Post by Prof. Destiny Smith on Apr 25, 2009 19:42:59 GMT -6
Impediment Charm
See "Impedimenta".
Impedimenta
"impedimentum" is Latin for "a hindrance".
In its simplest form, this spell is used to stop or slow down a person or creature, effectively immobilising them for a short period of time. When cast with power, however, it can easily knock the target off their feet. On many occasions, it has knocked the target over but not prevented subsequent movement at all. Whether these variations are accidental in the casting of the spell, or the choice of the caster, is unclear.
Harry first learnt this spell when he was preparing for the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Ron and Hermione learnt it too, and Ron successfully stopped a wasp in mid-air with it [GOF31]. This demonstrates the weakest form of the spell. Harry cast it on a Blast-Ended Skrewt and a giant spider during the task. The Skrewt was immobilised without being knocked back, although this may have been due to its size. The spell had no effect on the spider at all [GOF31].
Madam Hooch cast the spell on Harry when he attacked Malfoy following the Gryffindor vs Slytherin Quidditch match in their 5th year. On this occasion it had the opposite effect: Harry was knocked back but not immobilised [OOTP19]. This was also the case when a group of Death Eaters cast it on Harry, Hermione and Neville during the battle at the Department of Mysteries [OOTP35]. When James Potter cast it on Snape when he was bullying him at school, it both knocked him back and immobilised him [OOTP28].
Finally, Harry used the spell against the Inferi in the Horcrux cave. Here it was effective against individual creatures, but weight of numbers meant that he gained no advantage from it [HBP26]. It served him better during the battle at Hogwarts, however, where he used it against Amycus and Alecto as he chased Snape to the school gates [HBP28].
Imperio
From the Latin "impero," meaning "I give orders, rule, hold sway," or "imperium," meaning "power to command, rule, control."
The Imperius Curse. This is used to command the actions of another person or animal, leaving them at the mercy of the spell caster and totally under their control. The spell was introduced by Moody/Crouch, when he taught it to Harry's class in their first fourth-year DADA lesson, when he demonstrated all of the Unforgivable Curses [GOF14]. A subsequent lesson was dedicated entirely to the Imperius Curse, and Moody/Crouch put each of Harry's classmates under it to see if they could resist it. Harry was the only one who was able to do so [GOF15].
The experience of being under the curse is described as a floating sensation where every thought and worry in Harry's head was erased and replaced with a numb happiness. A sense of obedience, where commands were to be obeyed without question, came with it [GOF15]. In Harry's case, his own voice managed to penetrate the emptiness in his brain that the curse had caused, urging him to fight against it. It appears, therefore, that the ability to resist hinges on the ability to return a sense of self into one's mind [GOF15].
This magic has been used frequently throughout the series, and the effects of it have often been fought against with either partial or complete success. Barty Crouch Jnr used it on Alastor Moody so that he could keep Moody under control whilst taking his place at Hogwarts [GOF35], and again on Viktor Krum to make him attack Cedric during the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournamet [GOF31].
Bartemius Snr had previously used it on his son to keep him under strict control after springing him from Azkaban. Barty Jnr began to resist the curse, however, which allowed him enough freedom to cast the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup [GOF35]. After freeing Barty Jnr, Voldemort cast it on Bartemius Snr, who like his son began to resist it [GOF35]. Voldemort also cast it on Harry in the graveyard at Little Hangleton in an attempt to make him answer a question - Harry, having been taught by Moody/Crouch, was able to totally resist it [GOF34].
Two years on, Draco Malfoy use the Imperius Curse to control Madam Rosmerta, who was not able to resist it [HBP27]. Under its influence, she was forced to supply Draco with information, supply poisoned mead, and herself put the curse on Katie Bell in an attempt to make her take a cursed opal necklace to Dumbledore [HBP12]. By the following year, the need to defeat Voldemort by any means necessary meant that people as unlikely as both Harry and Minerva McGonagall could be found using this curse. Harry used it on Travers, to stop him interfering with their raid on Gringotts, and also on Bogrod the Goblin, who he forced to escort them to the Lestrange vault [DH26]. Minerva used it on Amycus Carrow before the Battle of Hogwarts, again to stop any interference [DH30].
The Imperius Curse is one of the three Unforgivable Curses and the use of it against another human being is normally punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban.
Imperius Curse
See "Imperio".
Imperturbable Charm
Imperturbable means "not able to be disturbed".
This spell creates a barrier that sounds, objects and people cannot cross. When Fred and George tried to use Extendable Ears to eavesdrop on Order of the Phoenix meetings at Grimmauld Place, their attempts were thwarted by Molly putting this charm on the door, which meant that the Ears couldn't get near it. Ginny threw Dungbombs as the door and they flew right away from it, proving that the charm was in place [OOTP4].
