“You’re in for a rough night ...Regrowing bones is a nasty business.”
-- Madam Pomfrey (CS10)
Skele-gro is a medical potion which regrows bones. The effect takes about eight hours and can be quite painful.
History and Notes
Credit for inventing this potion goes to Linfred of Stinchcombe, also known as "The Potterer," a 12th-century ancestor of James and Harry Potter. According to the Potter family history, Linfred "quadrupled the family gold" by selling Skele-Gro and Pepperup Potion to members of the Wizarding World (Pm). His descendent Fleamont Potter invented Sleekeazy's Hair Potion (Pm).
References from the canon
- When Lockhart removed all the bones from Harry's arm, Madam Pomfrey gave Harry Skele-Gro to grow them back. It took all night (CS10).
- Skele-Gro comes in a large bottle and is dispensed by the steaming beaker-full. It burns the mouth as it goes down. Regrowing bones is a painful process, and Harry felt stabbing pains in his arm, as if it were full of large splinters (CS10).
- Draco thought maybe Hagrid had drunk too much of this as a child, making him larger than everyone else (GF24)
- Fleur uses Skele-Gro to heal Griphook's legs after the escape from Malfoy Manor (DH24).
Commentary
Etymology
"skeleton" + "grow" (sounds like a brand name)
Notes
- In CS/f, the bottle has this on the label:1100 Drops Bone Regenerator SKELE-GRO Bone-Fide Results Everytime Sold Only by Rubens Winikus and Company Inc.
- Also in the film version, Lockhart says "Brackium Emendo" ("mend the break?") to try and fix Harry's broken arm, but removing the bones instead. In some video game versions, he says "Ossio Dispersimus" which means "bones scatter" in Latin. (CS/f, CS/g).
Pensieve (Comments)
Tags: bones illnesses and injury medicine/medical Potter Family Remembrall skeleton