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"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] There are several variations of this charm, such as the tooth-shrinking charm.

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

Known uses

Caster(s) Date Notes
Poppy Pomfrey[4] October 1994 When Hermione was hit with a hex casted by Draco Malfoy, she grew huge front teeth. Madame Pomfrey used the tooth-shrinking charm to fix it.
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

History

After Hermione Granger was cursed by Draco Malfoy in 1994, she sprouted huge teeth. This led Madam Pomfrey to shrink her teeth with this spell. Hermione used this occasion to avoid having braces because her teeth were originally larger than normal teeth and caused her to be compared to a chipmunk by other students.

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. 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 18 (The Weighing of the Wands)
  5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 4 (Back to The Burrow)
  6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 20 (Xenophilius Lovegood)
  7. See this translation, courtesy of Google Translate
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