Harry Potter Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Advertisement
Register
Harry Potter Wiki
Harry Potter Wiki
20,678
pages
in: Medical Magic
English

Healing magic

Revision as of 17:42, 1 January 2019 by Kevwikiarockus (talk | contribs) (Minor spelling correction.)
Sign in to edit
Healing spell

Healing magic in progress

"Harry's nose felt very hot, then very cold. He raised a hand and felt it gingerly. It seemed to be mended."
— Tonks fixes Harry Potter's broken nose[src]

Healing magic[1] is a branch of magic devoted to improving the physical and mental condition. There are many different types of spells in this branch of magic, that have a variety of effects. There are also a vast group of potions that are dedicated to healing as well. Witches and wizards who specialise in this area of magic are known as healers. Healing magic may also be a specialised class offered only in the sixth and seventh year and has a N.E.W.T. exam as well. Therefore, it could be a recommendation prior to becoming a Trainee Healer at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

Healing spells

A Healing spell is one of the seven known spell types, distinguished by their capacity to magically improve the physical condition of the living object — it is a branch of Healing magic. In 1996, Harry Potter allowed Nymphadora Tonks to heal his broken nose, though he had been intending to see Madam Pomfrey, whom he privately felt to be more competent with Healing spells than Tonks.[2]

Spell Effects
Anapneo Clears the target person's throat if it is blocked; an example would be if one was choking.
Brackium Emendo Is the incantation of a healing spell that can be used to mend broken bones
Episkey Heals relatively minor injuries such as broken noses and split lips.
Ferula A charm used to bandage and splint broken bones. It apparently eases pain as well
Reparifors Reverts minor magically-induced ailments like paralysis and poisoning
Tergeo Cleaning spell used to siphon any liquid, such as blood, dust or grease, off of the target
Vulnera Sanentur Was a song-like incantation of a healing spell and counter-curse to the Sectumsempra Spell

Medication

Magical medication normally relates to healing potions, though there are other medications that exists too (such as chocolate). They are described below:

Healing potions

Potions Unknown potions that helped Hermione lose the cat features in 1992.
Cure for Boils
Skele-Gro
Pepperup Potion
Unknown wound-cleaning potion
Potion for Dreamless Sleep
Unknown burn-healing paste
Unknown potions that healed Neville's broken wrist in about a minute in 1991
Mandrake Restorative Draught
Bubotuber pus; when used correctly, makes an excellent cure for stubborn forms of acne
Blood-Replenishing Potion
Unknown purple Sleeping Potion
Strained and pickled Murtlap tentacles
Calming Draught
Sleeping Draught
Poison antidotes
Dr Ubbly's Oblivious Unction; given to Ron Weasley by Madam Poppy Pomfrey to cure bad thoughts and memories from the battle of the Department of Mysteries
Wiggenweld Potion
Antidote to Common Poisons
Wideye or Awakening Potion
Burn-healing paste

Chocolate

Chocolate has special properties. Not only does it make a wonderful treat, but it also serves as a particularly powerful antidote for the chilling effect produced by contact with Dementors and other particularly nasty forms of Dark Magic.

Phoenix tears

Phoenix tears have immense healing powers. It is the only known cure for basilisk venom. It is also capable of reviving a person from any injury, even if the person is at the brink of death, similar to unicorn blood (without the cursed side-effects).[3]

Occupations

Healers

Healers

Wizard doctors are known as Healers and Mediwizards. While small infirmaries exist, such as the Hogwarts Hospital Wing run by Madame Pomfrey, the central establishment in England for this purpose is St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where various magical diseases, such as "Dragon Pox", "spattergroit", and "Vanishing Sickness" are treated.

As Madam Poppy Pomfrey is said to be a matron, there may be different ranks of nurses like there is in the Muggle world. For example: matron, sister, staff nurse, nurse, and student nurse.

Illness and disability

Wizards have the power to correct or override 'mundane' nature, but not 'magical' nature.[4] Therefore, a wizard could catch anything a Muggle might catch, but they can cure all of it; they can also comfortably survive a scorpion sting that might kill a Muggle, whereas they might die if bitten by a Venomous Tentacula.[4] Similarly, bones broken in non-magical accidents such as falls or fist fights can be mended by magic.

The consequences of curses or backfiring magic could be serious, permanent or life-threatening.[4] This is the reason that Gilderoy Lockhart, victim of his own mangled Memory Charm, has permanent amnesia, why the Longbottoms remain permanently damaged by magical torture, and why Mad-Eye Moody had to resort to a wooden leg and a magical eye when the originals were irreparably damaged in a wizards' battle; Luna Lovegood's mother, Pandora, died when one of her own experimental spells went wrong, and Bill Weasley is irreversibly scarred after his meeting with Fenrir Greyback.[4]

Thus it can be seen that while wizards have an enviable head start over Muggles in dealing with the flu, and all manner of serious injuries, they have to deal with problems that Muggles never face.[4] Not only is the Muggle world free of such perils as Devil's Snare and Blast-Ended Skrewts, the Statute of Secrecy has also kept Muggles free from contact with any wizard who could pass on Dragon Pox (as the name implies, originally contracted by wizards working closely with Peruvian Vipertooths) or Spattergroit.[4]

Remus Lupin's affliction is the magical version of the Muggle HIV infection, with the attendant stigma.[4] The Wolfsbane Potion Severus Snape brews him is akin to the antiretroviral that will keep him from the developing the 'full-blown' version of lycanthropy.[4]

