‘Harry Potter’ Terminology Every Wizard And Witch Should Know

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Muggle

A muggle is a word that wizards and witches use to describe normal people that don’t know how to use magic.

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Quidditch

Quidditch is a wizarding sport in which the players fly on broomsticks. Harry joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team during his first year at Hogwarts, and became the youngest seeker in history!

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The Golden Snitch

The golden snitch is one of the balls used in Quidditch. The first seeker to catch it scores 150 points for their team and ends the game.

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Bludger and Quaffle

These are other balls used in the game of Quidditch. Bludgers are used to hit opponents, while quaffles are used to score points.

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Chaser, Beater, Seeker and Keeper

The chaser’s job in Quidditch is to try to get the quaffles into the other team’s goal, while the keepers have to protect the goals. Beaters hit the bludgers at the players on the other team, and the seekers try to catch the golden snitch.

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Mudblood

A mudblood is a derogatory term for a witch or wizard that was born from muggle parents.

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Mandrake

This is a plant used to return cursed or transfigured people to their natural state. But there’s a catch! The cry of the Mandrake plant is fatal to anyone who hears it.

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Devil’s Snare

Devil’s Snare is also a dangerous plant. It entrapped Harry, Ron and Hermione when they were trying to stop Voldemort from getting the Sorcerers Stone in the first movie. Thankfully, it’s afraid of sunlight!

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Gillyweed

Gillyweed is a water plant. If a person swallows some Gillyweed, it can turn them into a water creature for a short period of time. Harry used the plant during one task in the Triwizard Tournament during Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

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Apparate

Apparation is the act of transporting oneself instantly to any destination. It’s actually pretty dangerous for a wizard or witch to do, so apparation requires a license from the Department of Magical Transportation, which can only be issued to those who are 17 years old and over.

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Transfiguration

Transfiguration is the art of turning one thing into another. For example, fans will never forget the time Professor McGonagall transformed herself into a cat!

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Divination

Divination is the art of looking into the future using things like tea leaves or crystal balls.

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Prophecy

A prophecy is a prediction about the future.

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Horcrux

A horcrux is a magical item that can conceal a piece of someone’s soul. Voldemort used them, so in order to kill him, Harry had to find all seven of them and destroy them, which was not an easy task.

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Wizard’s Chess

Wizard’s chess is like normal chess, except the pieces move on their own when the players tell them where to go. Plus, when a piece gets taken out by another one, it literally gets destroyed.

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The Sorcerer’s Stone

The Sorcerer’s Stone can transform any metal into pure gold. It can also make someone immortal. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Voldemort tried to get the stone, which was hidden deep inside of Hogwarts. Thankfully, Harry was able to stop him before he could get his hands on it.

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Elixir of Life

Elixir of Life is the substance found in the Sorcerer’s Stone that can make someone immortal.

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Parselmouth

Parselmouth is the ability to speak to snakes! Harry and Voldemort both have it. The language itself is called parseltongue.

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The Triwizard Tournament

The Triwizard Tournament is a competition held between the three biggest schools of Witchraft and Wizardry — Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Each school selects a champion, and the champions compete in three magical tasks. In Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts, he was chosen to compete in the dangerous competition, which sparked outrage at the school since he was only 14 years old, and the minimum age to compete was 17. In the end, it was revealed that it had all been a ploy by Voldemort in an attempt to get his hands on Harry.

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The Goblet of Fire

The Goblet of Fire is used to select the students who will participate in the Triwizard Tournament.

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Diagon Alley

Diagon Alley is a street in London where wizards and witches go to shop! It’s lined with tons of stores, including Olivander’s, Flourish and Blotts, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes and more, and it’s where Harry bought all of his school supplies.

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Gringotts Bank

Gringotts is a wizarding bank, located on Diagon Alley. It’s run by goblins, and is said to be one of the safest places in the wizarding world.

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Ollivanders

Ollivanders is a shop on Diagon Alley where witches and wizards can go to purchase their wands!

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Knockturn Alley

Knockturn Alley is a street near Diagon Alley that has shops devoted to the Dark Arts.

