If I'm missing anything you think should be added, tell me, and I'll put it in a new chapter!
Animagus: witch/wizard that can change into an animal. Legally required to register with the Ministry of Magic, though it appears they often don't.
Apparate/Disapparate: The ability of a witch/wizard to vanish from one place and appear in another almost instantly. Legally required to be 17
Aragog: A giant spider who lives in the Forbidden Forest and the "pet" of Hagrid's. Ron is not a big fan of Aragog's.
Auror: A Dark wizard catcher.
Azkaban: A fearsome wizard prison, run by Dementors.
Ludo Bagman: The head of Department of Magical Games and Sports, he is friendly, oblivious to rules, and is a former professional Quidditch player.
Basilisk: A gigantic snake that lives in the Chamber of Secrets, it kills instantly if eye contact is made with any other living creature.
Beaux-Batons: A French school of witchcraft and wizardry, which is a competing school in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Katie Bell: A seventh-year Gryffindor who is a chaser on the house Quidditch team. Almost killed by a cursed necklace meant for Albus Dumbledore.
Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop: Fellow orphans who were tormented by Tom Riddle, may have been permanently affected by his tortures.
Bezoar: stone taken from the stomach of a goat that will protect those who consume it from most poisons. Saves Ron from poison in HBP.
Sirius Black (aka Padfoot): The most infamous prisoner ever to be held at Azkaban; accused of murdering 13 people with a single curse; Handsome and reckless, he was best friend to James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Petigrew; Animagus form is a large, shaggy black dog; Harry's godfather, estranged cousin to the Malfoys and the Lastranges; disinherited in his 5th year.
Boggart: A shape-shifting monster that takes the form of the onlooker's worst fear. No one knows the actual composition of a boggart when alone.
Lavender Brown: Gryffindor; same year as Harry; best friends with Parvati Patil; likes baby-talk nicknames and giving pieces of jewelry as gifts.
Frank Bryce: A gardener for Tom Riddle and his parents. Bryce is falsely accused of murdering all three of them.
Chamber of Secrets: hidden chamber within Hogwarts, built over a thousand years ago by Salazar Slytherin, only Slytherin's true heir can ever open the Chamber, unleashing a horrible monster that supposedly lives inside it.
Cho Chang: A Pretty Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, with whom Harry shares his first kiss. The two date briefly and disastrously.
Mrs. Cole: The matron of the orphanage where Tom Riddle spent his childhood. She provided Dumbledore with background information on Riddle that indicated he was no normal boy.
Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle: Lug-headed Slytherins that do Draco Malfoy's every bidding, more brawn than brains. fathers are Death Eaters.
Colin and Dennis Creevey: Gryffindors, younger than Harry, idolize him because of his place in wizarding history. Colin Creevey is always attempting to take photos of Harry, an annoying habit that winds up saving his life in CoS.
Crookshanks: A smart squash-faced cat and pet of Hermione Granger. Crookshanks causes additional tension in Hermione and Ron's friendship when he appears to have eaten Ron's elderly pet rat, Scabbers, in PoA.
Bartemius Crouch, Sr.: A rule-abiding employee of the Ministry of Magic and father of "Barty" Crouch, who plays a key role in Voldemort's most recent uprising. He used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody during Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts.
The Daily Prophet: The wizards' newspaper. Hermione is an avid subscriber.
Dark Mark: A skull and serpent symbol that is the sign of Voldemort. It appears in the night sky during the Quidditch World Cup right before Harry's fourth year. It's said that the Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers, display the sign whenever and wherever they have killed.
Death Eaters: What Voldemort's closest followers call themselves.
Dementor: Dark, cloaked, faceless creatures who are the guards of Azkaban; suck all of the joy and light out of a person, a kiss from one of them will relieve someone of his or her soul.
Fleur Delacour: A former student of the French wizarding school, Beaux-Batons. Tall, beautiful and part veela, Fleur was also Harry's co-competitor in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. She is married to Bill Weasley.
Cedric Diggory: The Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff House Quidditch team. Handsome, well-liked and brave, he is co-competitor with Harry in the Tri-Wizard Tournament and for the affections of Cho Chang. Cedric is killed by Peter Petigrew on Voldemort's command in GoF.
Dobby: A house-elf formerly owned by the Malfoys and an adoring fan of Harry's; freed unintentionally by Lucius Malfoy due to some quick thinking by Harry; though his help is oftentimes ineffective or downright dangerous, he has proven a reliable source of info Harry and his friends.
Professor Albus Dumbledore: The headmaster of Hogwarts through Harry's sixth year. Elderly, wise, kind and one of the greatest wizards of all time, Dumbledore is one of the few men who Voldemort ever feared. He has a keen sense of humor and a love of lemon drops.
Durmstrang: Another wizarding school in Europe. No one knows its true whereabouts, but people assume it's in the cold Far North. It is rumored that the students there study the actual Dark Arts, not merely the defense of them.
Dudley Dursley: Harry's spoiled, bullying cousin who is truly a coward underneath it all. Dudley is indulged shamelessly (and to his detriment) by his mother Petunia and father Vernon.
