Encyclopedia of Spells
Accio (AK-ee-oh or A-see-oh)"Summoning Charm"
"accio" L. send for, summon
Causes an object to fly to the caster, even over quite some distance;
the target object is said to have been Summoned.
It would seem that the caster must know at least the general location
of the object Summoned.
Mrs. Weasley used a series of Summoning Charms to find the magical items Fred and George were trying to sneak out of the house at the time of the Quidditch World Cup (GF6).
Harry learned the Summoning Charm for the first task, when he Summoned his Firebolt to him so he could fly around and past the Hungarian Horntail (GF20).
The fake Moody used a Summoning Charm to grab the Marauder's Map off the stairs on the night Harry solved the golden egg clue (GF25).
Harry used this charm to call the Triwizard Cup to him while escaping Voldemort and the Death Eaters (GF34).
Used several times during the
Battle of the Department of Mysteries
by both sides. The most notable instances were by
Death Eaters
attempting to pull the
prophecy sphere from
Harry's hands, by
Hermione to pick up
wands after
a Disarming Spell hit, and most
memorably by Ron in the
Brain Room
after he'd been knocked silly
(OP35).
Harry attempted to cast this nonverbally to Summon his wand into his hand after Draco Malfoy had hit him with a Full-Body Bind, but Harry couldn't make the spell work at the time (HBP8). Harry had a similar problem when his wand was knocked out of his hand during his fight with Nagini at Godric's Hollow (DH17).
Harry used this to Summon Rosmerta's brooms so that he and Albus Dumbledore could return quickly to the castle on the night of the Battle of the Tower (HBP27).
Hermione used this to steal the Horcrux books - library books that he had taken out of circulation - from Dumbledore's study (DH6).
Fred Summoned hairs from a Muggle boy in Ottery St. Catchpole in order to help Harry disguise himself using Polyjuice Potion (DH8).
Hermione used this to try to Summon the locket Horcrux in Regulus' room (DH10). Harry similarly attempted to Summon it in Umbridge's office at the Ministry (DH13).
An object can be placed under counter-enchantments to prevent it being summoned magically. The stone basin in the Horcrux cave and Hufflepuff's cup in Gringotts had both been placed under such counter-enchantments (DH10, (DH26).
Age Line
incantation unknown
A thin golden line drawn on a floor, which affects anyone who crosses it if they are too young. (Presumably, an Age Line could also be set up to prevent someone to cross who was older than a given age.)
Albus Dumbledore drew an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire to keep away anyone who was not yet seventeen years old. When the Weasley twins, who had taken an Ageing Potion to try to fool it, crossed over the Age Line, they were thrown back and sprouted long white beards (GF12).
Aguamenti (AH-gwa-MEN-tee)
"agua" Sp./Portuguese water (from Latin "aqua") + "mentis" L. mind
Charm that conjures a fountain or jet of clear water from the caster's wand.
Taught in sixth-year Charms in early September (HBP11). Oddly, the sixth years were working on this charm or something similar after the New Year as well (HBP17).
Used by Harry on the crystal goblet in the cave of the locket Horcrux, but apparently some effect of the potion that had previously been put in the goblet caused the water to vanish before it could be drunk (HBP26).
Harry and Hagrid together used this to cast jets of water on Hagrid's burning house (HBP28).
Alohomora (AL-o-ho-MOR-ah)
The term 'Alohomora' comes from sikidy, a form of divination from the Malagasy people of Madagascar. It is the name of a magical symbol which means 'favourable to thieves' (trans.). (massive thanks to Rattlesnakeroot and her LJ friendsfor discovering this!)
Charm that causes a locked door to open.
Hermione used this spell to let herself, Ron, and Harry into the forbidden third floor corridor during their first year (PS9).
This spell wouldn't work on the door requiring the winged key in the chamber guarding the Philosopher's Stone (PS16).
Hermione used this spell on Flitwick's window when she, Harry, and Buckbeak rescued Sirius (PA21).
This spell is needed to open the door of the Janus Thickey ward in St. Mungo's, presumably so that Healers and visitors can get in and out easily, but mentally confused patients lacking wands cannot (OP23).
Harry assumed that Umbridge's office door had been bewitched so that this spell wouldn't work (OP29).
One of the doors in the Department of Mysteries not only was proof against this spell, but melted Harry's knife-blade (OP34).
The Death Eaters used this spell to open doors shut by the D.A. during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries (OP35).
