• Churches and graveyards A “dingy” church in New York City where anti-magic fanatic Mary Lou Barebone held meetings of the New Salem Philanthropic Society in the 1920s (WFT). Barebone and her three adopted (and abused) children lived upstairs. The downstairs included a long table where orphans came to eat soup and receive pamphlets… Read More
• Occupations A Seer is a witch or wizard with the Inner Eye, that is, the ability to see into the future. Practitioners Cassandra Trelawney was a famous, talented Seer (FW, WW, OP15). Her great-great-granddaughter Sybill Trelawney also possesses the Inner Eye, but she has only… Read More
• Creature The Selma is a large serpent found in icy Norwegian lakes. They eat fish and human flesh. The Norwegian Quidditch team brought one as their team mascot in 2014, were it caused a conflict that eventually included many of the other mascots. https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast:… Read More
• Creature A magically-created species of saltwater fish, found in the Atlantic Ocean, which is covered in spines and which deliberately seeks out and destroys Muggle fishing nets. The first shrake were supposedly created in the 1800s by a group of wizard fisherfolk who had been insulted by Muggles. The shrake, by… Read More
• Magical artifacts In Dumbledore’s day (although not in Armando Dippet’s), the office contained a number of spindly-legged tables supporting various frail “curious silver instruments” (CS12), the function of which Harry did not know. They usually whirred and emitted little puffs of smoke. https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast:… Read More
• Wandmaking A wand wood (Pm). https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:06 — 11.1MB)Subscribe: RSS… Read More
• Character Professor Sinistra was a professor of Astronomy at Hogwarts during the 1990s (JKR, CS11, GF12, GF23, OP12, OP13, OP14). Sinistra helped carry Justin Finch-Fletchley‘s Petrified body to the hospital wing in 1992 (CS11). She danced a two-step with Moody at… Read More
• Symbols Tea leaf symbol from Unfogging the Future meaning “danger in your path.”   https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:06 — 11.1MB)Subscribe:… Read More
• Character Wilbert Slinkhard was the author of Defensive Magical Theory, a dull and heavily theoretical Defence against the Dark Arts textbook that favors more passive responses to dark forces (OP9, OP12, OP15, OP17, OP29). In chapter 15, Slinkhard claimed that counter-jinxes are improperly named, because he believed that “counter-jinx”… Read More
• Incantations Incantation which opens the Marauders Map (PA10). https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:06 — 11.1MB)Subscribe:… Read More
• Magical identities A part of a human being’s spiritual identity which is eternal and leaves the body upon death to go to the afterlife. https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download… Read More
• Character Spangle was a renowned researcher of Charms in the eighteenth century, notable for his work on Patronuses (and, specifically, the forms which Patronuses take).  The book Charms of Defence and Deterrence is considered his masterwork. https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast:… Read More
• Source “SpBks” refers to the text and descriptions of a number of spell and potion books which were part of the Pottermore website until the site changed format in September 2015. Links are included to images archived from the site and information found on the Pottermore Wiki. The… Read More
• Podcast Episode
Posted by in Essays
Note: This piece is not about the class Charms, and I’ve left aside the vexing question of the difference between Charms and Transfiguration (e.g., why are winged keys a Charm and giant moving chess pieces are a Transfiguration?). Rather, I’m looking at Charms in the general sense, as a synonym for spells, that is,… Read More
• Spells The spells on this page may or may not be considered canon. Some of them, such as those from the video games, were apparently created or at least approved by Rowling. Those from the films, however, were probably created by the scriptwriter, Steve Kloves. Many of them don’t really fit… Read More
• Quote The spells are made up. I have met people who assure me, very seriously, that they are trying to do them, and I can assure them, just as seriously, that they don’t work. https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast:… Read More
• Creature A Sphinx has the head of a human and the body of a lion, the capacity for human speech, and an innate love of puzzles and riddles, but due to its violent tendencies it has been placed in the ‘beast’ rather than the ‘being’ category (FB).   https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3… Read More
• Magical effects When apparition goes wrong, a body part (or two) might be left behind. https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:06 — 11.1MB)Subscribe:… Read More
• Wandmaking A wand wood (Pm). https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:06 — 11.1MB)Subscribe: RSS… Read More
• Books and Literature The Standard Book of Spells is a multi-volume reference work used as a textbook at Hogwarts. The series is divided into “Grades,” with each successive grade containing more difficult and complex spells. The series was written by Miranda Goshawk in the 1900s, probably based on the seminal work… Read More
• Event Classes begin at Hogwarts for Harry Potter. Harry and Ron get into trouble with Filch when they get lost. He assumes they’re trying to break into the forbidden third floor corridor. https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in… Read More
• Spells The Stinging Jinx causes severe pain and swelling to the victim. The effects is a burst of white light (DH23). https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration:… Read More
• Character A young witch who developed an obscurus from trying to suppress her magic. She died at the age of eight (WFT). https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration:… Read More
• Podcast Episode
Posted by in Harry Potter Lexicon Minute
I’ve been doing some thinking about Summoning Charms, which, given the option, I would perform at least a dozen times a day, because where are my car keys and is my phone in my purse or did I leave it in the car again? (For those two reasons alone,… Read More
• Symbols Tea leaf symbol from Unfogging the Future which means “great happiness.” https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:06 — 11.1MB)Subscribe:… Read More
• Spells various, depending on the Transfiguration intended A category of Transfiguration spells that swap one thing for another. https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration:… Read More
• Wandmaking A wand wood (Pm). https://media.blubrry.com/hplex/media.hp-lexicon.org/podcasts/archive/hplm-202107-op36-of-duels-and-magic-part-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:06 — 11.1MB)Subscribe: RSS… Read More