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The magic of the Harry Potter world has stunned and inspired wonder in fans who've read every book, watched every movie, and played every game associated with it. The halls of Hogwarts are filled with the sound of students learning how to levitate objects or fly on broomsticks. When Harry, Hermione, and Ron aren't busy battling Voldemort's malevolent Death Eaters, they have to contend with McGonagall's lectures on Transfiguration or the wailing of Mandrakes in Professor Sprout's class. The subjects each student must learn to survive in the world of magic are limitless.

People like Fred and George Weasley have used magic to play pranks and pursue mischief on a grand scale. Hermione has used magic to attend classes with overlapping time slots, and Ron has made some poor attempts at changing the color of his rat, Scabbers. For his part, Voldemort uses magic to commit atrocious acts in the Wizarding world. One of the biggest assets in most wizards' repertoire is their ability to cast spells with different powers and applications.

Updated on January 9, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: The number of spells in the Harry Potter franchise has increased significantly with the movies and video games acquiring canon status. There are book spells that don't appear in any other medium and vice-versa. Furthermore, many characters perform non-verbal magic, which means there are countless magical possibilities yet to be explored. As such, we've updated this list with some relevant information about the best Harry Potter spells.

Spell	Incantation	Use
The Color Change Charm	Colovaria	Alters The Color Of An Animal Or Object
Unknown	Cantis	Forces The Target To Burst Into Song
Unknown	Densaugeo	Elongates The Victim's Teeth
The Gouging Spell	Defodio	Carves Shapes Into Stone
The Levitation Charm	Wingardium Leviosa	Makes Objects Levitate
The Incarcerous Spell	Incarcerous	Binds Target With Magical Ropes
The Unlocking Charm	Alohomora	Unlocks Doors Or Windows
The Stunning Spell	Stupefy	Knocks The Target Unconscious
The Confundus Charm	Confundo	Befuddles & Confuses The Target
The Human-Presence-Revealing Spell	Homenum Revelio	Identifies The Presence Of Nearby Humans
The Banishing Charm	Depulso	Sends Object Away From The Caster
The Hardening Charm	Duro	Makes Target Object Extremely Durable
The Shrinking Charm	Reducio	Reduces The Target's Physical Size
The Draconifors Spell	Draconifors	Converts Objects Into Small Dragons
The Blasting Curse	Confringo	Destroys Anything With A Massive Blast
The Full-Body Bind Curse	Petrificus Totalus	Effectively Paralyzes The Target
The Mending Charm	Reparo	Repairs Almost Any Broken Object
Unknown	Sectumsempra	Cuts Or Slashes The Target's Body
The Water-Making Spell	Aguamenti	Manifests Potable Water
The Disarming Charm	Expelliarmus	Disarms The Target
The Shield Charm	Protego	Blocks & Deflects An Attack
The Exploding Charm	Bombarda Maxima	Blasts Open Any Object
Fiendfyre	Pestis Incendium	Invokes A Malevolent Inferno
The Forgetfulness Charm	Obliviate	Removes Memories From Any Mind
The Imperius Curse	Imperio	Takes Over Another Person's Will
The Patronus Charm	Expecto Patronum	Protects Against Dementors
Dumbledore's Force Spell	Unknown	Captures Or Disarms Overpowered Opponents
The Killing Curse	Avada Kedavra	Kills The Target Instantly And Painlessly
The Cruciatus Curse	Crucio	Causes Unbearable Agony
Voldemort's Curse On Marvolo Gaunt's Ring	Unknown	Nearly Took Dumbledore's Life

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30 Colovaria Alters The Color Of An Animal Or Object

Colovaria is a charm that lets wizards change the color of any object or animal. It may have some practical applications, but it was never named in the books or films. Colovaria is seen at the end of The Sorcerer's Stone when Dumbledore revealed Gryffindor had won the House Cup and subsequently changed the Slytherin banners to Gryffindor.

Ron's brothers, Fred and George, convinced the young Weasley that a poem "incantation" would turn his rat Scabbers yellow. Ron recited, "Sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow" but to no effect. This could be because Scabbers wasn't an actual rat, but an Animagus – a wizard transformed into an animal. That said, Colovaria is extremely weak.

29 Cantis Forces The Target To Burst Into Song

Cantis is a spell that forces the target to start singing completely out of control. The results can be hilarious, but the application can be severely limited. Unfortunately, enchanted singing doesn't sound too great coming from suits of armor.

In fact, it seems like the spell might work better if the target of the incantation was a person. During one of the suits' attempts at "O Come, All Ye Faithful," it forgot half the lyrics. Peeves immediately took advantage of the situation by singing inappropriate words to fill in the gaps. Cantis is decidedly not one of the strongest Harry Potter spells.

28 Densaugeo Elongates The Victim's Teeth

The Densaugeo incantation is a hex designed to elongate its target's teeth into deformed spikes that grow at an incredibly fast pace. It's a scary spell to have inflicted, but its prankworthiness cannot be denied. Draco casts it on Hermione at some point during The Goblet of Fire.

