In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Hermione brews Polyjuice Potion in order to disguise Harry and Ron as other Hogwarts students so they can question Draco Malfoy about the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione was originally going to turn into Millicent Bulstrode, another Slytherin girl. However, her plan goes awry when she accidentally uses cat hair instead of Millicent’s hair in the potion, causing her to sprout fur and a tail.
Why Did Hermione Brew Polyjuice Potion?
Hermione decided to brew Polyjuice Potion in order to sneak into the Slytherin common room and try to get information out of Draco Malfoy. She suspected that Draco might know something about the Chamber of Secrets and who the Heir of Slytherin was. Since Harry and Ron were not on good terms with Draco, Hermione thought they could disguise themselves as other Slytherins to gain access to Draco and question him inconspicuously.
Gathering the Ingredients
Brewing Polyjuice Potion was very challenging because the ingredients were rare and difficult to obtain. Hermione managed to gather most of what she needed from the Potions storeroom by tricking Professor Lockhart into signing a note giving her permission. She also got help from Harry, who stole Boomslang skin and bicorn horn powder during his detention with Professor Snape.
Adding the Hair
The last essential ingredient for Polyjuice Potion is a bit of the person one wants to transform into. Hermione planned to pluck a hair from Millicent Bulstrode during their shared Herbology class. However, she ended up getting a cat hair instead, likely from Millicent’s cat. This caused Hermione’s transformation to go terribly wrong.
Hermione’s Botched Transformation
After drinking the Polyjuice Potion with Millicent’s cat hair, Hermione began transforming into some sort of cat-human hybrid creature. She sprouted thick, dark fur all over her body, pointed ears, yellow eyes, and even a tail. Harry and Ron were shocked at Hermione’s frightening, semi-feline appearance.
Rushed to the Hospital Wing
Unable to revert the effects of the cat hair potion, Harry and Ron had to rush Hermione to the Hospital Wing for treatment. Madam Pomfrey was not pleased about the illegal brewing of Polyjuice Potion. She had to give Hermione a sedative draught and monitor her in an isolation ward as she slowly reverted to her normal human form over the following weeks.
Missed Opportunity
Due to her botched transformation, Hermione was unable to join Harry and Ron in disguising themselves as Crabbe and Goyle to enter the Slytherin common room. Thus, they missed the opportunity to interrogate Malfoy and uncover any clues he might have had about the Chamber of Secrets.
Why a Cat?
Many readers wonder why Hermione transformed into a cat-like creature after adding cat hair to her Polyjuice Potion. Here are some possible explanations:
Feline Essence
The cat hair contained the essential “feline essence” needed to trigger a partial cat transformation. Just as human hair would turn Hermione into a human, the cat hair caused feline attributes to emerge.
| Ingredient | Effect |
|---|---|
| Human hair | Take on human form |
| Cat hair | Take on cat form |
Incomplete Transformation
Polyjuice Potion is designed for human transformations. By adding cat hair, Hermione caused an incomplete, mixed transformation since she was still mostly human. If she had added only cat hair, she might have turned fully into a cat.
Incorrect Dosage
Hermione brewed the potion for a human transformation. By not accounting for the cat hair, she essentially overdosed which led to uncontrolled cat attributes manifesting.
Lessons Learned
Hermione’s experience with the cat hair Polyjuice Potion taught her and her friends some important lessons:
Follow Directions Exactly
Potions requite meticulous ingredient preparation and precise measurements. Even slight deviations can drastically alter the outcome.
Test Uncertainties First
When venturing into uncharted territory, proceed cautiously. Hermione should have tested just the cat hair first before drinking a whole batch.
Have a Backup Plan
Hermione did not anticipate the possibility of making an error with the hair. Having a contingency could have prevented the entire situation.
Respect Potions Rules
While clever, brewing restricted potions illegally should be avoided. Hermione took a major risk that jeopardized herself and her friends.
Other Botched Transformations
Hermione was not the only one to experience a botched transformation from Polyjuice Potion in the Harry Potter series. Here are a few other notable examples:
The Death Eaters
When infiltrating the Ministry of Magic, several Death Eaters used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Ministry employees. However, their transformations began to revert at inopportune times due to mistakes brewing the potion.
Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle
Crabbe and Goyle also took faulty Polyjuice Potions when they disguised themselves as girls during Draco Malfoy’s plot to catch Harry with the Half-Blood Prince’s potions book. They ended up sprouting painful boils and having to be hospitalized.
Barty Crouch Jr.
Crouch Jr. impersonated Mad-Eye Moody throughout Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire using Polyjuice Potion. However, he eventually was caught out when he ran out of potion at a critical moment.
Conclusion
Hermione’s plan to use Polyjuice Potion to infiltrate Slytherin House demonstrated her cleverness and resourcefulness. However, her lapse in judgment in using cat hair instead of human hair proved catastrophic. While ambitious, illegally brewing such a difficult potion was extremely risky for herself and her friends. In the future, Hermione learned to be more careful and methodical when brewing potions to avoid messy or dangerous outcomes.