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File:Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Riddle's True Identity

Lord Voldemort using a nonverbal writing spell to rearrange "Tom Marvolo Riddle" to "I am Lord Voldemort".

"Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you are about to perform, which gives you a split-second advantage."
Hermione Granger quoting Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6[src]

A nonverbal spell is a spell which is performed without saying the incantation out loud. Performing spells nonverbally is very difficult and requires a good deal of practice, as it requires concentration and mental discipline alone. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry begins teaching nonverbal magic to students in their sixth year in Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Transfiguration; the students are expected to use spells nonverbally from then on. Harry Potter noted that several students in his class looked "like they had received an overdose in U-No-Poo", a substance that causes constipation, while attempting nonverbal spells.[1]

Effectiveness

Some spells, such as Levicorpus, are easier to perform nonverbally than others. Most spells, however, seem to be less effective than normal when the incantation is not said. For example, 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, according to Hogwarts nurse Poppy Pomfrey.[2]

Known uses

Caster(s) Spell Notes
Rubeus Hagrid Unknown, possibly Incendio Conjured fire in 1991, using his umbrella.[3]
Rubeus Hagrid Human to pig Gave Dudley a pig's tail, using his umbrella
Quirinus Quirrell Unknown, possibly Hurling Hex Caused Harry's broomstick to buck violently during a Quidditch match in 1991.[3]
Quirinus Quirrell Unknown, possibly Incarcerous Conjured ropes in 1991.[3]
Arthur Weasley Unknown, possibly Oculus Reparo Repaired Harry Potter's glasses with a nonverbal spell in Diagon Alley.[4]
The memory of Tom Marvolo Riddle Unknown writing spell, possibly Flagrate[5] in the Chamber of Secrets.[4]
Remus Lupin Magical fire - possibly Bluebell flames On his way to Hogwarts in 1993. He also did this without using his wand.[6]
Remus Lupin Patronus charm On his way to Hogwarts in 1993.[7]
Albus Dumbledore Unknown Extinguished and re-lit a candle during the opening feast. He also did this wandlessly.[7]
Remus Lupin Unknown spell that had a shower of sparks, possibly Alohomora or equivalent Opened the cupboard containing the Boggart during the Gryffindor's first defence lesson .[6]
Remus Lupin Unknown - possibly Incendio or equivalent Relit the candles in his office during Harry's Patronus lessons. He also did this without using his wand.[7]
Remus Lupin Unknown transfiguration spell, possibly Homorphus, has a flash of blue-white light. Spell simultaneously performed by Sirius Black Used to force Peter Pettigrew out of his Animagus form in the Shrieking Shack.[6]
Sirius Black Unknown transfiguration spell, possibly Homorphus, has a flash of blue-white light. Spell simultaneously performed by Remus Lupin Used to force Peter Pettigrew out of his Animagus form in the Shrieking Shack.[6]
Remus Lupin Unknown, possibly Incarcerous Conjured ropes to restrain Peter Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack. [6]
Remus Lupin Packing spell Used to pack his possessions while clearing out his office. [7]
Barty Crouch Jr. Unknown, possibly Depulso In 1995, while disguised as Alastor Moody, he pushed the students´desks to the classroom walls, only by waving his wand.[8]
Rita Skeeter Unknown - possibly Incendio or equivalent While interviewing Harry Potter in the broom cupboard in 1994 she took out some candles from her bag and lit them with her wand without saying anything.[8]
Fleur Delacour Aguamenti Conjured water during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.[8]
Madam Pomfrey Unidentified healing spell (I) Used by Madam Pomfrey to heal Harry Potters injuries after the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.
Peter Pettigrew Unknown, possibly Incarcerous Conjured ropes in 1995.[8]
Marietta Edgecombe Aguamenti Conjured water during the first DA meeting.[9]
Unidentified female Hufflepuff student Unknown, possibly Stupefy or Expelliarmus Performed during a DA meeting after assistance from Harry Potter. Sent a male student hurling backwards.[10]
Kingsley Shacklebolt Memory Charm Altered Marietta Edgecombe's memory of the DA meetings.[2]
Antonin Dolohov A Dark curse Against Hermione Granger during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries after she silenced him.[2]
Bellatrix Lestrange Unknown, but most likely the Killing Curse In 1996, she used a nonverbal Curse with a green jet of light to kill a fox.
Nymphadora Tonks Patronus Charm Conjured her Werewolf Patronus without saying the incantation in 1996.
Severus Snape Unknown, a spell that opened the main gates of Hogwarts, which had recently been fortified by enhanced protective enchantments.

In 1996, he used a nonverbal spell to open the Hogwarts gates. It is unlikely that this was Alohomora since Harry had tried this before, although he had been outside the gates instead of inside like Snape was.

Fred Weasley Transfigured a knife into a paper aeroplane

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]

Hermione Granger Shield Charm 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]
Ron Weasley Unknown Conjuration Spell Unknowingly made it snow while sitting down in the Great Hall[1]
Harry Potter Levicorpus Though Harry found nonverbal magic very difficult to do, he was eventually able to cast this spell, which is meant for nonverbal use, nonverbally.[1]
Albus Dumbledore Unknown Conjured a crystal goblet in order to drink the potion inside the basin in the seaside cave.
Albus Dumbledore Full Body-Bind Curse Immobilized 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]
Severus Snape Unknown, possibly Protego Deflected several curses cast at him by Harry Potter in 1997.[1]
Lord Voldemort Mobilicorpus Move Charity Burbage's body.
Antonin Dolohov Unknown, possibly Incarcerous Used against Ron Weasley in a skirmish at the Luchino Caffe.[11]
Remus Lupin Spell that with a loud bang sends victim flying back as if punched; possibly Flipendo or Everte Statum Used against Harry Potter during their argument in Grimmauld Place in 1997.[11]
Hermione Granger Stunning Spell She silently stunned Mafalda Hopkirk as part of the infiltration of the Ministry of Magic.[11]
Hermione Granger Orchideous 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 on 24 December, 1997.[11]
Hermione Granger Stinging Hex Jinxed Harry Potter's face in an attempt to hide his identity when she, Harry, and Ron were caught by Snatchers in 1998.[11]
Minerva McGonagall Patronus Charm Conjured three Patronuses to alert the other Heads of Houses to the upcoming battle in 1998.[11]
Hermione Granger

Unknown, possibly Blasting Curse

With a "deafening blast from her wand" but no incantation, Hermione repelled Fenrir Greyback from an injured Lavender Brown during the Battle of Hogwarts.[11]

Known practitioners

The following is a list of wizards and witches known to have nonverbally performed spells that are usually performed with an incantation.

Possible uses

Behind the scenes

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. 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 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  5. 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.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  9. 9.0 9.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
  11. 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  12. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
  13. In Ch. 32 of Deathly Hallows, 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.
  14. Pottermore
Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.)
Subjectsdada
D.A.D.A. at Hogwarts
Classroom 3C · Classroom 3C backrooms · Temporary Classroom · Hogwarts Turris Magnus · Teacher's Office · Storeroom · Staircase · Storage room · Lesson Cup · Race Cup · Duelling Club · Dumbledore's Army
Professors
Isidora Morganach · Dinah Hecat · Arsenius Jigger · Albus Dumbledore · Galatea Merrythought · 1984–1985 professor · 1985–1986 professor · 1986–1987 professor · 1987–1988 professor · Patricia Rakepick · 1989–1990 professor · First 1990–1991 professor · Olivia Green · Quirinus Quirrell · Gilderoy Lockhart · Remus Lupin · Bartemius Crouch Junior (as Alastor Moody) · Dolores Umbridge · Severus Snape · Amycus Carrow (as Dark Arts teacher) · Unidentified professor · Brindlemore
Textbooks
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection · Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts · Break with a Banshee · Gadding with Ghouls · Holidays with Hags · Travels with Trolls · Voyages with Vampires · Wanderings with Werewolves · Year with the Yeti · The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts · Defensive Magical Theory · Dark Arts Defence – Basics for Beginners · Confronting the Faceless · Defence Against the Dark Arts
Spells studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Aqua Eructo · Boggart-Banishing Spell (Riddikulus) · Bombarda Maxima · Cave inimicum · Concealment Charms · Counter-curses · Counter-jinxes · Cruciatus Curse (Crucio) · Curse of the Bogies (Mucus ad Nauseam) · Cursed barrier spell · Densaugeo · Deprimo Spell (Deprimo) · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Ear-Shrivelling Curse · Everte Statum · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · Fumos Duo · Green Sparks · Hex-Breaker· Hex-deflection · Hex Zapper · Homorphus Charm · Human-presence-revealing Spell (Homenum Revelio) · Impediment Jinx (Impedimenta) · Imperius Curse (Imperio) · Imperturbable Charm · Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Lacarnum Inflamari · Langlock · Levitation Spell (Levioso) · Limbo Mist anticharm · Nonverbal spells · Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum) · Pimple Jinx (Furnunculus) · Protective enchantments · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Salvio hexia · Sea Urchin Jinx · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Shield Charm (Protego) · Smokescreen Spell (Fumos) · Snake-Vanishing Spell (Vipera Evanesca) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Stretching Jinx · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Tongue-Tying Curse (Mimblewimble) · Trip Jinx · Twitchy-Ears Hex · Verdimillious Charm (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Duo Spell (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Tria · Vermillious Duo · Vermillious Tria · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos)
Creatures studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Banshee · Boggart · Chameleon Ghoul · Charmed skeleton · Cornish Pixie · Dementor · Dugbog · Erkling · Flesh-Eating Slug · Ghost · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Gytrash · Hag · Hinkypunk · Iguana · Imp · Inferius · Kappa · Manticore · Nocturnal beasts · Nogtail · Poltergeist · Red Cap · Snake · Troll · Vampire · Vampire bat · Werewolf · Yeti · Zombie
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