======Hogwarts School Stock======
=====Object Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Educational Supplies]]; [[Magical Ingredient]] Collection
  * **Owners:** [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]
  * **Maker:** N/A (A collection of various items sourced from multiple suppliers)
=====Description and Appearance=====
The Hogwarts School Stock refers to the general supply of ingredients, equipment, and other materials kept by [[Hogwarts]] for student use in various classes, most notably [[Potions]]. The primary repository for this stock is the student store cupboard located within the [[Potions classroom]] in the [[dungeons]].
This cupboard is described as being filled with shelves containing numerous jars of slimy specimens, disgusting-looking animal parts, bundles of dried herbs, and multicolored powders. Known contents include items like [[horned slugs]], pickled [[eyeballs]], [[Flobberworm]] mucus, [[porcupine quills]], and [[snake fangs]]. The stock is intended for everyday student assignments and contains common, standard-quality ingredients required by the school's curriculum.
This general stock is explicitly separate from the [[Potions]] Master's private stores, which contain rarer, more expensive, and often more dangerous ingredients. This private collection is kept under lock and key in the [[Potions]] Master's personal office.
=====Magical Properties and Usage=====
The primary function of the school stock is to provide students with the necessary materials for their practical lessons. In [[Potions]], students are typically allowed to access the store cupboard under the supervision of the professor to gather ingredients for the [[potion]] they are assigned to brew.
While the stock is extensive enough to cover the Ordinary Wizarding Level ([[O.W.L.]]) and Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test ([[N.E.W.T.]]) curricula, the ingredients are of a standard grade. As demonstrated by the [[Half-Blood Prince]]'s annotated copy of //[[Advanced Potion-Making]]//, superior results can be achieved by using improved preparation techniques on these standard ingredients, such as crushing a [[Sophora bean]] with a silver dagger instead of cutting it.
Beyond [[Potions]] ingredients, the concept of a school stock also applies to other areas. For example, [[Hogwarts]] maintains a supply of very old and worn school [[brooms]] (such as [[Cleansweep Fives]]) for first-year [[Flying]] lessons.
=====History=====
The school stock has been a fundamental part of the [[Hogwarts]] educational system for centuries, providing the resources for practical magic.
During [[Severus Snape]]'s tenure as [[Potions]] Master, he was extremely protective of all [[Potions]] supplies. He often accused [[Harry Potter]] of stealing from the school stock and made it clear that his private stores were strictly off-limits. The need for ingredients not found in the general student cupboard, such as [[Bicorn]] horn and [[Boomslang]] skin, forced [[Hermione Granger]] to steal from Snape's private office to create the [[Polyjuice Potion]] in her second year.
When [[Horace Slughorn]] returned to teach [[Potions]], he appeared to have a more relaxed attitude toward the student store cupboard. He allowed his sixth-year students to freely select their ingredients for a competitive brewing session of the [[Draught of Living Death]]. It was during this lesson that [[Harry Potter]], using the [[Half-Blood Prince]]'s notes to better prepare standard school-stock ingredients, successfully brewed a perfect [[potion]] and won a vial of [[Felix Felicis]].
=====Role in the Story=====
The Hogwarts School Stock is a key element of the world-building that makes the magical education at [[Hogwarts]] feel tangible. It serves as both a resource and a source of conflict throughout the series.
The distinction between the general stock and the [[Potions]] Master's private stores drives several subplots. It establishes the high stakes and difficulty of brewing advanced potions like the [[Polyjuice Potion]] and reinforces the antagonistic dynamic between [[Harry Potter]] and [[Severus Snape]]. Snape's constant accusations of theft from the stock contribute to the tension in their relationship.
In //[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]//, the school stock plays a pivotal role in demonstrating Harry's burgeoning talent in [[Potions]]. His ability to create superior potions using the same standard ingredients as his classmates, thanks to the Prince's annotations, is a central part of the book's mystery and directly leads to him obtaining the [[Felix Felicis]], which proves crucial in retrieving a key [[memory]] from [[Horace Slughorn]].
=====Behind the Scenes=====
In the film adaptations of the *Harry Potter* series, the [[Potions classroom]] and its associated storerooms are visually depicted as being filled with thousands of glass jars containing a vast array of colorful and bizarre ingredients. This visual representation greatly expands on the book's description, creating a rich and atmospheric setting that emphasizes the depth and complexity of [[potion]]-making. (film)