Post by Prof. Destiny Smith on Apr 25, 2009 19:46:24 GMT -6
Accio
Latin for "I call for", or "I summon".
Accio is also known as the Summoning Charm, and is used to make objects fly straight to the spell caster.
This piece of magic was introduced at the start of Harry's 4th year, where Mrs Weasley used it to retrieve a large number of Ton-Tongue Toffees that Fred and George were attempting to smuggle out of The Burrow to take to the World Cup [GOF6]. It went on to become vital to the plot of the book as the story progressed. Hermione helped Harry to learn the spell for the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament, where he wanted to use it to summon his Firebolt in order to take on his dragon. He mastered it after a great deal of practicing, and successfully used it during the task [GOF20]. His mastery of the spell was tested in even more difficult circumstances in the graveyard at Little Hangleton, when he used it to summon the Triwizard Cup Portkey to himself and thus escape from Voldemort and the assembled Death Eaters [GOF34].
Accio came to the fore again in the battle at the Department of Mysteries at the end of OOTP. Various Death Eaters, including Belltatrix Lestrange and Dolohov, attempted to use it to summon the Prophecy that Harry was holding. On one occasion Harry blocked the spell, whilst on another Sirius managed to interrupt the casting of the spell [OOTP35].
In order to successfully cast Accio, it is necessary to concentrate hard on the item you want to summon until it reaches you. Failure to do so correctly will result in the object either not moving at all, or dropping out of the air partway through its journey [GOF20].
Certain enchantments can prevent Accio working. When Hermione attempted to cast it on Hufflepuff's Cup in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts it had no effect due to the protective spells used by the bank [DH26]. Powerful magic items may also be impervious to it, as Harry's Invisibility Cloak did not move when a Death Eater tried to summon it after he'd Apparated to Hogsmeade [DH28].
Age Line Charm
This spell produces an Age Line - a barrier that detects the age of anybody trying to cross it and ejects those who are too young (with the definition of "too young" presumably specified by the caster of the spell). The line it produces is thin and golden in colour. Dumbledore put an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire in order to prevent anyone under the age of 17 putting their name into it. This particular Age Line also caused anybody underage who tried to cross it to sprout a long white beard, although this is likely to be a special addition of Dumbledore's rather than a standard feature of the magic. Several people, including Fred and George Weasley, fell foul of the Age Line when trying to get their name into the Goblet illegally, despite the fact that they'd used Aging Potion to try to fool it [GOF16].
Aguamenti
From the Latin "aqua", meaning "water", and "mens", meaning "mind". "Agua" is also Spanish for "water".
This spell was introduced in Harry's 6th year, and causes a jet of water to come from the end of the caster's wand. The speed of the jet is controllable, and the magic can produce anything from a small trickle of water to a powerful jet of it. Harry used it to refill a small goblet in the Horcrux cave, where he was desperate to give Dumbledore some water after he'd drunk the Emerald Potion [HBP26]. A short while later he and Hagrid used it to produce sufficient water to douse the flames on Hagrid's Hut after it had been set on fire during the Death Eaters' invasion of Hogwarts [HBP28].
Alohomora
From the Hawaiian "aloha", which means "hello/farewell", and the Latin "mora", which means "obstacle".
This is a fairly basic spell used to open a locked door or window. Hermione was able to use it effectively during her first year, and even though she's very gifted, this still indicates that it is hardly advanced magic. It can unseal doors locked using Colloportus, from which we can deduce that this spell is not very advanced either. Despite this, both Harry's gang and the Death Eaters attempted to seal and unseal doors using these spells during the battle at the Department of Mysteries [OOTP35]. Doors can be locked with more advanced magic that Alohomora is useless against, however, as Hermione discovered on their journey through the Department of Mysteries before the battle [OOTP34].
Hermione also used Alohomora to unlock the window in the tower where Sirius was imprisoned following the escape of Wormtail, having flown up to it with Harry on Buckbeak [POA21].
Anapneo
Greek for "breathe".
Clears the airways of the person who the spell is cast upon, allowing them to breathe properly. Horace Slughorn cast this on Marcus Belby when he accidentally swallowed a large mouthful of pheasant under questioning during Slughorn's Slug Club meeting on the Hogwarts Express [HBP7].
