Magic Harry Potter: Encyclopedia II - Magic Harry Potter - Spellcasting

Magic Harry Potter - Spellcasting

Spells are the every-purpose tools of a wizard or witch, short bursts of magic to accomplish single specialized tasks such as opening locks or creating fire. Typically casting requires an incantation, most often in a modified form of Latin (see Dog Latin), and gesturing with a wand. However, these seem to be aids to the will only; wands are vitally so, but sufficiently advanced witches and wizards can perform non-verbal magic. This technique is taught in the sixth year of study at Hogwarts; it requires the caster to concentrate on the incantation. Some spells (e.g.Levicorpus) are apparently designed to be used non-verbally. Albus Dumbledore has been known to do good-sized feats of magic without speaking, such as conjuring enough squashy purple sleeping bags to accommodate the entire school.

Spells are divided into rough categories, such as charms, curses, hexes, or jinxes. Although offensive and potentially dangerous ones exist in number, three are considered to be usable only for great evil, which earns them the special classification of Unforgivable Curses and a strict outlawing.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Spellcasting", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki