Post by Prof. Destiny Smith on Apr 25, 2009 19:39:35 GMT -6
Reducio
"reducere" is Latin for "to reduce" (lit. "I take back").
This is the counter-spell to Engorgio, and thus causes an Engorged object to shrink back to its original size. Crouch/Moody cast this on the spider he was using to demonstrate the Unforgivable Curses during 4th-year DADA classes. He had Engorged it in order to demonstrate the effects of the Cruciatus Curse better, and then Reduced it again when he'd finished [GOF14].
Reducto
The Reductor Curse. This spell is used to blast solid object into pieces. Harry first learnt it in preparation for the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. The first time he tried it during the task it didn't help him, as he was attempting to shift some Enchanted Mist with it. The spell just passed straight through it due to the fact that it doesn't work on anything that's not solid. He had more success with it shortly afterwards, however, when he used it to make a hole in the hedge so that he could rescue Cedric from Krum's Cruciatus Curse (that he in turn was performing due to Crouch Jnr's Imperius Curse on him). It didn't work brilliantly on the hedge, but made a hole big enough for him to get through [GOF31].
Earlier in the year, Snape may have been using this spell to blast rosebushes apart at the Yule Ball in order to stop people snogging behind them [GOF23]. The most famous use of this spell, however, occurred in the Department of Mysteries, where Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny and Neville used it to smash the racks of Prophecies in order to create a diversion and escape from the Death Eaters [OOTP35]. The following year, during the battle at Hogwarts, somebody tried to use the spell to destroy the magical barrier that the Death Eaters had put up to stop anyone reaching the ramparts, but it didn't work [HBP27].
Reductor Curse
See "Reducto".
Refilling Charm
Causes a container to refill with whatever liquid it was originally holding. Harry cast this on Slughorn's wine bottles when he was getting drunk with Hagrid after Aragog's funeral. Harry had never managed to use the spell before without using the incantation, but the Felix Felicis he'd consumed meant that on this occasion he was able to cast it non-verbally with no problems [HBP22].
Relashio
From the Latin "relaxo", meaning "I relax", or "I loosen".
This spell causes the target person or object to release what they are holding. It appears that the first time Harry used it, during the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, he was unaware of what the spell was really for: he was expecting his wand to issue a stream of sparks to scare off the Grindylows that were holding him at the time. Instead, a jet of boiling water shot at them, causing them to release their hold on him [GOF26].
From the instances of the spell being used, it would appear that the spell works by sending a magical shockwave at the target, which in turn causes it to release what they are holding. If the target is human or animal, they can be thrown backwards by the force of the wave. If the target is an object, it breaks. This is illustrated by the example of when Bob Ogden cast Relashio on Marvolo Gaunt when he was attempting to strangle his daughter for the crime of being attracted to a Muggle. On this occasion, Gaunt was thrown backwards by the force of the spell, releasing Merope as he fell [HBP10].
The spell was cast on an object when Hermione used it to rescue Mary Cattermole from the Muggle-Born Registration Commission courtroom. After Harry had Stunned Umbridge and Yaxley, Hermione released Mary, who was chained to a chair in the centre of the room. As a result of the spell, the chains withdrew into the arms of the chair, where they had come from [DH13].
A more spectacular use of the spell came during Harry, Ron and Hermione's raid of Gringotts Bank. Here, Harry used it to break open the thick metal cuffs that were chaining up the dragon guarding the deepest vaults. Remarkably, the cuffs did not seem to be protected from aggressive spells in any way, and simply snapped open [DH26].
Reluctant Reversers Charm
See "Charm to Cure Reluctant Reversers".
Rennervate
This may be a spell that revives an unconscious person. The incantation is, however, curiously close to the known spell Ennervate which has similar effects, and so when Harry attempted to cast this on Professor Dumbledore in the Horcrux Cave, he may simply have been mis-casting Ennervate in the heat of the moment. See also "Ennervate".
Reparo
Latin for "I restore".
This spell repairs the target object. The first confirmed use of this spell was on the Hogwarts Express at the start of Harry's fourth year, when Ron slammed the compartment door so angrily after a visit from Malfoy that he broke the glass. Hermione immediately repaired it so it was as good as new [GOF11]. It was very probably used as early as Harry's second year, however, when Arthur Weasley repaired his glasses after Harry had broken them trying to use the Floo Network to go to Diagon Alley [COS4].
Harry certainly used it after he'd broken - by getting angry yet again - the bowl of Murtlap Essence he'd been using to soothe his wounds after detention with Umbridge. It restored the bowl but didn't put the Essence back in [OOTP15]. Snape also used it to repair a jar that got broken during Harry's Occlumency lessons [OOTP26]. An important example of this spell came in Harry's sixth year, where Harry used it to doctor the copy of Advanced Potion-Making he ordered from Flourish and Blotts. He wanted to keep the Half-Blood Prince's old version as it was so useful, so he swapped the covers and used Reparo to bind them back to the books [HBP11].
Repelling Spell
Repels an object, keeping it away from the spell caster. Repelling Spells were used by the spectators during early Quidditch matches to prevent the Snidget leaving the playing area [QA].
Repello Muggletum
From the Latin "repello", meaning "I banish or repel", and the word "Muggle".
It is unconfirmed but very likely that this is the incantation for the Muggle-Repelling Charm. Hermione cast this spell as part of the magical defences used by herself, Harry and Ron when they were on the run from the Death Eaters and were trying to avoid detection [DH14].
Restoring Spell
This piece of magic is used to make someone in their animagus state return to their normal form. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin used it against Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack to make him revert to human form. The spell creates two flashes of bright light, after which the target animagus is transformed, with the effect looking like a speeded-up animation [POA19].
Revelaspell
See "Scarpin's Revelaspell" and "Specialis Revelio".
Reverse Spell Effect
See "Prior Incantato".
Revulsion Jinx
This spell causes the target (person, and perhaps creature or object) to be repelled from the caster. When Yaxley caught hold of Hermione when she was Disapparating from the Ministry of Magic, he managed to Side-Along Apparate with her to Grimmauld Place. Hermione got rid of him with a Revulsion Jinx, but unfortunately he was already inside the Fidelius Charm protecting the house, and so it was no longer safe for them to use as a hideout [DH14].
Rictusempra
From the Latin "rictus", meaning "open mouth", and "semper", meaning "always".
The Tickling Charm. This charm produces a jet of silver light, which when it hits the victim causes them to laugh uncontrollably. Harry hit Malfoy with this spell when Snape paired them together at Lockhart's Duelling Club in their second year. Each pair of students was only meant to be attempting to disarm each other, and the outbreak of anarchy the erupted when the duels began caused Lockhart some discomfort [COS11].
Riddikulus
Adaptation of the English word "ridiculous".
This spell causes an item, creature or person to take on an amusing appearance of the spell-caster's choosing. The caster of the spell has to envisage, as clearly as possible, what humorous form they want the target to take. Then, if the spell is cast correctly, the imagined result will be obtained.
Riddikulus is particularly useful against Boggarts, who are destroyed by laughter, although it follows from this that the form the Boggart is forced to take is amusing enough to create this reaction to it. Professor Lupin taught Harry's class about this spell and its effect on Boggarts during their first 3rd-year DADA lesson, although he didn't let Harry have a go due to his fear that the Boggart would turn into Lord Voldemort when it faced Harry [POA7].
Harry later used the spell against a Boggart in the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament - contrary to Lupin's prediction, it actually took on the form of a Dementor in front of Harry [GOF31]. A Boggart was also living in a writing desk in the drawing room at Grimmauld Place, which Molly Weasley attempted to remove using this charm. She was so worried about her family's fate in the war that she couldn't manage the spell, however, and Remus Lupin eventually had to deal with it for her [OOTP9].