Animagus Transformation
This is an exceptionally difficult piece of magic that allows a witch or wizard to transform themselves into an animal at will. Animagi are very rare, and are required to register themselves with the Ministry of Magic. Only seven registered Animagi have existed in the last century, perhaps due to the extreme difficulty of the magic, and perhaps also due to the unpleasant nature of the side-effects should an attempt to transform go wrong. As with the Patronus, the Animagus cannot choose what animal to transform into: the animal they become is a direct result of their inherent nature and cannot be changed. The only known registered Animagus is Minvera McGonagall, who can transform into a cat. Hermione checked the register during her third year and did not report back on what other names she found, and so it is reasonable to assume that none of the others were known to her [POA18]. There are - or have been - a number of (illegal) unregistered Animagi, however, including James Potter (stag), Sirius Black (dog), Peter Pettigrew (rat) [all POA18] and Rita Skeeter (beetle) [GOF37].
Anti-Cheating Spell
A spell that teachers at Hogwarts use on quills for exams to prevent cheating [PS/SS16].
Anti-Disapparation Jinx
When cast on a person it prevents them from Disapparating. Dumbledore used this jinx to bind the Death Eaters in the Death Chamber after the battle at the Ministry of Magic [OOTP36].
Anti-Intruder Jinx
Repels intruders. This spell was cast on all the Hogwarts walls for the 1996-97 school year to protect the students following the return of Voldemort [HBP8].
Antler Hex
During the breakout of anarchy following Fred and George walking out of the school in Harry's fifth year, a number of unpleasant things happened to many of Dolores Umbridge's allies. In particular, Pansy Parkinson missed a day of lessons due to the fact that she'd sprouted antlers, no doubt the result of a Hex [OOTP30].
Aparecium
"Appareo" is Latin for "appear" or "I become visible".
Used to reveal invisible ink. Hermione tried this on the Very Secret Diary in order to find out whether her theory about it carrying a detailed account of T.M.Riddle's capture of the Heir of Slytherin (written in invisible ink) was correct or not. Unfortunately for her, the spell had no effect, although her thinking wasn't a million miles wide of the mark [COS13].
Apparate
"Appareo" is Latin for "appear" or "I become visible".
This spell allows the caster to appear instantly in a given place. It is used in conjunction with Disapparate. The caster must Disapparate from one location in order to Apparate in another. It is the favoured mode of transport of adult wizards when they wish to travel quickly, but cannot be used by children as an Apparition Test has to be passed before it is legal to use it [GOF6]. The Apparition Test cannot be taken before the age of 17, and as such, Apparition lessons are available in Hogwarts during the 6th Year [HBP18].
The Ministry levies heavy fines on anyone caught Apparating without a licence, as it is very dangerous to attempt it if you are not properly trained. The most common problem it can cause is Splinching, which means leaving part of your body behind. This is not fatal, but requires Ministry wizards to correct it, and leads to a lot of paperwork [GOF6].
Hermione passed her Apparition Test first time, but Ron just failed because he left half an eyebrow behind. Harry wasn't 17 at the time, and so wasn't allowed to take the Test, although he had been allowed to attend lessons [HBP22].
Atmospheric Charm
It is likely that this spell replicates weather conditions, perhaps for use indoors. It may well be related to the charm that makes the ceiling of the Great Hall at Hogwarts resemble the sky outside [PS/SS7]. When it was raining in Yaxley's office in the Ministry of Magic, Hermione thought that it might have been an Atmospheric Charm gone wrong, and was worried that if this was the case then it was going to be difficult to fix [DH12].
Avada Kedavra
A corruption of "abracadabra" which was used as a healing spell to drive disease from the patient's body in the middle ages. Its likely source is either the Arabic "abra kadabra" (may the things be destroyed), or the Aramaic "abhadda kedhabhra" (disappear with these words).
The Killing Curse. This is an advanced spell, and one that according to Barty Crouch Jnr "needs a powerful bit of magic behind it" [GOF14]; the incantation alone is not enough for the spell to work. When cast effectively, Avada Kedavra kills instantaneously, producing a blinding flash of green light and a characteristic rushing noise that sounds like something huge and invisible rushing through the air, but leaving no mark on the victim's body [GOF14].
It is one of three Unforgivable Curses, a group of spells considered so evil that casting one against another human is punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban. When cast successfully on a person, it leaves no mark on its victim and does no damage to the surrounding area [HBP17], and cannot be blocked by magical means: there is no counter curse. It is possible, however, to place objects in the path of the spell to block it, and anything non-organic that the spell directly hits will be destroyed [OOTP36].
Animals can be killed with the curse like humans can, and Barty Crouch Jnr (in the guise of Professor Moody) demonstrated the effects of the spell by casting it on a spider [GOF14]. Fawkes was also killed by the curse when he swallowed a bolt of it during the battle at the Department of Mysteries to protect Dumbledore. Being a Phoenix, however, he was immediately reborn as a baby [OOTP36].
Known human victims of Avada Kedavra are:
Tom Riddle Snr, Mr Riddle, Mrs Riddle, James Potter, Lily Potter, Bertha Jorkins, Frank Bryce, Cedric Diggory, Albus Dumbledore, Charity Burbage, Gellert Grindelwald, Gregorovitch and Lord Voldemort. The majority of these were killed by Voldemort in person, including, ironically enough, Voldemort himself, who was hit by his own rebounding curse [DH36].
Many others may have been killed with it, such as Barty Crouch Snr, Amelia Bones, Igor Karkaroff, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Bellatrix Lestrange, but there is no confirmation of what spell was used in these cases.
Two people are known to have survived it. These are Harry Potter (who was protected by his mother sacrificing her life for him) [PS1], and Tom Riddle (who was hit by his own curse as it rebounded from Harry, and was prevented from dying by his Horcruxes) [HBP23]. Tom later managed to polish himself off in exactly the same manner, however, by hitting himself with the curse once again when his Horcruxes had all been destroyed [DH36].
Avis
Latin for "bird".
Conjures a flock of birds. Mr Ollivander tested Viktor Krum's wand for the Triwizard Tournament using this spell. The birds flew out of the window, and Ollivander pronounced that the wand was "good", although he didn't care much for the styling [GOF18].
Latin for "I call for", or "I summon".
Accio is also known as the Summoning Charm, and is used to make objects fly straight to the spell caster.
This piece of magic was introduced at the start of Harry's 4th year, where Mrs Weasley used it to retrieve a large number of Ton-Tongue Toffees that Fred and George were attempting to smuggle out of The Burrow to take to the World Cup [GOF6]. It went on to become vital to the plot of the book as the story progressed. Hermione helped Harry to learn the spell for the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament, where he wanted to use it to summon his Firebolt in order to take on his dragon. He mastered it after a great deal of practicing, and successfully used it during the task [GOF20]. His mastery of the spell was tested in even more difficult circumstances in the graveyard at Little Hangleton, when he used it to summon the Triwizard Cup Portkey to himself and thus escape from Voldemort and the assembled Death Eaters [GOF34].
Accio came to the fore again in the battle at the Department of Mysteries at the end of OOTP. Various Death Eaters, including Belltatrix Lestrange and Dolohov, attempted to use it to summon the Prophecy that Harry was holding. On one occasion Harry blocked the spell, whilst on another Sirius managed to interrupt the casting of the spell [OOTP35].
In order to successfully cast Accio, it is necessary to concentrate hard on the item you want to summon until it reaches you. Failure to do so correctly will result in the object either not moving at all, or dropping out of the air partway through its journey [GOF20].
Certain enchantments can prevent Accio working. When Hermione attempted to cast it on Hufflepuff's Cup in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts it had no effect due to the protective spells used by the bank [DH26]. Powerful magic items may also be impervious to it, as Harry's Invisibility Cloak did not move when a Death Eater tried to summon it after he'd Apparated to Hogsmeade [DH28].
Age Line Charm
This spell produces an Age Line - a barrier that detects the age of anybody trying to cross it and ejects those who are too young (with the definition of "too young" presumably specified by the caster of the spell). The line it produces is thin and golden in colour. Dumbledore put an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire in order to prevent anyone under the age of 17 putting their name into it. This particular Age Line also caused anybody underage who tried to cross it to sprout a long white beard, although this is likely to be a special addition of Dumbledore's rather than a standard feature of the magic. Several people, including Fred and George Weasley, fell foul of the Age Line when trying to get their name into the Goblet illegally, despite the fact that they'd used Aging Potion to try to fool it [GOF16].
