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Jinx

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At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells & Harry Potter: Wizards Unite & Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.
As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

"I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him."
— Hermione Granger regarding jinxes[src]

A jinx is a type of Dark charm[1], whose effects are irritating but amusing.[5] As a minor type of Dark magic, jinxes have the least severe effects of the three dark charms.[1]

Usage

In order to successfully cast a jinx, the caster must keep eye contact on the target.[6]

Jinxes can also be used in a defensive capacity, and hence students of Defence Against the Dark Arts may learn some of them, such as the Knockback Jinx[7] and Impediment Jinx.[8][9]

Jinx effects can be blocked or removed by a counter-jinx[10] or a counter-curse,[6] and they can be prevented by an Anti-Jinx. The former category is being taught in Defence Against the Dark Arts class, while the latter is presumably part of several protective enchantments, and therefore mostly covered in Charms class. In case of major jinx effects, like backfired and unliftable ones, wizards would have to let themselves be treated in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries or at least by any Healer or expert in the knowledge of Dark magic.

List of Jinxes

Name Incantation Effect
A Anti-Disapparition Jinx Prevents Disapparition within a certain area.
Anti-intruder jinx Repels intruders.
B Backfiring Jinx Causes spells to backfire and hurt caster.
Biting jinx Causes jinxed object to bite the user.
Broom jinx Makes a broomstick attempt to buck its rider off.[6]
C Cantis Makes things and people sing.[11]
Cascading Jinx Targets multiple enemies.
Cracker Jinx Conjures exploding Wizard Crackers.
D Dancing Feet Spell Tarantallegra Forces the victim to dance wildly.[12]
Drone Jinx Produces undesirably loud noise.
Ducklifors Jinx Ducklifors Turns things to ducks.[13]
Dumbledore's Army parchment jinx Causes boils to spell "SNEAK" on the face of a traitor.[14]
E Ebublio Jinx Ebublio Traps target in giant bubble.[15]
F Finger-removing jinx Removes a person's fingers.
I Impediment Jinx Impedimenta Temporarily slows target.[16]
J Jelly-Brain Jinx Presumably affects the victim's mental processes.[17]
Jelly-Legs Jinx Locomotor Wibbly Collapse legs.[1]
Jinx against marriage Makes an individual refuse marriage.
Jinx on the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Every Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts cannot stay in the position for more than one year and without suffering an unpleasant fate.[4]
K Knockback Jinx Flipendo Knocks opponent over[1]
L Langlock Affixes tongue to the roof of the mouth.[18]
Leek Jinx Leeks sprout from ears.[19]
Levicorpus Levitates people in the air.[20]
M Melofors Jinx Melofors Encases victim's head in pumpkin.[21]
Multi-Shot Jinx Multiple offensive blasts.[22]
O Oppugno Jinx Oppugno Assaults target with directed object(s).[23]
Orbis Jinx Orbis Sucks the target into the ground[13]
P Pimple Jinx Furnunculus Boils erupt.[24]
Pullus Jinx Pullus Transforms things into chicken and geese[13]
R Revulsion Jinx Relashio Releases the target's grip.[25][26]
S Sea urchin jinx Makes tiny spikes erupt all over the victim.[27]
Special Jinx When lured out of the object it appears as a blue floating ball of magic.[2]
Stinging Jinx Stings flesh.[28]
Stretching Jinx Increases the target's height.
T Tempest Jinx Strikes target(s) with lightning bolts.
Tentaclifors Turns victim's head into tentacle.[11]
Trip Jinx Trips victim causing them to fall.[29]
V Ventus Jinx Ventus Jet of spiralling wind.[13][30]
Vermiculus Jinx Vermiculus Turns things into worms[13]

See also

Behind the scenes

  • J.K. Rowling defined jinxes as "spells whose effects are irritating but amusing."[5]
  • As with most spell names, this classification is not hard and fast; for instance, Tom Riddle's Jinx on the Defence Professorship of Hogwarts was neither a minor effect, nor amusing, nor truly irritating. Indeed, it proved lethal for its targets on several occasions. Less strikingly, other jinxes, while admittedly "amusing", have also demonstrated lethal consequences, such as the tree animating jinx. Even though Rowling herself specified the differences between curses, hexes, and jinxes, she states that "Within the Potter world, the boundaries are flexible and I imagine that wizards may have their own ideas."[31] This shows that the categorization of dark charms is not set and stone, and may sometimes be used interchangeably. This explains why some spells are known by multiple names, like why the Slug-vomiting Charm is a curse, and why the Jelly-Legs Curse is also sometimes known as the Jelly-Legs Jinx. This also explains why some curses, such as the Leg-Locker Curse, Jelly-Legs Curse and Full Body-Bind Curse, which don't cause any lasting injury, seem to fall more under the definition of a jinx or hex, while Voldemort's Jinx on the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher has had serious, lasting consequences for several of those affected, which would seem more like a curse. This also applies to charms like the Disarming Charm, Stunning Spell and other combat charms. They affect the opponent negatively and leaves them defenceless and prone to further harm from their adversaries, which makes them seem more like a jinx or a hex.

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Pottermore
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
  3. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28 (Flight of the Prince)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20 (Lord Voldemort's Request)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 JK on the definition of various spell types
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 11 (Quidditch)
  7. ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
  8. ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 3 (Detention Before Extension) - Defence Against the Dark Arts Lesson "Impedimenta"
  9. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 18 (Dumbledore's Army)
  10. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 15 (The Hogwarts High Inquisitor)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
  12. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 11 (The Duelling Club)
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
  14. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 27 (The Centaur and the Sneak)
  15. ↑ Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
  16. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 31 (The Third Task)
  17. ↑ The Daily Prophet (real-world)
  18. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 19 (Elf Tails)
  19. ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 15 (The Quidditch Final)
  20. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 12 (Silver and Opals)
  21. ↑ Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
  22. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
  23. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 14 (Felix Felicis)
  24. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 18 (The Weighing of the Wands)
  25. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 26 (The Second Task)
  26. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 26 (Gringotts)
  27. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 32 (The Elder Wand)
  28. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 23 (Malfoy Manor)
  29. ↑ LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
  30. ↑ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
  31. ↑ J. K. Rowling Official Site - Extra Stuff
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