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"And then he heard it, speeding through the air behind him; he turned and saw his Firebolt hurtling towards him around the edge of the woods, soaring into the enclosure, and stopping dead in mid-air beside him, waiting for him to mount."
— The Firebolt, under influence of this spell[src]

The Summoning Charm (Accio) was a charm that caused an object at a distance from the caster to fly into their arms. This spell needs thought behind it, the object must be clear in the casters mind, before trying to summon.

This spell is one of the oldest spells known to wizarding society.[1]

History

This spell's most famous use was, according to Miranda Goshawk, by the Accionites and their leader, Gideon Flatworthy.[1]

In the traditional wizarding tale "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" from The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the son of the titular pot's original owner Summoned a lost donkey belonging to one of his fellow villagers.[2]

This spell is taught to fourth years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Charms class and is revised again in a students fifth in preparation for O.W.L.s. This spell is located in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk.

Casting and effects

The Summoning Charm could not be used on buildings.[3] In addition, it did not work on most living things, and those few on which it did were generally not considered worth Summoning, such as flobberworms.[3]

The farther the desired object was from the caster, the harder it was to Summon. However, there was apparently some controversy over this claim, as Hermione Granger stated that it did not matter how far away the object was — so long as the caster had it clearly in mind, they should be able to Summon it with ease.[4]

There were counterspells that could be placed on objects to keep them from being Summoned.[5][6] Most wizarding goods sold as of the 20th century and early 21st century came pre-enchanted with anti-theft spells to keep them from being Summoned by anyone but their rightful owners.[3]

Known uses

Successful

Caster(s) Dates Notes
Molly Weasley August 1994 Molly Weasley used several Summoning Charms to find many different magical sweets Fred and George Weasley were trying to sneak out of the house to the Quidditch World Cup in 1994.[7]
Hermione Granger November 1994 Hermione Granger taught the charm to Harry Potter, who later used it in the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament to Summon his broom to him to outmanoeuvre the Hungarian Horntail.[7]
18 June, 1996 During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries Hermione Granger used it to retrieve wands, and Ron Weasley Summoned a brain in a tank to himself while under the effects of a disorienting curse.[8]
July 1997 Hermione Granger Summoned books about Horcruxes from the Headmaster's office in 1997.[9]
Barty Crouch Jr.
(disguised as Alastor Moody)
February 1995 Barty Crouch Jr. used the Summoning Charm to take the Marauders Map away from Severus Snape before he could read it.[7]
Harry Potter 24 November, 1994 Hermione Granger taught the charm to Harry Potter, who later used it in the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament to Summon his broom to him to outmanoeuvre the Hungarian Horntail.[7]
24 June, 1995 Harry Potter used this charm to Summon the Triwizard Cup, which had been made a Portkey, in order to escape Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters in 1995.[7]
Accio
1995

Harry Potter used this charm on his toad with which he was practicing his Silencing Charm in Charms class (in 1995).[8]

30 June, 1997 Harry Potter Summoned Madam Rosmerta's brooms to himself and Albus Dumbledore to get back to Hogwarts in 1997.[10]
31 July, 1997 Harry Potter Summoned his glasses on his 17th birthday.
Ron Weasley 18 June, 1996 During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries Hermione Granger used it to retrieve wands, and Ron Weasley Summoned a brain in a tank to himself while under the effects of a disorienting curse.[8]
Death Eaters During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Death Eaters attempting to pull the prophecy sphere from Harry's hands.
Fred Weasley August 1997 and 1995 Fred Summoned hairs from a Muggle boy in Ottery St. Catchpole in order to help Harry disguise himself for the wedding using Polyjuice Potion.