Petunia Dursley: Harry's maternal aunt, Dudley's mother and Vernon's wife. The sister of Lily Potter; harbors a great resentment and jealousy towards her sister. She is bound by a promise made to Dumbledore to raise Harry as her own, but has done little else but feed and clothe him.
Vernon Dursley: The husband of Petunia and father of Dudley.
Marietta Edgecomb: A friend of Cho Chang's who tries to betray the DA in OoP, thwarted by Hermione's spell that literally brands her a "sneak"
Errol: An aged owl belonging to the Weasley family.
Fang: Hagrid's very large black pet boarhound.
Fat Friar: One of many ghosts roaming the halls of Hogwarts, and "house ghost" of Hufflepuff.
Fat Lady: Her talking portrait hangs at the entrance of Gryffindor Tower. She has a penchant for holiday-time over-drinking.
Fawkes: The phoenix bird in Dumbledore's office; his faithful pet.
Mrs. Arabella Doreen Figg: A Squib who lives near the Dursleys' and who is charged with helping to keep an eye on Harry during his time away from Hogwarts.
Firebolt: A State-of-the-Art racing broom. Harry receives one from Sirius for Christmas in PoA.
Argus Filch: A suspicious, mean-spirited suspected Squib school caretaker at Hogwarts. The only love in his heart is for his cat, Mrs. Norris.
Seamus Finnegan: One of Harry's classmates and fellow Gryffindor resident.
Nicolas Flamel: A former partner of Dumbledore; an alchemist; the only person to ever create the Sorcerer's Stone (produces the Elixir of Life, which makes the drinker immortal); was well into his six hundreds when he let Dumbledore destroy the Stone at the end of the first book.
Mundungus Fletcher: A rather shady member of the Order of the Phoenix. Relatively jolly and supremely loyal to Sirius, Mundungus nevertheless suffers from light fingers, most notably stealing Black family artifacts from Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
Professor Flitwick: Diminutive Teacher of Charms at Hogwarts.
Floo Powder: A magical, glittering powder that, when sprinkled into a burning fire, transports a wizard or witch from one place to another in a flash.
Fluffy: A vicious three-headed dog raised by Hagrid that guards the hiding place of the Sorcerer's Stone.
Forbidden Forest: A very dangerous forest surrounding Hogwarts. Home to unicorns and other mystical creatures, Hogwarts students are told to stay away from it. Of course, Harry and his friends are often wandering through its shady groves.
Cornelius Fudge: Minister of Magic, demoted after the fight in the Department of Mysteries and return of Voldemort at the end of OoP.
Galleons: Great gold coins, the largest denomination of wizarding money.
Marvolo Gaunt: A direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin, maternal grandfather of Voldemort, father of Morfin and Merope. A Parseltongue.
Merope Gaunt: The daughter of Marvolo, abandoned wife of Tom Riddle and mother of Tom Marvolo Riddle; died giving birth to her son.
Morfin Gaunt: Marvolo's son and Voldemort's uncle; he claims responsibility for the death of Tom Riddle, Voldemort's father and his parents.
Fenrir Greyback: Death Eater; werewolf who intentionally attacks children; responsible for turning Remus Lupin into a werewolf at the age of nine.
Gillyweed: A magical plant that, when eaten, gives a person gills like a fish, allowing her or him to breathe underwater.
Goblet of Fire: large wooden cup that is filled with dancing blue flames. It magically selects the contestants for the Triwizard Tournament
Golgomath: The Gurg who took over after Karkus's death. He was not interested in Hagrid's purpose and was seen in the company of Death Eaters.
Hermione Granger: The brilliant, over-opinionated, bushy-haired, fiercely loyal, kind-hearted, liberal-minded best friend of Harry and Ron
Gringotts: The wizards' bank, run by goblins.
Gryffindor: One of four student houses at Hogwarts, it is named for Godric Gryffindor, one of Hogwarts's founders, known for bravery.
Rubeus Hagrid: The half-giant, half-human, soft-hearted, animal-loving friend and teacher to Harry, Hermione and Ron; has a knack for owning dangerous pets and drinking too much mulled mead.
Half-Blood: Describes a person with mixed wizarding and Muggle ancestry.
The Half-Blood Prince: The owner of an old copy of Advanced Potion Making borrowed by Harry for Potions class. The owner of the textbook was a very gifted potion-maker who didn't follow the given steps and scribbled notes, hints, shortcuts and original spells that both help Harry and get him in trouble. Harry becomes preoccupied with finding the Half-Blood Prince's true identity, who was Snape.
Hedwig: Harry's pet snowy owl.
Hippogriff: A magical creature that is half bird and half horse, and extremely proud.
Madam Hooch: Hogwarts's flying teacher and Quidditch referee.
Hogsmeade: The last remaining entirely wizarding village in England, it is a weekend destination spot for the older students of Hogwarts.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: The place where Harry and his friends learn it all – both in the classroom and out!
Horcrux: An object infused with a piece of a person's soul. The only way to create a Horcrux is through murder, and the ultimate goal is eternal life.
Honeydukes: An amazing candy store in Hogsmeade.
Howler: A screaming, scolding letter sent by owl, which bursts into flames upon reading.
