Harry Potter is a delightful world full of wonderful magic, fun charms, and clever items. However, there’s also a darker side to this world. Dark wizards, killing curses, jinxes, and dangerous potions.
It would seem that the Ministry of Magic isn’t as strict as one might imagine. There are several spells and potions out there should probably be made illegal. And yet they’re not. Some are even taught to school-children! It certainly makes you wonder.
10. Forgetfulness Potion
A Forgetfulness Potion may seem mild or a good joke, but like many things in the world of magic, it highly depends on the user. For example, a Forgetfulness Potion could be used to create a lot of harm and damage. It could be used on a student before a test for example. Or used to force a victim to forget a crime. This list could continue for a while, but it would get quite depressing. You get the idea.
9. Ageing Potion
The most famous example of an Aging Potion was during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Here the Weasley twins attempted to age themselves a few months in order to enter the Triwizard Tournament.
The example alone is probably enough to explain all of the potentially dangerous uses of this potion, yes? We don’t need young wizards aging themselves to get away with even more mischief. They’re quite good enough at it as it stands!
8. Dizziness Potion
The Dizziness Potion is probably another one of those potions that seems harmless at first. After all, it can only cause dizziness. But think about it; how often is causing dizziness a good thing? There are significantly more downsides to this potion than positive notes.
For example, a rival Quidditch player could use this to get an extra edge (assuming they could get away with it, of course). Or it could be used as a prank or way of punishing somebody. Or to make a person think they’re getting ill.
7. Exploding Potion
Exploding potions are basically exactly what they sound like. And while there may not be a lot of finesse to them, they’ve been put to heavy use. Back when Grindelwald was at his peak power, these potions became quite common. His followers would use them to sow discord and panic.
And of course, depending on what the explosive material is, it could prove quite dangerous to those around. The explosive properties alone are dangerous enough. But a clever potion maker could probably find ways to add more damage, say if the potion came in contact with skin.
6. Felix Felicis
Felix Felicis saved the day back in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. But that doesn’t mean it’s a potion that everybody should have access to. Thankfully, while this potion isn’t illegal, it is exceedingly difficult to make. Still, considering the benefits, you’d think some people would specialize in doing just that. It’s probably for the best that this doesn’t appear to be the case.
This is one of those potions that would really depend on how it is used. Harry used it for the greater good. But he just as easily could have truly given the potion to Ron, like he pretended to that one time. Or he could have used it to help on his tests, or countless other schemes.
5. Draught of Living Death
The Draught of Living Death is a potion that lives up to its name. It doesn’t kill the drinker (usually), but it will put them in a sleep so deep that they may as well be dead, as far as the living are concerned. This doesn’t seem like a potion that they’d want just anybody to be able to make. There probably are good medical uses, but that’s about it.
Yet we’ve heard this potion discussed at least twice during Harry Potter’s time at Hogwarts. One of those times the students were even assigned to make said potion. It’s rather horrifying to think about the possibility of one of those vials being snuck out from the dungeons.
4. Drink of Despair
The Drink of Despair’s name doesn’t leave much to the imagination. But then again, it doesn’t really need to. The Drink of Despair leaves the drinker is an immense amount of pain. Thus causing, well…despair. There really isn’t any kind reason to be using this potion. So that just leaves us with the usual uses. Therefore, this is one of those potions that should inarguably be considered illegal by the Ministry of Magic. And yet…
3. Polyjuice Potion
The Polyjuice Potion has been used time and time again in the Harry Potter series. And while our students did do their best to use it for good, one could say that what they did is still dangerous. After all, they did break into the Ministry of Magic using it.
And then, of course, there’s the other example of this potion. During Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Mad-Eye Moody had been a prisoner for an entire school year, yet nobody had any clue because Barty Crouch Jr. used the Polyjuice Potion to mimic the man perfectly.
The one upside to this potion is that it does take quite a bit of time to brew. And it seems common knowledge what people would be using some of the ingredients for. So it wouldn’t be hard to track and/or regulate, should it be desired.
2. Veritaserum
Veritaserum is essentially a truth serum. And really, there are all sorts of reasons that this potion should be regulated, if not made outright illegal. Yes, there are potential uses for it, such as gaining information quickly from a prisoner or enemy. But it probably shouldn’t be something used by anyone.
And it certainly shouldn’t be used on students, as threatened (and used) during Harry’s time at Hogwarts. No person, but especially not a student, should be forced to tell their deepest and darkest secrets. At least, not at the whim of the potion maker. Can you imagine somebody like Filtch getting free use of it?
1. Love Potions
And finally, one of the most overlooked yet more dangerous potions out there – love potions. People seem to look at these potions as some sort of joke, heck Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes even sells several types of love potions. But they’re actually really quite dangerous. Not to mention extremely unethical.
Love potions come in all shapes and sizes; Beguiling Bubbles, Cupid Crystals (all three available at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes), Twilight Moonbeams, and Amortentia to name but a few. And we see several examples of the love potions in use, throughout the course of the series. Ron got hit with a doozy of a potion intended for Harry. And who knows how poorly that would have gone, had it made its way to Harry. And don’t forget, Voldemort himself is alive today due to the use of a love potion. His mother used one to keep her love bewitched. Resulting in a child. Not exactly a happy picture, is it?
