The Ultimate Harry Potter Spell Book (That Even Muggles Can Use!)

Even though we can't use Harry Potter spells in real life, we can still learn about the ones they used in the movies and books. From basic spells like Expelliarmus to niche ones like Muffliato, we’ll walk you through every significant spell you might learn at Hogwarts. Plus, you can use our Harry Potter spell generator to customize your own charm!

Harry Potter Spells: Quick List

Download Image

Illustrated chart of different spells from the Harry Potter series.

Basic Spells: Wingardium Leviosa; Expelliarmus; Lumos; Nox; Accio; Alohomora; Petrificus Totalus; Stupefy.
Rare Spells: Colloportus; Obliviate; Slugulus Erecto; Anteoculatia; Rictusempra; Cantis; Locomotor Wibbly; Tarantallegra; Glisseo; Lapifors; Muffliato.
Dark Spells: Morsmordre; Sectumsempra; Imperio; Crucio; Avada Kedavra.
Healing Spells: Episkey; Anapneo; Ferula; Vulnera Sanentur; Brackium Emendo; Reparifors.
Defensive Spells: Expecto Patronum; Protego; Riddikulus; Protego Maxima; Salvio Hexia; Repello Inimicum.

Section 1 of 5:

Basic Harry Potter Spells

Download Article

As a new student at Hogwarts, there are some spells that you simply must know—and these are them! From simple levitation spells (e.g., Wingardium Levi-OH-sah, aka one of our favorite funny quotes from the series) to aggressive dueling spells (e.g., the paralyzing Petrificus Totalus), here are the most fundamental Harry Potter spells to master:^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Accio: Summons an object of your choosing.
- Alohomora: Opens locked doors or objects.
- Expelliarmus: Disarms the recipient by casting their wand into the air.
- Lumos: Creates a light at the tip of your wand.
- Nox: Turns off lights.
- Petrificus Totalus: Binds the recipient’s body so that they’re temporarily paralyzed.
- Stupefy: Temporarily makes the recipient unconscious and unable to move.
- Wingardium Leviosa: Makes objects levitate or fly.
- Find out which wand you'd wield with our Harry Potter Wand Quiz!

Section 2 of 5:

Rare Harry Potter Spells

Download Article

These spells might not get a lot of use, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be useful! A lot of these spells are great for pranks—like Anteoculatia, which gives deer antlers to the spell’s recipient. However, even a seemingly silly spell like Glisseo, which turns stairs into slides, can come in handy in a dire situation—Hermione even used the spell to quickly escape a pack of Death Eaters!^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Anteoculatia: Gives the recipient deer antlers.
- Cantis: Makes the recipient burst into song.
- Colloportus: Locks doors.
- Glisseo: Turns all nearby staircases into chutes.
- Lapifors: Turns any small creature into a rabbit.
- Locomotor Wibbly: Makes the recipient’s legs go wobbly (like jelly).
- Muffliato: Puts a buzzing sound into any nearby person’s ears so they can’t eavesdrop.
- Obliviate: Erases or wipes a person’s memory.
- Rictusempra: Makes the recipient feel like they’re being tickled.
- Slugulus Erecto: Makes the recipient vomit up slugs.
- Tarantallegra: Makes the recipient’s legs dance uncontrollably.
- Are you a Hogwarts scholar? Find out with our Harry Potter Trivia Challenge!

Section 3 of 5:

Dark Magic Spells from Harry Potter

Download Article

These dark magic spells are certainly evil, but they’re still important to understand, as they’re crucial parts of Harry Potter’s plot. The most horrifying of these spells includes the three Unforgivable Curses—Crucio, Imperio, and Avada Kedavra—which are punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban if used on another human. Count us out!^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Avada Kedavra: Instantaneously kills the recipient.
- Crucio: Inflicts intense, excruciating, torturous pain on the recipient.
- Imperio: Puts the recipient completely under the caster’s control.
- Morsmordre: Incantation used to conjure the Dark Mark.
- Sectumsempra: Inflicts long, bloody gashes onto the recipient's body.
- Curious to find out what your life would be like at Hogwarts? Take this fun quiz!

Section 4 of 5:

Harry Potter Healing Spells

Download Article

Some spells and charms exist to make a witch or wizard’s life easier—and that’s definitely true for these healing spells! You can channel Madam Pomfrey herself by healing up broken bones, minor scrapes, or even deep wounds with one of these charms:^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Anapneo: Clears the throat of someone who’s choking.
- Brackium Emendo: Heals broken bones.
- Episkey: Heals minor injuries (e.g., a broken nose).
- Ferula: Creates bandages and splints to bind fractures.
- Reparifors: Heals minor magical ailments, like paralysis from Petrificus Totalus.
- Vulnera Sanentur: Heals serious bleeding wounds and deep gashes.

Quiz

wikiHow Quiz: Harry Potter Hot Takes: Do You Agree or Disagree?

From which couple you ship to the best teacher at Hogwarts, it’s time to settle the Great Hall debates once and for all. Share your honest, unfiltered opinions and see how they stack up against other fans' beliefs!

1 of 5

Hot take: The Harry Potter movies are better than the books.

Yes, totally!

No way!

Section 5 of 5:

Harry Potter Protection Spells

Download Article

As magical as the Harry Potter universe can be, there are many dark and frightening forces (and creatures!) that wizards and witches must face up against. For that reason, we have all of these defensive and protective spells to ward off human enemies, Boggarts, Dementors, and more:^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Expecto Patronum: Casts a Patronus animal to protect against Dementors.
- Protego: Creates an invisible magical shield around the caster.
- Protego Maxima: Creates an invisible magical barrier around an entire building or area.
- Repello Inimicum: Repels enemies from an area under a protection spell.
- Riddikulus: Turns fearsome boggarts into a funny or ridiculous image.
- Salvio Hexia: Protects a small area from hexes.

Harry Potter Spell Generator

A N.E.W.T.-level generator for spells, charms, curses, and incantations
Ready to cook up a curse that'd make Snape raise an eyebrow, or a charm so niche even Professor Flitwick hasn't thought of it? This generator is your Restricted Section pass to the deepest corners of magical theory. Simply tell us what kind of spell you're looking for and we'll either find or create a perfectly potent incantation!
- Continue with your date?
  
  Start Over
  
  Continue
  
  What do you want the spell to do? *
  
  See ad to
  
  This analyzer is intended for entertainment and should not be used for serious self-assessment or diagnostic purposes.
  
  Response failed. Please try again.
  
  Retry
  
  Try the full generator here.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

Can I perform these spells in real life?

MADMAX

Community Answer

No, you cannot. The spells in Harry Potter are fictional and cannot be performed in real life. Within the Harry Potter universe, wizards and witches are generally not permitted to cast spells in front of Muggles, except in emergencies or if authorized by teachers.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 7 Helpful 6
Question

If I try to cast these spells, will they actually work?

WikiTapirCaster851

Community Answer

No, Harry Potter's spells are not real. They are fictional creations, designed to feel real within the story.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 1