Hufflepuff: One of four student houses at Hogwarts, it is named for Helga Hufflepuff, one of the school's founders, who was known for her loyalty.
Igor Karkaroff: Headmaster of Durmstrang; former compatriot of Severus Snape and a Death Eater. Igor is found dead at the beginning of HBP.
Inferi: Dead bodies that have been bewitched and reanimated to do a dark wizard's bidding, acting as puppets of sorts.
Invisibility Cloak: A "silvery gray" cape that makes its wearer invisible. They are extremely rare.
The Knight Bus: A magical bus that serves as emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards. It is not the safest mode of transportation.
Knockturn Alley: An alleyway of shops devoted to the Dark Arts, and an offshoot of Diagon Alley.
Kreacher: The former house-elf of Mrs. Black and fiercely loyal to the surviving members of the Black family. He hates his indenture to Sirius, as he spends time with Muggles, muggle-borns and half-bloods such as Harry; his ownership passes to Harry in HBP, much to their displeasure.
Viktor Krum: A star Durmstrang student and professional Bulgarian Seeker. He competes with Harry in the Tri-Wizard tournament and takes a fancy to Hermione, with whom he still keeps in touch via very long letters.
The Leaky Cauldron: A "tiny, grubby-looking pub" at the entrance to Diagon Alley where witches and wizards hang out.
Gilderoy Lockhart: The vain yet attractive Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts during Harry's second year. Gilderoy has admirers based on his looks and "charm." He loses his memory due to his own rebounded memory charm, which was intended for Harry and Ron.
Alice and Frank Longbottom: Neville's parents, who are in St. Mungo's because of Bellatrix Lestrange, who had used the Cruciatus Curse on them during the first reign of Voldemort.
Mrs. Longbottom: Neville's imposing grandmother, who has raised him since his parents lost their minds.
Neville Longbottom: A clumsy, kind, nervous and, with the exception of Herbology, struggling student, Neville is in the same class as Harry, Ron and Hermione. Neville showed his true bravery and capabilities at the end of Harry's fifth year, fighting with Harry and his friends in the Department of Mysteries. He could have easily become the Boy-Who-Lived instead of Harry.
Luna Lovegood: a Ravenclaw one year behind Harry and his friends. She is odd, random, often saying quite unintentionally humorous things. However, she has a serious past and frequently shows bravery and grit in the midst of trouble. She has a very blunt personality that most people overlook.
Professor Remus J. Lupin (aka Moony): A very close friend and classmate of James Potter, and a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor in PoA at Hogwarts. A werewolf whose more animalistic nature is kept at bay with the Wolfsbane potion. He is in love with Nymphadora Tonks.
Ernie Macmillan: A Hufflepuff student in his year whom Harry likes, despite his pompous manner.
Draco Malfoy: A Slytherin student who has been Harry's enemy since the day they both started at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy is handsome, pompous, mean-spirited and comes from a pure-blood family. His father Lucius is a Death Eater and his mother, Narcissa, is Sirius Black's cousin.
Lucius Malfoy: Draco's father and Narcissa's husband, a former Death Eater, punished for his disloyalty by having to sacrifice the safety of his son.
Narcissa Malfoy: The beautiful, snobbish wife of Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy's mother, and Bellatrix LaStrange's sister. She is a Voldemort supporter but is more specifically concerned with the welfare of her child and husband.
Mandrake: A screaming plant that resembles an ugly, dirt-covered baby that can change people back if they were either transfigured or cursed.
The Marauders: A group of four Hogwarts students who are both brilliant and mischievous. They include: Sirius Black (Padfoot), James Potter (Prongs), Remus Lupin (Moony) and Peter Petigrew (Wormtail).
Marauder's Map: A brilliantly helpful map, created by the Marauders, which looks like an old piece of parchment until the magic words "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" are spoken. Then, the map reveals every room and passageway in Hogwarts, as well as the current location of every living creature inside of it. This is a very useful tool.
Madame Maxime: The imposingly tall Headmistress of Beaux-Batons wizarding school. She appears to share a similar genetic makeup to Hagrid.
Professor Minerva McGonagall: The smart no-nonsense head of Gryffindor house, Professor of Transfiguration and very newly minted Headmistress of Hogwarts. She has a soft spot for both Harry and Hermione.
Metamorphmagus: A witch or wizard who has the ability to change his or her appearance (hair color, eye color, height, weight, gender, age) at will.
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody: A former Auror and member of the Order of the Phoenix; his paranoia causes him to constantly drink from a hip flask.
Moaning Myrtle: A ghost that haunts one of the girls' bathrooms; frequently has been a good source of information for Hermione, Ron and Harry.
Ministry of Magic: The council that governs the wizarding world and whose primary concern is to keep wizards and witches a secret from Muggles.
The Mirror of Erised: A mirror that Harry discovers in a hidden room at Hogwarts. Whoever looks in the mirror sees his or her greatest desire.
Mudblood: An unsavory slang term for a witch or wizard born to Muggle parents.
Muggle: A non-magic person.
Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries: Where wizards can recuperate and receive treatment for all varieties of magical ailments.
