Warning!
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery & Harry Potter: Magic Awakened & Hogwarts Legacy. |
- Severus Snape: "Now... you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of nonverbal spells. What is the advantage of a nonverbal spell? Very well — Miss Granger?"
- Hermione Granger: "Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to perform which gives you a split-second advantage."
- Severus Snape: "An answer copied almost word for word from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six, but correct in essentials."
- — Severus Snape and Hermione Granger during the sixth-years' first Defence Against the Dark Arts of the 1996–1997 school year[src]
A nonverbal spell was a spell which was performed without the casting wizard or witch speaking the incantation aloud. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry began teaching nonverbal magic to students in their sixth year in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Transfiguration; the students were expected to use spells nonverbally from then on.[1]
Performance[]
Performing spells non-verbally was very difficult and required a good deal of practice, as it required concentration and mental discipline alone. Harry Potter noted that several students in his class looked "like they had received an overdose in U-No-Poo", (a product of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes that caused constipation), while attempting nonverbal spells.[1]
Different wand-woods might also affect the performance of casting non-verbal magic. Many wands made from Dogwood were rather noisy, and refused to perform non-verbal magic, whereas wands of Pine were some of the most sensitive to non-verbal magic.[2] Willow wands possessed a well-founded reputation for enabling advanced, non-verbal magic, but of all woods, Alder was known as being the best suited for non-verbal magic.[2]
Effectiveness[]
Some spells, such as Levicorpus, were easier to perform nonverbally than others. Most spells, however, seemed to be less effective than normal when the incantation was not said. For example, according to Hogwarts nurse Poppy Pomfrey, the unnamed curse that critically injured Hermione Granger during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries might have been fatal had Antonin Dolohov not been silenced when he used it.[3]
Known uses[]
Caster(s) | Spell | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Morfin Gaunt | Pus Squirting Hex | Around 1926 | Used it on Bob Ogden.[1] |
Newt Scamander | Summoning Charm | 6 December 1926 | Used it to summon an Occamy egg held in Jacob Kowalski's hand, which also caused Jacob to be summoned along with it.[4] |
Mending Charm | Used it to repair Jacob Kowalski's apartment.[4] | ||
Gellert Grindelwald | Unknown | 7 December 1926 | Summoned Newt Scamander's wand and suitcase over to him, both with a silent wave of his hand.[4] |
Lifted Newt Scamander from the ground from across the room and then made him, Tina Goldstein and Jacob Kowalski simultaneously drop to their knees with their arms locked behind against their backs, all with a silent hand gesture.[4] | |||
Summoned the protective orb containing an Obscurus by silently gesturing it forth.[4] | |||
Healed the cuts on Credence's hand.[4] | |||
Hurled Credence Barebone sideways off the tracks with a wave of his wand-free hand before an oncoming train would kill the young man.[4] | |||
Shield Charm | 8 December 1926 | Used it multiple times to fend off former Auror Tina Goldstein and Magizoologist Newt Scamander. After a confrontation with President Seraphina Picquery of MACUSA, Grindelwald used massive in size Shield Charms to counter various spells fired at him by the MACUSA Aurors present.[4] | |
Snake Summons Spell (possibly) | 30 May 1927 | Used this spell to conjure a snake with multiple heads during his escape.[5] | |
Unknown | Used to conjure a new tongue for Abernathy.[5] | ||
September 1927 | Used it to fend off Leta Lestrange in the Lestrange Mausoleum.[5] | ||
Albus Dumbledore | Used it on McClaggan during teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts in his classroom. | ||
Fire-Making Spell | 1938 | He may have used this spell combined with a Flame-Freezing Charm, to demonstrate his magical ability to eleven-year-old Tom Riddle in a Muggle orphanage. Both were used non-verbally. | |
Unknown | 1 September 1993 | Extinguished and re-lit a candle during the opening feast. He also did this wandlessly.[6] | |
30 June 1997 | Conjured a crystal goblet in order to drink the potion inside the basin in the seaside cave. | ||