Impervius
Latin for "impassable".
Impervius is used to make an object resistant to water. It has been successfully used twice in the series to date, and on both occasions it was used in an attempt to aid visibility for Quidditch players in poor conditions. Hermione used it to good effect when she cast it on Harry's glasses during the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff game in Harry's third year. It helped his vision, but Gryffindor still lost after Dementors invaded the pitch [POA9]. The entire Gryffindor team tried to use the charm on their faces when trying to practice in even worse conditions in their fifth year, but on this occasion the weather was just too bad, and they had to admit defeat and pack up [OOTP18].
When it was raining in Yaxley's office in the Ministry of Magic, Hermione suggested that Ron (disguised as maintenance man Reg Cattermole) should use Impervius to protect his belongings [DH12]. During Harry, Ron and Hermione's raid of Gringotts Bank, Hermione tried to use it to protect them all when they were deluged with scalding hot metal. It did no good, but this attempted usage suggests that the spell might provide protection from more than just water [DH26].
Inanimatus Conjurus
From the Latin "inanimus", meaning "inanimate", and the word "conjurus", a derivative of "conjure".
A spell mentioned in passing as homework in Harry's fifth year. The effect is unknown, but presumably involves conjuring inanimate objects [OOTP14]. Professor McGonagall said at another point that Conjuring Spells were NEWT level magic, and so this is probably a simplified version.
Incantation Free Magic
See "Non-Verbal Magic".
Incarcerous
"Incarcerate" means to shut in.
This spell is used to summon or conjure ropes, which then bind a chosen target. It has been used several times in the series so far, although the first uses were non-verbal and the incantation was unknown at this point. It was first cast by Quirrell, when he used it to tie up Harry in the chamber of the Philosopher's Stone: on this occasion it was cast with a mere click of the fingers, making it both non-verbal and wandless magic [PS/SS17]. Severus Snape used it two years later in the Shrieking Shack to tie up Lupin after he'd apprehended him in the company of Sirius Black. On this occasion he used his wand, but no incantation [POA19].
In Harry's fifth year, Dolores Umbrige used this spell in a failed attempt to control the Centaurs after she had been tricked by Hermione into entering the Forbidden Forest. In response, the Centaurs attacked her and carried her away [OOTP33]. Harry attempted to use it against both the Inferi and Snape during his trip to the Horcrux cave and the subsequent attack on Hogwarts, but met with little success on either occasion [HBP26, 28].
Incendio
"Incendo" is Latin for "I set fire to".
Creates a fire. This spell magically creates what would otherwise be an ordinary Muggle fire. As such it is different to other wizarding fires that are closely controllable, such as Hermione's speciality Portable Flame [PS/SS11], or those that burn in unusual colours, such as the bright purple fire kindled by African wizards at the Quidditch World Cup [GOF7].
Arthur used Incendio to start a fire in the Dursleys' fireplace so that Harry and the Weasleys could use the Floo Network to travel back to The Burrow for the Quidditch World Cup [GOF4]. Much later, after Snape's murder of Dumbledore, a huge Death Eater set fire to Hagrid's hut with this spell [HBP28]. When giving her account of the battle later on, Ginny revealed that Incendio cannot penetrate the Peruvian Instant Darkness Power sold in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, as she had tried it without success [HBP29].
Instant Scalping Hex
Removes the hair from the victim - instantly. Harry consulted the book Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed in preparation for the Triwizard tournament and found this spell but discarded it due to the fact that dragons have no hair [GOF20].
Intruder Charm
The wizarding equivalent of a burglar alarm. It makes an audible signal when the area covered by the charm is entered by somebody or something. Horace Slughorn had one of these set up in the house he was using in Budleigh Babberton so that he could tell if someone approached. Unfortunately for him, when Harry and Dumbledore came to call he was in the bath and didn't hear it go off [HBP4].
Invisibility Spell
This is a spell that renders something invisible. Fred and George Weasley used it to good effect in their range of Headless Hats. Hermione was particularly impressed that they'd managed to make the range of invisibility go beyond the charmed object, but doubted whether the charm would last for very long [OOTP24]. This spell is different to Evanesco as it is likely that Evanesco actually causes the item to cease to exist rather than simply making it invisible.
Invisible Bonds
When Voldemort held Charity Burbage prisoner during a Death Eater meeting at the Malfoy mansion, she was suspended upside-down as if from an invisible rope, and bound with invisible bonds, which she struggled against when conscious [DH1]. These bonds are different from those conjured by Incarcerous, which are visible, and the spell is also different to Petrificus Totalus, which the victim cannot struggle against. Therefore it is listed here as a separate spell.