Nearly Headless Nick (aka Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington): The ghost of Gryffindor Tower. He mourns the loss of his taste buds, and informs Harry that ghosts stick around for their own sad reasons.
Nagini: A gigantic 12-foot female snake whose venom is used as food by Lord Voldemort as he regains his strength and body. A Horcrux.
Number Four, Privet Drive: The hideously dull address of the Dursley Family.
Number 12 Grimmauld Place: The former home of Sirius Black bequeathed to Harry. It was used as a meeting place for the Order of the Phoenix.
Mr. Ollivander: The wand-maker of Diagon Alley. Harry and other students bought their wands from him; disappears during Harry's sixth year.
O.W.L.s: "Ordinary Wizarding Levels," exams that Hogwarts students must take during their fifth year; determine the course of magical careers.
Padma Patil: A Ravenclaw in the same year as Harry, and Ron's very reluctant and unhappy date for the Yule Ball in their fourth year.
Parseltongue: The ability to speak to snakes. Parseltongue is considered a Dark Art.
Parselmouth: A witch or wizard who can speak Parseltongue. Famous Parselmouths include Salazar Slytherin and Voldemort himself.
Parvati Patil: A Hogwarts student who is Padma Patil's identical twin and Lavender Brown's best friend. Parvati was Harry's date for the Yule Ball.
Pensieve: A magical stone basin that stores a person's thoughts and memories, for individual examination.
Peeves the Poltergeist: An trouble-making being that is constantly pulling pranks and ratting out Hogwarts students for his own amusement.
Peter Petigrew (Wormtail): A shy, timid member of the Marauders who hero-worshipped James Potter and Sirius Black. He is an Animagus who takes the shape of a rat and is, in fact, one of Voldemort's most loyal subjects.
Pigwidgeon: A tiny gray owl given to Ron by Sirius Black, as recompense for losing "Scabbers."
Madam Pince: The Hogwarts librarian.
Platform 9 3/4: The magical platform at King's Cross Station in London where Hogwarts students board the Hogwarts Express.
Madam Pomfrey: The school nurse at Hogwarts.
Portkey: A charmed object that transports wizards from one place to another at a specific, prearranged time; often used for mass transporting.
Harry Potter: A skinny, black-haired, green-eyed, downtrodden orphan and hero of the stories! Harry finds out at age 11 that he's not just any boy, but a wizard. He is invited to become a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he meets friends and enemies alike, not the least of which is Voldemort, one of the most evil and powerful wizards of all time who is responsible for the death of his parents.
James Potter (aka Prongs): Harry's father, whom Harry is the spitting image of, and who was a Quidditch player and mischief-maker in his own days at Hogwarts. He becomes a respected and powerful young wizard.
Lily Potter: Harry's mother, who is a gifted witch with a particular talent for potion-making. Initially she does not care for James Potter. She gives up her life for Harry's, which is the reason Voldemort is reduced to nearly a ghost upon her death.
Pure-blood: An elitist, antiquated title for a witch or wizard whose ancestry is entirely magical. As Hagrid points out to Harry, due to witches and wizards inter-marrying with Muggles, there are very few who can hold on to the claim "pure-blood."
Quidditch: A wizard sport played up in the air on broomsticks, in teams of seven.
Professor Quirrell: A nervous, stuttering teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts during Harry's first year at Hogwarts. He has the unfortunate experience of having the barely-alive Voldemort living in the back of his head.
R.A.B.: A mysterious person who discovers one of Voldemort's Horcruxes (the same Horcrux that Harry and Dumbledore risk their lives to find) and destroys it, leaving behind a note signed with these initials. R.A.B. is later discovered to be Sirius' brother.
Ravenclaw: One of the houses at Hogwarts; named for Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the founders, who is known for intellect and cleverness.
Tom Marvolo Riddle: The boy who would become Voldemort. The son of handsome Muggle Tom Riddle and witch Merope Gaunt, he is raised in an orphanage, as his mother dies giving birth to him. He becomes a star student at Hogwarts, though several teachers are unsure of the boy's motives.
Tom Riddle: The Muggle father of Voldemort, unclear if Riddle ever knew he fathered a son. He and his parents were Voldemort's first murders.
Madam Rosmerta: The attractive owner of The Three Broomsticks, whom Ron fancies. She is put under the Imperius Curse during Harry's sixth year, nearly resulting in the accidental death of Katie Bell.
Scabbers: Ron Weasley's old and tired pet rat. Until PoA, he's believed to be just an ordinary rat. However, he is soon known to be Peter Pettigrew.
Rufus Scrimgeour: Cornelius Fudge's successor as Minister of Magic. Scrimgeour, weathered-looking and shrewd, wishes for Harry to publicly declare his support of the Ministry, which Harry constantly refuses.
Kingsley Shacklebolt: An Auror who is also a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Shrieking Shack: A house in Hogsmeade commonly believed to be the most haunted dwelling in Britain but was actually built by the staff of Hogwarts, many years ago, for a more practical purpose.
Stan Shunpike: A young conductor of the Knight Bus who is falsely arrested for committing suspicious Death Eater activity. Professor Sinistra: An astronomy teacher at Hogwarts.
