Changes: Severing Charm

Revision as of 19:25, 5 June 2014

"With the Severing Charm, cutting or tearing objects is a simple matter of wand control. The spell can be quite precise in skilled hands, and the Severing Charm is widely used in a variety of wizarding trades. Useful as it is, this charm should be practiced with caution, as a careless swipe of the wand can cause injury."

— Miranda Goshawk^[src]

The Severing Charm (Diffindo) is a charm used to precisely and accurately cut something.^[1] It is taught in second year charms classes,^[2] and if used inappropriately can cause death or injury^[1].

History

"The Severing Charm was created in the fifteenth century by wizarding seamstress Delfina Crimp who created it as an easy and convenient way of cutting cloth and thread."

— Book of Spells

This spell was invented in the fifteenth century by wizarding seamstress Delfina Crimp. She made the spell because prior to her discovery, cutting spells were apt to burn or shred things. However, a fellow seamster nearly killed her after he raided her shop, having realised that she could do magic, and held her tied up. Nonetheless, upon being released to scratch a wart on her chin the wart brought her wand forth and she disapparated with a sack of gold.^[1]

Uses

The charm was invented in this time by Delfina Crimp and used by her to make and tailor clothing.^[1]

Diffindo — Harry using the Severing Charm to break a sheet of ice.

Harry Potter cut Cedric Diggory's bookbag with this spell to delay him from class so that he could warn Cedric privately about the First Task.^[3] In June of this year, Harry used this to attempt to defend Ron against some brains that were attacking him.^[4] Later that year, he used the charm to detach the front cover of his shop-bought potions textbook to replace it with a vandalised version using the mending spell.^[5] In 1997 Harry tried to break Mary Cattermole free of a chained chair; it failed.^[6] Harry also used this to attempt to destroy a locket in the woods, but failed.^[7] He used this a fourth time to break the ice from the frozen pool where a sword was hidden.^[6]
Ron Weasley used it to sever the lace sleeves of his dress robes before the Yule Ball.^[3]
Hermione Granger used this to remove the bindings on Ron Weasley after a fight in a cafe; she trembled so much that she cut Ron with it. She used the spell again to remove a locket from Harry Potter's chest shortly after they were attacked by the dark lord.

Harry uses Diffindo — Harry's failed use on the locket.

Etymology

The incantation is the Latin first person active indicative for "to split, cleave or open".

Behind the scenes

In the Harry Potter Trading Card Game, Diffindo is incorrectly labeled as a Transfiguration spell.
In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 it cuts through red LEGO walls so that the player can use the pieces to make new things.
A spellbook for this charm can be found in one of the Herbology greenhouses; this is also detailed in both Book of Spells and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1.

Appearances

Notes and references

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Wonderbook: Book of Spells
↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)

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)

[WON-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Wonderbook: Book of Spells

[VG2-2] Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)

[GOF-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

[OOTP-4] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

[HBP-5] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

[DH-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[DHF-7] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Pottermoreold}}
-{{Wonderbook}}
+{{Wonderbookold}}
 {{Spell_infobox
 |name=Severing Charm
 |image=[[File:DiffindoCrop250.gif|250px]]
-|incantation=''Diffindo''
+|incantation=''Diffindo''<br/>(deef-IN-doe)
 |type=[[Charm]]
+|hand=[[File:Severing-charm.png]]
-|hand=Aim wand at target
-Wand
 |light=White
-|effect=Cuts the target}}
+|effect=Cuts the target
+|creator=[[Delfina Crimp]] ([[15th century|1400s]])
-{{Quote|With the Severing Charm, cutting or tearing objects is a simple matter of wand control. The spell can be quite precise in skilled hands, and the Severing Charm is widely used in a variety of wizarding trades. Useful as it is, this charm should be practiced with caution, as a careless swipe of the wand can cause injury.|''[[Book of Spells]]''}}
+}}
-The '''Severing Charm''' (incantation: ''Diffindo'') is a [[charm]] used to precisely and accurately cut something.<ref name="WON"/> It is taught in [[second year]] [[Charms (class)|charms classes]]<ref name="VG2">''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]''</ref>, and if used inappropriately can cause [[death]] or injury<ref name="WON"/>.
+{{Quote|With the Severing Charm, cutting or tearing objects is a simple matter of wand control. The spell can be quite precise in skilled hands, and the Severing Charm is widely used in a variety of wizarding trades. Useful as it is, this charm should be practiced with caution, as a careless swipe of the wand can cause injury.|[[Miranda Goshawk]]|Wonderbook: Book of Spells}}
+The '''Severing Charm''' (''Diffindo'') is a [[charm]] used to precisely and accurately cut something.<ref name="WON">''[[Wonderbook: Book of Spells]]''</ref> It is taught in [[second year]] [[Charms (class)|charms classes]],<ref name="VG2">''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]''</ref> and if used inappropriately can cause [[death]] or injury<ref name="WON"/>.
-==Invention==
+==History==
 {{Quote|The Severing Charm was created in the fifteenth century by wizarding seamstress [[Delfina Crimp]] who created it as an easy and convenient way of cutting cloth and thread.|''[[Book of Spells]]''}}
-This [[spell]] was [[Spell creation|invented]] in the [[15th century|fifteenth century]] by [[Wizarding world|wizarding]] seamstress [[Delfina Crimp]]. She made the spell because prior to her discovery, cutting spells were apt to burn or shred things. However, a fellow seamstress nearly killed her after he raided her shop, having realized that she could do [[magic]], and held her tied up. Nonetheless, upon being released to scratch a wart on her chin the wart brought her wand forth and she [[Disapparating|disapparated]] with a sack of [[Galleon|gold]].<ref name="WON"/>
+This [[spell]] was [[Spell creation|invented]] in the [[15th century|fifteenth century]] by [[Wizarding world|wizarding]] seamstress [[Delfina Crimp]]. She made the spell because prior to her discovery, cutting spells were apt to burn or shred things. However, a fellow seamster nearly killed her after he raided her shop, having realised that she could do [[magic]], and held her tied up. Nonetheless, upon being released to scratch a wart on her chin the wart brought her wand forth and she [[Disapparating|disapparated]] with a sack of [[Galleon|gold]].<ref name="WON"/>
 ==Uses==
-===15th century===
-The [[charm]] was invented in this time by [[Delfina Crimp]] and used by her to make and tailor clothing.<ref name="WON"/>
+*The [[charm]] was invented in this time by [[Delfina Crimp]] and used by her to make and tailor clothing.<ref name="WON"/>
-===1994===
-[[File:Diffindo.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Harry using the Severing Charm to break a sheet of ice.]]
+[[File:Diffindo.JPG|thumb|left|230px|Harry using the Severing Charm to break a sheet of ice.]]
+*[[Harry Potter]] cut [[Cedric Diggory]]'s bookbag with this [[spell]] to delay him from [[Charms (class)|class]] so that he could warn Cedric privately about the [[Triwizard Tournament|First Task]].<ref name="GOF">''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''</ref> In [[June]] of this year, [[Harry Potter|Harry]] used this to attempt to defend Ron against some [[brain]]s that were attacking him.<ref name="OOTP">''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''</ref> Later that year, he used the [[charm]] to detach the front cover of his [[Flourish and Blotts|shop-bought]] [[Advanced Potion-Making|potions textbook]] to replace it with [[Severus Snape's copy of Advanced Potion-Making|a vandalised version]] using the [[Mending Charm|mending spell]].<ref name="HBP">''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''</ref> In 1997 Harry tried to break [[Mary Cattermole]] free of a [[Wizengamot chair|chained chair]]; it failed.<ref name="DH">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''</ref> Harry also used this to attempt to destroy [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|a locket]] in [[Forest of Dean|the woods]], but failed.<ref name="DHF">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)]]''</ref> He used this a fourth time to break the ice from the frozen pool where [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword|a sword]] was hidden.<ref name="DH"/>