See "Impedimenta".
Impedimenta
"impedimentum" is Latin for "a hindrance".
In its simplest form, this spell is used to stop or slow down a person or creature, effectively immobilising them for a short period of time. When cast with power, however, it can easily knock the target off their feet. On many occasions, it has knocked the target over but not prevented subsequent movement at all. Whether these variations are accidental in the casting of the spell, or the choice of the caster, is unclear.
Harry first learnt this spell when he was preparing for the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Ron and Hermione learnt it too, and Ron successfully stopped a wasp in mid-air with it [GOF31]. This demonstrates the weakest form of the spell. Harry cast it on a Blast-Ended Skrewt and a giant spider during the task. The Skrewt was immobilised without being knocked back, although this may have been due to its size. The spell had no effect on the spider at all [GOF31].
Madam Hooch cast the spell on Harry when he attacked Malfoy following the Gryffindor vs Slytherin Quidditch match in their 5th year. On this occasion it had the opposite effect: Harry was knocked back but not immobilised [OOTP19]. This was also the case when a group of Death Eaters cast it on Harry, Hermione and Neville during the battle at the Department of Mysteries [OOTP35]. When James Potter cast it on Snape when he was bullying him at school, it both knocked him back and immobilised him [OOTP28].
Finally, Harry used the spell against the Inferi in the Horcrux cave. Here it was effective against individual creatures, but weight of numbers meant that he gained no advantage from it [HBP26]. It served him better during the battle at Hogwarts, however, where he used it against Amycus and Alecto as he chased Snape to the school gates [HBP28].
Imperio
From the Latin "impero," meaning "I give orders, rule, hold sway," or "imperium," meaning "power to command, rule, control."
The Imperius Curse. This is used to command the actions of another person or animal, leaving them at the mercy of the spell caster and totally under their control. The spell was introduced by Moody/Crouch, when he taught it to Harry's class in their first fourth-year DADA lesson, when he demonstrated all of the Unforgivable Curses [GOF14]. A subsequent lesson was dedicated entirely to the Imperius Curse, and Moody/Crouch put each of Harry's classmates under it to see if they could resist it. Harry was the only one who was able to do so [GOF15].
The experience of being under the curse is described as a floating sensation where every thought and worry in Harry's head was erased and replaced with a numb happiness. A sense of obedience, where commands were to be obeyed without question, came with it [GOF15]. In Harry's case, his own voice managed to penetrate the emptiness in his brain that the curse had caused, urging him to fight against it. It appears, therefore, that the ability to resist hinges on the ability to return a sense of self into one's mind [GOF15].
This magic has been used frequently throughout the series, and the effects of it have often been fought against with either partial or complete success. Barty Crouch Jnr used it on Alastor Moody so that he could keep Moody under control whilst taking his place at Hogwarts [GOF35], and again on Viktor Krum to make him attack Cedric during the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournamet [GOF31].
Bartemius Snr had previously used it on his son to keep him under strict control after springing him from Azkaban. Barty Jnr began to resist the curse, however, which allowed him enough freedom to cast the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup [GOF35]. After freeing Barty Jnr, Voldemort cast it on Bartemius Snr, who like his son began to resist it [GOF35]. Voldemort also cast it on Harry in the graveyard at Little Hangleton in an attempt to make him answer a question - Harry, having been taught by Moody/Crouch, was able to totally resist it [GOF34].
Two years on, Draco Malfoy use the Imperius Curse to control Madam Rosmerta, who was not able to resist it [HBP27]. Under its influence, she was forced to supply Draco with information, supply poisoned mead, and herself put the curse on Katie Bell in an attempt to make her take a cursed opal necklace to Dumbledore [HBP12]. By the following year, the need to defeat Voldemort by any means necessary meant that people as unlikely as both Harry and Minerva McGonagall could be found using this curse. Harry used it on Travers, to stop him interfering with their raid on Gringotts, and also on Bogrod the Goblin, who he forced to escort them to the Lestrange vault [DH26]. Minerva used it on Amycus Carrow before the Battle of Hogwarts, again to stop any interference [DH30].
The Imperius Curse is one of the three Unforgivable Curses and the use of it against another human being is normally punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban.
Imperius Curse
See "Imperio".
Imperturbable Charm
Imperturbable means "not able to be disturbed".
This spell creates a barrier that sounds, objects and people cannot cross. When Fred and George tried to use Extendable Ears to eavesdrop on Order of the Phoenix meetings at Grimmauld Place, their attempts were thwarted by Molly putting this charm on the door, which meant that the Ears couldn't get near it. Ginny threw Dungbombs as the door and they flew right away from it, proving that the charm was in place [OOTP4].