Rita Skeeter: The scoop-hungry, relentless reporter for The Daily Prophet. She is a fan of extremely yellow journalism and an unregistered Animagus, who can take the form of a lady bug.
Horace Slughorn: An old friend of Dumbledore's and former professor who returns to Hogwarts in Harry's sixth year to teach Potions. Slughorn is materialistic and a bit shallow, but basically kind-hearted.
Slytherin: One of houses at Hogwarts. It is named for Salazar Slytherin, one of the school's founders, known for the love of the Dark Arts.
Professor Severus Snape: A frustratingly inconsistent Hogwarts Professor, first of Potions, then of his coveted Defense Against the Dark Arts. A former Death Eater who, according to Albus Dumbledore, is reformed, Professor Severus Snape saves Harry and his friends' necks more than once, but is often cruel, taunting and downright mean to just about anyone associated with Harry. He holds a long-standing grudge against The Mauraders.
Sorcerer's Stone: A small, ruby-red stone that can change metal into gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which makes the drinker immortal.
Sorting Hat: A tattered, talking wizard's hat that, when tried on, tells first years which house they will live in at Hogwarts.
S.P.E.W: The "Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare" is an organization started by Hermione, created due to the conditions of house elves.
Splinching: A separation of random body parts while Apparating, often happening to inexperienced or young wizards.
Professor Sprout: A teacher of Herbology at Hogwarts.
Squib: Someone who has no magical powers even though he or she was born into a wizarding family.
Dean Thomas: A Gryffindor in the same year as Harry who inspires a bit of jealousy in Harry by steadily dating Ginnie Weasley.
The Three Broomsticks: The "nicer" pub in Hogsmeade, where wizards congregate and Hogwarts students go to drink butterbeer. Business of all kinds is transacted at its tables.
Time-Turner: An hourglass-like tool that allows a witch or wizard to travel back in time. These devices are highly regulated by licensed users. Hermione used one during third year to attend more classes. All of the Ministry's Time-Turners were destroyed at the end of Harry's fifth year.
Nymphadora Tonks: A young, clumsy, outgoing Metamorphmagus and Auror who is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. The cousin of Sirius Black, Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lastrange, Tonks is in love with Remus Lupin.
Professor Trelawney: The teacher of Divination in Harry's third year at Hogwarts who has exactly two accurate predictions to her name.
Triwizard Tournament: A dangerous, year-long magical tournament between three European wizarding schools: Hogwarts, Beaux-Batons and Durmstrang. One student from each school is chosen to compete, their names selected by the ancient Goblet of Fire. The Tournament is held for the first time in 700 years during Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts.
Dolores Jane Umbridge: The senior Undersecretary to the Minister who toes the Ministry line and becomes Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor during Harry's fifth year. Her teaching methods are so conservative and her personality so dreadful that Harry and his friends start up their own classes taught by Harry himself and dubbed "The D.A" (or "Dumbledore's Army").
Voldemort: The most powerful dark wizard of modern times who is also referred to as "You-Know-Who" and "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" because, as Hermione points out, "fear of a name incites fear of the thing itself."
Arthur Weasley: The tall, balding, hard-working friendly father of Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, Fred, Ron and Ginny, and loving husband of Molly. The Weasleys are a loud, large, loving family who have basically adopted Harry as one of their own.
Bill Weasley: The eldest Weasley sibling who works for Gringott's and is the fiancé of Fleur Delacour.
Charlie Weasley: The second eldest Weasley brother, a Graduate of Hogwarts and former Quidditch legend, he works with dragons in Romania.
Fred and George Weasley: The fun-loving, troublemaking older twin brothers of Ron. They actually are quite talented charm-casters and are proprietors of a very successful joke shop in Diagon Alley.
Ginny Weasley: Ron's sassy, Quidditch-playing younger sister. Has harbored a crush on Harry from the minute she saw him.
Molly Weasley: Ron's sweet, hardworking and continuously cooking mother. She runs her household and children with a firm but loving hand.
Ron Weasley: Harry's tall, red-haired best mate who is loyal, brave, good-hearted and often thoughtless. Fancies Hermione.
Whomping Willow: A very aggressive tree planted over the secret passage from Hogwarts's grounds to the Shrieking Shack.
Accio: used to bring an object to you, wherever it may be. Concentrating is essential to succeeding in the spell; the further away an object is and the larger it is, the harder it is to summon. In GoF, Harry summons his Firebolt from inside the castle to the grounds to use it for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. In OoP, the potency of the charm is demonstrated when Fred and George Weasley summon their brooms (which were chained to a wall) from another part of the castle.
Age Line Charm: The incantation for the age line charm is unknown, but the effect is a thin golden line drawn on the surface of the floor that prevents anyone who is too young (or possibly the reverse, too old) from crossing. The effect, in Fred and George's case, was being transformed into much older versions of themselves.
Aguamenti: a clear jet or fountain of water is emitted from the castor's wnd.
Air-dry Charm: The charm blows a rush of warm air from the castor's wand. Dumbledore uses the charm to dry off himself and Harry when they travel to the cave.
