Lexicon

Shrinking Solution

 

Basic Information    
Effects Causes beings to shrink
Characteristics Acid greenish in color
Known Ingredients Minced daisy roots
Peeled shrivelfig
Sliced Caterpillars
One rat spleen
A dash of leech juice
A splash of cowbane
Wormwood

Overview

The shrinking solution is also known as the shrinking potion is a potion that causes the drinker to become smaller in size and form. It is said to have a poisonous green color. It has formerly been used to move huge piles of livestock especially pigs, since they could fit in a pocket.

History

This potion makes the drinker shrink but not only in height, but it seems like the age is also somehow changed by drinking the potion. Snapes used Neville’s toad as an example for what the potion does. Therefore Snape used two drops of the potion on Trevor who thereby transformed back to a tadpole.

If you add too much rat spleen or leech juice the potion will change into an orange color, if the potion changes to this color it is highly toxic and should not be drunk by any living being.

In the 15th hundred century a wizard named Zygmunt Budge tried to add his own touch to the potion. Therefore he added shrivelfigs and then he whisked the potion fast which was a new take on the Shrinking solution. By accident he figured out how strong his new invention was by spilling some on the grass around his house. A herd of sheep shrunk and Zygmunt started to use them as earmuffs.

There is a tale going around about a wizard named Samuel Plunkett, he should have been chased out of a village after he allegedly shrunk all of the muggles living there. He then haunted the villagers by chasing them with shoes that had spikes on them.

Recipe
Zygmunt Bludge's recipe
  1. Juice two Shrivelfigs and add their ruby blood to your cauldron.
  2. Stir slowly.
  3. Gently heat your potion.
  4. Chop four daisy roots more finely and add to the cauldron.
  5. Add five hairy caterpillars.
  6. Add well-shaken wormwood.
  7. Stir vigorously.
  8. Juice four leeches and add.
  9. Stir slowly and with caution.
  10. Shake rat spleen and add to cauldron.
  11. Add a splash of cowbane.
  12. Stir slowly.
  13. Heat on a high temperature.
  14. Cast the Shrinking Charm.
Severus Snape's recipe
  1. Add five sliced caterpillars.
  2. Heat till the potion turns red.
  3. Shake the peeled Shrivelfig until it is ready (IMPORTANT!)
  4. Add peeled Shrivelfig until the potion turns yellow.
  5. Heat the potion until it turns turquoise.
  6. Heat the potion until it turns purple.
  7. Add four rat spleens to the cauldron.
  8. Add minced daisy roots till it turns green.
  9. Add five drops of leech juice.
  10. Add more of the Shrivelfig, this time till it turns pink.
  11. Add one sliced caterpillar.
  12. Heat mixture until it turns green.

Credits/References

Harry Potter Wiki - Shrinking Solution

Written by Mason Hayes
Base code by Andrew Sutherland, edited by Iselin Merilä and Desmond Gray.