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Changes: Shrinking Charm

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{{Wonderbookold}}
 
{{Spell infobox
  
{{Spell infobox
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|image=
  
 
|name=Shrinking Charm
  
|name=Shrinking Charm
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|image=
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|incantation=''Reducio''<br />(re-DOO-see-oh)
  
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|incantation=''Reducio''<ref name="GF14">{{GOF}} - Chapter 14 (''The Unforgivable Curses'')</ref><br/>(ruh-DOO-see-oh)<ref name="WB">''[[Wonderbook: Book of Spells]]''</ref>
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|type=[[Charm]]
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|type=[[Charm]]<ref name="WB"/>
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|hand=Point wand at target
  
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|hand=[[File:Reducio movement.png|70px]]
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|effect=[[Counter-charm]] for ''Engorgio'', shrinks objects
  
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|light=Purple}}
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|light=Purple<ref name="WB"/>
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|effect=Shrinks target<ref name="GF14"/>
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{{quote|“Reducio,” Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size.|Moody countering his own Engorgement Charm.|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
  
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}}
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The '''Shrinking Charm'''<ref name="Sch">[http://harrypotter.scholastic.com/glossary/ Scholastic - Harry Potter Glossary]</ref> (''Reducio'') is the [[counter-spell]] for ''[[Engorgement Charm|Engorgio]]''. It causes an Engorged object to return to its normal size.
  
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{{Quote|These straightforward but surprisingly dangerous charms cause certain things to swell or shrink. You will be learning both charms together, so that you can always undo an over-enthusiastic cast. There is thus no excuse for having accidentally shrunk your homework down to microscopic size or for allowing a giant toad to rampage through your school’s flower gardens.|[[Miranda Goshawk]]|Wonderbook: Book of Spells}}
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The '''Shrinking Charm'''<ref name="WB"/> (''Reducio)''<ref name="GF14"/> is a [[charm]] that enables a [[Wizardkind|witch or wizard]] to decrease the apparent physical size of the target, both internally and externally.<ref name="WB"/> It also can act as the [[counter-spell]] for the [[Engorgement Charm]], causing the Engorged object to return to its original size.<ref name="GF14"/>
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The Shrinking Charm was used as the [[potion-making spell]] for the [[Shrinking Solution]].<ref>''[[Wonderbook: Book of Potions]]</ref>
   
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==Uses==
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==Known uses==
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{| class="wikitable" border="1" 500px;"
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*In [[1994]] when [[Hermione Granger]]'s teeth were enlarged by the [[Densaugeo]] jinx accidentally by [[Draco Malfoy]], [[Poppy Pomfrey|Madam Pomfrey]] probably used ''[[Reducio]]'' to return her teeth back to normal size, though Hermione took advantage of this situation and allowed her teeth to be shrunk to less than their original size, up until this point she was always said to have ''"rather large front teeth"''
  
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|-
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*In [[1994]] [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]] (disguised as [[Alastor Moody]]), who had enlarged a spider with an [[Engorgement Charm]], used this to return it to its normal size.
  
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! align="center" width="20%" |Caster(s)
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*In [[1998]] [[Harry Potter]] was having trouble with this charm along with the [[Engorgement Charm]] when casting them upon a spider in order to practise with the [[Blackthorn wand]] Ron had won from a group of [[Snatchers]], his attempts were feeble as he was not the real master of the wand.
  
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! align="center" width="20%" |Date
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! scope="col" |Notes
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|-
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|[[Barty Crouch, Jr]]
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|[[September]] [[1994]]
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|The fake Moody, who had enlarged a spider with an Engorgement Charm, used this to return it to its normal size.
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|-
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|[[Harry Potter]]
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|[[27 December]], [[1997]]
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|Harry, who had enlarged a spider with an Engorgement Charm with another's wand, tried to use this to return it to its normal size, but it didn't work.
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|}
   
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==Known practitioners==
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==Possible uses==
  
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*[[Arthur Weasley]]<ref name="GF4">{{GOF}} - Chapter 4 (''Back to the Burrow'')</ref>
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*[[Harry Potter]] may have used this spell unintentionally to shrink an ugly sweater of [[Dudley Dursley]]'s when [[Petunia Dursley]] was trying to force it over his head.
  
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*[[Bartemius Crouch Jr.]]<ref name="GF14"/>
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*[[Harry Potter]]<ref name="DH20">{{DH}} - Chapter 20 (''Xenophilius Lovegood'')</ref>
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*[[Poppy Pomfrey]]<ref name="GF18">{{GOF}} - Chapter 18 (''The Weighing of the Wands'')</ref>
   
 
==Etymology==
  
==Etymology==
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The [[incantation]] is a [[Latin]] word meaning "''to reduce''" or "''is reducable''", fitting for this [[spell]]'s effects<ref name="reducio">See [http://translate.google.ca/#la/en/reducio this translation], courtesy of Google Translate</ref>.
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English ''reduce'', "to shrink". (Latin has a verb ''reducere'', present tense ''reduco''. This is the source of the English "reduce", but has a different meaning.) Also in Italian ''Riduco'' first person present tense of ''Ridurre'', same root of Latin ''Reducere''.
  
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
  
==Behind the scenes==
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*In ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]'', the scene where the spider is enlarged is replaced by one of [[Hermione]]'s [[bluebell flames]].
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*In ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]'' the scene in which the [[spider]] is enlarged is replaced by a mirror scene including [[Bluebell Flames]].
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*The effects of this spell bear great similarity to the spell ''[[Diminuendo]]'', and the two spells may be variants of each other.
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*The effects of this [[charm]] bear great similarity to those induced by the [[incantation]] of ''[[Diminuendo]]'', used by [[Nigel Wolpert]] in [[1995]].
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*A possible difference between the effects of the spells may be that ''Diminuendo ''shrinks objects to be smaller than their original size, while ''Reducio'' acts as a counter-charm for ''[[Engorgio]]'', shrinking objects back to their original size after being enlarged by the [[Engorgement Charm]]. ''Reducio'' has always been coupled with ''Engorgio'' in the books (for cases where it is clear that ''Reducio'' is used and not other shrinking charms).
  
   
 
==See also==
  
==See also==
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]''
  
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]''
 
*''[[Wonderbook: Book of Spells]]''
  
*''[[Wonderbook: Book of Spells]]''
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*''[[Wonderbook: Book of Potions]]''
   
 
==Notes and references==
  
==Notes and references==
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[[fr:sortilège de Ratatinage]]
  
[[fr:sortilège de Ratatinage]]
 
[[fi:Paluus]]
  
[[fi:Paluus]]
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[[pl:Reducio]]
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[[ru:Редуцио]]
 
[[Category:Charms]]
  
[[Category:Charms]]
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[[Category:Spells of known incantation]]

Revision as of 22:06, 6 November 2015

"These straightforward but surprisingly dangerous charms cause certain things to swell or shrink. You will be learning both charms together, so that you can always undo an over-enthusiastic cast. There is thus no excuse for having accidentally shrunk your homework down to microscopic size or for allowing a giant toad to rampage through your school’s flower gardens."
— Miranda Goshawk[src]

The Shrinking Charm[2] (Reducio)[1] is a charm that enables a witch or wizard to decrease the apparent physical size of the target, both internally and externally.[2] It also can act as the counter-spell for the Engorgement Charm, causing the Engorged object to return to its original size.[1]

The Shrinking Charm was used as the potion-making spell for the Shrinking Solution.[3]

Known uses

Caster(s) Date Notes
Barty Crouch, Jr September 1994 The fake Moody, who had enlarged a spider with an Engorgement Charm, used this to return it to its normal size.
Harry Potter 27 December, 1997 Harry, who had enlarged a spider with an Engorgement Charm with another's wand, tried to use this to return it to its normal size, but it didn't work.

Known practitioners

Etymology

The incantation is a Latin word meaning "to reduce" or "is reducable", fitting for this spell's effects[7].

Behind the scenes

See also

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Chapter 14 (The Unforgivable Curses)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Wonderbook: Book of Spells
  3. ↑ Wonderbook: Book of Potions
  4. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Chapter 4 (Back to the Burrow)
  5. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 20 (Xenophilius Lovegood)
  6. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Chapter 18 (The Weighing of the Wands)
  7. ↑ See this translation, courtesy of Google Translate
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