Alohomora: used to unlock doors or other objects that are locked. The charm also unlocks magically locked doors or objects. Though the charm comes in handy for Harry, Hermione, and Ron throughout the books, it is not powerful. As shown in Chapter 34 of OoP, the Alohomora charm does not unlock all magically locked doors or objects.
Anapneo: clears the blocked airway of the castor's target. Slughorn uses the spell to save a student's life.
Anti-Apparition Spell: prevents a witch or wizard from apparating. The spell is cast over the grounds of Hogwarts though it was lifted in the great hall during Harry's sixth year to allow the students to practice for apparition tests.
Anti-Cheating Spell: cast on student's quills before taking tests which presumably stops a student from cheating.
Anti-Disapparition Spell: prevents a witch or wizard from disapparating; Dumbledore uses it on the recently captured Death Eaters in the Ministry.
Antler jinx: causes antlers to sprout from the victim's head. In OOP, Pansy Parkinson is hit with this jinx which forces her to miss class for a day.
Aparecium: used to reveal invisible ink.
Apparition/ Disapparition: advanced non-verbal spell that allows a witch or wizard to disappear from one place and instantaneously appear at another. Apparating is marked by a loud cracking noise and a sensation similar to being forced through a very tight rubber tube. Apparition can also be performed with multiple passengers via the apparator touching the person they wish to bring with them.
Arrow-wand Charm: The charm causes arrows to shoot from the castor's wand. The charm was popular with Appleby Arrow's supporters who would use it to celebrate goals; it was outlawed in 1894.
Avada Kedavra: considered by most wizards the worst curse, as it kills whoever or whatever it is cast upon. The curse is one of three Unforgivable Curses - curses that are illegal and can land a wizard in Azkaban Prison for using them.
Avis: used when examining a wand; it will cause small, twittering birds to fly out of the end of a wand in working condition.
Babbling Curse: The exact effect is never mentioned, but we can assume it causes the castor's victim to babble for an extended period of time. Lockhart claims to have cured a "simple Transylvanian villager" of the curse.
Banishing Charm: opposite of the Summoning charm, the incantation causes an object to fly away from the castor; it is then 'banished'.
Bat-Boogey: This nasty hex causes the victim's boogies to grow to the size of bats and then sprout wings and attacks the victim's face. Ginny is said to be especially gifted at this particular hex.
Bewitched Sleep: causes the target to be placed in a deep artificial sleep in which (s)he doesn't need to breathe. Dumbledore places Ron, Hermione, Gabrielle Delacour and Cho in this sleep-like state when they are placed in the care of the mere people during the second triwizard task.
Boil-Covering spell: causes the target to become covered with boils. Fred and George, for some reason, use it to try to cheer up Ginny.
Bubble-Head Charm: surrounds a person's head in a large air-bubble. Both Cedric and Fleur use this charm in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. It was also very popular towards the end of Harry's fifth year as students used the charm in effort to combat the growing number of dungbombs and stinkpellets being set off.
Cheering Charm: The cheering charm is a third-year charm which cheers a person up.
Colloportus: used to lock doors or objects that can be locked. However, the spell is not of much use unless dealing with Muggles or a wandless wizard or witch, because the Alohomora Charm will unlock anything locked by "Colloportus!"
Confundus Charm: causes the person or object it is cast upon to become confused or misguided.
Conjunctivitis Curse: The curse affects the visibility of the victim making it very difficult to see and possibly causing pain or irritation in the eyes. Sirius tries to suggest Harry use this spell on the dragon in the first task; Krum does use it.
Conjuring Charm: Conjures items out of thin air for the castor. Used multiple times through the books.
Corn-Flaked skin Jinx: makes skin look as though they have been coated in cornflakes.
The Cruciatus Curse: inflicts severe pain on whoever it is cast on. It is used mainly by Voldemort and his Death Eaters when torturing someone. The length of time the curse is in effect is unknown, but it is presumed to stop after 15 seconds - 1 minute. Wizards and witches can be tortured to the point of insanity by the curse. This explains why the Cruciatus Curse is one of three Unforgivable Curses - curses that are illegal and can land a wizard in Azkaban Prison for using them.
Cushioning Charm: creates an invisible cushion on the handle of a broom making it much more comfortable to fly for extended periods of time.
Deletrius: used only once throughout the Harry Potter series in order to vanish the "echo" of a spell conjured by 'Prior Incantato', assumed that the spell will also delete objects, although this has not been proven by the books.
Densaugeo: causes a person's teeth to grow rapidly. At what point the spell stops is unknown; when Draco hit Hermione with the spell in Goblet of Fire, Hermione's teeth grew down past her collar. The spell can be undone by shrinking the affected teeth.
Diffindo: causes an object to split or break. Wand aim is essential to the success of this spell. It has only been used once in the Harry Potter books.
Disillusionment Charm: a concealment charm that feels something like a flood of cold running down one's body. It hides the magical nature of a person, place, or thing. Hippogriffs and Winged horses are allowed to be kept by wizards so long as they have this charm placed upon them so muggles' attention isn't drawn to them.
Dissendium: combined with a tap of the wand will open up the hump of a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch (located on the third-floor corridor of Hogwarts). Going through the opened statue leads to a secret path to the wizard village Hogsmeade.
Drought Charm: Dries up relatively small amounts of water such as puddles and ponds.
Engorgio: causes something to become several times its normal mass. Moody uses the spell on a spider during the unforgivable curse lesson.
Ennervate: used to revive persons who have either been knocked unconscious by normal means or by the Stunning Spell; when someone is revived by this spell, their eyes suddenly open and they are dazed. They quickly come to their senses and regain composure.
Entrail-Expelling Curse: A disturbing spell that presumably causes one's entrails to expel from his or her rear. Invented by Urquhart Rackharrow.
Episkey: Heals minor damage that has been done to a body part.
Evanesco: causes what it is cast upon to disappear. In OoP, the spell is used on scrolls and potions. Whether or not the disappearing object vanishes completely is unknown; a spell to bring the object back may exist, but is not verifiable.
Expecto Patronum: highly advanced magic, well beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level, used to ward off dementors. When used properly, the spell creates a Patronus, which is a guardian that acts as a shield between the caster and the dementor. Each Patronus is unique to the wizard or witch who conjures it, and reflects their personality. In order for the spell to work properly, the incantation must be spoken while the caster concentrates on an extraordinarily happy memory. This causes a Patronus to be conjured; it is successful in warding off dementors because it is a projection of hope, and happiness, yet cannot feel despair, as real humans can.
Expelliarmus: used to disarm someone, and is most commonly used while dueling. Though a simple spell, it can be used to get wizards and witches out of tight situations and close encounters - it saved Harry's life in GoF.
Extinguishing Spell: extinguishes fires.
Fidelius Charm: immensely complex spell involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is only found if the Secret-Keeper chooses to tell. If the secret-keeper dies, the secret dies with him or her.
Ferula: creates a splint of bandages, a temporary fix for an injured or broken limb.
Finite Incantatem: used by Lockhart in CoS, it stops the effects of both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy's spells. The spell also works without the "Incantatem" portion of the incantation, which was proved by Remus Lupin in OoP.
Flagrate: used in OoP to mark doors in the Department of Mysteries with a fiery "X". This allowed Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and Luna to know which doors they had already gone through.
Flame-Freezing Charm: changes the properties of fire so that the flames produce only a gentle tickling sensation.
Fur-growing Spell: causes the target to grow fur.
Furnunculus: causes ugly boils to break out all over the victim of the curse. If mixed with Jelly-Legs; tentacles will sprout on the victim's face.
Golden Bubble Charm: The actual name of the charm is unknown, but this refers to the charm which causes non-popping golden bubbles to blossom out of the castor's wand. Flitwick uses the charm for the Christmas decorations in the Great Hall.
Homorphus Charm: Though its exact effects are unknown, Lockhart claims he used it to defeat a werewolf.
Horned Tongue Hex: Presumably transforms the victim's tongue into a horn. Harry considers using it, but decides against it.
Hurling Hex: placed on a broom; presumably causes the broom to hurl rider off. Flitwick checks Harry's Firebolt for this hex in PoA.
Impedimenta: slows down an attacker. If the spell is cast upon armor or other metal objects, it will backfire. If the spell is cast upon someone who is standing still, the person standing still will either freeze and be unable to move until they are "unfrozen" or will be knocked off of their feet.
Imperturbable Charm: creates a magical seal on an object, such as a door, making it impossible for anyone to eavesdrop on the other side.
Inanimatus Conjurus: Though its affect is never given, it presumably has something to do with conjuring inanimate objects.
Imperio: used to control the actions of a person. Few have the willpower to resist the curse. Since wizards can completely control the actions of others when they are in this curse, it is one of the three Unforgivable Curses - curses that are illegal and can land a wizard in Azkaban for them.
Impervius: used by Hermione Granger on Harry Potter's glasses, caused them to repel water. The spell was also used on the faces of the players on the Gryffindor Quidditch team in Order of the Phoenix, giving the players better visibility during practice.
Incarcerous: used only once in the books, by Professor Umbridge. When Umbridge cast the spell on Magorian the centaur, "ropes flew out of midair like thick snakes, wrapping themselves tightly around the centaur's torso and trapping his arms."
Incendio: causes a fire to start, and it most commonly used on a fireplace. We are led to the belief that the spell may not work on human beings, due to the fact that it is not an Unforgiveable Curse.
Jelly Legs Jinx: The jelly legs jinx causes the victim's legs to wobble uncontrollably like jelly.
Knitting Charm: causes knitting needles to knit on their own.
Langlock: renders the victim speechless by gluing his/her tongue to the top of his/her mouth.
Legilimens: mostly used by accomplished Legilimens, those who can read minds. The spell is used when attempting to break into someone else's mind and access their memories - usually memories that they fear.
Levicorpus: invented by Severus Snape, dangles the victim upside down in the air by his/her ankle.
Liberacorpus: The counter to Levicorpus, this curse, also invented by Snape, frees the target from the Levicorpus jinx.
Light as a Feather Charm: makes objects as light as a feather. Harry considers using the charm on his trunk when he runs away from the Dursley's.
Locomotor: causes the object(s) that it is cast upon to levitate. Both of the times the spell is used throughout the books, it was cast on a trunk. In order for the spell to work most efficiently, the name of the object should be stated after the word "Locomotor."