Anapneo (ah-NAHP-nay-oh)
"anapneo" Gr. "breathe" (many thanks to those who wrote in and suggested we look at Greek for the source of this)
Spell that clears the target's airway, if blocked.
Slughorn cast this on Marcus Belby when the latter began to choke after swallowing too fast while attempting to respond to a question (HBP7).
Animagus Transfiguration
"animal" L. animal + "magus" Pers. magic user
The Transfiguration by which an Animagus takes his or her animal form, or reverts to human form from animal form. The animal form is sometimes referred to as the witch or wizard's Animagus form. See Animagi entry for further details about wizarding folk who can perform this highly complex and dangerous magic.
McGonagall transforms into a cat (PS1, PA6).
Sirius Black, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew became Animagi while students at Hogwarts (PA17, PA18, PA19).
Animagi are supposed to be registered with the Ministry of Magic (PA18) but there are unregistered ones around, for example Rita Skeeter (GF37).
Anti-Apparition
no names or words given
Prevents someone from Apparating.
See ANTI-DISAPPARITION JINX.
Anti-Cheating spell
no names or words given
Cast on quills before exams.
Anti-Disapparition Jinxno names or words given
Prevents someone from Apparating.
Albus Dumbledore captured the Death Eaters who had been fighting in the Department of Mysteries and held them with an Anti-Disapparition Jinx (OP36).
It seems a reasonable deduction that the Prime Minister's office is protected against Apparition as an elementary security measure, since Fudge's visits to the Prime Minister there have always involved the Floo Network rather than Apparition, and since protection against Apparition isn't mentioned as part of the Prime Minister's new security arrangements (HBP1).
Most wizarding dwellings are magically protected against unwanted Apparators, according to Albus Dumbledore, who confirmed that "you can't Apparate anywhere inside the buildings or grounds" of Hogwarts (HBP4). However, the Headmaster or Headmistress can temporarily lift the restriction from a specific area of the school for short periods, so that someone already within that area can Apparate to another place within the same area, although they cannot leave the area by Apparition (HBP18).
anti-gravity mist
incantation unknown
Charm which creates an innocent-looking mist which hovers above the ground. A person stepping into this mist immediately finds that up and down have reversed and they are hanging from the ground over the endless sky.
Harry encountered this mist in the maze of the third task (GF31).
anti-jinx
various
incantation unknown
Causes the victim to sprout antlers.
Aparecium (a-par-EE-see-um)"appareo" L. to appear
Makes invisible ink become visible.
Hermione tried this on Riddle's diary, but it had no apparent effect (CS13).
Apparition (A-pa-RI-shun)
Apparate, Disapparate
nonverbal spell
from "appareo" L. to appear
Advanced spell used by fully trained witches and wizards to disappear from one place and appear almost instantly somewhere else. A person who uses this spell is referred to as an Apparator.
See PS2 for a possible example of Apparition as wandless magic. However, given Harry's remarks in (HBP4) that his experience at that time was the first time he had ever Apparated, it would appear that the incident referred to in PS2 was probably not Apparition but something else, such as Levitation.
Very difficult spell. Performed incorrectly, Apparition can result in the caster being "splinched", which refers to part of the caster's body being left behind (GF5). According to Harry's Apparition instructor, this happens when the caster is insufficiently determined (HBP18).
According to Harry's Apparition instructor, there are three D's in performing Apparition: destination, determination, and deliberation. (HBP18).
Wizards must pass a test in order to be obtain a license to be allowed to perform it. To take the test, the applicant must be of age in the wizarding world (at least seventeen) (HBP4).
Apparition becomes more difficult as distance increases. Only highly trained wizards would try intercontinental Apparition (QA9).
Fudge appeared out of thin air in the cabinet room to inform the Prime Minister of the goings-on at the Quidditch World Cup (HBP1).
Apparating directly into a wizarding house is just as rude as kicking down the front door, even if most wizarding dwellings were not magically protected from unwanted Apparators (HBP4).
See also APPARITION, SIDE-ALONG and OP - Edits and Changes to the Text.
Pius Thicknesse made it an imprisonable offence to connect number four, Privet Drive to the Floo Network, place a Portkey there, or Apparate in or out, supposedly to protect Harry (DH4).
According to Remus Lupin, it's impossible to track anyone who Apparates, unless you grab hold of them as they disappear (DH11).
Harry, Ron, and Hermione Apparated together throughout what would have been their seventh year many, many times, beginning with their escape from the wedding (DH9).
