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. ======Potassium Nitrate====== =====Information===== * **Type:** [[Potion]] Ingredient * **Known Users:** [[Draco Malfoy]] * **Source:** Presumably part of the standard [[Hogwarts School Stock]] for [[Potions]] classes. =====Description and Magical Properties===== Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound used as an ingredient in [[Potion]]-making. Its physical appearance is not described in the novels, though its real-world [[Muggle]] counterpart, also known as saltpeter, is a white crystalline solid. Its precise magical function is not explicitly stated. However, its use by [[Draco Malfoy]] as an unlisted additive in a [[Shrinking Solution]] suggests it acts as an altering agent or enhancer. When [[Malfoy]] added it to his potion, the solution turned a "shimmering, silvery color" instead of the "acid green" color specified in [[Libatius Borage]]'s textbook, //[[Magical Drafts and Potions]]//. This indicates that potassium nitrate can significantly change a potion's physical and possibly magical properties, representing a more advanced or non-standard brewing technique. =====Role in the Story===== Potassium nitrate is mentioned only once in the series, during a fourth-year [[Potions]] lesson in //[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]//. While the class was brewing [[Shrinking Solution]]s, [[Ron Weasley]] observed [[Draco Malfoy]] adding extra, unauthorized ingredients to his cauldron and identified one of them as potassium nitrate. This brief moment serves several narrative purposes: * It highlights the ongoing rivalry between [[Harry Potter]]'s trio and [[Malfoy]], particularly in the academic setting of [[Potions]]. * It demonstrates [[Malfoy]]'s competence and ambition in [[Potions]], showing his willingness to deviate from the textbook instructions to achieve a superior, or at least different, result. * It underscores [[Harry]]'s and [[Ron]]'s relative struggles in the subject, contrasting their by-the-book difficulties with [[Malfoy]]'s confident experimentation and [[Hermione Granger]]'s precise adherence to instructions. =====Behind the Scenes===== In real-world [[Muggle]] chemistry, potassium nitrate (KNO₃), commonly called saltpeter, is a primary ingredient in the manufacture of [[gunpowder]]. Its inclusion in the wizarding world as a [[Potion]] ingredient may be a subtle nod to its volatile and powerful nature, reflecting [[Malfoy]]'s use of a potentially risky but effective ingredient to get ahead.
