Sliding Spell

Glisseo
Incantation	Glisseo (glis-EH-oh)
Type	Charm
Light	None
Effect	Turns stairs into a slide

"He was on the sixth stair when there was a loud, wailing, klaxon-like sound and the steps melted together to make a long, smooth stone slide like a helter-skelter."

— Use of this spell as a security measure

Glisseo is the incantation of a charm that can be used to transform a staircase into a smooth slide. It is very old, having been in use since in the Middle Ages.

History

The Glisseo charm was used by the Hogwarts founders circa 993, when they enchanted the stairs of the girls' dormitories to turn into slides should any boy attempt to enter, but not vice versa, as they believed girls to be more trustworthy than boys.

During the Battle of Hogwarts on 2 May, 1998 Hermione Granger cast this spell on the stairs on which she, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley were standing flattened into a chute down which they slid very fast down the staircase in an effort to escape the Death Eaters pursuing them.

Known practitioners

Godric Gryffindor

Helga Hufflepuff

Rowena Ravenclaw

Salazar Slytherin

Hermione Granger

Etymology

This spell's incantation originates from the French verb "glisser", meaning "to slide".

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First identified as Sliding Spell)