Pumpkin-Head Jinx

Pumpkin-Head Jinx
Incantation	Melofors (MEL-oh-fors)
Type	Jinx Conjuration
Hand movement
Light	Orange
Effect	Encased head in pumpkin

"No matter where Harry went within the castle, the sole topic of conversation was Dumbledore's flight, and though some of the details may have gone awry in the retelling (Harry overheard one second-year girl assuring another that Fudge was now lying in St Mungo's with a pumpkin for a head) it was surprising how accurate the rest of their information was."

— The rumour that Minister Cornelius Fudge was the victim of this jinx

The Pumpkin-Head Jinx (Melofors), also known as the Melofors Jinx, was a jinx that encased the victim's head in a pumpkin. To outsiders, it appeared that the victim's head was transformed into a pumpkin.

History

Pumpkin Johnny was a mysterious Hallowe'en figure said to cast this jinx on Hogwarts students if he was summoned. He was supposedly a Hogwarts student who was bullied due to his fondness for pumpkins, and then had his head trapped in a pumpkin when a student cast this jinx on him on Hallowe'en. He then fled into the Forbidden Forest and was never seen again, and could be summoned on Hallowe'en if his name was said aloud thrice.

Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger used this spell on various Erklings throughout the grounds of Hogwarts Castle during the 1994–1995 school year, overlooked by their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Bartemius Crouch Jnr (who at the time was disguised as Alastor Moody).

In the very next school year, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore managed to escape Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge and Percy Weasley after they came to arrest him, and the next day a rumour spread that Fudge was in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries after having had this jinx used on him.

Known practitioners

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Ronald Weasley

Draco Malfoy

Vincent Crabbe

Gregory Goyle

Jacob's sibling

Etymology

See the page -fors suffix.

"Melo-" is likely deriving from the English word "melon" as pumpkins are a part of the melon family.

Behind the scenes

The jinx as seen in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

• The jinx is included in the "5 Spell Pack" DLC for LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7.
• The jinx is also an unlockable spell in the DS and PSP versions of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4.
• In the French-language version of the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban video game, the incantation is rendered as Citrouillétafors, "citrouille" meaning pumpkin.
• In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, although the spell is part of the updated first-year syllabus, it is actually a time-specific award for Hallowe'en Duelling Club event during Hallowe'en in real time, by winning sixteen duels. The Sneaky move deals small damage to opponents, and have chances for medium stun.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (First appearance) (First identified as Melofors)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game) (Console and PC versions only)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First mentioned) (Mentioned as "pumpkin for a head")
• Harry Potter (website) (Mentioned only) (First identified as Pumpkin-Head Jinx)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (DS and PSP version only)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery