Severing Charm

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

The Severing Charm (Diffindo) is a charm used to precisely and accurately cut something.^[3] It is taught in second year charms classes^[4] and Fourth year classes,^[5] and if used inappropriately can cause death or injury.^[3]

History

This spell was invented in the fifteenth century by seamstress and witch Delfina Crimp. She made the spell because prior to her discovery, cutting spells were apt to burn or shred things. However, a fellow seamster Snickerton, nearly killed her after he raided her shop, having realised that she could do magic, and held her tied up. Nonetheless, upon being released to scratch a wart on her chin the wart brought her wand forth and she disapparated with a sack of gold.^[3]

Known uses

Caster(s)	Date	Notes
Delfina Crimp	1400s	The charm was invented in this time by Delfina Crimp and used by her to make and tailor clothing.[3]
Filius Flitwick & Jacob's sibling	1987–1988 school year	Professor Filius Flitwick taught this spell to his Fourth year charms students.[5]
Harry Potter	November 1994	He cut Cedric Diggory's bookbag with this spell to delay him from class so that he could warn Cedric privately about the First Task.[6]
	18 June, 1996	Harry used this to attempt to defend Ron against some brains that were attacking him.[7]
	1996	Later that year, he used the charm to detach the front cover of his shop-bought potions textbook to replace it with a vandalised version using the mending spell.[8]
	2 September, 1997	Harry tried to break Mary Cattermole free of a chained chair; it failed.[9]
	3 September, 1997	Harry also used this to attempt to destroy a locket in the woods, but failed.[10]
	January 1998	Harry used this a fourth time to break the ice from the frozen pool where a sword was hidden.[9]
Ron Weasley	25 December, 1994	He used it to sever the lace sleeves of his dress robes before the Yule Ball.[6]
Hermione Granger	1 August, 1997	Hermione used this to remove the bindings on Ron Weasley after a fight in a cafe; she trembled so much that she cut Ron with it.
	24 December, 1997	She used the spell again to remove a locket from Harry Potter's chest shortly after they were attacked by Nagini.
Peter Pettigrew (possibly)	24 June, 1995	Nonverbally used this spell to break Tom Riddle's Gravestone

Known practitioners

Etymology

The incantation is the Latin first person active indicative for "to split, cleave or open".

Behind the scenes

• In the Harry Potter Trading Card Game, Diffindo is incorrectly labelled as a Transfiguration spell.
• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 and LEGO Dimensions, it allows the player to cut through red LEGO walls.
• A spellbook for this charm can be found in one of the Herbology greenhouses; this is also detailed in both Book of Spells and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1.

See also

Sectumsempra

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• LEGO Dimensions
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• Pottermore
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Notes and references

The Standard Book of Spells
Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 · Grade 5 · Grade 6 · Grade 7
Charms included in the series: Fire-Making Spell · Levitation Charm · Locking Spell · Mending Charm · Softening Charm · Severing Charm · Unlocking Charm · Dancing Feet Spell · Disarming Charm · Engorgement Charm · Freezing Charm · General Counter-Spell · Memory Charm · Tickling Charm · Summoning Charm · Banishing Charm · Substantive Charm

Charms (class)
Charmbook writers and developers
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
Professors	Fortinbras · Filius Flitwick
Textbooks	The Standard Book of Spells · Achievements in Charming · Quintessence: A Quest
Charms studied at Hogwarts
Banishing Charm (Depulso) · Cheering Charm · Cistem Aperio · Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · 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 · Hardening Charm (Duro) · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo)· Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locomotion Charm (Locomotor) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Nonverbal spell · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · 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) · Water-Making Spell (Aguamenti)