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"The raven continued to open and close its sharp beak, but no sound came out."
— Description of the Silencing Charm[src]

The Silencing Charm (Silencio) was a charm that rendered the victim temporarily mute. Working on both beasts and beings, it was immensely difficult to perform, more so on ravens than frogs. If performed incorrectly, the target would swell up to an immense size and begin making deafening sounds.[1]

History[]

The song of the Fwooper would drive the listener insane, so it must have been sold with a Silencing Charm placed on it. This charm must have been recast on the Fwooper every month by any wizard or witch who owned one of these birds.[3]

During the 1988–1989 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Filius Flitwick taught his fifth-years how to cast this charm in Charms class, in preparation for their Ordinary Wizarding Levels that year.[2]

In October 1995, Professor Flitwick had his fifth-year Charms students practise this charm, and assigned it as homework to those who could not perform it competently in class.[1]

Penelope Fawley was placed under the effects of a Silencing Charm whilst being trapped inside a portrait in her office at the British Ministry of Magic.[4]

Known uses[]

" Silencio!" cried Hermione, and the man’s voice was extinguished. He continued to mouth through the hole in his mask, but no sound came out; he was thrust aside by his fellow."
— Hermione Granger casts this spell on Antonin Dolohov in 1996[src]

Successful[]

Caster(s) Dates Notes
Ruth Singer 1891 Used to silence Cassandra Mason when she began to protest her arrest.[5]
Lyall Lupin Unknown He used the spell to silence his werewolf son, Remus Lupin, during his monthly transformations in order to protect his son for any unwanted attentions from their neighbours or the ministry when Remus was a child.[6]
Draco Malfoy 31 October 1981 (alternate timeline) Used it on Delphini at St Jerome's Church in Godric's Hollow.[7]
Alastor Moody 1990–1991 school year Used it silence Burke at the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, after having bound him with the Incarcerous Spell.[8]
Minerva McGonagall 18 December 1992 Used it to silence and control the commotion in the corridor when Justin Finch-Fletchley was found petrified.[9]
Fifth-years 1995 Fifth-years worked on this spell in Charms using bullfrogs and ravens.[1]
Hermione Granger 8 October 1995 Used it to on her toad in Charms class.[1]
Used it to on Harry Potter's toad in, when he inflated toad like a balloon.[1]
Used it to on Ron Weasley's raven in Charms class.[1]
18 June 1996 Used it on Antonin Dolohov during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.[10]
Tom Riddle 2 May 1998 He used this spell to silence the defenders of Hogwarts during the final battle.[11]

Unsuccessful[]

Caster(s) Dates Notes
Harry Potter 8 October 1995 Used it on his toad, but unsuccessful, because the toad swelled like a balloon and emitted a high-pitched whistle.[1]
Ron Weasley Used it on his raven, but unsuccessful, because the raven let out a derisive caw.[1]
Used it on Hermione Granger's toad, but unsuccessful, because he poked the toad in the eye with his wand.[1]

Known practitioners[]

Etymology[]

The incantation "silencio" is Latin and Spanish for "silence".[14]

Behind the scenes[]

  • Although not identified, in July 1993, when Harry lost his temper with Marjorie Dursley he may have unintentionally cast a Silencing Charm both non-verbally and wandlessly, either or both of these factors caused the already difficult spell to fail, instead causing her to swell until she resembled a balloon and float to the ceiling.[15]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 18 (Dumbledore's Army)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 6 (The Ghosts of Hogwarts) - Charms Lesson "Silencio"
  3. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  4. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite "Brilliant Event: Battle for Secrecy"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Hogwarts Legacy, Side Quest "Minding Your Own Business"
  6. 6.0 6.1 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Remus Lupin" at Wizarding World
  7. 7.0 7.1 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act Four, Scene Eleven
  8. 8.0 8.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 36 (Impenetrable and Unplottable)
  9. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 11 (The Duelling Club)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 35 (Beyond the Veil)
  11. 11.0 11.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 36 (The Flaw in the Plan)
  12. Hogwarts Legacy
  13. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 11 (The Duelling Club)
  14. See this translation
  15. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 2 (Aunt Marge's Big Mistake)

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)
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