The Harry Potter movies have brought audiences countless hours of joy since the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, debuted in 2001. Because most of the movies take place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, many scenes focus on the students’ attempts to learn magic spells. But at Hogwarts – just like here in the muggle world – learning a new skill can be difficult. At times, magic also proves to be difficult for experienced witches and wizards. Here are 32 times that the spells cast by magical folk had unexpected, hilarious, or tragic results.
NOTE: Spoilers ahead.
Voldemort’s Killing Curse Backfires - Sorcerer’s Stone
On the night that Voldemort attacked the Potter family, he planned to kill baby Harry. But seconds before, Lily Potter begged Voldemort to spare her son’s life and take hers instead. Voldemort ignored her pleas and killed her anyway. But Voldemort didn’t know that Lily’s loving sacrifice covered Harry with a powerful protection spell. So, when Voldemort attempted to kill Harry, the curse bounced off of the protected infant, hit Voldemort, and turned him into a shell of his former self.
Ron Tells Malfoy to “Eat Slugs” - Chamber of Secrets
At the beginning of Chamber of Secrets, Ron breaks his wand. Although he attempts to fix it, nothing works. Later, Malfoy calls Hermione a mudblood. Ron, who knows that the phrase is a derogatory term for muggle-born witches, instantly springs into action. He aims his wand at Draco and yells, “Eat slugs!” But the broken wand causes the spell to backfire. The spell hits Ron instead, who then vomits slugs for several hours.
Professor Lockhart Removes Harry’s Bones - Chamber of Secrets
Chamber of Secrets introduces Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, the dashing new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Lockhart is a famed author and speaker known for many heroic acts. However, the students quickly begin to suspect that Lockhart isn’t all that he seems. One suspicious sign happens when Harry breaks his arm during a Quidditch match. Lockhart brags that he can repair the break, but instead of fixing Harry’s arm bones, Lockhart completely removes them. Luckily, Harry returned to form after spending a night in the infirmary with a few doses of Skele-Gro.
Ron Gets Splinched - Deathly Hallows - Part 1
Wizards use a variety of methods to get from place to place. Some - such as port keys and broomsticks - can be used by all ages. However, apparating can be dangerous, so it can only be used by adults. Ron’s injury in Deathly Hallows illustrates this. When he, Hermione, and Harry are fleeing a group of Death Eaters, they apparate away. But Ron gets "splinched," meaning that he left part of his body at the original destination. Luckily, Hermione was able to heal him.
Seamus Causes an Explosion While Trying to Change his Drink - Sorcerer’s Stone
When the new students arrive at Hogwarts, they are eager to learn magic. Perhaps no one is more impatient than Seamus Finnegan, one of the five new Gryffindor boys. Before classes even begin, Seamus tries to get a stronger drink by chanting, “Eye of rabbit, harp string hum, turn this water into rum!” The spell fails to turn water into alcohol, but it causes an explosion that succeeds at covering Seamus in soot.
Fred & George Turn into Old Men - Goblet of Fire
The Triwizard Tournament is a competition between three wizarding schools - Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts. Those who want to compete place their names into the titular Goblet of Fire. The magical Goblet then chooses one participant from each school. However, because the Triwizard Tournament can be dangerous, all competitors must be over 17. Dumbledore himself drew an age line around the Goblet of Fire to prevent underage wizards from accessing it.
Despite all this, Fred and George Weasley, as they often do, attempt to bend the rules. They concoct an age potion to trick the magic line. But of course, two teenage wizards are no match for Dumbledore. His age line immediately shoots the Weasley twins across the room. As a bonus, it also gives each boy long white hair and a matching beard.
Hermione Turns into a Cat - Chamber of Secrets
All of the Hogwarts professors (with the possible exception of Professor Snape) acknowledge that Hermione is a magical prodigy. She’s always the first to master a new spell, but even smart people can make mistakes. For example, in Chamber of Secrets, she learns to make Polyjuice Potion. This magical beverage turns the drinker into another person. To activate the potion, all you need is a few strands of your target’s hair.
Ron, Hermione, and Harry decide to use Polyjuice Potion to spy on Malfoy. Harry and Ron successfully get hairs from Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione thinks that she’s gotten a hair from a Slytherin girl named Millicent Bulstrode. But when she drinks the potion, she quickly learns that the hair on Millicent’s robe belongs to her cat. Hermione spent a considerable amount of time in the infirmary recovering from the cat-tastrophe.
Lockhart Attempts “Obliviate” - Chamber Of Secrets
After Ron and Harry figure out that the basilisk lives in the Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart decides to accompany them. But that’s when they learn that he’s become famous by taking credit for other wizards’ work and then erasing their memories. Lockhart pledges to do the same to Harry and Ron. He grabs Ron’s wand and uses it to perform the “obliviate” spell. But Ron’s broken wand causes the spell to backfire and erase Lockhart’s memory instead.
