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"The Bubble-Head Charm is used to allow a person to breathe underwater. An enormous bubble appears around the head of the person casting the spell, which makes their features look oddly wide and stretched."
— Description of the Bubble-Head Charm[src]

The Bubble-Head Charm (incantation unknown) was a charm that produced a bubble around the head of the caster, giving them a continuous supply of oxygen, allowing them to breathe where they could not otherwise.[1]

It was the most effective spell for breathing underwater or in any environment where fresh air is at a premium, allowing one a supply of oxygen.[1]

History[]

During the 1989–1990 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Filius Flitwick taught his sixth-years how to cast this particular charm in Charms class.[2]

Guests attending Professor Neville Longbottom's Blooming Party in the 2010–2011 school year cast this charm on themselves to avoid smelling the foul odour of Stinksap.[3]

During the Calamity in the late 2010s, St. Troglodous Order of Labours member Sanderson Bowles recommended that a Calamity Investigator working for the Statute of Secrecy Task Force utilise dried dung as fuel for fires used to brew potions. The Calamity Investigator found that the efficient and long-burning dung helped reduce the time it took for them to brew their Potent Exstimulo Potions, although they were forced to utilise the Bubble-Head Charm in order to avoid the terrible smell.[4]

Effects[]

"Harry looked up and saw Cedric swimming toward them. There was an enormous bubble around his head, which made his features look oddly wide and stretched."
— Cedric Diggory using this charm during the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament[src]

The charm causes a protective bubble to form about the caster's head, described to look like upside-down fish bowls; this bubble may allow for underwater exploration or to avoid nasty smells, although wizards with bad breath have reported problems after the first thirty minutes.[5]

Known uses[]

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points... Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour... We therefore award him forty-seven points."
— Ludo Bagman after the 2nd Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament[src]
Caster(s) Date Notes
Jacob's sibling 1990 Used to go under the Great Lake and break into the Sunken Vault.[6]
Merula Snyde
Ben Copper
Jacob
Cedric Diggory 24 February, 1995
Fleur Delacour Underwater
Used during the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament to enable them to breathe underwater.[1]
Fleur Delacour
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry students 1996 Students also used this spell after the departure of Fred and George Weasley, when it became fashion to throw Dungbombs and Stink Pellets in the corridors of Hogwarts.[7]
Blooming Party guests 2010–2011 school year Guests used this spell to avoid smelling the foul odour of Stinksap.[3]
An unnamed Calamity Investigator At least the late 2010s A Calamity Investigator used this spell to avoid smelling the foul odour of burning dung.[4]

Known practitioners[]

Behind the scenes[]

  • In the films, the charm creates a bubble around the mouth and nose, similar to an oxygen mask, not the entire head.
  • It's unclear why Harry Potter was unable to find information on this spell while researching for the second task. It is possible that the spell was a relatively new invention not covered in many books as of 1995, or that the spell was not commonly used for breathing underwater, but for other purposes. It was also said that Harry searched for a spell "that would allow human to survive without oxygen", rather than for some form of oxygen supply.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 26 (The Second Task)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 12 (Now You See Me) - Charms Lesson "Bubble-Head Charm"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
  5. Wonderbook: Book of Spells (see this video)
  6. 6.0 6.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 42 (The Final Vault)
  7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 30 (Grawp)
  8. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 37 (Entering the Black Lake!)
  9. 9.0 9.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 36 (Search for the Mole)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 41 (Assemble the Team)
Charms (class)
PS Wingardium Leviosa feather
Charm-book writers and developers
Blagdon Blay · Daisy Pennifold · Delfina Crimp · Miranda Goshawk · Jarleth Hobart · Basil Horton · Helixa Hyslop · Syna Hyslop · Randolph Keitch · Levina Monkstanley · Orabella Nuttley · Mnemone Radford · Scarpin · Elliot Smethwyck · Felix Summerbee · Violeta Stitch
Professors Fortinbras · Filius Flitwick · Abraham Ronen · Unidentified male professor · Unidentified medieval professor
Textbooks Achievements in Charming · Extreme Incantations · Quintessence: A Quest · The Standard Book of Spells
Charms studied at Hogwarts
Anti-Alohomora Charm · Ascension Charm (Ascendio) · Banishing Charm (Depulso) · Blackboard Writing Spell · Blue sparks · Bombardment Spell (Bombarda) · Box Blasting Charm (Cistem Aperio) · Bubble-Head Charm · Cheering Charm · Cleaning Charm · Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Confundus Charm (Confundo) · Counter-charm for hiccoughs · Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · Descendo · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Disillusionment Charm · Drought Charm · Entrancing Enchantments (theoretically) · Eradication Spell (Deletrius) · Engorgement Charm (Engorgio) · Extinguishing Spell · Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Freezing Charm (Immobulus) · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · General Counter-Spell (Finite Incantatem) · Gouging Spell (Defodio) · Growth Charm · Ice Jinx · Impervius Charm (Impervius) · Knitting Charm · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Leg-Locker Curse (Locomotor Mortis) · Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locking Spell (Colloportus) · Locomotion Charm (Locomotor) · Lumos Solem Spell (Lumos Solem) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Muffliato Charm (Muffliato) · Nonverbal spells · 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 Charm (Skurge) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Spell for growing legs · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm (Accio) · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Unlocking Charm (Alohomora) · Vinegar to wine spell · Wand-Extinguishing Charm (Nox) · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos) · Lumos Maxima · Water-Making Spell (Aguamenti)
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