Rebirth Potion

• Type: Potion, Dark Magic
• Owners: Lord Voldemort
• Maker: Lord Voldemort

The Rebirth Potion is a powerful and complex piece of Dark Magic used to regenerate a full, physical body for a wizard who has been reduced to a non-corporeal state. The potion itself changes color and state dramatically as its key ingredients are added. Prepared in a large, stone Cauldron filled with water, the liquid initially bubbles and sparkles. Upon the addition of Lord Voldemort's rudimentary, infant-like form, it turns a “blinding, poisonous-looking blue.” When the flesh of a servant is added, it transforms into a “vivid, bloodred” color. Finally, with the addition of an enemy's blood, the potion becomes “a blinding white.” The completion of the ritual is marked by a great rush of thick, white steam that obscures the Cauldron entirely.

The primary function of this potion is to create a new body for a wizard, restoring them to their full power. Its use involves a specific and dark ritual that requires three potent ingredients:

1. Bone of the Father: A bone taken from the grave of the subject's father. This must be given unknowingly. The incantation recited is: “Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!”
2. Flesh of the Servant: Flesh willingly sacrificed by a loyal servant. The incantation is: “Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master.”
3. Blood of the Enemy: Blood forcibly taken from a key enemy of the subject. The incantation is: “Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe.”

The wizard seeking regeneration, in their weakened state, must also be placed into the Cauldron with the ingredients. Lord Voldemort specifically chose Harry Potter's blood because he believed it would allow him to bypass the sacrificial protection Lily Potter had given her son, enabling him to touch Harry without being harmed. While the potion successfully restored Lord Voldemort's body and power, the use of Harry's blood had a profound, unintended consequence. As Albus Dumbledore later explained, by taking Harry's blood into himself, Voldemort tethered Lily Potter's protection to his own life. This ensured that Harry could not be killed by Voldemort as long as Voldemort himself remained alive, effectively acting as a form of Horcrux for Harry.

The potion was an invention of Lord Voldemort, based on an “old piece of Dark Magic.” He devised the ritual during his years of exile following his first defeat. For over a decade, he was unable to perform it because he lacked a willing servant to procure the ingredients and had no access to Harry Potter. The plan to use the potion was set in motion after Peter Pettigrew located Voldemort in Albania and helped him create a rudimentary body sustained by a potion of Unicorn Blood and Nagini's venom. The final ritual was performed on June 24, 1995, in the graveyard of Little Hangleton, the ancestral home of the Riddle family. Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Alastor Moody, ensured Harry would reach the Triwizard Cup at the end of the Triwizard Tournament. The cup, secretly a Portkey, transported Harry directly to the graveyard. There, Peter Pettigrew murdered Cedric Diggory, bound Harry to the tombstone of Tom Riddle Sr., and performed the ritual. Pettigrew used a bone from the grave, his own right hand, and blood taken from Harry's arm to complete the potion, successfully restoring Lord Voldemort to his full corporeal form.

The Rebirth Potion ritual is the climactic event of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It marks the official return of Lord Voldemort to full power and the beginning of the Second Wizarding War. The event forces the Ministry of Magic and the wider wizarding world to confront the dark lord's return. Crucially, the use of Harry's blood becomes a key plot point in the final books. It is this connection that allows Harry to survive Voldemort's Killing Curse in the Forbidden Forest during the Battle of Hogwarts, sending him to a limbo-like state at King's Cross Station instead of killing him outright. This gave Harry the chance to return and finally defeat Voldemort.

• The term “Rebirth Potion” is a widely accepted fan name for the concoction. It is not explicitly named in the novels, where it is simply referred to as an “old piece of Dark Magic” or a “potion.”
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the visual effects of the potion are highly dramatic, and the regeneration of Voldemort's body is shown in detail as it forms from the potion's contents (film).