All the Harry Potter Spells and How We’d Use Them

We might have to grow up, but our imaginations don't have to.

All the Harry Potter Spells and How We’d Use Them

The first Harry Potter book was released in 1997. And some inner children are still obsessed with all the Harry Potter spells.

We might have grown up, but our imaginations don't have to. These 74 spells aren't quite all of the spells in existence, but they're definitely the coolest.

Useful Harry Potter Spells

Aberto — Opens locked doors.
Accio — Summons objects.
Alohomora — Unlocks objects.
Apparate — A non-verbal transportation spell that allows a person to appear in a new location.
Aguamenti — Summons water.
Diffindo — Used to cut an object precisely.
Disillusionment Charm — Causes the target to match its surroundings, rendering it invisible.
Erecto — Used to build structures or shelters.
Evanesco — Makes objects disappear.
Expelliarmus — Forces an opponent to drop whatever they're holding.
Finite Incantatem — A general counter-spell to reverse curses.
Homenum Revelio — Reveals the presence of another person.
Incarcerous — Conjures ropes.
Immobulus — Makes a target freeze in place.
Impervius — Makes an object waterproof.
Lumos — Illuminates the spell caster's wand.
Nox — Reverses the lumos charm.
Oculus Reparo — Repairs glasses.
Reducio — Shrinks an enlarged object back to normal.
Reparo — Fixes broken objects.
Scourgify — Cleans objects.
Silencio — Silences the target.
Sonorus — Amplifies the caster's voice.

What We'd Use 'Useful Harry Potter Spells' For

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These are undoubtedly the handiest Harry Potter spells for everyday life. Some are helpful for anyone. Instead of suffering through sky-high gas prices, just apparate to work, and fix your overpriced Ray-Bans in an instant.

These spells have additional uses for parents. Scourgify the entire house, since every surface is probably sticky.

Avoid straining your voice when your kid won't get off the slide at the park with the sonorus spell.

Make every couch you own waterproof.

Find your toddler's lost lovey using accio, or confiscate the scissors they just hijacked using expelliarmus.

The applications are endless.

Harry Potter Spells for People We Love

Anapneo — Clears someone's airway.
Brackium Emendo — Heals broken bones.
Episkey — Heals small injuries.
Expecto patronum — The Patronus Charm is a projection of light and joy that drives away darkness and evil.
Ferula — A charm that conjures up bandages.
Protego — Casts an invisible protective shield.
Renneverate — Revives the target.
Reparifors — Heals magical ailments.

What We'd Use 'Harry Potter Spells for People We Love' For

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These spells are mostly first-aid or protective spells. Use them to avoid expensive trips to the emergency room, or to shield yourself and your loved ones from harm.

Who needs a security system when you have a Patronus? With our luck, ours would probably take the shape of a gerbil.

Harry Potter Spells for People Who Annoy Us

Bat-Bogey Hex — Turns the target's snot into bats. Gross, but cool.
Bombardo — Causes an explosion.
Conjunctivitis Curse — Clouds the vision of the target.
Confundo — Confuses the caster's opponent.
Ascendio — Launches the target into the air.
Furnunculus Curse — A jinx that causes an instant breakout.
Impedimenta — A temporary jinx that slows down opponents.
Locomotor Mortis — A curse that binds the target's legs.
Obscuro — Conjures a blindfold.
Muffliato — Creates an annoying ear-ringing effect to prevent listening in.

What We'd Use 'Harry Potter Spells for People Who Annoy Us' For

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Some spells are made to inflict serious harm, but those are reserved for self-defense. For those who are only attacking you by being a pain in the neck, these hexes are the way to go.

Instead of honking at someone who cut you off on the freeway, use the impedimenta jinx.

Apply muffliato to that nosy coworker who won't quit listening in on your phone calls.

If you're really done with someone's nonsense, toss them into the nearest pool using ascendio.

Harry Potter Spells for Our Worst Enemies

*Avada Kedavra — Also known as The Killing Curse. Only Harry Potter survived it.
*Crucio — The second of the Unforgivable Curses, it causes unbearable pain.
*Imperio — The third and final Unforgivable Curses, imperio allows the caster to control their target however they please.
Legilimens — Allows the caster to read or control another's mind.
Obliviate — Erases the target's memory.
Mucus Ad Nauseam — Inflicts an extreme runny nose.
Oppugno — Directs the target to attack another on command.
Petrificus Totalus — Temporarily freezes a target's body.
*Sectumsempra — Inflicts severe lacerations and bleeding.
Stupefy — Instantly knocks opponents unconscious.
Unbreakable Vow — A magically binding contract. Sounds tame, but if you break it you die.

What We'd Use 'Harry Potter Spells for Our Worst Enemies' For

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Needless to say, most of these spells shouldn't be used unless you're completely out of options. The ones marked with an asterisk are considered extreme, inflicting severe injury, pain or death. We'd never use those unless someone was threatening our loved ones, and even then, we'd only use them as a last resort.

Some of the others, however, would be awfully tempting to use on our kids. Hear us out. How nice would it be to use legilimens to find out what our bewildering teenagers are thinking?

We'd also be tempted to obliviate our toddler's memory of our pledge to take them to the park for the fourth time this week. We wouldn't do it, but we're not going to pretend it wouldn't cross our mind.

Funny Harry Potter Spells

Glisseo — Turns a staircase into a slide.
Engorgio — Causes an object to grow.
Geminio — Duplicates objects.
Langlock — Causes the target's tongue to stick to the roof of their mouth, preventing speech.
Levicorpus — Lifts an opponent into the air by their ankle.
Reducto — Breaks an object into its components.
Rictusempra — A charm that defeats opponents via merciless tickling.
Riddikulus — Used to defeat a Boggart by making the creature look silly.
Spongify — Makes a target squishy.
Tarantallegra — Causes uncontrollable dancing.

What We'd Use 'Funny Harry Potter Spells' For

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These spells are our top picks for Friday night, be it home with the kids or out with friends.

Silence your friend who won't quit spilling too much tea using the langlock hex.

Use engorgio to double the size of the nachos you ordered.

Turn the entire house into a trampoline using spongify.

These spells make just about anything twice as fun.

Harry Potter Spells That Are Just Plain Awesome

Hermione performing a Harry Potter spell

Aparecium — Reveals secret notes.
Avis — Conjures up a flock of birds.
Capacious Extremis — Expands the storage capacity of an object.
Crinus Muto — Changes hair color and/or style.
Fiendfyre Curse — Conjures giant, magical flames.
Fidelius Charm — Conceals a secret in the soul of a selected "secret keeper."
Homonculus Charm — Detects anyone's true identity and marks their location.
Incendio — Ignites an object.
Periculum — Conjures red sparks.
Piertotum Locomotor — Brings inanimate objects to life.
Serpensortia — Conjures a live snake.
Wingardium Leviosa — Causes an object to levitate.

What We'd Use 'Harry Potter Spells That Are Just Plain Awesome' For

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We're not saying we're insufferable show-offs, but ... oh wait, that's totally what we're saying. If we could make objects float, we'd be doing it all the time.

We'd also leave the house each day with a totally new look to suit our mood for the day, and walk into work with a trail of red flames in our wake.

Conjuring up a live snake would be pretty awesome too, depending on your stance on reptiles.

We'd pick the useful Harry Potter spells if we could only choose one category to use, but these would be a close second.