Bat-Bogey Hex

"However, when a person’s bogies turn into black bats, which crawl out of their nostrils and flap away you can generally count on them shutting up long enough for you to talk for a change."

- Miranda Goshawk

The Bat-Bogey Hex (incantation unknown) was a hex invented by Miranda Goshawk. The incantation is unknown. It turned the target's bogeys into large, black bats that flew out of their nose.

The use of the Bat-Bogey Hex on a non-human target, such as a chicken, can be fatal, and may result in punishment by the Wizengamot.

Early 20th century
This spell was invented by Miranda Goshawk when she was young. Growing up as the youngest of nine sisters, she often found it difficult to get her older sisters to listen to her, and sometimes relied on this spell to silence them long enough to allow her to speak. For example, she cast it on her sister Diadema to get her to return clothing she borrowed without permission; on her sister Romilda to get her to keep out of her room when she did not want to be disturbed; and on her sister Tangwystl when she wanted to keep her quiet so that she could do her homework.

Sometime between its invention by Goshawk and the late 1990s, the Bat-Bogey Hex had been involved in several notable incidents throughout wizarding history.

Late 20th century
Ginny Weasley was a noted practitioner of the hex, and used it to good effect on two occasions. The first use was to overpower Draco Malfoy in Dolores Umbridge's office during her tyrannical tenure as Headmistress of Hogwarts, allowing herself, her brother Ron, and their companions, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood, to escape. The second occasion was used on Zacharias Smith, who annoyed Ginny on the Hogwarts Express by asking her exactly what occurred at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. This use garnered the attention of Horace Slughorn, who invited Ginny to take lunch with him as part of his Slug Club. Ginny may have also used this spell on her brother George, as he once mentioned her skill to Harry Potter.

The Bat-Bogey Hex was the subject of a question on the 1996 Theory of Charms O.W.L.

Behind the scenes

 * Wonderbook: Book of Spells gives players a chance to see the Bat-Bogey Hex in action, though they are not actually taught how to cast it.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Wonderbook: Book of Spells
 * J. K. Rowling's Official Site

Notes and references
Maléfice de Chauve-Furie Upiorogacek