"The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for repotting again....And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them. You'll have Mrs. Norris back in no time."
-- Professor Sprout to Argus Filch (CS13)

“Mandrakes! ... Going to lob them over the walls—they won’t like this!”
-- Neville Longbottom during the Battle of Hogwarts (DH31)

Mandrake

The Mandrake is a magical plant with powerful restorative properties. The root system takes the form of a small baby which matures into the form of small humanoid adult. The screams of the roots are dangerous; those of a full-grown adult mandrake can kill.

  • It forms an essential part of most antidotes, including one for Petrification (CS6).
  • The Mandrake Restorative Draught returns people who have been Transfigured or cursed to their original state.
  • Mandrake seedlings are tufty little plants, purplish green in colour (CS6) with what look like tiny babies growing where the roots would be. These creatures grow and develop over the course of several months until they mature and can be harvested and used for potions (CS13).
  • The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to humans, so special care must be taken when growing them. Even as a baby, the Mandrake's howls can knock a person out for a couple of hours.
  • There is no doubt that Professor Snape alone makes the Mandrake Restorative Draught, because he gets angry when silly Lockhart offers to do it (CS9).
  • The Dugbog is particularly fond of eating Mandrakes (FB).
  • Venusia Crickerly who was Headmaster of Hogwarts from 1903-1912 was killed in a mandrake-related gardening accident, probably struck dead by the cry (Pm-Ministers for Magic)
  • Used by Neville and Professor Sprout during the Battle of Hogwarts as they tossed pots of screaming mandrakes over the walls onto the Death Eaters (DH31)

Potions Connection

Ingredient in the Mandrake Restorative Draught.

Commentary

Etymology

mandrake = from Medieval Latin "mandragora" or "man-shaped dragon"

Notes

The real-life mandrake was once believed to have almost all the properties that Mandrakes have in the books, the main exception being that the plant only sort of looks human-shaped instead of looking like actual babies. Or maybe Muggles just can't see them...-- MLW

Mandragoras_454_Dodoens_1583

In the film version, Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey get the credit for making the potion, instead of Professor Snape (PS/f).

 

Pensieve (Comments)

Tags: babies dangerous deadly death growing up loud plants

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