Full Body-Bind Curse | Immobilised Harry Potter while he was under his Invisibility cloak right before being disarmed by Draco Malfoy. This allowed Harry to witness Severus Snape kill Albus Dumbledore.[1] | ||
Gellert Grindelwald's acolytes | Killing Curse | September, 1927 | Used to kill an Unidentified Non-Magique mother and father.[5] |
Carrow | Used to kill Unidentified Non-Magique toddler.[5] | ||
Cassius Bell | Used to kill a red-haired young witch.[5] | ||
Gunnar Grimmson | Used to kill Irma Dugard.[5] | ||
Shield Charm | Used to create a shield between himself and Credence Barebone in his Obscurus form.[5] | ||
Leta Lestrange | Stunning Spell | Used it on Vinda Rosier during Grindelwald's rally in the Lestrange Mausoleum in 1927.[5] | |
Rubeus Hagrid | Fire-Making Spell | 31 July 1991 | Conjured fire using his umbrella.[7] |
Human to pig | Gave Dudley a pig's tail, using his umbrella.[7] | ||
Unknown | Used to tap the boat to make it speed towards land.[7] | ||
Quirinus Quirrell | November 1991 | Caused Harry Potter's broomstick to buck violently during a Quidditch match.[7] | |
4 June 1992 | Used it to conjured ropes to bind and gag Harry Potter. He also did wandlessly.[7] | ||
Arthur Weasley | Summer 1992 | Repaired Harry Potter's glasses with a nonverbal spell in Diagon Alley.[8] | |
Minerva McGonagall | Fire-Making Spell | 1 September, 1992 | Used it to light a grate in Severus Snape's office before Dumbledore arrived when Harry and Ron smashed a Flying Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow.[8] |
Endless Sandwiches | Used it to conjure sandwiches, two silver cups and a pitcher of frozen pumpkin juice for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.[8] | ||
Fan conjuring spell | 18 December, 1992 | Used it to conjure a fan to "waft" petrified Nearly Headless Nick to the Hospital Wing.[8] | |
Mending Charm | May, 1993 | Used it to repair the leg of Neville Longbottom's desk, which he had accidentally vanished.[8] | |
Unknown | 2 May, 1998 | She used it to duel with Severus Snape in 1997, sending fire from several torches flying at him.[9] | |
Patronus Charm | Conjured three Patronuses to alert the other Heads of Houses to the upcoming battle in 1998.[9] | ||
The memory of Tom Marvolo Riddle | Flagrate spell[10] | 29 May, 1993 | In the Chamber of Secrets.[8] |
Harry Potter | Inflatus | 1993 | He inflated Marjorie Dursley after she insulted his parents, both without a wand and nonverbally.[11] |
Levicorpus | 1996 | Though Harry found nonverbal magic very difficult to do, he was eventually able to cast this spell, which is meant for nonverbal use.[1] | |
Liberacorpus | Harry used this spell nonverbally to counter act the Levicorpus spell he used on Ron Weasley in 1996.[1] | ||
Unknown | 2020 | He straightened his work-space with the simple wave of his wand.[12] | |
Fire-Making Spell | Duel with Delphini, the two were mercilessly firing spells at each other.[13] | ||
Remus Lupin | Magical fire | 1 September, 1993 | On his way to Hogwarts in 1993. He also did this wandlessly.[11] |
Patronus Charm | Used it to fend off the Dementor on Hogwarts Express.[6] | ||
Door-opening spell | 3 September, 1993 | Opened the cupboard containing the Boggart during the Gryffindor's first defence lesson.[11] | |
Unknown | 1993–1994 school year | Relit the candles in his office during Harry's Patronus lessons. He also did this without using his wand.[6] | |
Animagus reversal spell | 6 June, 1994 | Used to force Peter Pettigrew out of his Animagus form in the Shrieking Shack.[11] | |
Incarcerous Spell | Used to conjure ropes to bind and gag Peter Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack.[11] | ||
Pack Charm | 7 June, 1994 | Used to pack his possessions while clearing out his office.[6] | |
Knockback Jinx | August, 1997 | Used it on Harry Potter during their argument in 12 Grimmauld Place.[9] | |
Severus Snape | Revealing Charm (possibly) | 12 February, 1994 | Used it to force the Marauder's Map to display its content.[11] |
Incarcerous Spell | 6 June, 1994 | Used it to conjure a ropes to bind and gag Remus Lupin.[11] | |
Stretcher conjuring spell | Used it to conjure a strechers for Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Sirius Black.[11] | ||
Unknown, a spell that opened the main gates of Hogwarts, which had recently been fortified by enhanced protective enchantments. | 1 September, 1996 | Used to open the Hogwarts gates. It is unlikely that this was the Unlocking Charm since Harry had tried this before, although he had been outside the gates instead of inside like Snape was.[1] | |