"reducere" is Latin for "to reduce" (lit. "I take back").
This is the counter-spell to Engorgio, and thus causes an Engorged object to shrink back to its original size. Crouch/Moody cast this on the spider he was using to demonstrate the Unforgivable Curses during 4th-year DADA classes. He had Engorged it in order to demonstrate the effects of the Cruciatus Curse better, and then Reduced it again when he'd finished [GOF14].
Reducto
The Reductor Curse. This spell is used to blast solid object into pieces. Harry first learnt it in preparation for the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. The first time he tried it during the task it didn't help him, as he was attempting to shift some Enchanted Mist with it. The spell just passed straight through it due to the fact that it doesn't work on anything that's not solid. He had more success with it shortly afterwards, however, when he used it to make a hole in the hedge so that he could rescue Cedric from Krum's Cruciatus Curse (that he in turn was performing due to Crouch Jnr's Imperius Curse on him). It didn't work brilliantly on the hedge, but made a hole big enough for him to get through [GOF31].
Earlier in the year, Snape may have been using this spell to blast rosebushes apart at the Yule Ball in order to stop people snogging behind them [GOF23]. The most famous use of this spell, however, occurred in the Department of Mysteries, where Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny and Neville used it to smash the racks of Prophecies in order to create a diversion and escape from the Death Eaters [OOTP35]. The following year, during the battle at Hogwarts, somebody tried to use the spell to destroy the magical barrier that the Death Eaters had put up to stop anyone reaching the ramparts, but it didn't work [HBP27].
Reductor Curse
See "Reducto".
Refilling Charm
Causes a container to refill with whatever liquid it was originally holding. Harry cast this on Slughorn's wine bottles when he was getting drunk with Hagrid after Aragog's funeral. Harry had never managed to use the spell before without using the incantation, but the Felix Felicis he'd consumed meant that on this occasion he was able to cast it non-verbally with no problems [HBP22].
Relashio
From the Latin "relaxo", meaning "I relax", or "I loosen".
This spell causes the target person or object to release what they are holding. It appears that the first time Harry used it, during the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, he was unaware of what the spell was really for: he was expecting his wand to issue a stream of sparks to scare off the Grindylows that were holding him at the time. Instead, a jet of boiling water shot at them, causing them to release their hold on him [GOF26].
From the instances of the spell being used, it would appear that the spell works by sending a magical shockwave at the target, which in turn causes it to release what they are holding. If the target is human or animal, they can be thrown backwards by the force of the wave. If the target is an object, it breaks. This is illustrated by the example of when Bob Ogden cast Relashio on Marvolo Gaunt when he was attempting to strangle his daughter for the crime of being attracted to a Muggle. On this occasion, Gaunt was thrown backwards by the force of the spell, releasing Merope as he fell [HBP10].
The spell was cast on an object when Hermione used it to rescue Mary Cattermole from the Muggle-Born Registration Commission courtroom. After Harry had Stunned Umbridge and Yaxley, Hermione released Mary, who was chained to a chair in the centre of the room. As a result of the spell, the chains withdrew into the arms of the chair, where they had come from [DH13].
A more spectacular use of the spell came during Harry, Ron and Hermione's raid of Gringotts Bank. Here, Harry used it to break open the thick metal cuffs that were chaining up the dragon guarding the deepest vaults. Remarkably, the cuffs did not seem to be protected from aggressive spells in any way, and simply snapped open [DH26].
Reluctant Reversers Charm
See "Charm to Cure Reluctant Reversers".
Rennervate
This may be a spell that revives an unconscious person. The incantation is, however, curiously close to the known spell Ennervate which has similar effects, and so when Harry attempted to cast this on Professor Dumbledore in the Horcrux Cave, he may simply have been mis-casting Ennervate in the heat of the moment. See also "Ennervate".
Reparo
Latin for "I restore".