Harry and Hermione practiced Apparating and Disapparating together under the Invisibility Cloak (DH16)
Apparition, Side-Along
A form of Apparition in which the Apparator touches someone else, such as a child too young to Apparate, and Apparates with that person as a "passenger".
Mentioned in Ministry leaflet (HBP3).
Albus Dumbledore used Side-Along Apparition to take Harry from Privet Drive to Budleigh Babberton (HBP4), and later to take him from Hogsmeade to the cave (HBP25).
Harry used Side-Along Apparition to take Albus Dumbledore from the cave back to Hogsmeade (HBP27).
Harry had thought Mad-Eye would come to number four, Privet Drive and take him away using Side-Along Apparition (DH3).
armour-bewitching charm
incantation unknown
Bewitches a suit of armour to sing Christmas carols.
This charm was used as part of the Christmas decorations in 1994 [Y14]. Unfortunately, a suit of armour so enchanted is still not a particularly clever thing, so many of them didn't know all the words to the songs. Peeves took to hiding inside the armour and filling in the gaps with lyrics of his own invention, usually very rude ones (GF22).
arrows, wand
incantation unknown
Shoots arrows out of a wand.
The supporters of the Appleby Arrows were fond of firing arrows out of their wands to celebrate goals. The practice was outlawed in 1894 (QA7).
Atmospheric Charm
no names or words given
Something to do with weather effects such as are seen at Ministry of Magic headquarters in London.
Hermione says that if something has gone wrong with one, it will be more difficult to fix than simply by casting Finite Incantatem (DH12).
Avada Kedavra (uh-VAH-duh kuh-DAH-vruh)
"Killing Curse"
Aramaic: "adhadda kedhabhra" -
"let the thing be destroyed".
NOTE: Abracadabra is a cabbalistic charm in Judaic mythology that is
supposed to bring healing powers. One of its sources is believed to be
from Aramaic avada kedavra, another is the Phoenician alphabet
(a-bra-ca-dabra).
Causes instant death in a flash of green light, usually leaving no sign of physical damage or of the cause of death that would be detectable to a Muggle autopsy.
One of the Unforgivable Curses (GF14), said to be unblockable and with no counter-curse, although Albus Dumbledore managed to protect Harry by putting some statues in its way during his duel with Voldemort in the Atrium (OP36).
This spell produces a jet (OP36) or flash (GF14) of green light, and a sound as though some huge invisible thing is rushing at the target (GF1, GF14)
Harry is the only known person to survive the Killing Curse (esp. PS1, GF14, also GF34).
This was the curse used by Tom Marvolo Riddle to kill his father and paternal grandparents, who were found unmarked except for an expression of absolute terror on their faces. A Muggle autopsy could not determine a cause of death (GF1). As far as Albus Dumbledore was aware during Harry's sixth year, the Muggle authorities never learned how the Riddles died because the Killing Curse usually leaves no sign of damage, Harry's scar being the only known exception. The Ministry of Magic, however, knew at once that the Riddles had been murdered by a wizard. Riddle had taken care to use someone else's wand - that of his maternal uncle, Morfin Gaunt - to commit the murder, so that the magical equivalent of forensics would point to a suspect other than himself, and had further covered himself by tampering with Morfin's memory so that Morfin himself believed he had committed the crimes (HBP17). It's a disgrace to the name of wizarding law enforcement that no effort appears to have been made to clear Frank Bryce of the crime, the only suspect the Muggle authorities were aware of, when Morfin was sent to Azkaban for the crime (HBP17).
Voldemort has also personally used the Killing Curse to murder Harry's parents (GF34, DH17), Bertha Jorkins (GF33), Frank Bryce (GF1), and Charity Burbage (DH1).
Wormtail, on orders from Voldemort, used Voldemort's wand to murder Cedric Diggory with the Killing Curse (GF32).
A Death Eater tried to cast this on Hermione in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, but was tackled by Harry halfway through the incantation (OP35).
Voldemort tried to cast the Killing Curse on Harry (doesn't he ever learn?) and on Albus Dumbledore after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Fawkes swallowed a bolt of it at one point (OP36).
Judging from the effect, Bellatrix Lestrange killed a fox with a nonverbal Killing Curse just before she and her sister Narcissa paid a call on Snape to discuss Draco (HBP2).
Mentioned as the Killing Curse in a Daily Prophet article (HBP3).
Avis (AH-vis)
"avis" L. bird
Conjures a flock of small, twittering birds.
Mr. Ollivander used this spell to test Viktor Krum's wand during the Weighing of the Wands, sending the birds out the window (GF18).
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