Stinging Hex

"Harry clutched at his excruciatingly painful face, which felt unrecognizable beneath his fingers, tight, swollen, and puffy as though he had suffered some violent allergic reaction. His eyes had been reduced to slits through which he could barely see..."

- Description of the effects of a Stinging Hex striking the face

The Stinging Hex, also known as the Stinging Jinx, is a spell that inflicts stinging pain and, in severe cases, swelling of the affected area. It takes the appearance of a burst of white light.

Harry Potter inadvertantly used this hex on Professor Snape during an Occlumency lesson in 1996. Hermione Granger used a stronger, nonverbal Stinging Hex on Harry in 1998 that caused his face to swell up painfully in order to prevent him from being recognized by Snatchers.