A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula. Spells appear often in Fantasy literature and RPGs usually employed by Merlin-esque wizards.
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127 views
Can adding Maxima to the end of every spell make it more powerful? [closed]
In the movies, Harry used Lumos Maxima to create a brighter light, and Umbridge used Bombarda Maxima to blast her way into the Room of Requirement. That being said, could a sufficiently powerful Dark ...
7
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1answer
543 views
How Fast do Spells Travel in the Harry Potter Universe?
We've discussed if spells travel in a straight line and about blocking spells. We know spells don't just happen. They have to be directed by a wand and they can be blocked, so there's every ...
10
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1answer
331 views
What spell almost killed Hermione in The Order of the Phoenix?
The spell was cast without words, simply a flick of the Death Eater's wand, and a 'streak of purple flame' that lanced across her chest. It was later mentioned that the spell was weakened because of ...
2
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2answers
286 views
How will Harry Potter be in danger if he did not return to his Aunt and Uncle's house?
I just wondered that if Harry did not return to his Aunt and Uncle's house at the end of a Hogwarts year e.g, if he went straight to the Weasley's or Granger's house at the end of the school year, ...
11
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3answers
449 views
Why does Hermione whisper Levicorpus?
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Chapter 26: Gringotts, when:
We see that:
[Hermione] raised her wand, pointed it at Harry and whispered, 'Levicorpus.'
However in book 6, when Harry ...
9
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1answer
218 views
Do offensive spells and similar “missile” spells have range?
A lot of the spells in Harry Potter, including just about every offensive one like Stupefy are what I would call "missile" spells (if there's a better term for it, please tell me). That is, they ...
2
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1answer
201 views
What Is the History of the Unforgivable Curses?
What is the history of the Unforgivable curses?
‘Now ... those three curses – Avada Kedavra, Imperius and Cruciatus – are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow ...
3
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1answer
296 views
Would Voldemort's Taboo Spell Trump the Fidelius Charm?
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry sneaks into The Three Broomsticks and overhears Madam Rosmerta, the Minister for Magic, and several Hogwarts teachers discuss his parents' death and ...
3
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2answers
260 views
Can a Muggle-Repelling Charm Be Broken?
Hermione is notorious for quoting Hogwarts, a History regarding protective enchantments, magic that makes Hogwarts Unplottable, and Muggle-repelling charms that hide Hogwarts from Muggle eyes and make ...
6
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1answer
206 views
When Did Voldemort Realize the Value of Harry's Blood?
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Voldemort is happy to see Harry dead and in the chapter The Man With Two Faces he orders Quirrell multiple times to kill Harry.
And Quirrell, though ...
4
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3answers
474 views
Why does the aguamenti spell work?
Gamp's Five Laws of Elemental Transfiguration specifically state that nourishment cannot be conjured from thin air. Then how can the aguamenti spell work? Does it just take water from somewhere else, ...
14
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6answers
1k views
Could the Horcruxes be destroyed with Avada Kedavra?
In The Deathly Hallows Hermione says this about destroying Horcruxes:
“It doesn’t have to be a basilisk fang,” said Hermione patiently.
“It has to be something so destructive that the Horcrux ...
3
votes
1answer
645 views
Why didn't Harry die the first time voldemort used the killing curse
In Deathly Hallows, why didn't the killing curse rebound when Voldemort tried killing Harry with the elder wand when Harry was undefended?
6
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1answer
238 views
How did Voldemort lose his body?
Lily's protection bounced Avada Kedavara spell back at Voldemort. Right?
According to HP Wikia,
When the curse hits a living, organic target it invariably kills them
without injury.
How did ...
4
votes
1answer
231 views
Do Hogwart's students have access to a unified list of spells?
You go to Hogwart's to learn (or defeat evil, you can't have both...unless you're Hermione), you are given books for this purpose. As you go up in your school years you gain access to more and more ...
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1answer
153 views
In the Horcrux Cave, was the Aguamenti spell too fundamentally weak to work?
I'm trying to ascertain if when Harry's spell (aguamenti) in the Horcrux cave was blocked by voldemort's protections, if it was too 'low level' a spell to have ever worked and Harry would have needed ...
2
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4answers
628 views
Why is the color of Avada Kedavra green?
The Avada Kedavra curse is recognisable by the flash of green light and the rushing noise emitted from the caster's wand.
- Harry Potter wiki, Killing Curse article, Nature Section
I thought ...
17
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4answers
637 views
What must one do to create NEW magic?
We find in Snape's old potions book that he has invented some of his own spells while at school. How hard is it to do that? And why hasn't Harry done it yet?
9
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4answers
447 views
Can Expelliarmus Be Used For Weapons Other Than Wands?
Expelliarmus is typically used to disarm an opponent of his/her wand. Could it be used to disarm someone of another type of weapon, such as a Basilisk fang, a phial of a dangerous potion, a Venomous ...
11
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2answers
470 views
Can a Patronus take the form of any animal?
As far as I can recall, all of the Patronuses that are seen in the books (and movies) are small- to medium-sized mammals and a few are birds. I could've missed some, but I don't think there are any ...
10
votes
1answer
423 views
Why Did Harry's Wand Not Reveal Its Last Spells During Priori Incantatem?
As the title asks, why did Harry's wand not reveal its last spells during Priori Incantatem with Voldemort in Goblet of Fire? Voldemort's wand revealed Wormtail's severed hand, Cedric Diggory, Frank ...
