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"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[src]

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.[1]

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[src]
Name of crafter Spells created Notes
Herpo the Foul Curses described as 'vile'. Created in Ancient Greece. Also the first person to successfully create a Horcrux.[2][3]
Merwyn the Malicious Many jinxes and hexes Spells described as 'unpleasant'; Created in the Middle Ages.[2][3]
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.[4]
Felix Summerbee Cheering Charm Invented between 1447 and 1508.[2][3]
Isidora Morganach Pain extraction spell Invented between 1485 and 1603.[5]
Jarleth Hobart Levitation Charm Invented in 1544, first used on self to ill effect.[4]
Mnemone Radford Memory-Modifying Charms Created between 1562 and 1649.[6]
Ancient African sorcerer Unlocking Charm Taught to Eldon Elsrickle, who used it to rob the houses of London, in the early 1600s.[4]
Blagdon Blay Anti-Alohomora Charm Invented in response to having his home burgled nineteen times in two weeks in order to prevent more burglaries, in the early 1600s.[4]
Helixia and Syna Hyslop Doubling Charm Helixia and Syna were eccentric twins who created duplicates of everything in their house.[4]
Urquhart Rackharrow Entrail-Expelling Curse Invented between 16121697.[7]
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.[8]
Orabella Nuttley Mending Charm First used in 1754 after a riot after a broom race left the Coliseum in ruins.[4]
Levina Monkstanley First used to illuminate a corner in which she had dropped a quill in the Department of Mysteries; Invented in 1772.[4]
Elliot Smethwyck Cushioning Charm Used to make broomsticks more comfortable, in 1820.[9]
Basil Horton and Randolph Keitch Horton-Keitch Braking Charm Invented (c. 1929) with his partner Randolph Keitch.[9]
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.[4]
Albus Dumbledore Communication using Patronus Charms Utilised during the Second Wizarding War. Invented by Albus Dumbledore using his own original designs.[10]
Tom Riddle Used as the sign of the Death Eaters. Created during, or shortly prior to, the First Wizarding War.[13]

Voldemort stated that a few spells of his own invention were used in the process of creating a rudimentary body.[12]

Severus Snape All spells recorded in his copy of Advanced Potion Making were also crafted by him. Created between 1976 and 1978.[14][15][16]
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.[17]

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.[18]

Badeea Ali and Ben Copper Flipendo Maxima

A stronger version of the Knockback Jinx invented in the 1989–1990 school year.[19]

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.[20]

Possible spell inventions[]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 38 (The Second War Begins)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Wonderbook: Book of Spells
  5. Hogwarts Legacy
  6. J. K. Rowling's official site
  7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
  8. Quidditch Through the Ages, Chapter 6 (Changes in Quidditch since the Fourteenth Century)
  9. 9.0 9.1 Quidditch Through the Ages, Chapter 9 (The Development of the Racing Broom)
  10. JKR Official Site (Text only, accessed 8 February, 2012 via the Wayback Web Archive)
  11. Harry Potter (website) - The hardest wizarding world spells
  12. 12.0 12.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33 (The Death Eaters)
  13. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 9 (The Dark Mark)
  14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 9 (The Half-Blood Prince)
  15. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 12 (Silver and Opals)
  16. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28 (Flight of the Prince)
  17. Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Gilderoy Lockhart" at Harry Potter (website)
  18. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 23 (Mischief Masterpiece)
  19. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 18 (Into the Forest)
  20. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 5 (Wherefore Art Thou, Weasleys?)
  21. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 35 (Beyond the Veil)
  22. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 31 (The Third Task)
  23. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 27 (The Centaur and the Sneak)
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