- "The Mending Charm will repair broken objects with a flick of the wand. Accidents do happen, so it is essential to know how to mend our errors."
- — Book of Spells.[src]
The Mending Charm[1], also known as the Repairing Charm[2] (Reparo) is a charm that can be used to seamlessly repair a broken object, it works against most material. This charm was invented by Orabella Nuttley, in or before 1754.
History
This charm was invented by Orabella Nuttley, an employee of the Improper Use of Magic Office in the British Ministry of Magic, in or before 1754. She used her charm to repair the Colosseum after it had been accidentally destroyed. Thereafter, it became famous; this instance was recorded in Book of Spells, by Miranda Goshawk.[2]
There are various textbooks containing instructions for this spell, including The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1[1], although there is still a spellbook designated entirely to the teaching of this charm[3]. Due to its being a level one spell, it is likely taught in the first year.
Effects
The Mending Charm was effective at repairing most materials.[2] However, damage caused by certain rare, powerful curses was impossible to undo.[2]
The Mending charm's effects
The charm was suitable for use only on inanimate objects.[2] Use on living beings was entirely proscribed.[2] Serious scarring could result if it were cast on a person or animal in an attempt to heal wounds.[2]
While a properly cast Mending Charm was generally enough to fix an object, it seems less experienced casters might not succeed in returning liquids to broken containers.[4]
This charm does not seem to work on objects of powerful and complex magic, such as Vanishing Cabinets and wands. Draco Malfoy proved the former by having spent almost an entire school year to repair the damaged cabinet through other means, due to the complexity of the magical passage. For snapped wands, although this charm can repair the physical form, the magical capacity would be damaged beyond repair, causing the wand in question to fall apart again upon attempted use; the sole exception goes to the Elder Wand, due to the strength.
Known uses
| Caster(s) | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Weasley | August, 1994 | Bill used to repair the table leg a couple days before the World Cup. |
| Percy Weasley | 25 August, 1994 | Percy used to repair his glasses when he bowed just a little bit too low, when greeting the Minister for Magic |
| Hermione Granger | 1 September, 1994 | Hermione cast this spell to repair the broken glass in the door to a railway carriage compartment. |
| 30 May, 1996 | Hermione used this to repair a teacup that Ronald Weasley had broken in Transfiguration. | |
| 25 December, 1997 | The spell didn't work using Hermione's wand to repair Harry's broken wand. | |
| 10 March, 1997 | Hermione repaired a set of scales broken in the corridor outside the Room of Requirement. | |
| Harry Potter | 10 September, 1995 | Harry used this to fix the china bowl of Murtlap Essence he'd knocked to the floor. The spell couldn't put the liquid back in the repaired bowl, however |
| 14 September, 1996 | After cutting the covers off the old and new Potions textbooks in his possession and swapping them, Harry "repaired" the two swapped covers simultaneously by tapping each, then giving the incantation once | |
| Fall 1996 | Harry used this to repair a bowl he had broken in Herbology. | |
| 2 May, 1998 | Harry cast this spell with the Elder Wand to repair his own broken one, which worked do to the power the Elder Wand possesses. | |
| Minerva McGonagall | May, 1993 | McGonagall used what is very likely this spell to restore the leg of Neville's desk, which he had accidentally vanished. |
| Severus Snape | Winter 1996 | Snape used this spell to repair a shattered jar in his office during Occlumency lessons. |
| Horace Slughorn & Albus Dumbledore | 12 July, 1996 | Horace Slughorn and Albus Dumbledore seem to have cast this spell nonverbally (and in a masterly way) to undo the damage Slughorn had inflicted upon his borrowed living quarters in Budleigh Babberton. |
| Bob Ogden | 1920s | Tiberius Ogden used the spell to repair a pot that Merope Gaunt had broken. Her father was infuriated that Ogden would interfere. |
| Rubeus Hagrid | 27 July, 1997 | Hagrid ttempted to use this to keep the sidecar attached to the flying flying motorbike, but it didn't work. |
Known practitioners
- Albus Dumbledore[5]
- Bob Ogden[6]
- Harry Potter[7]
- Hermione Granger[8]
- Orabella Nuttley (Invented the spell)[2]
- Rubeus Hagrid (Failed)[7]
- Seamus Finnigan (Probably)[4]
- Associate of Garrick Ollivander
Variations
There is a similar spell, Oculus Reparo, which is used to repair eyeglasses; its history and relation to this spell apart from the etymology and effects are unknown[9].
Etymology
Latin reparo meaning "to renew" or "repair".[10]
Behind the scenes
- This is both the first and last spell cast in the series.[7]
- In the video games, this spell is either blue, violet or pink depending on the game.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game) (Nintendo DS version only)
- Harry Potter Trading Card Game
- Harry Potter: Spells
- Pottermore (First identified as Mending Charm)
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- Wonderbook: Book of Spells
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pottermore
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Wonderbook: Book of Spells
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- ↑ Dictionary and Grammar Aid, University of Notre Dame, accessed 3-18-2008.
| The Standard Book of Spells | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 · Grade 5 · Grade 6 · Grade 7 | |||||
| Charms included in the series: Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Engorgement Charm (Engorgio) · Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Freezing Charm (Immobulus) · General Counter-Spell (Finite Incantatem) · Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locking Spell (Colloportus) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Nonverbal spell · Severing Charm (Diffindo) · Skurge Charm (Skurge) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm (Accio) · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Unlocking Charm (Alohomora) · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos) | |||||