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. ======Infusion of Wormwood====== =====Object Information===== * **Type:** [[Potion Ingredient]] * **Users/Brewers:** [[Students]] of [[N.E.W.T.]]-level [[Potions]], [[Harry Potter]], [[Horace Slughorn]] * **Derived From:** [[Wormwood]] =====Description and Appearance===== An Infusion of Wormwood is a prepared liquid ingredient used in [[Potions]]. While its exact appearance is not described in the novels, an //infusion// is typically created by steeping a plant substance, in this case [[Wormwood]], in a liquid solvent like water to extract its chemical properties. =====Magical Properties and Usage===== The primary known use of Infusion of Wormwood is as a crucial ingredient in brewing the [[Draught of Living Death]], a very powerful [[Sleeping Draught]]. It is the final ingredient added during the brewing process. When added correctly to the nearly finished potion—which at that point should be a pale lilac or pink colour—it transforms the mixture into a state described as being "clear, liquid-like water," signifying that the draught has been brewed to perfection. This suggests the infusion acts as a potent clarifying and stabilizing agent, finalizing the complex magical reactions within the potion. =====History===== The use of Infusion of Wormwood is documented in the [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] sixth-year [[Potions]] textbook, //[[Advanced Potion-Making]]// by [[Libatius Borage]]. Its inclusion in the advanced curriculum indicates it is a standard, albeit complex, ingredient known to potioneers for a considerable time. =====Role in the Story===== The Infusion of Wormwood plays a crucial, though indirect, role in //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince//. In his first [[Potions]] class with Professor [[Horace Slughorn]], [[Harry Potter]] is tasked with brewing a perfect [[Draught of Living Death]] to win a phial of [[Felix Felicis]]. Using the annotated instructions in his borrowed copy of //[[Advanced Potion-Making]]//, which belonged to the [[Half-Blood Prince]], [[Harry]] successfully creates the potion, far surpassing his classmates, including [[Hermione Granger]]. The addition of the Infusion of Wormwood is the final step he takes, which turns his potion clear and confirms his success. This achievement earns him the [[Felix Felicis]] as a prize from [[Slughorn]]. The "good luck potion" is later instrumental in helping [[Harry]] persuade [[Slughorn]] to give up a critical [[memory]] concerning [[Tom Riddle]]'s inquiries about [[Horcruxes]]. The acquisition of this [[memory]] is a vital turning point in the war against [[Lord Voldemort]], making the successful brewing of the draught—and by extension, the use of this ingredient—a key plot device. =====Behind the Scenes===== * In the real world, [[Wormwood]] (//Artemisia absinthium//) is a plant known for its bitter taste and its use in creating the alcoholic spirit absinthe. It has a long history in herbal medicine. * The combination of [[Wormwood]] and [[Asphodel]], the first ingredient mentioned for the [[Draught of Living Death]], holds symbolic significance. In the Victorian language of flowers, asphodel is a type of lily meaning "my regrets follow you to the grave," while wormwood symbolizes "absence" and bitter sorrow. This has led many fans to interpret the ingredients of this specific potion as a coded message from [[Severus Snape]] expressing his profound and bitter grief over the death of [[Lily Potter]].
