Restorative Agent

• Type: Magical Property / Potion Component
• Source: Sopophorous Bean
• Primary Use: A key ingredient in the Draught of Living Death

A Restorative Agent is not a standalone ingredient, but rather an intrinsic magical property found within the juice of the Sopophorous Bean. It has no described physical appearance independent of its source. The efficacy of extracting this agent is greatly increased when the bean is crushed with the flat side of a silver dagger, a method which releases more juice than simply cutting the bean as instructed in the standard textbook, Advanced Potion-Making.

The primary known function of the Restorative Agent is its crucial role in the creation of the Draught of Living Death, a powerful sleeping potion. Its presence and proper activation are essential for the potion to achieve its desired effect of sending the drinker into a death-like slumber. The agent's magical properties are delicate and can be completely neutralized by certain substances. Horace Slughorn, a Potions master, noted that adding even a dash of peppermint would “have destroyed the effect of the restorative agent,” rendering the entire potion useless. The advanced techniques noted by the Half-Blood Prince in his copy of Advanced Potion-Making, such as crushing the Sopophorous Bean and adding a counter-clockwise stir after every seven clockwise stirs, appear to be methods designed to maximize and stabilize the effects of this specific agent within the complex brew.

The history of the Restorative Agent is intrinsically linked to the history of the Draught of Living Death and the study of advanced Potions. Its properties were understood by skilled potioneers, as demonstrated by Horace Slughorn's expert knowledge of its reactions. The Half-Blood Prince (later revealed to be Severus Snape) conducted his own successful experiments to better extract and utilize the agent, surpassing the standard instructions found in official Hogwarts textbooks.

The Restorative Agent is mentioned during Harry Potter's first sixth-year Potions class with Professor Slughorn. After Harry successfully brews a perfect Draught of Living Death using the Half-Blood Prince's annotated textbook, Slughorn questions him on his technique. To avoid revealing his source, Harry lies and claims he added a dash of peppermint. Slughorn immediately dismisses this, explaining that it would have neutralized the Restorative Agent from the Sopophorous Bean. This interaction serves to further impress Slughorn with Harry's supposed intuitive talent, a key factor in Harry's ongoing effort to retrieve a critical memory from the Potions master concerning Tom Riddle and Horcruxes.

There is no known information about the Restorative Agent from J.K. Rowling's interviews, supplementary materials, or film adaptations beyond what is presented in the novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.