Banishing Charm

Warning!

At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. Spoilers will be present within the article.

"The Banishing Charm is the opposite of the Summoning Charm, and causes objects to fly away from the person casting the spell, towards a specific target."

—Description^[src]

The Banishing Charm (Depulso) is a charm that sends the target away from the caster. It can send a target towards a specific location, and works on both living and inanimate things. The Banishing Charm is opposite of the Summoning Charm. Unlike the Summoning Charm, which can summon specific objects from anywhere, the Banishing Charm only banishes whatever the wand is aimed at.^[4]

History

"They were supposed to be practising the opposite of the Summoning Charm today — the Banishing Charm. Owing to the potential for nasty accidents when objects kept flying across the room, Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions on which to practise, the theory being that these wouldn’t hurt anyone if they went off target. It was a good theory, but it wasn’t working very well. Neville’s aim was so poor that he kept accidentally sending much heavier things flying across the room — Professor Flitwick, for instance...he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his wand (it soared into the air and knocked Parvati’s hat off)."

—A lesson on the Banishing Charm^[src]

Third Year^[5] and Fourth year students studying Charms at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry learn this spell. Harry Potter and his classmates practised this spell in their fourth year Charms class. Harry and Hermione Granger proved to be very good at this spell, with their cushions landing in the correct area. Flitwick found himself being Banished around the room by Neville Longbottom, whose aim wasn't very good.

Effects

The Banishing Charm is used to push targets, both living and inanimate towards a specific location. For this reason, it can be used in duelling, as shown by Severus Snape (in alternate reality) when he banished Dolores Umbridge away from himself.

Known practitioners

Etymology

From the Latin “depulsio”, meaning “driving/pushing away”. Also is similar to repulse meaning "drive/push away with force", although this is a precise antonym to attract, literally "pull towards". It could also be seen to be derived from the English word pulse (as in a pulse of energy) and the prefix "de" which would make it mean "a negative pulse of energy."

Behind the scenes

Although the incantation is not revealed in the books, it appears in the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and was later confirmed in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
The Wizard in the The Wizard and the Hopping Pot may have used this spell to try to force the pot out of the house.
Although this spell is learned by Hogwarts students in their fourth year, in the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, were able to use it. It is possible that they learned it before that, as Hermione asked them, if they remembered it. However, Hermione may have read beforehand and told Harry and Ron how to use it.
It is possible that this spell was used during the Battle of Hogwarts when Harry Potter, in the movie, blasted away a Death Eater briefly after being shot at by him. This spell also could have been used by Kingsley Shacklebolt when he blasted a Death Eater out of a window after momentarily freezing him in midair alongside Remus Lupin.
In Hogwarts Mystery, Jacob's sibling, Rowan Khanna and Ben Copper can learn this spell in Charms class.
It is likely that Professor Trelawney must used this charm non-verbally in the Battle of Hogwarts to drop crystal balls on enemies' heads, successfully knocking out Fenrir Greyback as he attacked Lavender Brown.

Appearances

Notes and references

↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)
↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 26 (The Second Task)
↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery - Third year
↑ Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act Three, Scene Nine

The Standard Book of Spells

Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 · Grade 5 · Grade 6 · Grade 7
Charms included in the series: Banishing Charm · Dancing Feet Spell · Disarming Charm · Engorgement Charm · Fire-Making Spell · Freezing Charm · General Counter-Spell · Levitation Charm · Locking Spell · Memory Charm · Mending Charm · Severing Charm · Softening Charm · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm · Tickling Charm · Unlocking Charm

Charms (class)

Charmbook writers and developers
Blagdon Blay · Daisy Pennifold · Delfina Crimp · Miranda Goshawk · Jarleth Hobart · Basil Horton · Randolph Keitch · Levina Monkstanley · Orabella Nuttley · Mnemone Radford · Scarpin · Elliot Smethwyck · Felix Summerbee · Fred Weasley · George Weasley · Violeta Stitch
Professors	Fortinbras · Filius Flitwick
Textbooks	Achievements in Charming · Extreme Incantations · Quintessence: A Quest · The Standard Book of Spells
Charms studied at Hogwarts
Banishing Charm (Depulso) · Cheering Charm · Cistem Aperio · Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Confundus Charm (Confundo) · Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · Descendo · Disillusionment Charm · Drought Charm · Eradication Spell (Deletrius) · Engorgement Charm (Engorgio) · Exploding Charm (Bombarda) · Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Freezing Charm (Immobulus) · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · General Counter-Spell (Finite Incantatem) · Growth Charm · Knitting Charm · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Leg-Locker Curse (Locomotor Mortis) · Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locking Spell (Colloportus) · Locomotion Charm (Locomotor) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Muffliato Charm (Muffliato) · Nonverbal spell · Pack Charm (Pack) · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Scouring Charm (Scourgify) · Seize and Pull Charm (Carpe Retractum) · Severing Charm (Diffindo) · Shrinking Charm (Reducio) · Silencing Charm (Silencio) · Slowing Charm (Arresto Momentum) · Skurge Scouring Charm (Skurge) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Spell for growing legs · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm (Accio) · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Unlocking Charm (Alohomora) · Vinegar into Wine · Wand-Extinguishing Charm (Nox) · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos) · Lumos Maxima · Water-Making Spell (Aguamenti)

[0] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)

[1] Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)

[CCP-2] Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)

[3] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 26 (The Second Task)

[4] Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery - Third year

[5] Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act Three, Scene Nine

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