{{quote|There's a simple way of discovering the last spell a [[wand]] performed, [[House-elf|elf]], did you know that?|[[Amos Diggory]] describing the spell's usage to [[Winky]]|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
{{quote|There's a simple way of discovering the last spell a [[wand]] performed, [[House-elf|elf]], did you know that?|[[Amos Diggory]] describing the spell's usage to [[Winky]]|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
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'''Prior Incantato''' is a [[spell]] that, if pointed at a [[wand]], can show the last spell performed. It was used by [[Amos Diggory]] to learn [[Harry Potter's wand|whose wand]] had been used to cast the [[Dark Mark]] at the [[1994]] [[Quidditch World Cup]].
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'''Prior Incantato''' is a [[spell]] that, if pointed at a [[wand]], can show the last spell performed. It was used by [[Amos Diggory]] to learn [[Harry Potter's wand|whose wand]] had been used to cast the [[Dark Mark]] at the [[1994]] [[Quidditch World Cup]].
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The ''Prior Incantato'' [[spell]] could be confused with the ''[[Priori Incantatem]]'' effect that can be triggered by [[wand]]s sharing a common core that are forced to [[Duel|duel]] with each other, but which also can be induced with analytical [[Spell|spells]]. The spell'sincantationmightcomefrom the words''prior''and ''incantation''.
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The ''Prior Incantato'' [[spell]] could be confused with the ''[[Priori Incantatem]]'' effect that can be triggered by [[wand]]s sharing a common core that are forced to [[Duel|duel]] with each other, but which also can be induced with analytical [[Spell|spells]]. The spell usedtoerasethe shadow created by the previouslyused spell (which in turn is produced by this spell)is ''[[Deletrius]]''.
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The spell used to erase the shadow created by the previously used spell (which in turn is produced by this spell) is ''[[Deletrius]]''.
==Etymology==
==Etymology==
Latin ''prior'', "previous", and ''incantate'', "to speak a spell" (past participle ''incantatum'').
Latin ''prior'', "previous", and ''incantate'', "to speak a spell" (past participle ''incantatum'').
Prior Incantato is a spell that, if pointed at a wand, can show the last spell performed. It was used by Amos Diggory to learn whose wand had been used to cast the Dark Mark at the 1994Quidditch World Cup.
The Prior Incantatospell could be confused with the Priori Incantatem effect that can be triggered by wands sharing a common core that are forced to duel with each other, but which also can be induced with analytical spells. The spell used to erase the shadow created by the previously used spell (which in turn is produced by this spell) is Deletrius.
Etymology
Latin prior, "previous", and incantate, "to speak a spell" (past participle incantatum).
