Changes: Wand-Lighting Charm

Revision as of 11:58, 23 November 2011

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The Wand-Lighting Charm^[1] (Lumos) is a charm that causes the tip of the caster's wand to emit a warm glow^[2]. Its counter-spell is the Wand-Extinguishing Charm. It is taught in first year Defence Against the Dark Arts classes^[3] and is detailed in both the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 ^[4] and the Lumos spellbook.

Usage

Lumosdeathlyahllows — Harry using this spell at Bathilda Bagshot's home

Lumos is simultaneously one of the simplest and most useful spells of all, rivalled only in its pragmatism by Flipendo. Not only can the light produced from produced illuminate dark areas like a lantern (which is in itself very useful) but is is the only known spell effective at repelling spectral foes, such as Gytrashes and malevolent spirits^[5].

Known practitioners

Etymology

The incantation Lumos is derived from the Latin lumen meaning "light."

Behind the scenes

Harry potter lumos — Lego Harry Potter using Lumos

It is possible this charm is not affected by The Trace, perhaps because it is incredibly simple and looks like torch light, so this spell could be used outside Hogwarts.^[6]
In the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Bonnie Wright, Rupert Grint and James and Oliver Phelps tried to use Lumos to illuminate Hogwarts Castle. However, they did not succeed and they tried a stronger version of this spell, Lumos Maxima.
In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, if one listens closely, the Lumos charm appears to make a very soft humming sound.
Lumos is perhaps the most consistently portrayed spell in the movies and games in terms of appearance; almost always appearing as a bright blue (or yellow) light with faint pulses emanating slowly from the wand tip, occasionally precipitating smoke.
Other versions of the spell were used in the movies and games:
- Lumos Solem was used by Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, creating a beam of sunlight.
- Lumos Maxima was performed by Harry Potter at the Dursleys' house in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and was also used in the Horcrux cave in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter. It creates an extremely large ball of light at the end of the wand, which can even be cast off to hover and light a greater area.
- In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ron Weasley has a version called Lumos Duo, which shines an intense ray of light upon an object or creature.
- In the PS2, XBox, Gamecube, and PC/MAC versions of the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Lumos can also be cast on gargoyles, causing them to summon platforms of light tangible enough for a person to stand on. The is probably not an inherent spell effect on Lumos but the result of a spell (or series of spells) cast over those gargoyles to make them react in such a way at the use of the Lumos spell.

Appearances

Notes and references

↑ Pottermore
↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - evidently the light has some heat to it, as Alastor Moody used the light to burn paper
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Youtube1
↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
↑ PS (PS2) Walkthrough part 8
↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
↑ In The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, the wizard, "Lit his wand", so he may have used Lumos.

Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.)

D.A.D.A. at Hogwarts
Classroom 3C · Classroom 3C backrooms · Temporary Classroom · Hogwarts Turris Magnus · Teacher's Office · Storeroom · Staircase · Storage room · Lesson Cup · Race Cup · Duelling Club · Dumbledore's Army
Professors
Isidora Morganach · Dinah Hecat · Arsenius Jigger · Albus Dumbledore · Galatea Merrythought · 1984–1985 professor · 1985–1986 professor · 1986–1987 professor · 1987–1988 professor · Patricia Rakepick · 1989–1990 professor · First 1990–1991 professor · Olivia Green · Quirinus Quirrell · Gilderoy Lockhart · Remus Lupin · Bartemius Crouch Junior (as Alastor Moody) · Dolores Umbridge · Severus Snape · Amycus Carrow (as Dark Arts teacher) · Unidentified professor · Brindlemore
Textbooks
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection · Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts · Break with a Banshee · Gadding with Ghouls · Holidays with Hags · Travels with Trolls · Voyages with Vampires · Wanderings with Werewolves · Year with the Yeti · The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts · Defensive Magical Theory · Dark Arts Defence – Basics for Beginners · Confronting the Faceless · Defence Against the Dark Arts
Spells studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Aqua Eructo · Boggart-Banishing Spell (Riddikulus) · Bombarda Maxima · Cave inimicum · Concealment Charms · Counter-curses · Counter-jinxes · Cruciatus Curse (Crucio) · Curse of the Bogies (Mucus ad Nauseam) · Cursed barrier spell · Densaugeo · Deprimo Spell (Deprimo) · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Ear-Shrivelling Curse · Everte Statum · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · Fumos Duo · Green Sparks · Hex-Breaker· Hex-deflection · Hex Zapper · Homorphus Charm · Human-presence-revealing Spell (Homenum Revelio) · Impediment Jinx (Impedimenta) · Imperius Curse (Imperio) · Imperturbable Charm · Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Lacarnum Inflamari · Langlock · Levitation Spell (Levioso) · Limbo Mist anticharm · Nonverbal spells · Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum) · Pimple Jinx (Furnunculus) · Protective enchantments · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Salvio hexia · Sea Urchin Jinx · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Shield Charm (Protego) · Smokescreen Spell (Fumos) · Snake-Vanishing Spell (Vipera Evanesca) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Stretching Jinx · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Tongue-Tying Curse (Mimblewimble) · Trip Jinx · Twitchy-Ears Hex · Verdimillious Charm (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Duo Spell (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Tria · Vermillious Duo · Vermillious Tria · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos)
Creatures studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Banshee · Boggart · Chameleon Ghoul · Charmed skeleton · Cornish Pixie · Dementor · Dugbog · Erkling · Flesh-Eating Slug · Ghost · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Gytrash · Hag · Hinkypunk · Iguana · Imp · Inferius · Kappa · Manticore · Nocturnal beasts · Nogtail · Poltergeist · Red Cap · Snake · Troll · Vampire · Vampire bat · Werewolf · Yeti · Zombie

[pottermore-1] Pottermore

[2] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - evidently the light has some heat to it, as Alastor Moody used the light to burn paper

[Youtube1-3] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Youtube1

[4] Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)

[Youtube2-5] PS (PS2) Walkthrough part 8

[6] Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

[7] In The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, the wizard, "Lit his wand", so he may have used Lumos.

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 ==Usage==
+[[File:Lumosdeathlyahllows.jpg|thumb|258px|Harry using this spell at [[Bathilda Bagshot's home]]]]
-[[File:Lumosdeathlyahllows.jpg|thumb|258px|Harry using this spell at [[Bathilda Bagshot's home]]]]Lumos is simultaneously one of the simplest and most useful spells of all, rivalled only in its pragmatism by [[Flipendo]]. Not only can the light produced from produced illuminate dark areas like a lantern (which is in itself very useful) but is is the only known spell effective at repelling spectral foes, such as [[Gytrashes]] and malevolent [[Ghost|spirits]]<ref name="Youtube2">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0DslNq9W3s&feature=channel_video_title PS (PS2) Walkthrough part 8]</ref>.
+Lumos is simultaneously one of the simplest and most useful spells of all, rivalled only in its pragmatism by [[Flipendo]]. Not only can the light produced from produced illuminate dark areas like a lantern (which is in itself very useful) but is is the only known spell effective at repelling spectral foes, such as [[Gytrashes]] and malevolent [[Ghost|spirits]]<ref name="Youtube2">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0DslNq9W3s&feature=channel_video_title PS (PS2) Walkthrough part 8]</ref>.
 ==Known practitioners==