The Harry Potter Compendium
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The Sleeping Draught was a potion that caused the drinker to fall almost instantaneously into a deep but temporary sleep.[1][2] A standard Sleeping Draught differed from the Draught of Living Death, which was much more powerful, lasting, and difficult to make. Hermione Granger referred to the Sleeping Draught as "simple, but powerful".[1] Its recipe can be found in Magical Drafts and Potions[2] and Book of Potions.[3]

Key ingredients include Flobberworm Mucus, lavender, valerian sprigs and Standard Ingredient[2].

Brewing instructions[]

  1. Add 4 sprigs of Lavender to the mortar
  2. Add 2 measures of Standard Ingredient to the mortar
  3. Crush into a creamy paste using the pestle
  4. Add 2 blobs of Flobberworm Mucus to your cauldron
  5. Add 2 measures of Standard Ingredient to your cauldron
  6. Gently heat for 30 seconds
  7. Add 3 measures of the crushed mixture to your cauldron
  8. Wave your wand
  9. Leave to brew and return in 70 minutes (time depends on cauldron)
  10. Add 2 measures of Standard Ingredient to your cauldron
  11. Heat on a high temperature for 1 minute
  12. Add 4 Valerian Sprigs to your cauldron
  13. Stir 7 times, clockwise
  14. Wave your wand to complete the potion[2]

According to Book of Potions:

  1. Crush the wormwood, add to cauldron. Stir slowly.
  2. Chop the valerian, add to cauldron, and apply a high heat.
  3. Juice your Flobberworm and add its thick mucus to your cauldron.
  4. Stir vigorously, apply a low heat and then give it another stir.
  5. Chop the Sopophorous bean and add to cauldron.
  6. Stir the mixture quickly, then heat.
  7. Add a sprinkle of powdered asphodel petals and a dash of essence of nettle.
  8. Heat the potion a final time, then stir slowly.
  9. Wave your wand over the cauldron to finish the potion


History[]

File:Cakes COS 1.jpg

Cakes containing sleeping draught

1992[]

Hermione spiked two, plump chocolate cakes with Sleeping Draught in her second year. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley left these sweets out for Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle to find. The two Slytherins ate them, unquestioningly, and soon fell unconscious. Their expressions were frozen on their faces.

1995[]

File:SleepingDraught.jpg

A phial of Sleeping Draught.

The four dragons used in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament in 1994 were given Sleeping Draught to make the trip from the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary to Hogwarts easier. Charlie Weasley stated that he thought it would be better for the dragons to awake in a tranquil setting, but, upon waking in the Forbidden Forest, the beasts were as vicious as ever. In Charlie's words, the team of dragonologists used "a Sleeping Draught" to knock out all four dragons, suggesting that a normal dose of the potion might be potent enough to have an effect on a creature as big as a dragon.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

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