This is another spell featured in Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 as a part of a DLC pack that includes a bunch of other silly spells. The hex in the game elongates the teeth to look similar to a rabbit. Densaugeo also gives the target a Groucho Marx mustache, glasses, and eyebrows to make the person look even more ridiculous.

27 Defodio Carves Shapes Into Stone

Defodio, or the Gouging Spell, is used to carve out pieces of stone or earth. The spell can be found in the Book of Spells by Miranda Goshawk. She states how practical it is for herbologists digging for seeds as well as treasure hunters or curse-breakers who need access to hard-to-reach places.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione were trapped in the tunnels of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, they used Defodio to escape on the back of a dragon chained there. Another time the Gouging Spell was used may have been after Dobby's death. It's possible that Harry used it to carve "Here lies Dobby, a free elf" into his gravestone, but this hasn't been confirmed.

26 Wingardium Leviosa Makes Objects Levitate

The Levitation Charm, better known as Wingardium Leviosa, is the first Harry Potter spell that most fans remember. It is introduced in The Sorcerer's Stone, where Hermione smartly masters the charm while Harry, Ron, and Neville struggle to "swish and flick" their wands.

The Book of Spells notes that Wingardium Leviosa "is an excellent test of [a young student's] magical skills, wand control, and above all, patience." Although the Levitation Charm doesn't have many offensive attributes, it occasionally comes in handy for defensive purposes.

25 Incarcerous Binds Target With Magically Generated Ropes

Incarcerous, as the name suggests, is a Harry Potter spell that binds or confines the target with the help of ropes. These magically generated cords can be of varying diameters, which presumably depends on the intent of the caster.

Incarcerous is a purely defensive spell in the books, but Dolores Umbridge's version in The Order of the Phoenix film reveals that the ropes are capable of active movement. Several characters have employed Incarcerous at some point, including Sirius, Lupin, Pettigrew, Dumbledore, and Draco. Despite its occasional usefulness, Incarcerous doesn't come in handy very often.

24 Alohomora Unlocks Door Or Window That Isn't Magically Protected

This Harry Potter spell is one of the more famous spells in the wizarding world. Alohomora, or The Thief's Friend, is a charm that unlocks and opens any doors or windows that don't have other magical protections.

However, it can open any doors that are locked using the Colloportus or Locking Spell. Hermione used it two times during her time at school. One was when she helped Sirius Black escape from Professor Filius Flitwick's office, thereby rescuing him. Also, Lord Voldemort presumably used this spell to break into Lily and James Potter's house before killing them, although he may have employed a stronger version.

23 Stupefy Knocks The Target Unconscious & Stops Moving Objects

Stupefy is arguably the most prevalent offensive Harry Potter spell, appearing far more often than most others in the same category. In addition to rendering people unconscious, the Stunning Spell impedes objects in motion and forces them to halt.

Although Stupefy knocks its victims out cold, it doesn't result in long-term injuries, making it a safe choice for schoolyard duels. That being said, the risks of the Stunning Spell are magnified when multiple attacks are cast concurrently. Thankfully, Rennervate or the Reviving Spell exists to counter the potentially harmful aspects of Stupefy.

22 Confundo Befuddles & Confuses The Target

Confundo is a charm that befuddles and confuses the target, which could be a person or an object (should that object have a consciousness). This Harry Potter spell doesn't give a target a standard amount of confusion; instead, varying degrees of confusion can be cast.

Snape told Harry, Ron, and Hermione that Sirius Black had cast Confundo on them to make them believe he was innocent during The Prisoner of Azkaban, although that wasn't true. Ronald Weasley also admitted that he'd used the spell on his Muggle driving examiner so he could pass his test and get his license.

21 Homenum Revelio Alerts Spellcaster To The Presence Of Nearby Humans

The Homenum Revelio is a spell that can alert the spellcaster to the presence of a human in their surrounding environment. The spell will mark the body to indicate to the witch or wizard of a person in the vicinity. On the two occasions that Harry and Ron used the invisibility cloak in The Sorcerer's Stone and The Prisoner of Azkaban, Dumbledore cast the spell non-verbally to detect their presence.

Hermione also used it in The Deathly Hallows after the Golden Trio escaped a Death Eater attack at Bill Weasley's and Fleur Delacour's wedding. She also used it at 12 Grimmauld Place, Sirius Black's family home, to make sure they were safe there.

20 Depulso Sends Object Away From The Caster

The spell Depulso is actually a counter-charm to the spell Accio — the latter summons an object to the witch or wizard, while Depulso banishes a person or object. This is a spell learned by Fourth Year students at Hogwarts in their Charms class.

As Neville Longbottom tried learning the spell in class with Professor Flitwick, the teacher was flung around the room due to Longbottom's poor aim. While it is technically a spell that Fourth Years at Hogwarts are supposed to learn, Hermione asks Ron and Harry if they remember how to use it in the game. They probably picked it up from Hermione who may have learned it in her free time.