Dumbledore and the Resurrection Stone - Half-Blood Prince
Even great wizards can make mistakes. When Dumbledore found Marvalo Gaunt’s ring in the Gaunt shack, he saw that it contained the Resurrection Stone. His first thought was of his family, specifically his sister Ariana. He slipped on the ring, completely ignoring the fact that it was a cursed Horcrux. The cursed ring infected Dumbledore. Although Snape was able to limit the damage, it still considerably shortened Dumbledore’s life.
Voldemort Accidentally Creates a Horcrux - Sorcerer’s Stone and Deathly Hallows - Part 2
In The Sorcerer’s Stone, we see Voldemort kill Harry’s parents. We also see Voldemort’s Killing Curse backfire. But in Deathly Hallows - Part 2, we learn that Voldemort inadvertently turned Harry into a Horcrux that night. By putting a part of his soul into Harry, Voldemort also gave him some of his abilities, such as the ability to talk to snakes.
Voldemort & Priori Incantatem - Goblet of Fire
After recovering his body in Goblet of Fire, Voldemort plans to immediately kill Harry. He challenges Harry to a duel in the cemetery. But Voldemort doesn’t realize that his wand and Harry’s share a core. (Both are powered by feathers that came from Fawkes, Dumbledore’s pet phoenix.) Because the wands share a core, when they interact, one wand will force the other to show the spells it has previously performed. The ghosts of Cedric Diggory and Harry’s parents provide enough time and distraction to allow Harry to escape the cemetery and return to Hogwarts.
Romilda Vane’s Love Potion - Half-Blood Prince
In their sixth year, Professor Slughorn teaches the Hogwarts students about love potions. Gryffindor student Romilda Vane, who has a crush on Harry, decides to put the lesson to the test. She puts some love potion into some chocolates. She leaves the laced candies on Harry’s bed, but Ron eats them. The smitten Ron hilariously talks about nothing but Romilda until Harry takes him to Professor Slughorn to get the antidote.
Harry Inflates Aunt Marge - Prisoner of Azkaban
Not all magic happens on purpose. After Uncle Vernon’s sister Marge insults Harry’s parents, Harry’s anger unintentionally causes Marge to inflate. She floats like a balloon over the Dursleys’ house in Little Whinging, and is spotted by many muggles along the way.
Harry Uses “Sectumsempra” - Half-Blood Prince
In his sixth year, Harry and Ron are surprised to learn that they can continue in Potions. Because they don’t have textbooks, Professor Slughorn lets them borrow some copies left by former students. Harry’s copy has annotations that lead him to the head of the potions class. But it also has a spell called “Sectumsempra” which is “for enemies.” Harry uses the spell on Malfoy without knowing what it does. It causes Malfoy to bleed profusely. Fortunately, Professor Snape (who we later learn created the spell) arrives to help.
Ron Tries to Turn Scabbers Yellow - Sorcerer’s Stone
While on the train to Hogwarts for the first time, Ron tries to turn his pet rat, Scabbers, yellow. He recites, “Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.” Scabbers remains brown, but the spell does cause a small explosion.
Dobby Drops the Pudding and More - Chamber of Secrets
Dobby is determined to keep Harry from returning to Hogwarts. He intercepts Harry’s mail, drops a pudding on Uncle Vernon’s dinner guests using a hover charm, and blocks Platform 9¾. While Dobby succeeds at getting Harry in trouble at home and at Hogwarts, his magic doesn’t keep Harry from returning to Hogwarts.
Seamus Creates an Explosion in Charms Class - Sorcerer’s Stone
The new Hogwarts students’ first Charms class focuses on levitation. Professor Flitwick teaches them to use “Wingardium Leviosa.” (And it’s “LeviOsa,” not “LevioSA.”) While many of the students (except Hermione) struggle, Seamus somehow manages to explode the feather.
The Flying Ford Anglia - Chamber of Secrets
After Dobby seals Platform 9¾, Harry and Ron realize that they’ll miss the Hogwarts Express. Panicked, they use Mr. Weasley’s bewitched Ford Anglia to get to school. But the flying car creates many issues. The ride breaks Ron’s wand, muggles see their flight, and when they arrive at Hogwarts, they nearly destroy the Whomping Willow. To top it off, they lose the car in the Forbidden Forest.
Harry Makes the Glass Disappear - Sorcerer’s Stone
Underage wizards often do magic unintentionally. Such was the case when Harry and Dudley were at the zoo. Dudley began taunting a boa constrictor by tapping on its glass enclosure. Harry, angered by Dudley’s bad behavior, makes the glass barrier disappear. Dudley is embarrassed and the snake escapes.
Harry Winds Up in Knockturn Alley - Chamber of Secrets
Floo powder is a tricky thing. Mrs. Weasley tells Harry that he has to clearly state his destination for the powder to work properly. But when he steps into the fireplace, he doesn’t say “Diagon Alley.” Instead, he mumbles something along the lines of “diegonelly.” Harry’s mistake causes him to wind up in Knockturn Alley.