9
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2answers
445 views
Can wizards create “anonymous” spells?
By an "anonymous" spell, I mean one that a wizard casts to do something, but is not really named or permanent in any way. All the spells we see in the books have an associated word that must be ...
4
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2answers
171 views
Do Disillusionment Charms Fail At Very Close Range?
I've been informed by those who know much more about Harry Potter than I that Hogwarts is protected with a Disillusionment Charm so all muggles will see is ruins with a "Danger: Keep out!" sign around ...
2
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3answers
272 views
Does human magic have the same effect when applied to non-humans?
If you cast Avada Kedavra on a giant, will it work? How does a Cheering Charm work on a house-elf? Can you Obliviate a centaur or mermaid? What about Legilimency and the like?
In short: Can you ...
12
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3answers
736 views
What makes those three curses unforgivable?
NOTICE: The author of this question does not deem the use of those curses to be forgiveable under any but the most extreme circumstances.
What made the Unforgivable curses such? Is it due to ...
8
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2answers
263 views
Does Priori Incantatem Produce Ghosts or Another Kind of Specter?
In the graveyard scene in Goblet of Fire, when Voldemort's and Harry's wands connect, Priori Incantatem occurs (i.e. Voldemort's wand spits out the last spells it has performed). First, Wormtail's ...
38
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3answers
2k views
What are Guinan's powers from Star Trek: TNG?
In Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Q Who," season 2, episode 16, Q seems disturbed by the presence of Guinan to the point of raising his hands as if to use his powers on her. Guinan responds ...
13
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2answers
559 views
The rules of Transfiguration: examples of making the inedible edible?
Information from the official website of J.K.Rowling is generally considered canon. I remember at least one case when she 'changed her mind' after a particular rule has been published on her website ...
10
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1answer
2k views
What happened to Alice at the end of the Magicians?
I stood confused through the end of the book "The Magicians", especially in trying to figure out what happened to Alice. What I understood that occurred is as follows:
The rest of the book, ...
37
votes
7answers
2k views
Can wizards create their own spells?
In the Harry Potter series, are wizards capable of creating their own spells, or are they limited to the spells that they're taught/learn? I seem to remember something about Snape creating ...
12
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2answers
580 views
How does spell blocking work in the Harry Potter universe?
Does one have to introduce a "speed of spell" to explain the spell blocking? IMHO one has to build up protection before the impact - so how can a wizard react to a spell that is in progress?
27
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4answers
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Why does Hermione say she hadn't used a memory charm before?
After the wedding, Hermione has to use a memory charm on two death eaters, where she states that she's never done it before, but she knows the theory. However, she states that before she left on her ...
12
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3answers
2k views
Why were there so many spells cast in the movies without saying the words to the spell?
From my memory of the last Harry Potter movie I saw, I've seen many wizards cast spells without saying the spell at all. During the final battle in Hogwarts, many wizards just swung their wands and ...
13
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2answers
994 views
How could Dumbledore lose his wand in the astronomy tower?
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Draco Malfoy casts Expelliarmus against Dumbledore, causing his wand (the Elder wand) to fly over the ramparts.
As it was the Elder wand, the wand should ...
19
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16answers
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How was was a certain character killed without Avada Kedavra (spoilers)?
It seems that the only officially known way to instantly kill someone with a curse was "Avada Kedavra".
So, (spoilers):
22
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8answers
3k views
Why does Harry Potter wear glasses?
Is there some in-Universe (or somewhat canonical) explanation for why Harry wears glasses - either 100% of the time, or at least, when playing Quiddich?
Surely, given assorted spells, there should be ...
20
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12answers
2k views
Rich Wizards, Poor Muggles
Why, oh why, don't the Weasleys "conjure" up some diamonds/gold/etc, sell 'em to Muggles, and get rich? They could buy a mansion (like the Malfoys), and live there happily ever after.
I know there's ...
11
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2answers
716 views
In Harry Potter, What would the Muggle autopsy of a Killing Curse victim reveal?
What would the Muggle autopsy of a Killing Curse victim reveal?
Wouldn't it sound unusual to Muggles that a person died because of absolutely nothing?
23
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4answers
1k views
Spell casting in the Harry Potter series
In the Harry Potter universe, magically inclined children are sent to school where they start learning how to cast spells and other magic related activities. It's clearly shown that the children have ...
27
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1answer
1k views
Why did Harry's father emerge before his mother in HP and the Goblet of Fire?
In Harry Potter book 4 (Goblet of Fire) Harry's wand 'links' with Voldemort's during their duel, and Voldemort's wand begins 'spitting out' each spell it had cast, in reverse order. This produces ...
14
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3answers
1k views
What does it take to become a registered Animagus?
So, I've wondered for some time, if you need a permit to be an Animagus in the Harry Potter universe, how do you learn to do it beforehand? Is there some class, or something? And as there's only 7 ...
36
votes
6answers
4k views
Are there any spells that a wizard/witch can cast without a wand in the Harry Potter universe?
In the beginning of the series, it's mentioned that Muggle-born wizards/witches are identified due to inadvertent spell-casting. However, it seems like later in the book, disarmed wizards/witches are ...
80
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14answers
12k views
Why don't muggle-born wizards use Muggle technology to fight Death Eaters?
We know that wizards in Harry Potter universe are subject to regular physical harm (e.g. witness injuries from being hit by Bludgers or just colliding with things when playing Quidditch).
Therefore, ...
