Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Magic

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Contents

[edit] Creatures

Beginner warning: Details follow which you may not wish to read at your current level.

Animals and intelligent non-human beings that inhabit the magical world.

[edit] Devices

Objects used by wizards for various purposes.

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

[edit] Magical Plants

[edit] Newspapers

[edit] Potions and Ingredients

[edit] Methods

Techniques wizards use alone or when interacting with other wizards.

[edit] Subjects

Courses offered in Hogwarts. A table of who teaches which course in each year is located here.

[edit] Spells

Words or phrases that cause a certain effect when using a wand or when said by a wizard. In the books, the terms Spell, Charm, Jinx, Hex, and Curse are all used; the author explains the difference as follows:

  • Spell is the generic term, used for all incantations.
  • Charms typically would affect the behaviour of an object but do not change its nature. Thus making a pineapple tap-dance across the desk is properly a Charm, because the object remains a pineapple; but turning a teapot into a turtle is a Spell.
  • Jinxes carry a connotation of dark magic, though of a very minor sort. Jinxes, like Rictusempra, irritate and amuse, rather than harm.
  • Hexes also carry the connotation of dark magic, again of a minor nature, but slightly darker than Jinxes. An example would be Petrificus Totalus.
  • Curses are spells that are quite firmly in the Dark Magic camp, and are purely harmful in effect.

A Stunning spell is more properly a charm, because the spelled object changes behaviour and not nature; but the name is kept because of the alliteration. These definitions are flexible; for instance the stunning spell Stupefy can be used either by light or dark wizards, in which case it might be seen as a charm or a hex.

  1. ↑ a b c Unforgivable Curses

[edit] Status

Classes within the magical world.

[edit] Languages

Fictional languages used throughout the books.

[edit] Terms

[edit] Legal Structures

[edit] Key Magical Artifacts

Intermediate warning: Details follow which you may not wish to read at your current level.

Objects that have special significance to the entire series.

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