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The Leaky Cauldron

The Leaky Cauldron is a pub in London that a lot of wizards and witches hang out in. It’s also an entranceway to Diagon Alley, and a hotel!

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Polyjuice Potion

Polyjuice Potion is a potion that allows the drinker to transform him or herself temporarily into the physical form of another.

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Felix Felicis

Felix Felicis is a potion that allows its drinker to be very lucky. Harry won a vile of it during Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince.

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Butterbeer

Butterbeer is a warm and yummy drink that’s pretty popular in the wizarding world. Harry, Ron and Hermione were seen drinking it various times throughout the story.

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Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans

Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans is a popular wizard candy! It contains jelly beans of literally every flavor —some of the most famous being booger, vomit, earthworm, ear wax and soap.

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Chocolate Frog

A chocolate frog is a wizard candy that’s literally a piece of chocolate shaped like a frog. It’s bewitched to move and jump like a real frog, but in the end it’s only candy. It also comes with a collectible wizard card.

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Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties and Fizzing Whizzbees

Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties and Fizzing Whizzbees are more types of yummy wizard candies.

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Death Eater

Voldemort’s followers are referred to as Death Eaters. Some famous ones are Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr. and Lucius Malfoy.

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The Dark Mark

This is the name of the symbol that Voldemort uses to brand his followers. It looks like a tattoo, except it moves!

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Hogwarts

Hogwarts is the name of the school that Harry, Ron, Hermione go to! It’s said to be one of the best in the wizarding world.

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House

In Hogwarts, there are four houses that wizards and witches can be sorted into — Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Your house is like your family while at Hogwarts — you all eat together, sleep in the same dormitories and more!

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House Cup

This is the award given to the house that has the most points at the end of the year. Throughout the school year, if students do bad things they will get points taken away from their house, but if they do good things, points will be rewarded.

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The Sorting Hat

The sorting hat is a hat that looks inside a witch or wizard’s brain and decides which house they will be a part of while at Hogwarts.

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The Whomping Willow

The Whomping Willow is a huge ancient tree on the Hogwarts grounds, which will whack anything that comes into range. You definitely do not want to mess with it!

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Basilisk

A basilisk is a snake-like creature who will turn you to stone if you look it in the eyes. It lived in the Chamber of Secrets, that is, until Harry killed it in the second movie.

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Azkaban

Azkaban is a prison for wizards and witches.

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Dementor

Dementors are magical creatures that act as guards at Azkaban. The kiss of a Dementor will suck out a person’s soul.

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Patronus

A patronus is a positive force that protects against Dementors when a witch or wizard uses the spell “Expecto Patronum.” It takes the shape of an animal, and every witch and wizard’s is different, based off of their personality.

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The Knight Bus

The knight bus is a purple, double decker bus that is used as emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. It takes Harry to the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

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Boggart

Boggarts take the shape of what a person fears the most.

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Galleon, Knut and Sickle

Galleon, knut and sickle are three different types of wizarding money! Galleon is worth the most, then sickle, then knut.

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The Deathly Hallows

The Deathly Hallows are a group of 3 magical items — the Cloak of Invisibility, the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand. It’s said that whoever possesses all three of them will be master of Death.

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The Elder Wand

The Elder Wand is said to be the most powerful wand that ever existed. Albus Dumbledore, the head of Hogwarts, had it until Severus Snape killed him and took it. Then, Voldemort killed Snape and stole it for himself.

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Invisibility Cloak

The invisibility cloak will make anyone who wears it invisible! Harry was gifted it in his first year, and used it numerous times throughout the story when he wanted to do something that was against the rules.

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The Resurrection Stone

The Resurrection Stone is a stone that can bring people back from the dead.

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Dumbledore’s Army

Dumbledore’s Army was a group of students formed by Harry who wanted to fight against Voldemort. They started training during Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix because they felt Delores Umbridge was not teaching them anything useful at school.

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The Room of Requirement

The Room of Requirement is a magical room which can only be discovered by someone who is in need. Dumbledore’s Army used it to train in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

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Godric’s Hollow

This is where Harry’s parents, James and Lilly Potter, lived before they were killed by Voldemort.

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Remembrall

A Remembrall is a small, clear ball, that’s filled with smoke. When you forget something, the smoke inside turns red. Neville Longbottom got one as a gift in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone.