Impervius
Latin for "impassable".
Impervius is used to make an object resistant to water. It has been successfully used twice in the series to date, and on both occasions it was used in an attempt to aid visibility for Quidditch players in poor conditions. Hermione used it to good effect when she cast it on Harry's glasses during the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff game in Harry's third year. It helped his vision, but Gryffindor still lost after Dementors invaded the pitch [POA9]. The entire Gryffindor team tried to use the charm on their faces when trying to practice in even worse conditions in their fifth year, but on this occasion the weather was just too bad, and they had to admit defeat and pack up [OOTP18].
When it was raining in Yaxley's office in the Ministry of Magic, Hermione suggested that Ron (disguised as maintenance man Reg Cattermole) should use Impervius to protect his belongings [DH12]. During Harry, Ron and Hermione's raid of Gringotts Bank, Hermione tried to use it to protect them all when they were deluged with scalding hot metal. It did no good, but this attempted usage suggests that the spell might provide protection from more than just water [DH26].
Inanimatus Conjurus
From the Latin "inanimus", meaning "inanimate", and the word "conjurus", a derivative of "conjure".
A spell mentioned in passing as homework in Harry's fifth year. The effect is unknown, but presumably involves conjuring inanimate objects [OOTP14]. Professor McGonagall said at another point that Conjuring Spells were NEWT level magic, and so this is probably a simplified version.
Incantation Free Magic
See "Non-Verbal Magic".
Incarcerous
"Incarcerate" means to shut in.
This spell is used to summon or conjure ropes, which then bind a chosen target. It has been used several times in the series so far, although the first uses were non-verbal and the incantation was unknown at this point. It was first cast by Quirrell, when he used it to tie up Harry in the chamber of the Philosopher's Stone: on this occasion it was cast with a mere click of the fingers, making it both non-verbal and wandless magic [PS/SS17]. Severus Snape used it two years later in the Shrieking Shack to tie up Lupin after he'd apprehended him in the company of Sirius Black. On this occasion he used his wand, but no incantation [POA19].
In Harry's fifth year, Dolores Umbrige used this spell in a failed attempt to control the Centaurs after she had been tricked by Hermione into entering the Forbidden Forest. In response, the Centaurs attacked her and carried her away [OOTP33]. Harry attempted to use it against both the Inferi and Snape during his trip to the Horcrux cave and the subsequent attack on Hogwarts, but met with little success on either occasion [HBP26, 28].
Incendio
"Incendo" is Latin for "I set fire to".
Creates a fire. This spell magically creates what would otherwise be an ordinary Muggle fire. As such it is different to other wizarding fires that are closely controllable, such as Hermione's speciality Portable Flame [PS/SS11], or those that burn in unusual colours, such as the bright purple fire kindled by African wizards at the Quidditch World Cup [GOF7].
Arthur used Incendio to start a fire in the Dursleys' fireplace so that Harry and the Weasleys could use the Floo Network to travel back to The Burrow for the Quidditch World Cup [GOF4]. Much later, after Snape's murder of Dumbledore, a huge Death Eater set fire to Hagrid's hut with this spell [HBP28]. When giving her account of the battle later on, Ginny revealed that Incendio cannot penetrate the Peruvian Instant Darkness Power sold in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, as she had tried it without success [HBP29].
Instant Scalping Hex
Removes the hair from the victim - instantly. Harry consulted the book Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed in preparation for the Triwizard tournament and found this spell but discarded it due to the fact that dragons have no hair [GOF20].
Intruder Charm
The wizarding equivalent of a burglar alarm. It makes an audible signal when the area covered by the charm is entered by somebody or something. Horace Slughorn had one of these set up in the house he was using in Budleigh Babberton so that he could tell if someone approached. Unfortunately for him, when Harry and Dumbledore came to call he was in the bath and didn't hear it go off [HBP4].
Invisibility Spell
This is a spell that renders something invisible. Fred and George Weasley used it to good effect in their range of Headless Hats. Hermione was particularly impressed that they'd managed to make the range of invisibility go beyond the charmed object, but doubted whether the charm would last for very long [OOTP24]. This spell is different to Evanesco as it is likely that Evanesco actually causes the item to cease to exist rather than simply making it invisible.
Invisible Bonds
When Voldemort held Charity Burbage prisoner during a Death Eater meeting at the Malfoy mansion, she was suspended upside-down as if from an invisible rope, and bound with invisible bonds, which she struggled against when conscious [DH1]. These bonds are different from those conjured by Incarcerous, which are visible, and the spell is also different to Petrificus Totalus, which the victim cannot struggle against. Therefore it is listed here as a separate spell.