This spell repairs the target object. The first confirmed use of this spell was on the Hogwarts Express at the start of Harry's fourth year, when Ron slammed the compartment door so angrily after a visit from Malfoy that he broke the glass. Hermione immediately repaired it so it was as good as new [GOF11]. It was very probably used as early as Harry's second year, however, when Arthur Weasley repaired his glasses after Harry had broken them trying to use the Floo Network to go to Diagon Alley [COS4].
Harry certainly used it after he'd broken - by getting angry yet again - the bowl of Murtlap Essence he'd been using to soothe his wounds after detention with Umbridge. It restored the bowl but didn't put the Essence back in [OOTP15]. Snape also used it to repair a jar that got broken during Harry's Occlumency lessons [OOTP26]. An important example of this spell came in Harry's sixth year, where Harry used it to doctor the copy of Advanced Potion-Making he ordered from Flourish and Blotts. He wanted to keep the Half-Blood Prince's old version as it was so useful, so he swapped the covers and used Reparo to bind them back to the books [HBP11].
Repelling Spell
Repels an object, keeping it away from the spell caster. Repelling Spells were used by the spectators during early Quidditch matches to prevent the Snidget leaving the playing area [QA].
Repello Muggletum
From the Latin "repello", meaning "I banish or repel", and the word "Muggle".
It is unconfirmed but very likely that this is the incantation for the Muggle-Repelling Charm. Hermione cast this spell as part of the magical defences used by herself, Harry and Ron when they were on the run from the Death Eaters and were trying to avoid detection [DH14].
Restoring Spell
This piece of magic is used to make someone in their animagus state return to their normal form. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin used it against Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack to make him revert to human form. The spell creates two flashes of bright light, after which the target animagus is transformed, with the effect looking like a speeded-up animation [POA19].
Revelaspell
See "Scarpin's Revelaspell" and "Specialis Revelio".
Reverse Spell Effect
See "Prior Incantato".
Revulsion Jinx
This spell causes the target (person, and perhaps creature or object) to be repelled from the caster. When Yaxley caught hold of Hermione when she was Disapparating from the Ministry of Magic, he managed to Side-Along Apparate with her to Grimmauld Place. Hermione got rid of him with a Revulsion Jinx, but unfortunately he was already inside the Fidelius Charm protecting the house, and so it was no longer safe for them to use as a hideout [DH14].
Rictusempra
From the Latin "rictus", meaning "open mouth", and "semper", meaning "always".
The Tickling Charm. This charm produces a jet of silver light, which when it hits the victim causes them to laugh uncontrollably. Harry hit Malfoy with this spell when Snape paired them together at Lockhart's Duelling Club in their second year. Each pair of students was only meant to be attempting to disarm each other, and the outbreak of anarchy the erupted when the duels began caused Lockhart some discomfort [COS11].
Riddikulus
Adaptation of the English word "ridiculous".
This spell causes an item, creature or person to take on an amusing appearance of the spell-caster's choosing. The caster of the spell has to envisage, as clearly as possible, what humorous form they want the target to take. Then, if the spell is cast correctly, the imagined result will be obtained.
Riddikulus is particularly useful against Boggarts, who are destroyed by laughter, although it follows from this that the form the Boggart is forced to take is amusing enough to create this reaction to it. Professor Lupin taught Harry's class about this spell and its effect on Boggarts during their first 3rd-year DADA lesson, although he didn't let Harry have a go due to his fear that the Boggart would turn into Lord Voldemort when it faced Harry [POA7].
Harry later used the spell against a Boggart in the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament - contrary to Lupin's prediction, it actually took on the form of a Dementor in front of Harry [GOF31]. A Boggart was also living in a writing desk in the drawing room at Grimmauld Place, which Molly Weasley attempted to remove using this charm. She was so worried about her family's fate in the war that she couldn't manage the spell, however, and Remus Lupin eventually had to deal with it for her [OOTP9].