Draught of Living Death

"I dare to say that one drop would kill us all."

- Horace Slughorn on Harry Potter's potion.

The Draught of Living Death is an extremely powerful sleeping draught, sending the drinker into a death-like slumber. The potion seemed diffiicult to concoct, since Hermione Granger, a prodigious potioneer, who managed to concoct the Polyjuice Potion in her second Year, had some difficulty doing it.

Concoction
The ingredients needed are wormwood, asphodel, valerian roots, Sloth brain, and the juice of a sopophorous bean (which, according to the Half-Blood Prince, should be crushed with the dull edge of a silver knife, to get more juice from it).

The potion should resemble a smooth, black currant-coloured liquid at the halfway stage; it should then turn a light shade of lilac, then clear as water, after you stir the potion counter-clockwise seven times. However, stirring the potion counter-clockwise seven times and clockwise once, as directed by the Half-Blood Prince, had apparently a much stronger effect.

Notable Examples
The Wiggenweld Potion is capable of reversing the effects of the Draught. The Hag Leticia Somnolens used the Draught in an attempt to kill a princess who made her jealous. A prince who placed Wiggenweld Potion on his lips revived the princess with a kiss.

Behind the scenes

 * The Draught of Living Death is briefly mentioned in First Year, Potions students do not create it until Sixth Year. The potion was never really used or demonstrated in either case.
 * In the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Severus Snape calls this potion "the Draught of the Living Dead".
 * In the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Horace Slughorn tested Harry Potter's Draught of Living Death by placing a leaf into it, which disintegrated, showing the potion was much more than satisfactory.
 * Slughorn also states in the film that Harry's potion was 'so perfect', that one drop "would kill us all". However, the potion's intended use is as a sleeping draught, not poison, although Slughorn was most likely speaking metaphorically.
 * It is most likely based on the potion Juliet Capulet used to fake her death in the Muggle story Romeo and Juliet, although actual chemical analogues to this potion do exist.
 * The story of the princess seems to have based on elements of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
 * The Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes
 * Pottermore
 * Harry Potter Trading Card Game

Notes and references
Philtre de Mort Vivante Distillato della Morte Vivente