Summoning Charm | 1997 | Used it nonverbally to summon the 25 essays on countering Dementors from his students in Defence Against the Dark Arts class.[1] | |
Unknown | 30 June, 1997 | Deflected several curses cast at him by Harry Potter.[1] | |
Sirius Black | Animagus reversal spell | 6 June, 1994 | Used to force Peter Pettigrew out of his Animagus form in the Shrieking Shack.[11] |
Manacle conjuring spell | Used it to conjure manacles to chain Peter Pettigrew to Remus Lupin and Ron Weasley.[11] | ||
Rita Skeeter | Unknown | 1994 | While interviewing Harry Potter in the broom cupboard she took out some candles from her bag and lit them with her wand without saying anything.[14] |
Fleur Delacour | Water-Making Spell | 24 November, 1994 | Conjured water during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.[14] |
Madam Pomfrey | Unidentified healing spell | 1994 | Used by Madam Pomfrey to heal Harry Potter's injuries after the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.[14] |
Barty Crouch Jnr | Unknown | 1995 | While disguised as Alastor Moody, he pushed the students' desks to the classroom walls, only by waving his wand.[14] |
Peter Pettigrew | Fire-Making Spell | 24 June, 1995 | Used this to light a fire under Voldemort's cauldron in the Little Hangleton Graveyard.[14] |
Incarcerous Spell | Used it to conjure ropes in 1995.[14] | ||
Alastor Moody | Fire-Making Spell | 6 August, 1995 | He used this spell to burn a piece of parchment used to reveal the location of 12 Grimmauld Place to Harry.[3] |
Marietta Edgecombe | Water-Making Spell | 1995 | Conjured water during the first DA meeting.[3] |
Unidentified female Hufflepuff student | Unknown | 1995–1996 school year | Performed during a DA meeting after assistance from Harry Potter. Sent a male student hurling backwards.[15] |
Madam Pince | She jinxed Harry's belongings to chase him and Ginny out of the library during the 1995–1996 school year, repeatedly beating them.[3] | ||
Kingsley Shacklebolt | Memory Charm | April, 1996 | Altered Marietta Edgecombe's memory of the DA meetings.[3] |
Antonin Dolohov | Dark curse | 18 June, 1996 | Against Hermione Granger during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries after she silenced him. |
likely Fulgari | 1997 | Used it against Ronald Weasley during the confrontation at Luchino Caffe.[6] | |
Bellatrix Lestrange | Killing Curse | Summer 1996 | In 1996, she used a nonverbal Curse with a green jet of light to kill a fox. |
Fred Weasley | Knife to paper aeroplane spell[1] | Ron Weasley threw the knife at him, and Fred transfigured it "with one lazy flick of his wand" without speaking any sort of incantation.[1] | |
Nymphadora Tonks | Patronus Charm | 1 September 1996 | Conjured her werewolf Patronus without saying the incantation in 1996. |
Ron Weasley | Snowflake-Making Spell | 1997 | Unknowingly made it snow while sitting down in the Great Hall.[1] |
Lord Voldemort | Mobilicorpus | July 1997 | Used it to move Charity Burbage's body.[9] |
Summoning Charm | 2 May 1998 | Used it to summon the Sorting Hat from the Headmaster's office; it flew through a shattered window.[9] | |
Hermione Granger | Shield Charm | 1996–1997 school year | The first one in her Defence Against the Dark Arts class to perform nonverbal magic successfully. She continually used nonverbal spells in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration.[1] |
Stunning Spell | 2 September 1997 | Used it on Mafalda Hopkirk as part of the infiltration of the Ministry of Magic.[9] | |
Orchideous (most likely) | 24 December 1997 | Hermione nonverbally conjured a wreath of Christmas roses for Harry Potter to place on his parents's graves in Godric's Hollow when they visited the village.[9] | |
Stinging Jinx | March 1998 | Jinxed Harry Potter's face in an attempt to hide his identity when she, Harry, and Ron were caught by Snatchers.[9] | |
Unknown | 2 May 1998 | With a "deafening blast from her wand" but no incantation, Hermione repelled Fenrir Greyback from an injured Lavender Brown during the Battle of Hogwarts.[9] | |
Ron Weasley | Stunning Spell | 1 May 1998 | Used it on a man who attempted to attack Hermione disguised as Bellatrix Lestrange on Diagon Alley in 1998.[9] |
Luna Lovegood | 2 May 1998 | Used it on Alecto Carrow in the Ravenclaw common room, shortly before the Battle of Hogwarts.[9] |
Possible uses[]
Caster(s) | Spell | Notes |
---|---|---|
Fred Weasley | Disarming Charm | Cast it nonverbally when they were surreptitiously disarming Zacharias Smith at the first meeting of Dumbledore's Army.[3] |
