Cruciatus

Spells in Harry Potter occur in the fictional wizarding world of the series of books by author J. K. Rowling. Magic spells are used by many of the characters to achieve useful effects without the benefit of modern technology. The main depiction of a "spell" in the Harry Potter books consists of a gesture made with the character's wand, combined with a spoken or mental incantation. In the books and the associated film series, the names of the majority of these spells or the incantations used to effect them are derived from the classical languages, particularly Latin. These names are not grammatically correct in any language; most spoken phrases resemble Latin words of appropriate meaning but are not proper Latin themselves.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the concept of casting spells nonverbally is introduced. Earlier, every spell cast by the principal characters had been accompanied by the appropriate voiced incantation, although advanced adult practitioners of magic had cast nonverbal spells in previous books. Consequently, the incantations used for some spells introduced in Half-Blood Prince and its sequel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are unavailable.

Spells are listed here by their incantations (when known), with their vernacular names in parenthesis. Some spells have no known incantation – the only reference in the text is by an informal name, either because in its only appearance in the relevant book it was cast nonverbally, or because it was never depicted in the books, only mentioned. The majority of spells cast in duels between adult characters in all seven books appear nonverbally; only their effects can identify such spells.