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Pensieve

A Pensieve is a big stone basin that contains a liquid that can enable one to view old thoughts and memories that they have captured. Dumbledore used it to show Harry various important memories to help him on his quest against Voldemort.

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Mirror of Erised

The Mirror of Erised is a mirror that shows whatever a person’s true desire is. Harry saw his parents in it, while Ron saw himself being crowned as head boy.

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Howler

A howler is a letter that screams its message at the reader in an extremely loud voice. Ron received one from his mom in Harry Potter an the Chamber of Secrets, after he stole her car with Harry.

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The Daily Prophet

The Daily Prophet is the national wizarding newspaper.

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The Quibbler

The Quibbler is a magical magazine run by Luna Lovegood’s father.

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Animagus

An animagus is a person who can turn into an animal at their will. Sirius Black was one, and could turn into a wolf.

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Floo Powder

Floo Powder is a powder that you throw into the fireplace while standing in it to go to wherever you say out loud. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry used it but accidentally pronounced Diagon Alley wrong and was transported to Knockturn Alley instead.

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Time Turner

A time turner is a device which allows wizards and witches to go back in time. Hermione used a time turner in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to take multiple classes at the same time.

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Hogsmeade

Hogsmeade is a small wizarding village right near Hogwarts.

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The Three Broomsticks

The Three Broomsticks is a pub in Hogsmede that was frequently visited by Harry, Ron and Hermione.

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O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s

These are wizarding tests. O.W.L.s stands for Ordinary Wizarding Levels and are taken at the end of student’s fifth year at Hogwarts, while N.E.W.T.s stands for Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests and are taken at the end of student’s seventh year.

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The Unforgivable curse

The three unforgivable curses are — the killing curse (“Avada Kedavra”), which kills instantly, the imperius curse (“Imperio”), which takes complete control of another person and the cruciatus curse “Crucio”), which inflicts torture. The use of these curses is illegal.

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House Elf

A house elf is a creature that works as a servant in some wizarding houses. A house elf can only be set free when its master gives it a piece of clothing. Dobby was a house elf that belonged to the Malfoy family, before Harry tricked Lucius into giving him a sock.

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Phoenix

A phoenix is a rare bird who’s tears can heal a wound. Dumbledore had one named Fawkes.

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Goblin

Goblins are small creatures that run Gringotts Bank! They definitely aren’t the friendliest creatures.

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Troll

Trolls are big and dangerous creatures, but they aren’t the smartest. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Voldemort let one into Hogwarts in an attempt to distract everyone so he could try to steal the stone.

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Centaur

Centuars are have man, half horse. They live in the Forbidden Forest and are said to have strong divination powers.

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Hippogriff

A hippogriff is a magical creature that has the front legs, wings and head of an eagle, and the body, hind legs and tail of a horse. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Rubeus Hagrid let Harry ride one named Buckbeak.

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Portkey

A portkey is a magical item that sends witches or wizards instantly to a different destination when they touch it.

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The Forbidden Forest

The forbidden forest is a forest right outside the grounds of Hogwarts. Students aren’t allowed to go there without a teacher, and it’s said that various dangerous creatures, including werewolves and giant spiders, live there!

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Marauder’s Map

Marauder’s Map is a map given to Harry from Fred and George Weasley in his third year. It shows every single passageway and person at Hogwarts, and where they are at that very moment.

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Platform 9 and 3/4

Platform 9 and 3/4 is the magical platform in Kingscross Station, where the Hogwarts Express — the train that takes students from London to Hogwarts — departs from! To get to it, wizards and witches have to run through the wall between platforms nine and ten.

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The Ministry of Magic

The ministry of magic is a government agency in the wizarding world that tries to keep witches and wizards a secret from muggles.

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Privet Drive

Privet Drive is the name of the street that Harry lived on with his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon!

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The Order of the Phoenix

Albus Dumbledore founded this association of witches and wizards to fight against Voldemort. Some of the members included Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James and Lily Potter, Rubeus Hagrid an more!

Breaking It DownA Complete Guide To ‘Harry Potter’ Terminology Every Wizard & Witch Should Know