Wandless magic

Albus Dumbledore casting Arresto Momentum without a wand

"The wand is a European invention, and while African witches and wizards have adopted it as a useful tool in the last century, many spells are cast simply by pointing the finger or through hand gestures. This gives Uagadou students a sturdy line of defence when accused of breaking the International Statute of Secrecy ('I was only waving, I never meant his chin to fall off')."

— History of wandless magic

Wandless magic was the performance of magic without the use of a wand. Such magic was often difficult to perform for those who didn't take the time to learn the skill, and could have unexpected or volatile results if not done properly. Usually, witches and wizards accustomed to using wands could only reliably perform wandless magic if they possessed great skill. However, within regions of the wizarding world that historically did not use wands, wandless magic was considered the norm, and using one was optional.

Nature and practice

Wands were used by witches and wizards to channel their magic, making their spells more accurate and potent. Within cultures where wands were ubiquitous, only the most powerful and disciplined wizards and witches could perform wandless magic reliably. Transfiguration and charms were particularly difficult to perform without a wand.

However, the wand was a European invention, and some cultures did not traditionally rely upon such tools for performing magic. Native Americans had their own practices that predated European colonisation, and did not require a wand; African witches and wizards only adopted the wand in the 20th century, and even in the modern era, wands were not necessary for many of their practices.

Wandless magic was not officially taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; however, books on the subject were found in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library.

Wandless magic could also be performed nonverbally, but this increased the level of difficulty to the point that only practitioners of exceptional skill could perform more than the most basic magic. Albus Dumbledore, generally considered the greatest wizard of all time, was known for performing magic in this manner. Quirinus Quirrell whilst possessed by Lord Voldemort was also capable of both nonverbal and wandless spells, as shown with the Incarcerous Spell which he used on Harry Potter in the Underground Chambers.

Gellert Grindelwald, an infamous Dark wizard active in the Global Wizarding War, was also extremely skilled with wandless magic, having performed it numerous times without difficulty during the conflict.

Underage magic

Main article: Underage magic

Wandless spells were often used in cases of underage magic, in which children under the age of eleven, who had no wands, sometimes used magic. This was known as Accidental Wandless Magic. On most of these occasions, the children had no control over their abilities, and would unintentionally use magic when upset or in danger.

Some children, however, exerted some control over their magic, but they were untrained in proper spells. For example, Tom Riddle was able to hurt people and influence animals before he even knew of the existence of the wizarding world, and Lily Evans was able to use magic to stop herself falling as fast as normal and also to accelerate the growth of a flower.

On 2 August 1995, Harry Potter unknowingly performed underage wandless magic in an alleyway in Little Whinging due to the presence of Dementors, with Harry speaking the incantation for the Wand-Lighting Charm aloud (Lumos) despite not holding his wand which he had dropped in the darkness, which instantly illuminated his wand, allowing him to find it.

Known practitioners

Minerva McGonagall casting a wandless Avifors Spell

Voldemort moving a giant's body out of his path by waving his hand

The following wizards and witches were known to have been able to perform spells intentionally without use of a wand:

• Andros the Invincible
• Uagadou students
• Eleazar Fig
• Gellert Grindelwald
• Queenie Goldstein
• Carlotta Pinkstone
• Jacob's sibling
• Liz Tuttle's mother
• Merula Snyde
• Jacob
• Verucca Buckthorn-Snyde
• Vega
• Ben Copper
• Albus Dumbledore
• Alastor Moody
• Bartemius Crouch Junior
• Severus Snape
• Filius Flitwick
• Quirinus Quirrell
• Minerva McGonagall
• Harry Potter
• Remus Lupin
• Tom
• Wizard in the Leaky Cauldron
• Fenrir Greyback
• Tom Marvolo Riddle
• Hermione Granger
• Delphini

Possible practitioners

The following wizards and witches may or may not have intentionally performed spells without use of a wand:

• Altheda (fictional)
• Draco Malfoy

Non-human wandless magic

Main articles: House-elf magic and Goblin magic

House-elves, goblins, and other non-humans were able to perform magic without wands.

Goblins sometimes referred to wizards and witches as "wand bearers" and humans' refusal to share wand knowledge with goblins was a source of great ill-feeling between the two species.

Behind the scenes

• In the film and video game adaptations of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Hermione Granger casts the Confundus Charm at Cormac McLaggen whispering the words into her hand. She was merely holding her wand while casting the Avis later in the film and merely spoke the Oppugno Jinx to make the conjured birds shoot at Ron like bullets instead of pointing her wand at him as she did in the novel.
• The film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban showed more instances of wandless magic compared to other films, being:
  • Dumbledore flicking the flame of a candle during his speech at the Great Hall.
  • Dumbledore casting the Slowing Charm.
  • Lupin opening the lock of a trunk containing the Boggart during Harry's Anti-Dementor lessons.
  • Lupin relighting candles during these lessons.
• Rowling describes wandless magic as sophisticated and requiring more talent than magic performed using a wand.
• Albus Dumbledore has only demonstrated wandless magic a couple of times in the Harry Potter books. He demonstrated more wandless magic in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Notable uses of his ability throughout the films were transfiguring the Slytherin banners in the Great Hall to that of Gryffindor's, saving Harry Potter from falling to his death during a Quidditch match, extinguishing and re-igniting a candle with a wave of his hand, repeatedly sending Harry Potter flying away from his duel with Lord Voldemort without touching him, summoning the chain of The Cave boat from the The Cave lake to his hand (causing the water to bubble) and setting a young Tom Riddle's wardrobe on fire respectively. He also dimmed the Great Hall's light sources when summoning the Champions' names from the Goblet of Fire into his open hand, and dimmed the lights in his office when Harry first used the Pensieve to view Dumbledore's memories of Tom Riddle. In each instance, except his encounter with the young Tom Riddle he would extend, wave or otherwise gesture with his hand, while he was not even looking at Tom's wardrobe when he made it engulfed in fire. He even attempted to summon Slytherin's Locket from the basin with Emerald Potion at The Cave island, but it only caused the potion to ripple inside the basin and forced Dumbledore to have to drink it.
• Tom Riddle, a.k.a Lord Voldemort, also only performed wandless magic in the films, not counting the controlled magic he performed prior to going to Hogwarts. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Voldemort wandlessly knocked Harry to the ground when waving his hand in front of Harry's face, deflected Harry's Disarming Charm by waving his hand, and magically lifted Harry from the ground with one hand, applying force to the latter's face from a distance whilst pulling him to his feet. He again used wandless magic on Harry in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, impatiently disarming the boy with a wave of his wand-free hand. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Voldemort again used wandless magic to move a dead giant out of the way (possible with Mobilicorpus) and to make his cloak extend and restrain Harry.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Draco Malfoy appears to close the shutters on the Hogwarts Express without a wand, though it is possible another form of magic was used to close the curtains, not performed by Malfoy.
• Altheda from the fairy tale The Fountain of Fair Fortune may have been able to perform wandless magic, as she was able to brew a potion when her wand was stolen. In the in-universe reality, this would require her to cast a potion-making spell, though Beedle the Bard may have ignored this fact as part of his fairy tale.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (play)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Possible appearance)
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Hogwarts Legacy