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"With this powerful curse, skilled wizards can easily reduce obstacles to pieces. For obvious reasons great care must be exercised when learning and practising this spell, lest you find yourself sweeping up in detention for it is all too easy to bring your classroom ceiling crashing down, or to reduce your teacher's desk to a fine mist."
Miranda Goshawk[src]

The Reductor Curse[3] (Reducto)[1] was a curse that blasted solid objects to pieces.[1] It was rather easy to reduce a target to a fine mist[3] or a pile of ashes.[2]

History[]

ReductorCurseHM

The Reductor Curse in action

It is unknown when and who invented this spell. It was featured in the Book of Spells, and was commented on by Miranda Goshawk, the book's author.[3]

The spell was commonly used by Ashwinder duellists during the time of Ranrok's goblin rebellion.[4]

During the 1988–1989 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the then Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor Patricia Rakepick taught this spell to her fifth-year D.A.D.A. students, in order to teach them something both highly practical and useful in their education.[5]

This was one of the offensive spells that Harry Potter taught Dumbledore's Army during the 1995–1996 school year in the Room of Requirement,[6] having previously used the spell during the Triwizard Tournament.[1] It was used heavily by members of the D.A. that participated in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries on 18 June 1996.[7]

During the Calamity in the late 2010s or early 2020s, a Calamity Investigator working for the Statute of Secrecy Task Force spent a series of evenings grinding hermit crab shells before remembering this spell. After focusing on mastering this powerful spell, they used it to blast the shells into an extremely-fine powder, although they also reduced their kitchen table to sawdust in the process. However, the process did reduce the brewing time for their Dawdle Draught.[8]

Known uses[]

" Five different voices behind him bellowed, "REDUCTO!" Five curses flew in five different directions and the shelves opposite them exploded as they hit; the towering structure swayed as a hundred glass spheres burst apart, pearly-white figures unfurled into the air and floated there, their voices echoing from who knew what long-dead past amid the torrent of crashing glass and splintered wood now raining down upon the floor — "
D.A. members smashing the shelves in the Hall of Prophecy[src]
Caster(s) Date Notes
Ashwinder Duellists 1890–1891 school year Used this spell against their enemies, including the new fifth-year Hogwarts student.[4]
Severus Snape 25 December 1994 Snape used this on rosebushes at the Yule Ball after his talk with Karkaroff.[9]
Harry Potter June 1995 Harry learned this spell in 1995 in preparation for the third task of the Triwizard Tournament.[1]
24 June 1995 He used it in the hedge maze to try and disperse the Limbo Mist that was placed there as an obstacle.[1]
He used it again when he need to blast away a bush to get through and save Cedric from Viktor, who was under the Imperius Curse.[1]
3 September 1997 He used it in an attempt to destroy Salazar Slytherin's locket, but was unsuccessful in doing so.[10]
Parvati Patil Autumn 1995 Parvati used this curse during a D.A. meeting to reduce a table to rubble.[6]
Harry Potter 18 June 1996

This spell was later used during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and resulted in the smashing of the shelves in the Hall of Prophecy.[7]

Ginny casting Reducto
Hermione Granger
Ginny Weasley
Ron Weasley
Luna Lovegood
Neville Longbottom
Unidentified Order of the Phoenix member 30 June 1997 Unsuccessfully used it to try and get past the cursed barrier blocking the stairs to the Astronomy Tower, during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower.[11]
Calamity Investigator in the Statute of Secrecy Task Force Late 2010s or early 2020s Used to rapidly powder hermit crab shells, although with the added side effect of destroying their kitchen table.[8]

Known practitioners[]

Etymology[]

The incantation "reducto" is derived from Latin reduco, meaning "reduce" or "bring down".

Behind the scenes[]

ReductoPAS

Reducto as seen in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

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)
Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.)
Subjectsdada
D.A.D.A. at Hogwarts
Classroom 3C · Classroom 3C backrooms · Temporary Classroom · Hogwarts Turris Magnus · Teacher's Office · Storeroom · Staircase · Storage room · Lesson Cup · Race Cup · Duelling Club · Dumbledore's Army
Professors
Isidora Morganach · Dinah Hecat · Arsenius Jigger · Albus Dumbledore · Galatea Merrythought · 1984–1985 professor · 1985–1986 professor · 1986–1987 professor · 1987–1988 professor · Patricia Rakepick · 1989–1990 professor · First 1990–1991 professor · Olivia Green · Quirinus Quirrell · Gilderoy Lockhart · Remus Lupin · Bartemius Crouch Junior (as Alastor Moody) · Dolores Umbridge · Severus Snape · Amycus Carrow (as Dark Arts teacher) · Unidentified professor · Brindlemore
Textbooks
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection · Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts · Break with a Banshee · Gadding with Ghouls · Holidays with Hags · Travels with Trolls · Voyages with Vampires · Wanderings with Werewolves · Year with the Yeti · The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts · Defensive Magical Theory · Dark Arts Defence – Basics for Beginners · Confronting the Faceless · Defence Against the Dark Arts
Spells studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Aqua Eructo · Boggart-Banishing Spell (Riddikulus) · Bombarda Maxima · Cave inimicum · Concealment Charms · Counter-curses · Counter-jinxes · Cruciatus Curse (Crucio) · Curse of the Bogies (Mucus ad Nauseam) · Cursed barrier spell · Densaugeo · Deprimo Spell (Deprimo) · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Ear-Shrivelling Curse · Everte Statum · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · Fumos Duo · Green Sparks · Hex-Breaker· Hex-deflection · Hex Zapper · Homorphus Charm · Human-presence-revealing Spell (Homenum Revelio) · Impediment Jinx (Impedimenta) · Imperius Curse (Imperio) · Imperturbable Charm · Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Lacarnum Inflamari · Langlock · Levitation Spell (Levioso) · Limbo Mist anticharm · Nonverbal spells · Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum) · Pimple Jinx (Furnunculus) · Protective enchantments · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Salvio hexia · Sea Urchin Jinx · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Shield Charm (Protego) · Smokescreen Spell (Fumos) · Snake-Vanishing Spell (Vipera Evanesca) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Stretching Jinx · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Tongue-Tying Curse (Mimblewimble) · Trip Jinx · Twitchy-Ears Hex · Verdimillious Charm (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Duo Spell (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Tria · Vermillious Duo · Vermillious Tria · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos)
Creatures studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Banshee · Boggart · Chameleon Ghoul · Charmed skeleton · Cornish Pixie · Dementor · Dugbog · Erkling · Flesh-Eating Slug · Ghost · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Gytrash · Hag · Hinkypunk · Iguana · Imp · Inferius · Kappa · Manticore · Nocturnal beasts · Nogtail · Poltergeist · Red Cap · Snake · Troll · Vampire · Vampire bat · Werewolf · Yeti · Zombie
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