The Twins summoned their brooms from Umbridge's ofiice when escaping from Hogwarts

Lord Voldemort 2 May, 1998 He summoned the Sorting Hat non-verbally; it flew through a shattered window of Hogwarts Castle.
George Weasley 1995 The Twins summoned their brooms from Umbridge's ofiice when escaping from Hogwarts

Unsuccessful

Caster(s) Dates Notes
Harry Potter November 1994 Harry Potter tried to cast the charm while Hermione Granger was teaching him how to use it in preparation for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.
2 August, 1995 Harry Potter tried to cast the charm wandlessly to retrieve his wand after Dudley hit him when they were attacked in 1995 by two Dementors sent by Dolores Umbridge.
1 September, 1996 Harry Potter tried to cast the charm nonverbally and wandlessly to retrieve his wand after Draco Malfoy hit him with a Full Body-Bind Curse in 1996.[10]
30 June, 1997 Harry Potter tried the Charm to Summon Salazar Slytherin's fake locket in the Crystal Cave in 1997.[10]
27 July, 1997 He tried it to Summon Hedwig and Rubeus Hagrid during the Battle of the Seven Potters.[9]
1 September, 1997 Harry also tried Summoning the locket while he was in Dolores Umbridge's office while they were infiltrating the Ministry of Magic.
24 December, 1997 Harry tried to Summon his wand after it had been knocked out of his hand during his fight with Nagini at Godric's Hollow.
December, 1997 Harry tried to summon the Sword of Gryffindor from the frozen pool in the Forest of Dean.
1 May, 1998 Harry tried to Summon Helga Hufflepuff's Cup when he was in the Lestrange Vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank during the break-in, but he was unsuccessful because the vault was bewitched.
Hermione Granger August 1997 Hermione Granger tried the Summoning Charm to Summon Salazar Slytherin's Locket in Regulus Black's bedroom at 12 Grimmauld Place.
1 May, 1998 Hermione Granger tried to use a Summoning Charm to Summon Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem in the Room of Requirement and Helga Hufflepuff's Cup in the Lestrange Vault, but the protections on the Horcruxes made this impossible.
Death Eater A Death Eater tried the charm to Summon Harry's Cloak of Invisibility.[9]
18 June, 1996 The Death Eaters tried to cast the charm on the prophecy during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, but Harry managed to hold on to it, having cast a Shield Charm to protect himself.

Media

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Etymology

The Latin word accio can mean "I call", "I summon", or "action". In the Hungarian translation, the spell is called "Invito", possibly from the word "to invite".

Pronunciation

Many various suggestions have been made on the pronunciation of this spell. Some include: (AK-ee-oh) or (AK-see-oh)- from the film, (AK-see-oh)- from the UK audio book and video game, (AS-see-oh)- from the US audio book, and (AT-chee-oh)- the Anglo-Catholic pronunciation. The original Latin translation sounds like (AK-ee-oh).

Behind the scenes

  • In the 2006 short film The Queen's Handbag, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley both use the charm in an attempt to retrieve Queen Elizabeth II's handbag, which has been lost. They are unsuccessful and Hermione suggests they're too far away from it, suggesting the charm may have a maximum range. However, in Goblet of Fire, Hermione stated that distance didn't matter, as long as the caster was concentrating hard enough. Also, the short film's canonicity is uncertain, so it is unlikely this applies to mainstream continuity.
  • In the console and PC versions of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, it can be bought at Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment in Diagon Alley.
  • In the handheld versions of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Accio can move an object in any direction, not just towards the caster. In some cases, it moves an object directly away from the caster, working more like its opposite.
  • When Hermione Summoned Secrets of the Darkest Art from Dumbledore's office, she simply said "Accio Horcrux books", instead of the specific book name, meaning that this spell can function even when the item's description is not detailed.
  • According to Wonderbook, the hand motion is thus:
    Accio
  • Given that the Summoning Charm will not work on most living objects, the Summoning of the donkey in "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" may have been one of the uses of poetic licence on the part of Beedle the Bard.
  • Despite not being able to summon most living objects, Gideon Flatworthy managed to summon livestock along with a farm and well-stocked larder, all of which crushed him to death.

Appearances

Notes and references

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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