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"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[src]

The Gouging Spell[1] (Defodio) was a charm used to gouge out specific areas of material, such as earth or stone.[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]

Effects[]

The effects of this spell on a mound of rock

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.[1]

Known uses[]

Caster(s) Date Notes
Jacob's sibling 1989–1990 school year Used it to make an entrance to the Sunken Vault in the Great Lake from rock.[3]
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.[4]
Harry Potter
Ron Weasley

Known practitioners[]

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[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Wonderbook: Book of Spells
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 17 (Getting the Message) - Charms Lesson "Gouging Spell"
  3. 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 42 (The Final Vault)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 26 (Gringotts)
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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