Aguamenti
From the Latin "aqua", meaning "water", and "mens", meaning "mind". "Agua" is also Spanish for "water".
This spell was introduced in Harry's 6th year, and causes a jet of water to come from the end of the caster's wand. The speed of the jet is controllable, and the magic can produce anything from a small trickle of water to a powerful jet of it. Harry used it to refill a small goblet in the Horcrux cave, where he was desperate to give Dumbledore some water after he'd drunk the Emerald Potion [HBP26]. A short while later he and Hagrid used it to produce sufficient water to douse the flames on Hagrid's Hut after it had been set on fire during the Death Eaters' invasion of Hogwarts [HBP28].
Alohomora
From the Hawaiian "aloha", which means "hello/farewell", and the Latin "mora", which means "obstacle".
This is a fairly basic spell used to open a locked door or window. Hermione was able to use it effectively during her first year, and even though she's very gifted, this still indicates that it is hardly advanced magic. It can unseal doors locked using Colloportus, from which we can deduce that this spell is not very advanced either. Despite this, both Harry's gang and the Death Eaters attempted to seal and unseal doors using these spells during the battle at the Department of Mysteries [OOTP35]. Doors can be locked with more advanced magic that Alohomora is useless against, however, as Hermione discovered on their journey through the Department of Mysteries before the battle [OOTP34].
Hermione also used Alohomora to unlock the window in the tower where Sirius was imprisoned following the escape of Wormtail, having flown up to it with Harry on Buckbeak [POA21].
Anapneo
Greek for "breathe".
Clears the airways of the person who the spell is cast upon, allowing them to breathe properly. Horace Slughorn cast this on Marcus Belby when he accidentally swallowed a large mouthful of pheasant under questioning during Slughorn's Slug Club meeting on the Hogwarts Express [HBP7].
Animagus Transformation
This is an exceptionally difficult piece of magic that allows a witch or wizard to transform themselves into an animal at will. Animagi are very rare, and are required to register themselves with the Ministry of Magic. Only seven registered Animagi have existed in the last century, perhaps due to the extreme difficulty of the magic, and perhaps also due to the unpleasant nature of the side-effects should an attempt to transform go wrong. As with the Patronus, the Animagus cannot choose what animal to transform into: the animal they become is a direct result of their inherent nature and cannot be changed. The only known registered Animagus is Minvera McGonagall, who can transform into a cat. Hermione checked the register during her third year and did not report back on what other names she found, and so it is reasonable to assume that none of the others were known to her [POA18]. There are - or have been - a number of (illegal) unregistered Animagi, however, including James Potter (stag), Sirius Black (dog), Peter Pettigrew (rat) [all POA18] and Rita Skeeter (beetle) [GOF37].
Anti-Cheating Spell
A spell that teachers at Hogwarts use on quills for exams to prevent cheating [PS/SS16].
Anti-Disapparation Jinx
When cast on a person it prevents them from Disapparating. Dumbledore used this jinx to bind the Death Eaters in the Death Chamber after the battle at the Ministry of Magic [OOTP36].
Anti-Intruder Jinx
Repels intruders. This spell was cast on all the Hogwarts walls for the 1996-97 school year to protect the students following the return of Voldemort [HBP8].
Antler Hex
During the breakout of anarchy following Fred and George walking out of the school in Harry's fifth year, a number of unpleasant things happened to many of Dolores Umbridge's allies. In particular, Pansy Parkinson missed a day of lessons due to the fact that she'd sprouted antlers, no doubt the result of a Hex [OOTP30].
Aparecium
"Appareo" is Latin for "appear" or "I become visible".
Used to reveal invisible ink. Hermione tried this on the Very Secret Diary in order to find out whether her theory about it carrying a detailed account of T.M.Riddle's capture of the Heir of Slytherin (written in invisible ink) was correct or not. Unfortunately for her, the spell had no effect, although her thinking wasn't a million miles wide of the mark [COS13].
