Cure for Boils

Cure for Boils
Potion information
Effect	Cures boils
Characteristics	Blue-coloured
Difficulty level	Beginner
Known ingredients	Dried nettles 6 snake fangs 4 horned slugs 2 porcupine quills

The Cure for Boils (also known as simply Boil Cure) is a potion which cures boils. It is an elementary potion taught to first year students at Hogwarts.

When brewing the potion, the cauldron must be taken off the fire before adding the porcupine quills, or, as Neville Longbottom found out, the cauldron will melt and create a horrid odour, and if it spills will cause the skin to erupt in vicious boils.

Brewing instructions

1. Add 6 snake fangs to the mortar.
2. Crush into a fine powder using the pestle.
3. Add 4 measures of the crushed fangs to your cauldron.
4. Heat the mixture to 250 for 10 seconds.
5. Wave your wand.
6. Leave to brew and return in 45 minutes.
7. Add 4 horned slugs to your cauldron.
8. Take the cauldron off the fire before adding the next ingredient.
9. Add 2 porcupine quills to your cauldron.
10. Stir 5 times, clockwise.
11. Wave your wand to complete the potion.

Behind the scenes

A Cure for Boils being brewed.

• The video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince features a different means of preparation from the canonical one, as featured in detail in Pottermore. The non-canonical potion recipe is thus:

1. Heat the cauldron until the potion turns red.
2. Heat it again until turns green.
3. Pour Flobberworm Mucus until the potion turns pink.
4. Heat again until it turns orange.
5. Mix the dried nettles until it turns green.
6. Heat again until it turns blue.
7. Mix crushed snake fangs until the potion turns pink.
8. Mix Porcupine quills until the potion turns orange.
9. Pour stewed horned slugs until it turns turquoise.
10. And last, heat the potion until it turns red. (continuing to heat until it turns pink turns the brew more effective)

• The instructions to make this potion, as featured in Pottermore, overlook the fact that the cauldron must be taken off the fire before adding the porcupine quills, as revealed in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. They also ommit the addition of dried nettles to the brew.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• The Road to Hogwarts Sweepstakes
• Pottermore