What was life like before you knew to look at a locked door and say, “Alohomora?” Before we were introduced to the world of Harry Potter? The first book was published 20 years ago, and the stories by author J.K. Rowling have opened a portal to a fantastical place and created a new fandom. That fandom dons robes and wields wands at events around the world. Many witches and wizards try their hand at perfecting spells—and the list of spells has grown considerably since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone hit shelves in 1997.
Of all the choices available, these are the 10 best spells:
Accio
This summoning charm would be handy in a variety of situations from getting food off the floor before it violates the five second rule to calling your broom when you’re trying to escape a dragon. I appreciate something that can be used casually and/or in a life and death encounter.
Tongue-Tying Curse
Want to bind someone’s tongue to stop them from babbling on about a particular topic? The Tongue-Tying Curse, a.k.a. Mimblewimble, is your friend. Though it’s seemingly intended for more serious use, like keeping a location like 12 Grimmauld Place secret, I could see it coming in handy for silencing trolls on the internet or mansplainers.
Reparo
Need to fix that crack in your windshield or a broken smart phone face? Reparo, a.k.a. the Mending Charm, will set things to rights. This would be an exceptionally useful skill to have access to in the aftermath of a superhero battle.
Cheering Charm
Look, we all have days when we’re feeling blue. The Cheering Charm has the ability to make someone feel happy and content. As long as it’s not applied with a heavy hand (that would result in the targeted person falling into a laughing fit), it could be a way to occasionally spread a little joy.
Pack
This spell might have a straightforward, boring name, but imagine the possibilities for moving. We’ve seen it applied to packing trunks in the films, but I imagine it would even extend to boxes. No more paying movers to carefully package all your collectibles and books. You could pair Pack with the Teleportation spell to make changing addresses stress-free.
Herbivicus
The Herbivicus Charm (which has appeared only in the video games so far) helps plants grow at a faster rate and makes flowers bloom. Its practical uses are too appealing to ignore. Think of how many trees you could grow.
Alohomora
It’s hard to deny the appeal of the Alohomora charm. I wouldn’t want to open doors or windows for nefarious purposes, just when I lock myself out of my apartment or something.
Crinus Mutoust
Being able to change the style and color of someone’s hair may not be the most heavy-hitting of spells, but wouldn’t it be spectacular? This transfiguration spell could make getting ready to leave the house in the mornings much easier.
Undetectable Extension Charm
You can use this charm to make your very own bag of holding. Enough said.
Disillusionment Charm
Need to stay out of sight? The Disillusionment Charm doesn’t make the target disappear completely but does give him or her chameleon-like qualities, so they can blend in. I’d use this to stand along the back wall of panels in Hall H.
If you attended Hogwarts, which spell would you be most excited about learning? Tell me in the comments. And for the record, if we were talking about magical transportation instead of spells, Apparition would be at the top of the list.
Images: Warner Bros., BuzzFeed, Harry Potter wiki
