Bird-Conjuring Charm

Bird-Conjuring Charm
Incantation	Avis (AH-viss)
Type	Charm Conjuration
Hand movement
Light	Blue
Effect	Conjures birds

"Most of the class had already left, although several twittering yellow birds were still zooming around the room, all of Hermione's creation; nobody else had succeeded in conjuring so much as a feather from thin air."

— The difficulty of conjuring birds

The Bird-Conjuring Charm (Avis) was a charm that conjured a flock of birds. Out of all of the spells used to conjure living things, The Bird-Conjuring Charm was the among the easiest, alongside the Snake Summons Spell.

The birds were shot from the caster's wand tip, accompanied by a loud blast that sounded like a gun being fired and smoke.

History

"Severed heads, unidentifiable stumps, terrifying frog-rabbit mutations — all have been created, to the dismay of those who made them..."

— Side-effects of the spell

A flock of birds conjured with this spell

During the 1989–1990 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Minerva McGonagall taught her sixth-year Transfiguration students how to conjure birds with this spell.

This spell was used by Garrick Ollivander when testing the four Triwizard Tournament Champions' wands before their First Task of the Triwizard Tournament, in 1994.

Hermione Granger conjuring yellow birds with this spell at Hogwarts

This was one of the spells that sixth-year Transfiguration students were learning to perform non-verbally in 1996. Hermione was the only one who succeed in conjuring birds. She conjured yellow birds, no one else could conjure even a feather.

During the same year, Hermione Granger also conjured another flock of birds using this spell. She made them attack Ron Weasley, after seeing him kiss Lavender Brown.

Known practitioners

"'Avis!' The hornbeam wand let off a blast like a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight."

— Garrick Ollivander testing Viktor Krum's wand by casting this spell

Garrick Ollivander

Hermione Granger

Minerva McGonagall

Etymology

The Latin words avis or aves, meaning "bird".

Behind the scenes

• This spell may be capable of blocking the Killing Curse; if the curse hit the birds before the caster, it is possible that this would negate the curse. Since conjured creatures differ from real animals, this is not conclusive. If it is true, then such spells as the Snake Summons Spell might also prove effective. Nonetheless, no canon evidence has been given in favour or denial of this theory.
• It is unknown why this spell is classified as a charm, as conjuration is mainly a form of magic taught in Transfiguration class, and has been emphasised to be different from charm-work.
• In LEGO Dimensions, Hermione Granger uses Avis as one of her finishing moves in combat.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells (First identified as Bird-Conjuring Charm)
• Pottermore
• LEGO Dimensions
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Hogwarts Legacy

See also

• Avifors Spell
• Oppugno Jinx