Spell creation

"She was a quite extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment and one of her spells went rather badly wrong one day."

— Luna Lovegood regarding her mother's tragic death

The art of creating new spells was both highly dangerous and complex.

Nature

Only witches and wizards with great understanding of and skill in magic were known to be able to invent spells. It is unknown what the exact process was to creating spells other than crafting the wand movement and the incantation. What is known is that it was a very difficult, even dangerous process. If something went wrong, the results could prove fatal; an example of this was Pandora Lovegood's experimentation.

Known spell inventors and their creations

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them — I, the Half-Blood Prince!"

— Severus Snape regarding his achievements in spell invention to Harry Potter

Name of crafter	Spells created	Notes
Herpo the Foul	Many vile curses Horcrux-making spell (most likely)	Curses described as 'vile'. Created in Ancient Greece. Also the first person to successfully create a Horcrux.
Merwyn the Malicious	Many jinxes and hexes	Spells described as 'unpleasant'; Created in the Middle Ages.
Delfina Crimp	Severing Charm	Delfina Crimp was a London clothier in the 15th century; she invented the Severing Charm to help her to accurately cut fabric.
Felix Summerbee	Cheering Charm	Invented between 1447 and 1508.
Jarleth Hobart	Levitation Charm	Invented in 1544, first used on self to ill effect.
Mnemone Radford	Memory-Modifying Charms	Created between 1562 and 1649.
Ancient African sorcerer	Unlocking Charm	Taught to Eldon Elsrickle, who used it to rob the houses of London, in the early 1600s.
Urquhart Rackharrow	Entrail-Expelling Curse	Invented between 1612–1697.
Daisy Pennifold	Slowing Charm	Shortly after the change in colour of the Quaffle in spring of 1711, Daisy Pennifold had the idea to enchant the Quaffle so Chasers wouldn't have to dive for it; rather, it would fall slowly and they could catch it in mid-air.
Orabella Nuttley	Mending Charm	First used in 1754 after a riot after a broom race left the Coliseum in ruins.
Levina Monkstanley	Wand-Lighting Charm Wand-Extinguishing Charm	First used to illuminate a corner in which she had dropped a quill in the Department of Mysteries; Invented in 1772.
Elliot Smethwyck	Cushioning Charm	Used to make broomsticks more comfortable, in 1820.
Basil Horton Randolph Keitch	Horton-Keitch Braking Charm	Invented (c. 1929) with his partner Randolph Keitch.
Miranda Goshawk	Bat-Bogey Hex	Invented c. 1930s. As the youngest child in a large family, Miranda Goshawk often found it difficult to make herself heard, and developed this hex to give her sisters a piece of her mind: she cast it on her sister Diadema, so that she returned clothes she borrowed without permission; on her sister Romilda to keep her out of her room; on her sister Tangwystl when she wanted to keep her quiet so she could finish her homework.
Albus Dumbledore	Communication using Patronus Charms	Utilised during the Second Wizarding War. Invented by Albus Dumbledore using his own original designs.
Tom Riddle	Morsmordre (most likely) Unsupported flight Curse on Marvolo Gaunt's ring (Most likely) Several unknown spells	Used as the sign of the Death Eaters. Created during, or shortly prior to, the First Wizarding War. Voldemort stated that a few spells of his own invention were used in the process of creating a rudimentary body.
Severus Snape	Langlock Muffliato Charm Sectumsempra Dangling Jinx Liberacorpus Toenail-growing hex	All spells recorded in his copy of Advanced Potion Making were also crafted by him. Created between 1976 and 1978.
Gilderoy Lockhart	Holographic spell	Invented this vainglorious spell, sometime between 1975 and 1982, during his time as a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts, to shoot a glowing, holographic image of his own face into the sky, similar to the Dark Mark.
Badeea Ali and Jacob's sibling	Star Shower Spell	Created the Star Shower Spell with help from Charlie Weasley and Severus Snape in the 1988–1989 school year.
Badeea Ali and Ben Copper	Flipendo Maxima	A stronger version of the Knockback Jinx invented in the 1989–1990 school year.
William Weasley	Modified cursed barrier	Invented a modified version of the Cursed barrier, which prevented any Death Eaters bearing the Dark Mark from entering a vicinity.

Possible spell inventions

• It is possible that Antonin Dolohov invented his signature curse as he is the only Death Eater shown using it and demonstrated a certain sadistic pride when he successfully cast it against Hermione during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.
• Lord Voldemort likely invented some of the protective spells he used in the hiding places of his Horcruxes, such as the Gaunt Shack and the Horcrux Cave. These spells were dark in nature and difficult for even Albus Dumbledore to penetrate.
• It is possible that Hermione Granger invented the Four-Point Spell, as she particularly searched it for Harry Potter (who is the only person who used it) and the incantation is English.
  • It is also likely that she invented the Dumbledore's Army parchment jinx, given the apparent lack of a counter-jinx or cure apart from the boils fading on their own, as well as being specifically stated to identify traitors from the army.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Mentioned on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game) (Possible appearance)
• Quidditch Through the Ages (First appearance)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Possible appearance)
• Wonderbook: Book of Spells
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Indirectly mentioned only)