Potions Homework ((1st-3rd years))

[Professor Severus Snape]

I am starting this thread simply because I thought it would be nice for others to get to read the homework that was submitted via PM. Please do not reply to this thread though. It is simply for members to get to view and appreciate the work that other members have done with their characters.

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Name of Student: Arywiel Coone
House: Gryffindor
Year: 3
Grade on assignment (according to Snape's standards): Acceptable
Assignment submitted:
The Shrinking Solution (used by the Egyptians originally by Pharaohs, so they could literally step on their inferiors) is one of the most common and simple potions to make.
Perhaps this is why it is so commonly used and misused. In the past ten years, the Ministry had to deal with 112,703 cases of ill use.
The Subjects usually thought it amusing or useful at the time, but then could not find a counter solution.
Misuse of these kinds mostly result in body parts remaining small or inner organs shifting.
One particular case, as written in ‘Potions and Poisons’ by Sir Robert Snifflegump, is the so-called Doyle case.
Egebrecht Doyle was a wealthy Scotsman, who used the Shrinking Solution to reduce his own size in order to evade the tax-collectors. He had used worms instead of Caterpillars, so his feet and arms remained their original size, but the rest of his body shrunk.
The tax-collector was obviously alarmed at this sight, and being a muggle, he needed a memory charm cast on him to make him forget the disturbing image.
The Ministry put Doyle back in shape, but fined him. He still claims that his toes have never been the same since.

The way to reverse a Shrinking Solution is most simple.
One crushes half a pound of Knarlcat roots and mixes the powder with Bat juice to make a thin paste. Half a goat’s bladder added would suffice.
The mixture would immediately turn violet and less pasty. A pinch of Gnome hairs would make the transition from small to large more comfortable.

[Professor Severus Snape]

Name of Student: Elizabeth Peasegood
House: Hufflepuff
Year: 1
Grade on assignment (according to Snape's standards): Acceptable
Assignment submitted:
Shrinking Solution

One of the most common errors people make about Shrinking Solution is that it is capable of shrinking living things. This is incorrect; when applied to a living thing, the creature becomes younger. This myth probably originated from the fact that Shrinking Solution does in fact make plants smaller, but only because plants are typically smaller when they are younger. To counteract this effect, it is possible to use an Aging Potion, or to just wait for it to wear off.

When used on inanimate items, Shrinking Solution does in fact make them smaller; however, very few people use this potion because there is a charm that has the same effect. Shrinking Solution is mostly used by criminals to hide or smuggle their ill-gotten gains because the green color fades almost immediately after application. Shrinking Solution can be detected by its distinctive odor. Shrinking Solution sometimes interacts badly with certain charms, such as the Levitation Charm, and almost all charms dealing with growth, such as the Extension Charm and the Engorgement Charm.

[Professor Severus Snape]

Name of Student: Williard Thoth
House: Ravenclaw
Year: 1
Grade on assignment (according to Snape's standards): Acceptable
Assignment submitted:
The Shrinking Solution, or Shrinking Potion, is used to make objects or living organisms shrink in size, and can reverse the aging process as well. While highly efficient and extremely useful, if taken the wrong way or under careless circumstances, the Shrinking Solution can have terrible effects.

Cases that have been reported in the past are:
-Unintentional extreme shrinkage of self or body parts
-Incorrect brewing of the Solution with Catastrophic results(Permanent shrinkage, reverse effects, and on occasion death)
-A decrease in age causing the drinker to shrink as a whole

There are ways to correct problems that may occur with the Shrinking Potion. Some try Charms, Incantations, and other potions such as the Swelling Solution/Potion (puffer-fish eyes). However, I think it inadvisable to use the Swelling Solution due to risk of overgrowth, thus the presentation of a new problem. However, if a Swelling Solution is used, it would be prudent to use the Deflating Draught, which is the natural antidote.

However, I believe it is probably the best way to solve problems with the Shrinking Potion. If you take an sufficient amount of it, it should bring whatever is shrunken back to its original size. Although, its ill-advised to do so on your own. I would recommend going to St. Mungos where they could accurately administer the potion to you, and help if something were to go wrong.