Bluebell Flames

Bluebell flames is a charm which produces fire. These special flames are bright blue in colour, do not have a prerequisite heat, and need neither fuel nor oxygen, causing them to become waterproof. Surfaces it comes in contact with are not affected, because they consist of only flame without fuel and therefore as with some nonmagical flames will only burn things held over them. Thus they can be carefully scooped up in the hand and carried around, or put in a jar. Hermione Granger is noted to be particularly skilled with this charm.

Known practitioners

 * Hermione Granger
 * Remus Lupin (possibly)

Known uses

 * During the 1991–1992 school year, Hermione Granger produced bluebell flames at least three times. The first was to keep Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and herself warm while they were outside in the Entrance Courtyard on a cold day in early November. The second was to set Severus Snape's robes on fire, in order to distract him and make him break his eye-contact with Harry, as Hermione and Ron believed that he was attempting to throw Harry off his broom during the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match (in fact, it was Quirinus Quirrell, and Snape was muttering the counter-jinx). The third was to produce the light and warmth necessary to fend off the Devil's Snare used to guard the Philosopher's Stone.
 * The following school year, Hermione once again cast this spell to produce flames for the Polyjuice Potion to brew.
 * In 1993, Remus Lupin used nonverbal magic to conjure what is likely to be bluebell flames to light up the compartment in the Hogwarts Express when the Dementors boarded as he was mentioned to be 'holding a handful of flames'.
 * In 1997 and 1998, whilst on-the-run during the height of the Second Wizarding War, Hermione conjured these flames in order to keep warm and to cook with.

Behind the scenes

 * In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, their use was replaced by another charm called Lacarnum Inflammare.
 * According to the video game adaptations of Philsopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire (GBA version), bluebell flames are produced by the Incendio Charm, though in the books, the incantation is unknown. The incantation Incendio was shown to conjure actual fire in 1994 when Arthur Weasley used it in the Dursleys' fireplace in order to travel via the Floo Network to the Burrow.
 * In 1938, Albus Dumbledore lit a wardrobe on fire to prove to Tom Riddle that he was a wizard. Like the bluebell flames, this fire did not burn down the piece of furniture, but the flames were not blue. Dumbledore may have been using a variation of bluebell flames, or Incendio combined with a Flame-Freezing Charm.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1