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"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[3][4] (Reparo), was a charm that could be used to seamlessly repair a broken object and worked on most materials. This incredibly useful and practical charm was invented by Orabella Nuttley, in or before 1754.[3]

History[]

The 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.[3]

There were various textbooks containing instructions for this spell, including The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 (a first-year Charms textbook at Hogwarts),[1] although there was still a spellbook designated entirely to the teaching of this charm.[5]

During the 1985–1986 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this spell was taught to second-year students in Transfiguration by Professor Minerva McGonagall.[6]

Effects[]

"They stood back to back, the tall thin wizard and the short round one, and waved their wands in one identical sweeping motion. The furniture flew back to its original places; ornaments re-formed in midair, feathers zoomed into their cushions; torn books repaired themselves as they landed upon their shelves; oil lanterns soared onto side tables and reignited; a vast collection of splintered silver picture frames flew glittering across the room and alighted, whole and untarnished, upon a desk; rips, cracks, and holes healed everywhere, and the walls wiped themselves clean."
Albus Dumbledore and Horace Slughorn using this charm to repair a destroyed living room in a Muggle house[src]
Mending charm1

The Mending charm's effects

The Mending Charm was effective at repairing most materials. However, damage caused by certain rare, powerful curses such as Fiendfyre were impossible to undo.[3]

The charm was suitable for use only on inanimate objects. Use on living beings was entirely proscribed. Serious scarring could result if it were cast on a person or animal in an attempt to heal wounds.[3]

ReparoHM

This charm mending a broken plate

While a properly cast Mending Charm was generally enough to fix an object, it seemed less experienced casters might not have succeeded in returning liquids to broken containers.[7]

This charm did not seem to work on objects of powerful and complex magic, such as broken Vanishing Cabinets[8] or wands.[9] 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.[8] 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;[9] the sole exception goes to the Elder Wand which repaired Harry's wand, due to the strength and magnitude of the Elder Wand.[10]

Known uses[]

"Harry missed the pod, hit the bowl, and shattered it. Reparo, he said hastily, poking the pieces with his wand, and the bowl sprang back together again."
— Harry Potter using the charm to repair a bowl[src]

Successful[]

Caster(s) Date Notes
Orabella Nuttley 1754
OrabellaNuttleyReparoColiseum
Nuttley invented this spell and in or around 1754 she stepped forward and fixed several columns with the Mending Charm she had invented. Preventing a breach of the Statute of Secrecy.[3]
Eleazar Fig 1 September 1890 Eleazar used it to repair a bridge to the ruins of Percival Rackham's house.[11]
Unidentified 19th-century Hogwarts student 2 September 1890 Taught the spell by Professor Abraham Ronen.[12]
Used this spell on broken items and buildings in Hogsmeade after the troll attack.[13]
1890–1891 school year Used it to repair a suit of armour in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library in order to get through.[14]
Mirabel Garlick Used it to repair the broken glass caused by the shrieks of Mandrake roots in Herbology class.[15]
Bob Ogden 1925 Used it to repair a pot that Merope Gaunt had broken.[16]
Newt Scamander 6 December 1926
NewtReparo

Used it nonverbally to repair Jacob Kowalski's apartment after several beasts escaped from his magical suitcase and broke up his belongings and blasted through a wall.[4]

MACUSA Aurors 7 December 1926 Used it nonverbally to repair buildings after an Obscurial went on a path of destruction through New York City.[4]
Jacob's sibling 1986–1987 school year Used it to repair broken items in the Dragon Clubhouse.[17]
1987–1988 school year Used it to repair a cabinet Sickleworth had damaged in the Artefact Room.[18]
Jacob's sibling holding Torvus's arrow HM413

Used it to repair Torvus's broken arrow for him in the Forbidden Forest.[19]

Bill Weasley August 1994 Used it to repair the table leg a couple days before the 422nd Quidditch World Cup.[20]
Hermione Granger 1 September 1994 Used it to repair the broken glass in the door to a railway carriage compartment.[2]
30 May 1996 Used it to repair a teacup that Ron Weasley had broken during a Transfiguration class.[21]
10 March 1997 Used it to repair a set of scales broken by young girl (Vincent Crabbe or Gregory Goyle under Polyjuice Potion) in the corridor outside the Room of Requirement.[22]
Seamus Finnigan 1 September 1995 Used it to repair the bed hangings, which fell when he pulled them with huge violence after quarrel with Harry Potter in the Gryffindor common room.[23]
Harry Potter 10 September 1995 Used it to repair the china bowl of Murtlap Essence he had knocked to the floor. The spell couldn't put the liquid back in the repaired bowl.[7]
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.[24]
15 October 1996 Used it to repair a bowl he had broken during a Herbology class.[25]
1 August 1997 Used it to repair Luchino Caffe after duel.[26]
2 May 1998 Used it with the Elder Wand to repair his own broken one, which worked due to the power the Elder Wand possesses.[10]
Severus Snape 8 March 1996 Used it to repair a shattered jar in his office during Occlumency lesson.[27]
Horace Slughorn 12 July 1996
Dumbledore Levitating objects at Slughorn's house
Used it nonverbally (and in a masterly way) to undo the damage Slughorn had inflicted upon his borrowed living quarters in Budleigh Babberton.[28]
Albus Dumbledore
Ron Weasley 1 August 1997 Used it to repair Luchino Caffe after duel.[26]
Mathilda Grimblehawk's partner Unknown This spell was used many times to repair various clues found during investigations.[29]

Unsuccessful[]

Caster Date Notes
Newt Scamander 6 December 1926 Intended to repair a structure at the Central Park Zoo that got destroyed by his Erumpent. Was unable to finish the incantation when a Baboon took his wand.[4]
Jacob's sibling 1986–1987 school year Used it to repair a statue but failed due to the protective spells cast on it.[17]
Rubeus Hagrid 27 July 1997 Used it to keep the sidecar attached to the flying motorbike, but unsuccessful.[30]
Hermione Granger 25 December 1997 Used it to repair Harry Potter's wand, but only physically, and the wand fell apart again upon attempted usage.[9]

Known practitioners[]

Variations[]

Two similar spells existed: Oculus Reparo, which was used to repair glasses,[36][37][38] and Papyrus Reparo, which could be used to restore torn pieces of paper.[31] Their history and relationship to the original Mending Charm - apart from the etymology and effects - are unknown.

