Gouging Spell

Gouging Spell
Incantation	Defodio (deh-FOH-dee-oh)
Type	Charm
Hand movement
Effect	Carved through material

"The Gouging Spell enables a witch or wizard to carve through earth and stone with ease. From budding Herbologists digging for Snargaluff seedlings to treasure-hunting curse breakers uncovering ancient wizard tombs, the Gouging Spell makes all manner of heavy labour a matter of pointing a wand."

— Miranda Goshawk, Book of Spells

The Gouging Spell (Defodio) was a charm used to gouge out specific areas of material, such as earth or stone.

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.

Effects

It had practical applications, both in digging and in making passageways through solid rock. Careful use of this spell could dig out the required object and leave the environment relatively untouched.

Known uses

Caster(s)	Date	Notes
Jacob's sibling	1986–1987 school year	Used it to quickly make a deep enough hole in a patch of warm, soft sand in which to bury a Horned Serpent egg to keep it safe from an approaching cold front.
Jacob's sibling	1989–1990 school year	Used it to make an entrance to the Sunken Vault in the Great Lake from rock.
Hermione Granger	1 May 1998	Used this spell to carve out the ceiling as it struggled upwards, towards the fresher air in order to escape from Gringotts on the back of a dragon.
Harry Potter
Ron Weasley

Known practitioners

Filius Flitwick

Jacob's sibling

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Ronald Weasley

Etymology

Latin defodio, meaning "dig out".

Behind the scenes

• It is possible that Harry later used the spell to carve the words "Here Lies Dobby, a Free Elf" into Dobby's gravestone.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First appearance)
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts)