended effects. The potion is a standard and essential tool in the cultivation of magical flora, particularly when a plant is needed urgently.

The origin and inventor of the Growth Potion are not recorded. The potion was notably used at Hogwarts during the 1992-1993 school year. Following the opening of the Chamber of Secrets and the subsequent petrifying attacks by the Basilisk, a fresh batch of Mandrakes was required to brew the Mandrake Restorative Draught. Professor Sprout, with the help of her second-year students including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, used Growth Potion to hasten the maturation of the Mandrake seedlings. The successful application of the potion was crucial for curing the Basilisk's victims, who included Mrs Norris, Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Nearly Headless Nick, Penelope Clearwater, and Hermione Granger herself.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Growth Potion serves as a critical plot device. While it is the key to creating the cure for Petrification, its inability to work instantly introduces a necessary time-delay into the narrative. This waiting period, during which the Mandrakes must mature, heightens the tension and sense of danger within Hogwarts, as more students and residents fall victim to the Basilisk. The potion's effectiveness underscores the power of magical horticulture, but its limitations drive the plot forward, forcing Harry Potter and his friends to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets before the Mandrakes are ready. Ultimately, the potion's successful use provides the resolution for the petrified victims subplot, allowing them all to be restored to health by Madam Pomfrey at the end of the school year.

• The Growth Potion is a craftable item in the mobile game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, where players learn to brew it in Potions class.
• While the Mandrake re-potting scene is featured in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Growth Potion itself is not explicitly shown or mentioned.