The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter (36 page)

Spells have both a name and an
incantation,
which is the word or words a wizard speaks to produce the spell. In order for the spell to work, the wizard must speak (or, for really advanced wizards,
think
) the incantation, often in conjunction with some sort of wand movement. It is possible, however, for some spells to be produced in the absence of a wand. These tend to occur when a very powerful wizard is under extreme stress or is enraged.

In Rowling’s novels, incantations are given in italics, followed by an exclamation point (incantations must be said with feeling, and the exclamation point communicates this). That same convention is followed in this chapter.

In some cases, only the name of the spell is mentioned in the H
arry Potter
novels; in others, Rowling gives only the incantation; and in still other cases, Rowling gives us both the name and the incantation. So you’ll see some inconsistencies—not every spell has an incantation, and vice versa.

Most—although not all—charms are fun, harmless ways of using magic. In an ideal world, wizards would use only charms, not the more dangerous hexes, jinxes, spells, and curses. For this reason, Charms is a class taught at Hogwarts (see Chapter 8); the more aggressive spells are not taught at school, although defending against them is taught.

Hogwarts also offers a Charm Club, which is something on par with a Muggle Debate Club or French Club. Mostly a social club, it is also an opportunity to practice rendering charms.

This charms fetches whatever you need—even through locked doors, if necessary. Lose your keys? No problem. Do a quick summoning spell, and they’ll come to your hand. Leave your lunch at home? Same deal. As long as you follow
Accio!
with the name of the object you want, it’ll come to you.
Accio,
not surprisingly, is Latin for send for or summon.

This charm makes water stream or whoosh from the tip of a wand, which could be pretty handy on a hot, sunny day.
Agua
is Spanish for water;
mentis
is Latin for intention.

This incredibly handy charm opens locks on doors and windows—no more calling AAA to get your keys out of your car; no more climbing in a window when you’re locked out of the house.

In one of the more clever naming schemes of all charms and spells,
aloha
is the Hawaiian word for “goodbye” (it also is used to mean “hello”), and
mora
is Latin for obstacle or hindrance. Goodbye, obstacle; hello, unlocked door!

From the Latin
confunudi,
meaning to confuse or bewilder, this charm is meant to confuse someone temporarily. If a wizard runs into an old classmate on the street and doesn’t have time to chat, a Confundus Charm that lasts for thirty seconds would be just enough time to make a clean getaway.

From the Latin
expello,
meaning to expel or reject, this charm is used mostly to de-wand another wizard. Without a wand, a wizard’s powers are greatly inhibited, so separating a wizard from his wand is like getting a gun away from an opponent.

From the Latin
homo
(man) and the English
morph
(to change from one thing into another), this powerful charm is supposed to force a werewolf to turn back into a human. Given how dangerous werewolves are and how useful a charm like this would be, this charm probably does not actually work; the wizard describing its existence in the novels has not proven to be a reliable source.

Need to have a private conversation without anyone eavesdropping? A wizard would use an Imperturbable Charm, which Imperturbs an object to create a privacy barrier. (The English
imperturbable
means calm, undisturbed, and not easily distressed.) Doors are the primary targets, but entire walls could be Imperturbed.

From the Latin (and English)
impervious,
meaning impermeable, this incantation does not allow one substance to penetrate another. For example, a wizard can charm an object to repel water. Perhaps Dockers stain-resistant pants were designed with the
Impervius!
incantation.

The verb
locomote
, from which we get the word
locomotive
(train), means to move under your own power. Not surprisingly, this incantation is used to move objects, like a heavy suitcase. Like
Accio!,
the incantation must be followed by the name of the object.

From the Latin
lumen,
meaning light, this incantation produces light at the end of the wand, helping one to see in the dark.

From the Latin
nox,
meaning darkness, this incantation causes the light at the end of the wand to go out. It is used as a countercharm to
Lumos!

The Obliteration Charm (“to obliterate” means to erase completely, leaving no trace) is used to make the traces of anything disappear, including footsteps in the snow.

This incantation is from the Latin
oblivio,
meaning forgetfulness, with is the root of the English
oblivious
(unaware and/or forgetful) and
oblivion
(the state of having been forgotten). The Memory Charm is used most often on Muggles, forcing them to forget the wizard activities they may have accidentally seen; it modifies a person’s memory. It can also be used wizard-to-wizard to make someone forget something damaging or embarrassing. A wizard could, conceivably, even forget a painful breakup like in
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
by using this charm.

The Protean Charm is one of the coolest—and most difficult—charms a wizard can perform, and it requires great skill. From the word
protean,
which means continually changing in appearance or behavior, this charm allows a wizard to make a change to one base item, and then any items associated with that item will change in the same way. For example, a group of everyday items, such as quills, are bewitched to change color, shape, or some other characteristic when the wizard changes the main quill. In this way, clandestine messages can be given to a group of wizards. The Dark Mark that Lord Voldemort gives to each of his followers is likely powered by the Protean Charm.

From the Latin
protego,
meaning protect and defend, the Shield Charm deflects minor spells and rebounds them on the attacker. The charm creates a temporary force field around the wizard issuing this incantation.

Probably from the Latin
relatio,
meaning motion, this charm sends something—perhaps sparks—out of the end of a wand and slightly wounds the person at whom the wand is aimed.

From the Latin
reparo,
meaning repair, this charm repairs something broken: a mug; a pair of glasses; the iPod you dropped on the sidewalk; the large dent in your car.

From the Latin
silens,
meaning silent, this charm forces someone to quiet down. It’s the wizard equivalent of using your “indoor voice” when in kindergarten. The charm may require a sharp poke from the wand, but that’s probably just to get the attention of the loud talker.

From the Latin (and English)
sonorous,
meaning a loud, deep, clear sound, this useful charm, evoked by pointing a wand at one’s own throat, turns a normal voice into a megaphone voice.

From the Latin
tergeo,
meaning to clean or polish, this charm is used to clean dirt, blood, or any other goo off one’s body or clothing.

The is the ultimate charm in a sibling’s toolkit, because it allows a wizard to tickle someone without even having to get his or her fingers near another person’s tummy. The Latin
rictus
means open mouth or jaw,
semper
means always; hence, always laughing.

This charm shoots a “wad” of gum (and, presumably, other objects) up someone’s nose. Perhaps that’s where the incantation originates; if not, the origin of this incantation is difficult to pin down:

This charm, one of the first learned by students at Hogwarts, causes objects to rise into the air. The first word of the incantation is likely derived from the English
wing
and the Latin
arduus
, meaning steep or high. The second word may be derived from two Latin sources:
levo,
meaning lift (but usually more in the sense of “supporting”) and
levitas,
meaning lightness. Hence, this incantation is about raising something light up high, as if with wings. The charm appears to be used to lift objects; a wizard wanting to levitate people would use the
Levicorpus!
incantation.