Wolfsbane Potion

"There is no known cure, although recent developments in potion-making have to a great extent alleviated the worst symptoms."

- Newton Scamander

The Wolfsbane Potion is an innovative and complex potion that relieves, but does not cure, the symptoms of lycanthropy. The main ingredient is wolfsbane (also referred to as aconite or monkshood). As such, this Potion is very dangerous when incorrectly concocted, since Aconite is a very poisonous substance. The way one must imbibe it is very unique among potions, in that a gobletful of wolfsbane potion must be taken for each day of a week preceding the full moon. It is extremely difficult to make, as even Slughorn claimed that Damocles couldn't have invented it without immense effort on his part.

Nature
The completed potion exudes a faint blue smoke. According to Remus Lupin, it has a "disgusting" taste, and adding sugar to remedy this is not possible as that substance will render it ineffective.

Effects
The potion does not cure lycanthropy but eases the symptoms, allowing one to hold on to their mental faculties after transformation (which would otherwise not be possible). However, it can have disastrous side-effects if the recipe is tampered with, as Lupin told Harry in 1996. It is said that on the full-moon werewolves take this, they still transform, but at least in Remus Lupin's case they still act human. They usually stay somewhere safe and sleep through the transformation.

History
Wolfsbane Potion was invented by Damocles in the recent past, sometime after the mid-1970s. Severus Snape brewed this potion for Remus Lupin during Lupin's year as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry thought Severus Snape was poisoning Remus Lupin and later told his friends about it after they came back from Honeydukes.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)