-[[Harry Potter]] cut [[Cedric Diggory]]'s bookbag with this [[spell]] to delay him from [[Charms (class)|class]] so that Harry could warn Cedric privately about the [[Triwizard Tournament|First Task]].<ref name="GOF"/>
-Later that year, [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] used it to sever the lace sleeves of his dress robes before the [[Yule Ball]].<ref name="GOF"/>
+*[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] used it to sever the lace sleeves of his dress robes before the [[Yule Ball]].<ref name="GOF"/>
+*[[Hermione Granger]] used this to remove the [[Incarcerous|bindings]] on [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] after a [[Luchino Caffe Duel|fight in a cafe]]; she trembled so much that she cut Ron with it. She used the spell again to remove [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|a locket]] from [[Harry Potter]]'s chest shortly after they were [[Attack at Godric's Hollow (1997)|attacked by the dark lord]].
+[[File:Harry_uses_Diffindo.png|thumb|215px|Harry's failed use on the locket.]]
-===1996===
-In [[June]] of this year, [[Harry Potter|Harry]] used this to attempt to defend Ron against some [[brain]]s that were attacking him.<ref name="OOTP">''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''</ref>
-Later that year, he used the [[charm]] to detach the front cover of his [[Flourish and Blotts|shop-bought]] [[Advanced Potion-Making|potions textbook]] to replace it with [[Severus Snape's copy of Advanced Potion-Making|a vandalised version]] using the [[Mending Charm|mending spell]].<ref name="HBP">''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''</ref>
-===1997===
-[[Hermione Granger]] used this to remove the [[Incarcerous|bindings]] on [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] after a [[Luchino Caffe Duel|fight in a cafe]]; she trembled so much that she cut Ron with it. She used the spell again to remove [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|a locket]] from [[Harry Potter]]'s chest shortly after they were [[Attack at Godric's Hollow (1997)|attacked by the dark lord]].
-Between her two uses, [[Harry Potter]] tried to break [[Mary Cattermole]] free of a [[Wizengamot chair|chained chair]]; it failed.<ref name="DH">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''</ref>
-===1998===
-[[File: Harry uses Diffindo.png|thumb|228px|Harry's failed use on the locket.]]
-[[Harry Potter]] used this to attempt to destroy [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|a locket]] in [[Forest of Dean|the woods]], but failed.<ref name="DHF"/>
-[[Harry Potter|Harry]] used this a fourth time to break the ice from the frozen pool where [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword|a sword]] was hidden.<ref name="DH"/>
 ==Etymology==
@@ Line 43: / Line 31: @@
 ==Behind the scenes==
-*In the ''[[Harry Potter Trading Card Game]]'', ''Diffindo'' is incorrectly labeled as a [[Transfiguration]].
+*In the ''[[Harry Potter Trading Card Game]]'', ''Diffindo'' is incorrectly labeled as a [[Transfiguration]] spell.
 *In ''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]'' it cuts through red LEGO walls so that the player can use the pieces to make new things.
 *A [[Diffindo spellbook|spellbook]] for this [[charm]] can be found in one of the [[Herbology greenhouses]]; this is also detailed in both ''[[Book of Spells]]'' and ''[[The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1]]''.
-*''[[Pottermore]]'' shows the hand movement as thus:<br />[[File:Severing-charm.png]]
 ==See also==
 *''[[Sectumsempra]]''
@@ Line 53: / Line 41: @@
 *''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)]]''
 *''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]''
+*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)]]''
 *''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' {{1st}}
 *''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)]]''
@@ Line 68: / Line 57: @@
 [[fr:Sortilège de Découpe]]
 [[it:Incantesimo di Taglio]]
+[[pl:Diffindo]]
+[[ru:Диффиндо]]
 [[Category:Charms]]
 [[Category:Spells with Incantations of Latin Origin]]
 [[Category:Spells]]
+[[Category:Amputations]]