Rebirthing Potion

• Type: Potion, Dark Magic
• Owners: N/A (Brewed and used by Peter Pettigrew under the instruction of Lord Voldemort)
• Maker: The original creator of the formula is unknown; it is described as “old magic.” The specific potion used for Voldemort's return was brewed by Peter Pettigrew.

The Rebirthing Potion is a complex and powerful piece of Dark Magic designed to regenerate a full body for a wizard who has been reduced to a rudimentary or non-corporeal form. The potion itself is brewed in a large stone cauldron big enough to hold a grown man. Before the final ingredient is added, the potion within the cauldron is described as being hot and emitting steam and sparks. Upon the addition of Harry Potter's blood, the potion turns a “blinding, dazzling white,” and the surface erupts with “what seemed to be diamond sparks,” blinding the onlookers. The potion requires the rudimentary body of the wizard to be submerged within it. In Lord Voldemort's case, this body was described as a “crouched, scaly-looking, dark, raw” thing, resembling a “human baby,” but hairless and reptilian.

The primary purpose of the Rebirthing Potion is to create a new, fully-functional body that is often stronger than the one the wizard previously possessed. The ritual to create it is precise and requires three potent ingredients, as recited by Lord Voldemort:

1. “Bone of the father, unknowingly given.“ This requires a bone from the grave of the recipient's father, taken without the deceased's knowledge or consent. For Voldemort's regeneration, Peter Pettigrew took a bone from the grave of Tom Riddle Sr..
2. ”Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed.“ This calls for the flesh of a loyal servant, which they must give of their own free will. Peter Pettigrew sacrificed his own right hand for this purpose.
3. ”Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken.“ The final, and perhaps most crucial, ingredient is the blood of a foe. Lord Voldemort specifically chose Harry Potter for this, believing that using Harry's blood would incorporate the remnants of Lily Potter's sacrificial protection into his own body, thereby allowing him to touch Harry without pain.

Once the three ingredients are added to the cauldron containing the wizard's rudimentary form, the magic takes effect, rapidly generating a complete, adult body.

The Rebirthing Potion is an old piece of magic, the origins of which are not specified. Lord Voldemort discovered the formula at some point and planned to use it to regain a body after his downfall in 1981. After years as a disembodied spirit, he managed to create a temporary, weak body with the help of Peter Pettigrew, using a different potion that involved Unicorn blood and Nagini's venom. The Rebirthing Potion was finally brewed on the night of 24 June 1995, in the graveyard of Little Hangleton. Peter Pettigrew murdered Cedric Diggory, bound Harry Potter to the Riddle family tombstone, and proceeded with the ritual. He placed Voldemort's crude form into the cauldron, then added the bone of Tom Riddle Sr., his own hand, and blood taken from Harry's arm. The ritual was a success, and Lord Voldemort was restored to a physical body, marking his official return to power.

The creation of the Rebirthing Potion is the climactic event of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It signifies the full return of Lord Voldemort and the beginning of the Second Wizarding War. Voldemort's choice to use Harry's blood proves to be a critical mistake. While it did allow him to physically touch Harry, Albus Dumbledore later explains that by taking the blood, Voldemort anchored Lily Potter's protective charm within himself. This ensured that Harry could not be killed by Voldemort as long as Voldemort himself lived. This connection tethered Harry to life and ultimately allowed him to survive Voldemort's Killing Curse in the Forbidden Forest during the final battle in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the regeneration sequence is visually dramatic. Peter Pettigrew drops Voldemort's rudimentary form into the bubbling cauldron. After the other ingredients are added, the potion erupts in a column of fire, from which a naked, fully-formed Lord Voldemort emerges, and robes magically form around him (film).