Scouring Charm

Warning! At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. Spoilers will be present within the article.

The Scouring Charm (Scourgify) is a cleaning charm used to make an object clean. It can also be used to clean out smaller infestations of bundimun. This spell is listed in the third chapter of Book of Spells by Miranda Goshawk.^[1] Many wizarding families use this spell, both for cleaning and punishing people who swear, as the spell causes human mouths to be filled with soap.

History

James Potter used this charm to bully Severus Snape on the Hogwarts grounds, causing soap to fill his mouth.^[2]

In the 1987–1988 school year, this charm was taught to the fourth years in Charms class by Professor Filius Flitwick.^[3] Jacob's sibling later used the Scouring Charm to clean up Bundimun Secretion in Rubeus Hagrid's hut.^[4]

Hermione Granger taught Neville Longbottom the Scouring Charm to clean frog guts out from under his fingernails, in their fourth year.^[5]

The Scouring Charm was used by Nymphadora Tonks when attempting to clean Hedwig's cage during their liberation of Harry Potter from 4 Privet Drive in 1995.^[2] It was later used by Ginevra Weasley on 1 September that year on the Hogwarts Express to clear Stinksap that had squirted from Neville's Mimbulus mimbletonia.^[6]

Known practitioners

Filius Flitwick^[3]

James Potter^[2]

Nymphadora Tonks^[2]

Hermione Granger^[5]

Ginevra Weasley^[6]

Neville Longbottom^[5]

Jacob's sibling^[4]

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• Mathilda Grimblehawk's partner^[7]

Etymology

Perhaps related to English scour, "clean". -ify is a common English suffix meaning "to make ...". Therefore scourgify likely means "to make clean".

Behind the scenes

• The Skurge Charm, which is used to clean up Ectoplasm, may be a variant of this spell.
• In Wonderbook: Book of Spells, the hand gesture is "a smooth, sinuous motion, like a letter 'S".
• The Scholastic Official Site lists this as the Vanishing Spell.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Notes and references

Charms (class)
Charmbook writers and developers
Blagdon Blay · Daisy Pennifold · Delfina Crimp · Miranda Goshawk · Jarleth Hobart · Basil Horton · Randolph Keitch · Levina Monkstanley · Orabella Nuttley · Mnemone Radford · Scarpin · Elliot Smethwyck · Felix Summerbee · Fred Weasley · George Weasley · Violeta Stitch
Professors	Fortinbras · Filius Flitwick
Textbooks	Achievements in Charming · Extreme Incantations · Quintessence: A Quest · The Standard Book of Spells
Charms studied at Hogwarts
Banishing Charm (Depulso) · Cheering Charm · Cistem Aperio · Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · Descendo · Disillusionment Charm · Drought Charm · Eradication Spell (Deletrius) · Engorgement Charm (Engorgio) · Exploding Charm (Bombarda) · Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Freezing Charm (Immobulus) · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · General Counter-Spell (Finite Incantatem) · Growth Charm · Knitting Charm · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Leg-Locker Curse (Locomotor Mortis) · Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locking Spell (Colloportus) · Locomotion Charm (Locomotor) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Muffliato Charm (Muffliato) · Nonverbal spell · 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 Scouring Charm (Skurge) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Spell for growing legs · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm (Accio) · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Unlocking Charm (Alohomora) · Vinegar into Wine · Wand-Extinguishing Charm (Nox) · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos) · Lumos Maxima · Water-Making Spell (Aguamenti)