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"Vermillious, otherwise known as Red Sparks, is an excellent spell for emergencies. If you're ever in danger, fire Red Sparks into the air to call for help."
Filius Flitwick regarding this charm[src]

Red Sparks[3] (Vermillious)[1] was a charm that precipitated a jet of red sparks from the tip of the wand,[1] something that might be useful to signal an emergency and call for help.[3][4][2] It could also be used offensively as a minor duelling spell,[5][6] but it was not effective against armoured or metallic opponents.[7] It was covered in the book The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble.[1]

Vermillious Duo and Vermillious Tria were more powerful versions of Red Sparks.[6][7]

History[]

During the 1987–1988 school year, Red Sparks was part of the fourth-year Charms curriculum at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[2]

Known uses[]

"Get yer wands out an' practice now — that's it — an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh — so, be careful — let's go."
— Hagrid instructing Harry, Hermione, Neville and Draco to use Red Sparks if needed in the Forbidden Forest[src]
Caster(s) Date Notes
Jacob's sibling 1987–1988 school year Used it to summon Charlie Weasley in the Forbidden Forest after they had lost him.[8]
1990–1991 school year To summon their brother Jacob to the lake shore of the Great Lake to talk with him with Corey Hayden, to which their brother promptly Apparated to them.[9]
Red Sparks HM734
To update Jacob on the Circle of Khanna at the Great Lake.[10]
To discuss the Crown of Mneme with Jacob at the Great Lake.[11]
To discuss Verucca Buckthorn-Snyde's offer with Jacob at the Great Lake.[12]
Neville Longbottom 26 May 1992 Used it to summon Rubeus Hagrid, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in the Forbidden Forest while during detention, after Draco Malfoy had startled him on purpose from behind following Hagrid's instructions to send up red sparks if in trouble.[3]
Cedric Diggory 24 June 1995 Champions who were lost in the Triwizard Maze would send up red sparks, and when Viktor Krum got knocked out, Cedric used the Red Sparks to signal that he was down.[4]
Advance Guard members 5 August 1995 It is possible that the Order of the Phoenix might have used the spell as the signal for the Advance Guard escorting Harry Potter to 12 Grimmauld Place.[13]
Quidditch fans 2014 Quidditch World Cup Following the American National Quidditch team's win at the semi-finals of the 2014 Quidditch World Cup against Liechtenstein, red, white and blue sparks filled the air so thickly it was difficult to see or breathe.[14]

Known practitioners[]

Etymology[]

  • Vermillious derives from the English word vermilion, a term for a shade of brilliant red. Interestingly, the incantation has two letter "L"s, but the proper spelling of vermilion has only one "L".

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Pottermore - When selecting The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection under the "Spells" menu. (see this image)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 4, Chapter 4 (Curse-Breakers) - Charms Lesson "Vermillious"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 15 (The Forbidden Forest)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 31 (The Third Task)
  5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 9 (The Midnight Duel) - "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage."
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) - GBC version
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) - GBC version
  8. 8.0 8.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 4, Chapter 6 (Explore the Forbidden Forest)
  9. 9.0 9.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 34 (The Scroll and the Sarcophagus)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 45 (The Fallout)
  11. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 48 (Archival Evidence)
  12. 12.0 12.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 53 (An Unexpected Offer)
  13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 3 (The Advance Guard)
  14. Pottermore - USA VERSUS LIECHTENSTEIN (Archived)

See also[]

Charms (class)
PS Wingardium Leviosa feather
Charm-book writers and developers
Blagdon Blay · Daisy Pennifold · Delfina Crimp · Miranda Goshawk · Jarleth Hobart · Basil Horton · Helixa Hyslop · Syna Hyslop · Randolph Keitch · Levina Monkstanley · Orabella Nuttley · Mnemone Radford · Scarpin · Elliot Smethwyck · Felix Summerbee · Violeta Stitch
Professors Fortinbras · Filius Flitwick · Abraham Ronen · Unidentified male professor · Unidentified medieval professor
Textbooks Achievements in Charming · Extreme Incantations · Quintessence: A Quest · The Standard Book of Spells
Charms studied at Hogwarts
Anti-Alohomora Charm · Ascension Charm (Ascendio) · Banishing Charm (Depulso) · Blackboard Writing Spell · Blue sparks · Bombardment Spell (Bombarda) · Box Blasting Charm (Cistem Aperio) · Bubble-Head Charm · Cheering Charm · Cleaning Charm · Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Confundus Charm (Confundo) · Counter-charm for hiccoughs · Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · Descendo · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Disillusionment Charm · Drought Charm · Entrancing Enchantments (theoretically) · Eradication Spell (Deletrius) · Engorgement Charm (Engorgio) · Extinguishing Spell · Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Freezing Charm (Immobulus) · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · General Counter-Spell (Finite Incantatem) · Gouging Spell (Defodio) · Growth Charm · Ice Jinx · Impervius Charm (Impervius) · Knitting Charm · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Leg-Locker Curse (Locomotor Mortis) · Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locking Spell (Colloportus) · Locomotion Charm (Locomotor) · Lumos Solem Spell (Lumos Solem) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Muffliato Charm (Muffliato) · Nonverbal spells · Pack Charm (Pack) · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Scouring Charm (Scourgify) · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Severing Charm (Diffindo) · Shrinking Charm (Reducio) · Silencing Charm (Silencio) · Slowing Charm (Arresto Momentum) · Skurge Charm (Skurge) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Spell for growing legs · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm (Accio) · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Unlocking Charm (Alohomora) · Vinegar to wine spell · Wand-Extinguishing Charm (Nox) · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos) · Lumos Maxima · Water-Making Spell (Aguamenti)
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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