19 Duro Makes Target Object Extremely Hard & Durable

Duro is another Harry Potter spell that comes straight out of Miranda Goshawk's Book of Spells. The incantation makes its target (usually an object) turn into stone. Goshawk states in her book that this spell is usually used by students looking to prank their friends by turning something like a "pumpkin pasty" into stone right before they take a bite of it.

The Hardening Charm's first appearance was in The Deathly Hallows when Hermione used it during the Battle of Hogwarts. A couple of Death Eaters who were chasing her, Ron, and Harry through the castle were wounded by running right into a tapestry that she turned to stone. Duro is a great spell in many cases, but hardly the most powerful on this list.

18 Reducio Reduces The Target's Physical Size

Reducio, or The Shrinking Charm, is a spell that allows a witch or wizard to make their target physically smaller internally as well as externally. Miranda Goshawk, the author of Book of Spells, recommends that this spell should be learned with the Engorgement Charm, which will make its target increase physically.

Madam Pomfrey used this spell on Hermione after Draco Malfoy hexed her with the Densaugeo, a spell that enlarges and deforms a person's teeth. Reducio was also used by Barty Crouch Jr. (disguised as Moody) after he used the Engorgement Charm on a spider.

17 Draconifors Converts Small Objects Into Remote-Controlled Dragons

The Draconifors incantation is used to transform any small object into a dragon which can be controlled by the witch or wizard who cast it. It is a transfiguration spell that is taught by Professor McGonagall to her Third Year students at Hogwarts.

The dragons that the spell transforms from an object are less powerful versions of an actual dragon and their size would depend on the size of the object it was transfigured from. It's possible this spell was used on the small model dragons used in the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament, which indicated which dragon the contenders would have to face.

16 Confringo Destroys Anything With A Massive Blast

Anything targeted with Confringo, or the Blasting Curse, explodes instantly. It's a spell that's extremely dangerous because, if used irresponsibly, it can cause serious harm. During the First Wizarding War, the spell was speculated as being used to eliminate twelve Muggles by the Death Eater Peter Pettigrew.

Pettigrew used the Blasting Curse to decimate a street but instead killed innocent bystanders in the process, effectively condemning Sirius Black to Azkaban. The Ministry of Magic found Black guilty of the Muggle's deaths, as well as Peter Pettigrew's. The truth was only revealed much later during the events of the third book in the series.

15 Petrificus Totalus Effectively Paralyzes The Target

Although technically a curse, even First Year students at Hogwarts have access to Petrificus Totalus. This Harry Potter spell effectively paralyzes the target, preventing them from moving any part of their body except their eyes.

The Golden Trio uses it on Neville Longbottom in the first movie, whereas Albus Dumbledore casts some version of the Full Body-Bind to protect Harry in The Half-Blood Prince. Interestingly, Petrificus Totalus can also be employed to freeze objects in motion, but there are much better spells for this purpose. It's sad that witches and wizards don't use this relatively benign curse more often.

14 Reparo Repairs Almost Any Broken Object

Reparo is a universally valued charm in that it finds applications in every single sphere of wizarding life. As long as complex magic isn't involved, any broken object can be instantly repaired by the Mending Charm.

There is no clear limit on the type of material that Reparo can work on, including wood, metal, glass, cloth, ceramic, and several others. The Mending Charm is obviously not meant for living creatures and might produce extreme reactions if used on living skin. Reparo is the last spell the Elder Wand casts to fix Harry's broken wand.

13 Sectumsempra Cuts Or Slashes The Target's Body

Sectumsempra is an incantation that cuts or slashes the caster's target. It was a curse created by the Half-Blood Prince himself, Severus Snape, which he likely wanted to use against the Marauders. Sectumsempra was used by Harry Potter when he confronted Draco Malfoy in Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom without realizing the severity of the damage it would inflict.

Its use horrified and filled Harry with guilt as he didn't wish to hurt Malfoy that much. The damage caused by Sectumsempra can be healed with the song-like spell, Vulnera Sanentur, but medical attention is still required.

12 Aguamenti Manifests Potable Water For A Range Of Purposes

Aguamenti is a charm of considerable power as it can manifest potable water. Conjuration is tough as it is, but to produce actual water is beyond impressive, especially since the rules of magic are constrained by Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration.

The Water-Making Spell is extremely versatile — casters can generate outcomes ranging from weak spouts to heavy floods. Unfortunately, Aguamenti has zero effect on dark Harry Potter spells like Fiendfyre. On the other hand, it comes in handy when Harry and Hagrid need to douse the inferno consuming the Gamekeeper's hut.

11 Expelliarmus Disarms The Target Of Anything They May Be Holding

The Expelliarmus spell is an incantation that's often used in wizarding duels. It's also known as the Disarming Charm, which is a defensive spell that forces the target of the spell to release whatever they're holding at that moment. This spell became Harry Potter's signature move during combat.

Harry used Expelliarmus to take back Tom Riddle's journal after Draco Malfoy stole it, mistaking it for Harry's personal diary. This spell is also credited for taking out Voldemort, as the Killing Curse that he cast on Harry rebounded when it struck the latter's Expelliarmus.