Phial

• Type: Container, Magical Storage
• Owners: Phials are common items and thus owned by many. Notable owners of specific, important phials include:
  • Albus Dumbledore
  • Harry Potter
  • Horace Slughorn
  • Severus Snape
  • Fred Weasley and George Weasley
• Maker: Unknown; they are standard apothecarial and laboratory equipment.

A phial is a small, typically cylindrical glass or crystal bottle used for holding small quantities of liquids. Their appearance varies depending on their intended use and maker. In the wizarding world, they are essential for storing and transporting Potions, potion ingredients, and even magical substances like Memories. Notable descriptions from the novels include:

• The phial in Professor Snape's potion riddle protecting the Philosopher's Stone was described as “the smallest bottle” among the seven.
• Veritaserum was contained in a “tiny, clear-glass phial”.
• Memories intended for a Pensieve are stored in “slender, crystal phials,” which are often sealed with a cork and carefully labeled.
• The dose of Felix Felicis won by Harry Potter was contained in a “tiny glass phial” holding a gold-colored liquid.
• Love Potions sold at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes are packaged in “pretty phials.”

While a phial itself is not inherently magical, its primary function is to serve as a stable and secure container for magical substances. Its small size allows for the precise measurement, storage, and transport of potent liquids where only a small dose is required. Their most significant uses include:

• Potions Storage: Phials are standard equipment in Potions class and in any Apothecary. They are used to hold finished potions like Felix Felicis and Veritaserum, as well as individual ingredients.
• Memories Storage: One of the most unique uses for phials in the wizarding world is the storage of Memories. A wizard or witch can extract a memory from their mind using a wand and deposit the silvery, ethereal substance into a phial for safekeeping or later viewing in a Pensieve.

Phials, though common objects, play a surprisingly critical role in several key plot points throughout the series.

• In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, a phial contains the potion that allows Harry Potter to pass through the enchanted black fire set by Professor Snape, enabling him to reach the final chamber and confront Professor Quirrell. The choice of the correct phial is the culmination of a logic puzzle solved by Hermione Granger.
• In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the concept of storing Memories in phials is introduced. Albus Dumbledore uses them to show Harry the trials of Death Eaters like Igor Karkaroff and Barty Crouch Jr.. Later, a phial of Veritaserum is used to force the captured Barty Crouch Jr. to confess his entire plan.
• In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, phials are central to the main plot. Harry wins a phial of Felix Felicis, a potion he later uses to successfully persuade Horace Slughorn to give up his true memory of a conversation with a young Tom Riddle. This memory, extracted and contained within a crystal phial, reveals Voldemort's secret of creating multiple Horcruxes, providing Harry and Dumbledore with the crucial knowledge needed to defeat him.

• In the film adaptations, the visual design of the memory phials is highly detailed and iconic. They are shown as elegant, hand-blown glass containers, often sealed with wax-topped corks and featuring exquisitely handwritten labels identifying the memory within. The phial for Felix Felicis is also given a unique, leaf-like shape. (film)