Draco & the Cursed Necklace - Half-Blood Prince
After Voldemort gives Draco the impossible task of killing Dumbledore, he tries a variety of methods. He curses an opal necklace that he plans to give to Dumbledore. The plan goes sideways when Katie Bell, a Gryffindor girl, finds it first. Katie levitates creepily into the air. Her health is imperiled, but she is later cured.
Harry Chooses the Wrong Wand - Sorcerer’s Stone
When he learns that he’s a wizard, Harry has to choose a wand. Hagrid takes him to Ollivander’s Wand Shop to get the important accessory. But the wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around. As Mr. Ollivander gives Harry various wands to try, they respond in different ways. One causes an explosion that blasts several wands out of their boxes.
Lockhart & the Cornish Pixies - Chamber of Secrets
Chamber of Secrets provides many clues that Professor Lockhart isn’t who he claims to be. During his first class, he unleashes Cornish pixies. The pixies quickly cause mayhem because Lockhart can’t get them back into their cage. The fact that Hermione, a second-year student, gets the situation under control when Lockhart can’t is a clear sign that he’s not the wizard he claims to be.
Voldemort Uses Harry’s Blood to Create His New Body - Goblet of Fire
At the end of Goblet of Fire, Wormtail uses Harry’s blood as part of the spell to return Voldemort to his physical body. But Voldemort doesn’t realize that by doing so, he created a blood tie between him and Harry. Voldemort’s method ensured that Harry could not die as long as Voldemort lived.
Reading Snape’s Mind - Order of the Phoenix
After learning that the connection between Harry and Voldemort is growing stronger, Dumbledore asks Snape to teach Harry Occulmency - the art of protecting one’s thoughts from being read. Harry repeatedly fails to block Snape’s attempts to read his thoughts. But one day, a frustrated Harry pushes back so hard that he can read Snape’s thoughts. He sees embarrassing memories of Snape being bullied as a youth.
Spying on Draco with the Invisibility Cloak - Half-Blood Prince
From the very beginning of Half-Blood Prince, Harry suspects that Draco is up to something. He uses the Invisibility Cloak to enter Draco’s car on the Hogwarts Express and eavesdrop on his conversation with his fellow Slytherins. Unfortunately, Draco suspects that Harry is listening. Draco petrifies Harry, punches him, and covers him with the invisibility cloak. Fortunately, Luna Lovegood arrives to save the day.
Lockhart Throws the Snake into the Air - Chamber of Secrets
In Chamber of Secrets, Professor Lockhart and Professor Snape introduce the students to Dueling Club. When Harry and Draco go at it, Draco conjures a large snake. Lockhart says he can get rid of it, but instead, he throws the snake into the air.
Harry Uses “Engorio” on a Fire - Deathly Hallows, Part 1
As Ron and Harry sit in the tent, they focus on one of Hermione’s fires. To make the fire bigger, Harry uses “Engorgio.” But the small space means that there isn’t much room for a big fire. This leads the boys to quickly reverse the spell with “Reducio.”
Seamus Nearly Explodes Himself During Potions Class - Half-Blood Prince
In Half-Blood Prince, Professor Slughorn instructs the students on making the Draught of Living Death. To encourage them, he offers a prize for the best potion. But the complex potion is giving everyone - even Hermione - a hard time. Poor Seamus has the hardest time of all as his potion explodes in his face.
Voldemort’s Attack on Harry Fails - Deathly Hallows, Part 1
In Deathly Hallows, Part 1, Harry prepares to finally leave the Dursleys’ home. To trick the Death Eaters, Mad-Eye Moody has six people take Polyjuice Potion to pose as Harry. The plan nearly works, but when Voldemort’s followers attack, Hedwig attempts to protect Harry. This brave act helps the Death Eaters single out the true Chosen One. Voldemort swiftly flies to the scene and lobs a Killing Curse at Harry. But Harry’s wand – with no prompting from Harry – offered its own counterattack. The wand could sense the connection between Harry and Voldemort – a connection that Voldemort had unintentionally made even stronger.
Voldemort’s Possession of Harry - Order of the Phoenix
At the end of Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore and Voldemort have an epic battle. Although he is already beaten, Voldemort attempts to even the score by possessing Harry. Not only does the possession not have the desired effect on Dumbledore, but by staying in Harry’s body for so long, Voldemort allows himself to be seen by Cornelius Fudge and other Ministry of Magic officials. So, Voldemort’s possession of Harry thwarted his plan to keep his return a secret.
Draco & the Poisoned Wine - Half-Blood Prince
In the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort directs Draco to kill Dumbledore. Draco poisons a bottle of wine. While the bottle is intended for the headmaster, it ends up at Professor Slughorn’s. Ron nearly dies after drinking some. Luckily, Harry’s quick thinking (and the fact that Slughorn just happened to have a bezoar) saved Ron’s life.
