Banishing Charm

Banishing Charm
Incantation	Depulso (de-PUHL-so)
Type	Charm
Hand movement
Light	White, red or yellow
Effect	Sent target away

"The Banishing Charm is the opposite of the Summoning Charm, and causes objects to fly away from the person casting the spell, towards a specific target."

— Description of the Banishing Charm

The Banishing Charm (Depulso) was a charm that sent the target away from the caster. It could send a target towards a specific location and worked on both living beings and inanimate objects. The Banishing Charm was the opposite of the Summoning Charm.

Unlike the Summoning Charm, which could summon specific objects from anywhere, the Banishing Charm only banished whatever the wand was aimed at.

Effects

The Banishing Charm was used to push targets, both living beings and inanimate objects towards a specific location. If a caster's aim was poor the charm would banish random objects or people to various locations around the room. The fact that it could be used against living beings made it useful in a duel, as shown by Severus Snape in an alternate reality.

History

"They were supposed to be practising the opposite of the Summoning Charm today — the Banishing Charm. Owing to the potential for nasty accidents when objects kept flying across the room, Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions on which to practise, the theory being that these wouldn't hurt anyone if they went off target. It was a good theory, but it wasn't working very well. Neville's aim was so poor that he kept accidentally sending much heavier things flying across the room — Professor Flitwick, for instance...he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his wand (it soared into the air and knocked Parvati's hat off)."

— A fourth-year Charms lesson on the Banishing Charm

This charm's effects on a human target

Herodiana Byrne was known historically as "the single greatest Depulso master of all time". Allegedly, she had rescued a group of orphans from a wild Graphorn by banishing it over Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, and defeated a Dark wizard in the Alps, who was purported to have been sent flying all the way to Durmstrang Castle in the far north of Europe, although Sophronia Franklin, a Ravenclaw student in the late 19th century, believed that the power of Byrne's Banishing Charm in the latter account was exaggerated. The Hall of Herodiana was originally created by her as a place to practise the charm.

Third-year and fourth-year students in Charms class at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry learnt this spell. Harry Potter and his classmates practised this spell in their fourth-year Charms class. Students like Harry and Hermione Granger proved to be very good at this spell, with their cushions landing in the correct area, however Professor Flitwick found himself being thrown around the room by Neville Longbottom, whose aim with the charm was not very good.

Known uses

Caster(s)	Date	Notes
Herodiana Byrne	Before the 1890–1891 school year	Allegedly used to banish a wild Graphorn to save a group of orphans, and against a Dark wizard.
Cressida Blume	Before 2 September 1890	Tried to use this charm nonverbally on a goblet in the Great Hall, but hit Professor Aesop Sharp's Yorkshire pudding instead and launched it into his face.
Eleazar Fig	1 September 1890	Used it on a Guardian after levitating it in Vault 12 of Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
Unidentified 19th-century Hogwarts student	1890–1891 school year	Taught this spell by Professor Aesop Sharp.
Anne Sallow	1891	Used it to slam her brother Sebastian Sallow against the wall in Feldcroft Catacomb after he had murdered their uncle.
Jacob's sibling	1990–1991 school year	Used it to knock over the Dark wizard Eustace Burke at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary to prevent him from harming Alastor Moody.
Peregrine		Used it to blast back their younger child when they tried to creep up on him in Knockturn Alley under their Invisibility Cloak.
Various fourth-years (including Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom)	1994–1995 school year	Practised the charm during a Charms lesson on cushions; Harry and Hermione had good aim and had their cushions land in the correct spot, whereas Neville had poor aim and instead sent Professor Flitwick flying all over the classroom.
Severus Snape	Alternate reality	Used the spell to knock back Dolores Umbridge in an alternate reality set up by the experimental Time-Turner.

Known practitioners

"Depulso!... She always was too grand for her own good. There's no turning back now."

— Severus Snape while banishing Dolores Umbridge in an alternate reality

Cressida Blume

Eleazar Fig

Aesop Sharp

Unidentified 19th-century Hogwarts student

Anne Sallow

Harry Potter

Ginevra Weasley

Ronald Weasley

Hermione Granger

Neville Longbottom

Filius Flitwick

Sirius Black

Severus Snape

Andre Egwu

Jacob's sibling

Peregrine

• Herodiana Byrne

Etymology

From the Latin "depulsio", meaning "driving/pushing away". Also is similar to repulse meaning "drive/push away with force", although this is a precise antonym to attract, literally "pull towards". It could also be seen to be derived from the English word pulse (as in a pulse of energy) and the prefix "de" which would make it mean "a negative pulse of energy".

Behind the scenes

Depulso as seen in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

• Although the incantation is not revealed in the books, it appears in the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and was later confirmed in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
• The Wizard in the The Wizard and the Hopping Pot may have used this spell to try to force the pot out of the house.
• Although this spell is learned by Hogwarts students in their fourth year, in the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, were able to use it. It is possible that they learned it before that, as Hermione asked them, if they remembered it. However, Hermione may have read beforehand and told Harry and Ron how to use it.
• It is possible that this spell was used during the Battle of Hogwarts when Harry Potter, in the movie, blasted away a Death Eater briefly after being shot at by him. This spell also could have been used by Kingsley Shacklebolt when he blasted a Death Eater out of a window after momentarily freezing him in midair alongside Remus Lupin.
• It is likely that Professor Trelawney used this charm non-verbally in the Battle of Hogwarts to drop crystal balls on enemies' heads, successfully knocking out Fenrir Greyback after he attacked Lavender Brown.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (PC version only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Appears in an alternate reality)
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play) (Appears in an alternate reality)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Possible appearance)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Hogwarts Legacy

See also

• Knockback Jinx
• Summoning Charm