George Weasley | ||
Harry Potter | Summoning Charm | Attempted to use the it nonverbally and wandlessly to retrieve his fallen wand when he was paralysed by Draco Malfoy, but to no avail.[1] |
Levicorpus | Attempted to use the it nonverbally on Severus Snape during their duel, but Snape saw through it and stopped it.[1] | |
Patronus Charm | Performed nonverbal magic when he cast his Patronus during the Battle of Hogwarts.[16] | |
Molly Weasley | Unidentified deadly curse | Killed Bellatrix Lestrange with a nonverbal deadly curse during the Battle of Hogwarts.[9] |
Known practitioners[]
The following is a list of wizards and witches known to have nonverbally performed spells that are usually performed with an incantation.
Behind the scenes[]
- In many of the Harry Potter films, especially in the later ones, combat and duels are portrayed as being conducted almost entirely nonverbally, such as the Duel in the Ministry Atrium and Harry's final duel with Voldemort during the Battle of Hogwarts. This is probably done to keep the duels fast-paced and dramatic. It may also be that gestures or wand movements translate into the spell that the user desires to cast, making it not always necessary to speak it.
- In the Harry Potter video games, non-verbal magic is commonly used, as pronouncing every spell could have been annoying.
- In addition, in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and its sequel, nonverbal magic is almost always used as there is absolutely no dialogue.
- In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Quirrell used a non-verbal wandless spell to start up some fire in order to stop Harry Potter from running.
- Hermione Granger may have used Wingardium Leviosa or Descendo in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to levitate the prophecies to smash one of the Death Eaters chasing them.
- It is notable that Rubeus Hagrid was able to perform non-verbal magic despite him having been expelled from Hogwarts well before his sixth year and despite having had his wand snapped. This means that if a wizard or witch is sufficiently talented, they can perform non-verbal magic effectively even if they had not been trained in its use.
- In a chat with fans on the-leaky-cauldron.org J. K. Rowling answered a fan's question why Albus Dumbledore was sometimes able to see Harry under the Cloak of Invisibility that he used the Revelio Charm with non-verbal magic.[22]
- In the film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Gellert Grindelwald casts Protego Diabolica nonverbally. This is not canon, as he speaks the incantation aloud in the script itself.
Appearances[]
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- 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 (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (First identified as Nonverbal spell)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
- Pottermore (Mentioned only)
- Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Motorbike Escape
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- LEGO Creator: Harry Potter
- Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
- Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
- Hogwarts Legacy
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Wand Woods" at Wizarding World
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- ↑ Given the fact Riddle was not technically alive at this point, only a sentient memory, is can be argued that he wasn't actually casting a spell.
- ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act One, Scene Five
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act Four, Scene Eleven
- ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- ↑ In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 32 (The Elder Wand), Harry casts his Patronus at Luna Lovegood's urging and with great effort. No incantation is mentioned, but Harry's perception of sound at the time was severely distorted by the presence of many Dementors, and there is also no mention of the others who also cast the Patronus speaking the incantation. It is also not specifically stated to be a nonverbal or silent use. See this article's talk page for more information.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, Year 2
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 4, Chapter 14 (The Spider's Lair) - Private Transfiguration Lesson "Arania Exumai"
- ↑ J.K. Rowling Web Chat Transcript on the-leaky-cauldron.org
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) |