Diseases and injuries

Ailment Notes Afflicted Wizard(s)
Black Cat Flu A wizarding infectious disease presumably of the influenza viruses family. In 1996 there was an outbreak of Black Cat Flu in wizarding Britain; the first cases were reported in January.
Black Death A mass outbreak of the plague that spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, peaking in the mid-14th century. During this period, Nicholas Malfoy is believed to have killed many Muggle tenants, disguising their deaths as plague victims.
Cerebrumous Spattergroit A particularly virulent sub-strain of the infectious fungus spattergroit.[5] In addition to the regular symptoms of the disease, such as the formation of purple pustules on the skin, it caused severe confusion and memory loss. A massive outbreak of Cerebrumous Spattergroit was one of several theories for why no one in the wizarding world had any memory of the 1877 Quidditch World Cup.[5]
Dragon Pox A potentially fatal contagious disease that occurs in wizards and witches. Its symptoms are presumably similar to Muggle illnesses like smallpox and chicken pox. However, in addition to leaving the victim's skin pockmarked, dragon pox causes a lasting greenish tinge.[6] Simpler cases present with a green-and-purple rash between the toes and sparks coming out of the nostrils when the patient sneezes.[7] Chauncey Oldridge is credited with being the first known victim of dragon pox, but this was in the 1300s
Gunhilda Kneen had to sit out a Quidditch match due to a case of dragon pox in the 1100s
Gunhilda of Gorsemoor, the famous healer, developed a cure for dragon pox in the late 1500s/early 1600s; dragon pox is treated on the second floor of St Mungo's.
Green thumb The abnormal condition of having one's thumbs with a greenish and warty complexion. Celebrity Herbologist and radio personality Tilden Toots is known for having three green thumbs, since he also has radial polydactyly in his left hand.[8]
Levitation sickness A condition in which Levitation causes a disagreement between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement.
Lycanthropy Is the state in which a werewolf finds him or herself: that of turning into a fearsome and deadly near-wolf. Muggles are far less likely to be infected by lycanthrophy, as the wounds have a higher fatality rate. To date, there is no cure for lycanthrophy. Remus Lupin suffers from this ailment. He was bitten by Fenrir Greyback as a child, member of the Order of the Phoenix, killed by Antonin Dolohov during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Fenrir Greyback suffers from this ailment. He is the leader in the werewolf community and an ally of the Death Eaters, noted to be the most savage werewolf in history.
Mumblemumps A wizarding disease. It possibly causes the sick person to mumble and their face and neck to swell. Katie Bell got the mumblemumps in 1992, as such, she was frequently seen in the Hospital Wing.
Portkey-sickness A condition in which travelling by Portkey causes a disagreement between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement. Hysterics and nausea are common symptoms of Portkey-sickness. Before the creation of the Hogwarts Express, students used to frequently come by this sickness.
Scrofungulus A wizarding illness. It is a contagious disease and is provoked by an unknown magical bug. 
Spattergroit Was a highly-contagious wizarding disease caused by an infectious fungus. Spattergroit caused the skin of those infected to break out in purple pustules.[9][10] Once healed, these blisters could leave scars, particularly on the face.[9] Sufferers were rendered unable to speak once the infection reached the uvula.[10] A massive outbreak of Cerebrumous Spattergroit was one of several things speculated to have been behind the mystery of why no one in the wizarding world could remember the Quidditch World Cup actually taking place in 1877.[5]
Splinching This occurs when a witch or wizard Apparates or Disapparates unsuccessfully, leaving part of his or her clothes or body behind in their former location. Susan Bones splinched herself during her first Apparition lesson, losing a leg; it was reattached, but the incident left her shaken. It was said to be the first "exciting thing happening" during the lesson.[11]
Ron Weasley splinched himself numerous times during the Second Wizarding War.
Squabbs Syndrome A disease that only affects Dragons. The symptoms include no production of fire and frequent sneezing. 
Stinkitus A magical disease provoked by breathing the noxious green gas left when one explodes a Stink Pellet.  On April 1st, 1979, approximately five-hundred cases of Stinkitus were reported throughout London. 
Vanishing Sickness A wizarding illness which possibly caused the infected person's body parts to disappear. It was a contagious disease, provoked by a magical bug.

Limitations

Severe mental damage, such as improperly cast Memory Charms and insanity, may be irreversible.

Certain dark arts, such as body parts severed by Sectumsempra and werewolf-inflicted injuries, cannot be fully healed, and will leave scars at the very least.

No true cure exists for lycanthropy as to date.

Attempt to use the Mending Charm on flesh wounds can cause serious scarring.[12]

Healing magic cannot bring the dead back to life.

Known practitioners

Healers
Matrons
Others

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Wand Woods" at Pottermore (transcription available here)
  2. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 8 (Snape Victorious)
  3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Pottermore
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "History of the Quidditch World Cup" at Pottermore
  6. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 2 (In Memoriam)
  7. ↑ Daily Prophet Newsletters
  8. ↑ Wizard of the Month
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 6 (The Ghoul in Pyjamas)
  11. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  12. ↑ Wonderbook: Book of Spells
Polski
*Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Fandom will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
More Fandoms
Advertisement

Fan Feed

More Harry Potter Wiki