Vanishing Spell

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 Vanishing Spell^[1] (Evanesco^[2]) is a Transfiguration spell used to vanish both animate and inanimate objects "into non-being, which is to say, everything".

Nature

The Vanishing Spell is one of the most complicated spells taught at Ordinary Wizarding Level.^[3]

It becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be vanished; for instance, a snail, as an invertebrate, is rather simple, whereas the mouse, as a mammal, presents a great challenge.^[1] The greatest challenge, however, is the vanishment of a kitten, which Hermione Granger managed to do by mid-year.^[4]

Minerva McGonagall stated that Vanished objects go "into non-being, which is to say, everything".^[5][6]

Certain objects can be enchanted to resist Vanishing Spells, such as fireworks. For example, Fred and George Weasley charmed their fireworks so that if anyone attempted to Vanish them, not only would they remain but would multiply by ten each time.

History

During the 1987–1988 school year, this spell was taught to fourth years in Transfiguration at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.^[5]

During the 1995–1996 school year, Professor Minerva McGonagall introduced this spell in her very first Transfiguration class with the fifth year students, giving them a lecture and then setting them on vanishing snails.^[3]

When none of the students except Hermione Granger could perform the spell properly, Professor McGonagall told the students to practise the spell overnight, for a fresh start the next day. In their second lesson, the students were given questions on the Vanishing Spell for homework.^[3] On 6 September, however, the students were given a break from this spell and instead were given a long and difficult essay on the Inanimatus Conjurus Spell.^[7]

Later on in the year, Professor McGonagall returned the class to Vanishing Spells, this time working to make mice disappear.^[1] However, in the week leading up to the Gryffindor-Slytherin match, she abstained from giving them homework so that the Gryffindor Quidditch team could practise.^[8]

Known uses

Known practitioners

• Fifth year students^[3]
• Babbitty^[9]
• Hermione Granger^[3]
• Lee Jordan^[10]
• Severus Snape^[10]
• Bill Weasley^[2]
• Harry Potter^[11]

Etymology

The incantation "Evanesco" is a Latin word meaning "vanish" or "disappear"^[12].

Behind the scenes

• This spell is referred to by Professor McGonagall in its plural form when she introduces it, along with Conjuring Spells, in 1995.^[3]
• Harry Potter may have used this spell unintentionally to make the glass at the Zoo disappear.
• In 1992, after being forced to take a photo with Gilderoy Lockhart for Colin Creevey and then asked to sign it, Harry wished he knew a good Vanishing Spell to escape the embarrassment.^[13]
• In May 1993, Neville Longbottom may have used this spell unintentionally during a Transfiguration lesson, in which Professor McGonagall stated that all students would still be having their end of year exams in one week, despite the attacks on students and the suspension of Albus Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid. Neville's wand slipped and one of the legs on his desk vanished after hearing the announcement.^[14]
• In "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" from The Tales of Beedle the Bard , the son of the original owner of the pot tries to Vanish the pot, but the spell has no effect.^[15]

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First mentioned) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First identified as Vanishing Spell)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Notes and references

Transfiguration (class)
Branches of Transfiguration	Transformation · Vanishment · Conjuration · Untransfiguration
Known practitioners	Circe · Emeric Switch · Falco Aesalon · Mirabella Plunkett · Thaddeus Thurkell
Professors	Albus Dumbledore · Minerva McGonagall
Textbooks	A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration · Intermediate Transfiguration · A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration
Transfiguration spells studied at Hogwarts
Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Change of hair colour and style (Crinus Muto) · Hardening Charm (Duro) · Reparifarge · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Switching Spell · Vanishing Spell (Evanesco)
Conjuring Spells	Bird-Conjuring Charm (Avis) · Inanimatus Conjurus Spell · Orchideous · Snake Summons Spell (Serpentsortia)
Transforming Spells	Animal to Water Goblet (Vera Verto) · Beetle Buttons · Cat to Cauldron (Felifors) · Chair to cat · Cross-Species Switches · Desk Into Pig · Dinner plate to mushroom · Guinea fowl to guinea pig · Hedgehog to pincushion · Match to needle · Meddling Man to Monkey · Mice to Snuffboxes · Owl to Opera Glasses (Strigiforma) · Porcupine to Pin Cushion (Hystrifors) · Small Child to Rat · Small Object to Dragon (Draconifors) · Snail to Teapot · Target to Bird (Avifors) · Target to matchbox (Flintifors) · Target to Rabbit (Lapifors) · Teacup to Rat · Teapot to tortoise · White Rabbits to Slippers