It is also possible that these incantations were just the Mending Charm with the appropriate spell modifier added.

Etymology[]

Reparo is a play on reparo (latin for fix, mend, or put back).

Behind the scenes[]

ReparoPAS

The spell's icon in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Pottermore
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 11 (Aboard the Hogwarts Express)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Wonderbook: Book of Spells
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
  5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) - Console versions
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 2, Chapter 4 (Revelio) - Transfiguration Lesson "Reparo"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 15 (The Hogwarts High Inquisitor)
  8. 8.0 8.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 27 (The Lightning-Struck Tower)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 17 (Bathilda's Secret)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 36 (The Flaw in the Plan)
  11. 11.0 11.1 Hogwarts Legacy, Main Quest "The Path to Hogwarts"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Hogwarts Legacy, Assignment Quest "Professor Ronen's Assignment"
  13. 13.0 13.1 Hogwarts Legacy, Main Quest "Welcome to Hogsmeade"
  14. 14.0 14.1 Hogwarts Legacy, Main Quest "Secrets of the Restricted Section"
  15. 15.0 15.1 Hogwarts Legacy, Main Quest "Herbology Class"
  16. 16.0 16.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10 (The House of Gaunt)
  17. 17.0 17.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 3, "A DRAGON'S QUEST" Achievement
  18. 18.0 18.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 4, Chapter 9 (Glittery Secrets)
  19. 19.0 19.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 4, Chapter 13 (The Centaur's Arrow)
  20. 20.0 20.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 5 (Weasley's Wizard Wheezes)
  21. 21.0 21.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 30 (Grawp)
  22. 22.0 22.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20 (Lord Voldemort's Request)
  23. 23.0 23.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 11 (The Sorting Hat's New Song)
  24. 24.0 24.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 11 (Hermione's Helping Hand)
  25. 25.0 25.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 14 (Felix Felicis)
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 9 (A Place to Hide)
  27. 27.0 27.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 26 (Seen and Unforeseen)
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 4 (Horace Slughorn)
  29. 29.0 29.1 Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
  30. 30.0 30.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 4 (The Seven Potters)
  31. 31.0 31.1 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
  32. As the charm is covered in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, it must be taught in first-year Charms class.
  33. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
  34. "Ollivanders Wand Shop June 2nd" on YouTube
  35. 35.0 35.1 Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
  36. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film), Chapter 10 (Ron and Hermione)
  37. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film), Chapter 5 (To Diagon Alley)
  38. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 4 (At Flourish and Blotts)
  39. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 16 (The Chamber of Secrets)
  40. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
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)
Transfiguration (class)
COS Vera Verto demo
Branches of Transfiguration Transformation · Vanishment · Conjuration · Untransfiguration
Notable practitioners Circe · Emeric Switch · Falco Aesalon · Mirabella Plunkett · Thaddeus Thurkell
Professors Albus Dumbledore · Minerva McGonagall · Charles Rookwood · Matilda Weasley
Textbooks A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration · Intermediate Transfiguration · A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration
Transfiguration spells taught at Hogwarts
Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Change of hair colour and style (Crinus Muto) · Hardening Charm (Duro) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Partial Vanishment · Reparifarge · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Switching Spell · Vanishing Spell (Evanesco)
Conjuring Spells Bird-Conjuring Charm (Avis) · Inanimatus Conjurus Spell · Bouquet Spell (Orchideous) · Snake Summons Spell (Serpensortia)
Transforming Spells Animal to water goblet (Vera Verto) · Armadillo to Pillow · Bowling Ball to Balloon · Beetle into Button · Cauldron to badger · Cat to cauldron (Felifors) · Cauldron Cakes to Cabbages · Chair to cat · Cross-Species Switches · Desk Into Pig · Fairy Cakes to Fairies · Feather Duster to Ferret · Ferret to Feather Duster · Gobstone to butterfly · Goldfinch to Golden Snitch · Flobberworm to Fritter · Gnomes to Lawn Gnomes · Guinea fowl to guinea pig · Gobstone to Skunk · Hedgehog to pincushion · King to Rook · Lovebird to Love Note · Match to needle · Meddling Man to Monkey · Mice to Snuffboxes · Owl to Opera Glasses (Strigiforma) · Pawn to Queen · Porcupine to Pin Cushion (Hystrifors) · Puffskein to Paperweight · Rubbish to Raccoon Dog · Small Child to Rat · Small object to dragon (Draconifors) · Snail to Teapot · Target to bird (Avifors) · Target to matchbox (Flintifors) · Target to rabbit (Lapifors) · Teacup into Gerbil · Teacup to Rat · Teapot to Tortoise · Thimble to Thestral · Toad to Toadstool · Tortoise to Trumpet · White rabbits to slippers
The Standard Book of Spells
Book of Spells 1
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)
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