The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has cast a spell of wonder on long-time fans, enthralling them and making them yearn for the home Hogwarts has become. The movies do a great job at adapting the books written by author J.K. Rowling, bringing this tale of magic into everyone’s homes. But the wizards and witches who populate the Wizarding World cast spells of their own, some more powerful than others.
Falling in several different categories – including, but not limited to charms, jinxes, hexes, and curses – spells become incredible weapons in the hands of skilled wizards. Many are dark in nature and most often used by villains, while others are deceptively simple. With the release of the Fantastic Beasts series, even more spells are being introduced, some more remarkable than their predecessors.
10 Expelliarmus Can Make Wands Change Allegiances
Expelliarmus, known as the Disarming Charm, isn’t an incredibly dangerous spell in itself. Expelliarmus is very popular in dueling and is Harry Potter’s trademark spell, precisely because it doesn’t rely on the damage it does to the caster’s opponent. It simply disarms them, nullifying the threat. This method isn’t always practical, and when there’s a war going on, something more permanent is often necessary.
But there is one thing that makes Expelliarmus surprisingly powerful. It can make wands change allegiances. This means that even if the enemy wizard gets their wand back, they would have trouble fighting for a second time. Only people who are very talented at wandless magic are completely immune to this effect, and it is best shown when Draco Malfoy disarms Dumbledore, earning the allegiance of the Elder Wand.
9 Sectumsempra Is A Dark Severing Curse That Resists Healing Magic
Created by Severus Snape, Sectumsempra is a dark severing curse far deadlier than spells of a similar nature. Its name roughly translates into ‘cut forever’, a reference to its very specific side-effects. Limbs severed with Sectumsempra can’t be regrown.
Other injuries caused by the curse – such as the wounds Harry Potter inflicts on Draco Malfoy – can be healed with the incantation Vulnera Sanentur. Scars can even be prevented with plants like dittany, but serious injuries have permanent side effects. George Weasley loses his left ear due to a Sectumsempra miscast by Severus Snape.
8 Obliviate Is Deceptively Insidious in Power
The Memory Charm is one of the most important tools at a Wizard’s disposal. Despite being incredibly dangerous, Obliviate isn’t viewed in a negative light, as it’s necessary to keep Muggles from finding out the truth about the Wizarding World. There are even teams dedicated specifically to casting this spell, in case of improper use of magic in front of Muggles.
Hermione Granger uses Obliviate on her parents to make them leave and keep them safe from the war. But Obliviate can be very dangerous and easily abused. The best example is Gilderoy Lockhart who uses Obliviate to steal the achievements of others and make a name for himself.
7 The Imperius Can Take Over Its Victim’s Mind
Like the Memory Charm, the Imperius is a spell that attacks the mind. However, it is far more potent. One of the three Unforgivables, Imperius allows the caster to take complete control of the victim. Disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, Barty Crouch Jr. uses this spell, first on spiders, then on the students. Voldemort casts it on Harry, trying to force him to kneel.
On both occasions, he is able to fight Imperius off. The goblins of Gringotts aren’t so lucky, as Harry is forced to resort to his spell when he and his friends break into the bank.
6 The Cruciatus Curse Causes Unbearable Pain To Its Target
The second unforgivable, the Cruciatus, is a known favorite of the Death Eaters. Bellatrix Lestrange is shown using it on Hermione Granger, and Voldemort employs it numerous times in his battles against Harry. It causes unbearable pain to the target. The agony is so horrifying that, if the curse keeps being cast for more than a few minutes, its victims become catatonic. This was the fate of Frank and Alice Longbottom, who are targeted by the Lestranges and Barty Crouch Jr. after Voldemort’s first fall.
Harry uses the curse on more than one occasion. The first two attempts – on Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape – are failures. He is finally successful on the third try, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. He casts the spell on Dark Wizard Amycus Carrow, when the Death Eater demands entry to Ravenclaw Tower and spits in Professor McGonagall‘s face.
5 The Fidelius Charm Hides A Secret Inside The Soul Of A Person
The Fidelius Charm is among the strongest spells of protection in the world. It is first used by the Potters when they go into hiding with their son Harry. To ensure the safety of their location, the secret is hidden in the soul of their trusted friend Peter Pettigrew. Unfortunately, their Secret Keeper betrays them, leading to their deaths at Voldemort’s hands. The Fidelius is also used on Sirius’ childhood home after Grimmauld Place becomes the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
4 Fiendfyre Creates Uncontrollable Living Flames
One of the most powerful dark spells in existence, Fiendfyre creates a storm of fire in the shape of rampaging animals. The spell is notoriously difficult to control, but its power can even destroy horcruxes. A Fiendfyre foolishly cast by Crabbe destroys the Room of Requirement and with it, Ravenclaw’s diadem and the horcrux within. In the movies, it is Goyle who casts the spell. The movie adaptations also display Lord Voldemort using Fiendfyre during his duel with Albus Dumbledore at the Ministry, though this never happens in the books.
3 Expecto Patronum Summons A Powerful Protector
The Patronus Charm is an incredibly difficult spell to master. Expecto Patronum is a spell used to fight dark creatures like Dementors or lethifolds, and it is powered by strong, happy memories. It is said that dark wizards cannot cast this spell, and merely making the attempt would make them be eaten by maggots. The spell can also be used to convey messages. The only Death Eater capable of casting the Patronus Charm is Severus Snape.
2 Protego Diabolica Burns Away The Caster’s Enemies
A newer spell that appears in Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Protego Diabolica summons a circle of flame around its caster, keeping all allies safe and incinerating opponents. In the script, Protego Diabolica is described as black, but the movies portray it as a light blue.
The spell kills Leta Lestrange at the end of the movie. Enhanced into a gigantic dragon, it would have destroyed Paris, if not for the combined efforts of Newt and Theseus Scamander, Tina Goldstein, Nicolas Flamel, and Yusuf Kama. Protego Diabolica has many things in common with Fiendfyre, but its main advantage is that it cannot kill the caster or his allies.
1 Avada Kedavra Is The Ultimate Unforgivable Curse
As the most sinister of Unforgivables, Avada Kedavra – the Killing Curse – is an incredibly powerful spell that is a favorite of Lord Voldemort’s. It is impossible to block through any kind of shield charm, though it can be dodged or stopped through the use of physical barriers. The only clear weapon against Avada Kedavra is sacrificial magic powered by love, as demonstrated by Lily Potter’s rescue of her son, Harry.
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