Apparate
"Appareo" is Latin for "appear" or "I become visible".
This spell allows the caster to appear instantly in a given place. It is used in conjunction with Disapparate. The caster must Disapparate from one location in order to Apparate in another. It is the favoured mode of transport of adult wizards when they wish to travel quickly, but cannot be used by children as an Apparition Test has to be passed before it is legal to use it [GOF6]. The Apparition Test cannot be taken before the age of 17, and as such, Apparition lessons are available in Hogwarts during the 6th Year [HBP18].
The Ministry levies heavy fines on anyone caught Apparating without a licence, as it is very dangerous to attempt it if you are not properly trained. The most common problem it can cause is Splinching, which means leaving part of your body behind. This is not fatal, but requires Ministry wizards to correct it, and leads to a lot of paperwork [GOF6].
Hermione passed her Apparition Test first time, but Ron just failed because he left half an eyebrow behind. Harry wasn't 17 at the time, and so wasn't allowed to take the Test, although he had been allowed to attend lessons [HBP22].
Atmospheric Charm
It is likely that this spell replicates weather conditions, perhaps for use indoors. It may well be related to the charm that makes the ceiling of the Great Hall at Hogwarts resemble the sky outside [PS/SS7]. When it was raining in Yaxley's office in the Ministry of Magic, Hermione thought that it might have been an Atmospheric Charm gone wrong, and was worried that if this was the case then it was going to be difficult to fix [DH12].
Avada Kedavra
A corruption of "abracadabra" which was used as a healing spell to drive disease from the patient's body in the middle ages. Its likely source is either the Arabic "abra kadabra" (may the things be destroyed), or the Aramaic "abhadda kedhabhra" (disappear with these words).
The Killing Curse. This is an advanced spell, and one that according to Barty Crouch Jnr "needs a powerful bit of magic behind it" [GOF14]; the incantation alone is not enough for the spell to work. When cast effectively, Avada Kedavra kills instantaneously, producing a blinding flash of green light and a characteristic rushing noise that sounds like something huge and invisible rushing through the air, but leaving no mark on the victim's body [GOF14].
It is one of three Unforgivable Curses, a group of spells considered so evil that casting one against another human is punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban. When cast successfully on a person, it leaves no mark on its victim and does no damage to the surrounding area [HBP17], and cannot be blocked by magical means: there is no counter curse. It is possible, however, to place objects in the path of the spell to block it, and anything non-organic that the spell directly hits will be destroyed [OOTP36].
Animals can be killed with the curse like humans can, and Barty Crouch Jnr (in the guise of Professor Moody) demonstrated the effects of the spell by casting it on a spider [GOF14]. Fawkes was also killed by the curse when he swallowed a bolt of it during the battle at the Department of Mysteries to protect Dumbledore. Being a Phoenix, however, he was immediately reborn as a baby [OOTP36].
Known human victims of Avada Kedavra are:
Tom Riddle Snr, Mr Riddle, Mrs Riddle, James Potter, Lily Potter, Bertha Jorkins, Frank Bryce, Cedric Diggory, Albus Dumbledore, Charity Burbage, Gellert Grindelwald, Gregorovitch and Lord Voldemort. The majority of these were killed by Voldemort in person, including, ironically enough, Voldemort himself, who was hit by his own rebounding curse [DH36].
Many others may have been killed with it, such as Barty Crouch Snr, Amelia Bones, Igor Karkaroff, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Bellatrix Lestrange, but there is no confirmation of what spell was used in these cases.
Two people are known to have survived it. These are Harry Potter (who was protected by his mother sacrificing her life for him) [PS1], and Tom Riddle (who was hit by his own curse as it rebounded from Harry, and was prevented from dying by his Horcruxes) [HBP23]. Tom later managed to polish himself off in exactly the same manner, however, by hitting himself with the curse once again when his Horcruxes had all been destroyed [DH36].
Avis
Latin for "bird".
Conjures a flock of birds. Mr Ollivander tested Viktor Krum's wand for the Triwizard Tournament using this spell. The birds flew out of the window, and Ollivander pronounced that the wand was "good", although he didn't care much for the styling [GOF18].