Vanishing Spell

Vanishing Spell
Incantation	Evanesco (ev-an-ES-ko)
Type	Transfiguration
Light	None
Effect	Vanishes objects

"The contents of Harry’s potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron."

— Snape vanishes Harry Potter's failed Draught of Peace

The Vanishing Spell (Evanesco) was a Transfiguration spell used to vanish both animate and inanimate objects "into non-being, which is to say, everything".

Nature

The Vanishing Spell was one of the most complicated spells taught at Ordinary Wizarding Level.

It became more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be vanished; for instance, a snail, as an invertebrate, was rather simple, whereas the mouse, as a mammal, presented a great challenge. The greatest challenge, however, was the vanishment of a kitten, which Hermione Granger managed to do by mid-year.

Minerva McGonagall stated that Vanished objects go "into non-being, which was to say, everything".

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

History

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 had no effect. Also in the story Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump in the same book, the witch Babbitty Rabbity successfully vanishes a hat.

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

In 1991, 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.

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.

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. This spell was referred to by McGonagall in its plural form when she introduced it, along with Conjuring Spells.

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. 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.

Later on in the year, Professor McGonagall returned the class to Vanishing Spells, this time working to make mice disappear. 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.

In the 2000s, after Cassandra verbally bullied Daniel Page, Ivy Warrington chased her down and attempted to Vanish her wand, but missed and Vanished a suit of armour instead. Professor Neville Longbottom gave Ivy and her friends detention, during which they had to polish every suit of armour without magic.

Known uses

"Bill took out his wand, muttered “Evanesco!” and the scrolls vanished."

— Bill Weasley vanishing old scrolls with this spell

Caster(s)	Date	Notes
Bill Weasley	August 1995	Bill used this spell to make a stack of scrolls disappear while cleaning up after a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix during Harry's first night at 12 Grimmauld Place.
Severus Snape	1995	Snape used this spell to get rid of Harry's less-than-perfect first attempt at a Draught of Peace.
Harry Potter	June 1996	Harry vanished the whole of an iguana during his practical Transfiguration O.W.L..
Fifth years		One task on the practical Transfiguration O.W.L. was Vanishment.
Ivy Warrington	2000s	Aimed at Cassandra's wand, but missed and Vanished a suit of armour.

Known practitioners

Severus Snape

Minerva McGonagall

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Bill Weasley

Lee Jordan

Ivy Warrington

Babbitty Rabbity (fictional)

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• Fifth year students

Etymology

The incantation "Evanesco" is a Latin word meaning "vanish" or "disappear".

Appearances

Evanesco's icon in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

• 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 appearance)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Mentioned only)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• Wizarding World (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened