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"Some of you will benefit from today's assignment: Wit-Sharpening Potion. Perhaps you should begin immediately."
— Severus Snape's low expectations of his class[src]

The Wit-Sharpening Potion was a potion which allowed the drinker to think more clearly.[3] Due to this, it acted as an antidote to the Confundus Charm.[1]

History[]

1980s[]

During the 1986–1987 school year, Merula Snyde stole Penny Haywood's Wit-Sharpening Potion and presented it as her own before Professors Dumbledore and Snape, both of whom deemed it an exceptional concoction and felt that Merula deserved special recognition.

Penny, however, enlisted Jacob's sibling help to expose Merula's fraudulency and reclaim the ownership of her Wit-Sharpening Potion, which ultimately resulted in the successful revelation of Merula's transgression and Penny being duly awarded her special recognition.[7]

During the 1988–1989 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Severus Snape taught his fifth-year Potions students how to concoct this particular brew, in preparation for their Ordinary Wizarding Levels that year.[3]

1990s[]

"Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives."
— Snape goading the trio as they made Wit-Sharpening Potion[src]

During the 1994–1995 school year, Severus Snape taught his fourth-year Potions students to make this potion shortly after the second task of the Triwizard Tournament in 1995. While working, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger discussed an article by Rita Skeeter that had recently been published in Witch Weekly. Snape found the trio reading the magazine, and, much to their humiliation, read it aloud to the entire class (the article falsely accused Hermione of toying with the hearts of both Viktor Krum and Harry).[6]

Snape split the group up, telling them to concentrate on their potions, but Harry found it difficult to do so, as Snape continued to goad him personally. The class was further interrupted by the entrance of Igor Karkaroff. Harry purposely spilled his armadillo bile so that he could linger after the class was done and try to find out what Karkaroff wanted to tell Snape.[6]

21st century[]

During the Calamity in the late 2010s and early 2020s, this potion was brewed heavily by members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force, who used it help them combat enemies in Fortresses.[2]

Brewing instructions[]

Wit-Sharpening Potion

This potion completed in a cauldron

  1. Mix in Ginger Root until lime green.
  2. Mix Armadillo bile until blue.
  3. Mix Ground Scarab Beetles until red.
  4. Remix Armadillo Bile until red liquid is yellow. (Not dark green)
  5. Remix Ginger Roots until brew is lime green.
  6. Mix Armadillo Bile until the potion is purple.[1]

Behind the scenes[]

  1. Use knife to cut off two pieces of ginger root and add to cauldron. Potion should turn from blue to green.
  2. Add armadillo bile until potion turns blue.
  3. Grind scarab beetles in pestle, sprinkle in cauldron until potion turns red.
  4. Add more armadillo bile until potion turns yellow.
  5. Chop four more pieces of ginger root and add to cauldron. Potion should turn green.
  6. Stir clockwise until potion turns yellow.[8]
  • In each video game this potion appears in, this potion is a different colour. Therefore, it is unclear as to what this potion's canonical physical appearance is, or it is possible that this potion's colour depends on its brewing procedure and/or ingredients used.
  • The Wit-Sharpening Potion can be brewed in Harry Potter: Magic Awakened and is used to renew the opportunity to duplicate a card of the opponent after winning three duelling matches.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

Potions (class)
Wideye-or-awakening-potion
Potioneers
Arsenius Jigger · Baruffio · Bella Navarro · Bilius Finbok · Blossom Degrasse · Dai Ryusaki · Damocles Belby · Dorothy Sprottle · Erica Stainwright · Fatimah Lawang · Fleamont Potter · Gethsemane Prickle · Gilderoy Lockhart · Glossy · Glover Hipworth · Golpalott · Gregory the Smarmy · Gunhilda de Gorsemoor · Hector Dagworth-Granger · Hesper Starkey · Jalal Sehmi · J. Pippin · Laverne de Montmorency · Libatius Borage · Linfred of Stinchcombe · Mulpepper · Mundungus Fletcher · Nicolas Flamel · Phineas Bourne · Priya Treadwell · Quintia McQuoid · Regulus Moonshine · Rogue alchemist · Rubens Winikus · Sacharissa Tugwood · Skower · Tilden Toots · Dr Ubbly · Vindictus Viridian · Zenith Xeep · Zygmunt Budge
Potions at Hogwarts
Cauldron cupboard · Dungeon Five · Potions basement · Potions Classroom · Potions Club · Potions Staircase · Potion Master's office · Potions Storeroom
Professors Bartholomew · Horace Slughorn · Severus Snape · Swoopstikes · Unnamed Professor (16th century) · Aesop Sharp (19th century) · Unnamed Professor (2021)
Textbooks A Collection of Above Three Hundred Receipts in Cookery, Physick, and Surgery · Advanced Potion-Making · Ingredient Encyclopedia · Magical Drafts and Potions · One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
Potions studied at Hogwarts
Ageing Potion · Amortentia · Antidotes · Antidote to Common Poisons · Antidote to garish pink blended poison · Antidote to Uncommon Poisons · Antidote to Veritaserum · Babbling Beverage · Befuddlement Draught · Calming Draught · Cheese-Based Potions · Confusing Concoction · Cough Potion · Cure for Boils · Deflating Draught · Doxycide · Draught of Living Death · Draught of Peace · Elixir to Induce Euphoria · Erumpent Potion · Essence of Insanity · Everlasting Elixirs · Felix Felicis · Fire Protection Potion · Forgetfulness Potion · The Famous French Method for the Bite of a Mad Dog · Garish pink blended poison · Garrotting Gas · Girding Potion · Hair-Raising Potion · Herbicide Potion · Hiccoughing Solution · Invigoration Draught · Laughing Potion · Mandrake Restorative Draught · Memory Potion · Pepperup Potion · Polyjuice Potion · Pompion Potion · Potion for Dreamless Sleep · Rat Tonic · Regerminating Potion · Scintillation Solution · Shrinking Solution · Skele-Gro · Strength Potion · Strengthening Solution · Swelling Solution · Undetectable Poisons · Veritaserum · Weedosoros · Wideye Potion · Wiggenweld Potion · Wit-Sharpening Potion · Wolfsbane Potion · Wound-Cleaning Potion
Potions Club
Potions Club HBPG
Members
Harry Potter · Hufflepuff girl · Horace Slughorn (possibly)
Potions
Antidote to Common Poisons · Cure for Boils · Dragon dung fertiliser · Draught of Living Death · Draught of Peace · Elixir to Induce Euphoria · Girding Potion · Love Potion Antidote · Oculus Potion · Polyjuice Potion · Shrinking Solution · Stamina Game · Volubilis Potion · Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Love Potion · Wiggenweld Potion · Wit-Sharpening Potion
Badges
Last Gasp Badge · Master Potioneer Badge · Messiest Mixer Badge · Potions Beginner's Luck Badge · Potions Club Member Badge · Potions Club Star Badge · Potions Club Veteran Badge · Potions Endurance Badge · Smoky Brewer Badge · Speedy Brewer Badge
Locations
Hogwarts greenhouses
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