Locomotor Mortis: Not to be confused with the Locomotor incantation, this spell locks the victim's legs together rendering him/her immobile.
Lumos: one of the most commonly used spells, because it is a simple spell and useful; causes a light to appear at the end of the wand that cast the spell. The incantation "Nox!" is spoken when the bearer of the wand wishes for the light to go out.
Mobili: allows the caster to move an object. It has only been used twice throughout the Harry Potter series (see above references), both times with different suffixes. The first usage was by Hermione to move a Christmas tree in the Three Broomsticks. The second was to move the body of Professor Snape, who was unconscious at the time. The spell most likely works on corpses and conscious bodies, but there is no evidence to support this. It is interesting to note that the suffix changes according to the object being moved.
Morsmordre: creates the Dark Mark, the sign of Voldemort.
Muffliato: fills the ears of those near the witch or wizard casting the spell with an undetectable light buzzing so that the castor can carry on a conversation without being overheard.
Nox: used to put out the light created by "Lumos!" The spell presumably does nothing to the caster's wand if "Lumos!" has not previously been cast. The use of the spell on lit objects which are disconnected from the caster's wand is unknown.
Obliteration Charm: Hermione uses this charm in OoP to conceal the tracks they leave while they are sneaking to and from Hagrid's Cabin.
Obliviate: causes whoever it is cast upon to lose most of their memory. A variant of this spell may be used for memory modifications, but the spell itself is much more powerful than a mere modification. Though a spell may exist that can bring someone's memory back, it is not commonly known in the wizarding world. In CoS, Professor Lockhart lost most of his memory due to this spell. Though he retained the ability to speak and understand the English language, he could no longer recall many basic things.
Occlumency: a branch of magic specializing in the practice of blocking one's mind from an outside mental attack.
Oppugno: causes conjured creatures to attack a target specified by the castor.
Orchideous: conjures a bouquet of flowers that appear at the end of the castor's wand. Mr Ollivander uses the spell to test Fleur's wand during the weighing of the wands.
Permanent Sticking Charm: makes if very difficult (if not impossible) to remove two things from each other once the charm has been performed.
Peskipiksi Pesternomi: may very well have been made up by Lockhart on the spot. It didn't work but was meant to subdue or immobilize the pixies Lockhart had let loose in his classroom.
Petrificus Totalus: causes whoever it is cast upon to lose mobility.
Point Me: used as a directional tool. When the caster places his or her wand in their open palm and utters the incantation, their wand will point north, allowing the caster to know what direction they are going.
Portus: used to turn an object into a Portkey. Portkeys, first introduced in GoF, are seemingly normal objects that transport those in direct physical contact with it to a certain place, usually at a prearranged time. Due to the dangers Portkeys present, authorization is required prior to using the spell. Some Portkeys can be made to transport those in direct physical contact to a certain place the moment they touch it rather than at a prearranged time. Presumably, any object can be turned into a Portkey.
Protean Charm: changes the form of an object. Hermione places the charm on the coins the DA use to enable them to know when to meet.
Priori Incantatem: causes a wand to regurgitate an echo of spells it has performed in reverse. When used in GoF on a wand that had conjured the Dark Mark, a shadow of the gigantic serpent-tongued skull was emitted from the wand.
Protego: creates a sheild around the caster, protecting them from most harmful spells. Spells exist that can still cause damage to whoever it is cast upon even if The Shield Charm is in use, but the Charm usually saves someone from the worst of the spell cast upon them.
Quietus: counters the effect of the spell "Sonorus!" which amplifies the voice of whomever it is cast upon' does not completely silence it.
Reducio: causes solid objects it is cast upon to shrink. If "Engorgio!" has previously been cast on an object, "Reducio!" will reduce it to original size.
Reducto: blasts away the target object.
Refilling charm: refills a target container with a liquid determined by the castor.
Relashio: presumably shoots sparks at someone; however, the only usage of the spell in the books was underwater. The underwater effect varies - it instead pelts a jet of boiling water at someone.
Rennervate: revives those who have been stunned, passed out, or otherwise knocked unconscious.
Reparo: fixes things that are broken. Examples in the books include fixing glass, china, jars, and cups; only works on solid objects.
Reverse Gravity Mist: possibly created by a spell; the "odd golden mist" reverses the effects of gravity; you feel as though you are upside-down.
Rictusempra: causes whomever it is cast upon to start laughing uncontrollably. Jet of silver light comes out of the caster's wand and hits the victim.
Riddikulus: used to get rid of a boggart. In order for the spell to work properly, the caster must envision the boggart as something that it finds amusing prior to casting the spell. The spell only turns the boggart into something humorous - what actually gets rid of a boggart is laughter.
Room-securing Spell: secures a room by preventing intruders from entering. Snape uses this spell on his office and we are told that only a powerful wizard would be able to break the spell to enter.
Scourgify: used to clean. Examples include cleaning Hedwig the owl's cage and ridding a train compartment of a sticky substance called Stinksap. If cast on someone's mouth, the spell causes pink soap bubbles to stream from their mouth and froth to cover their lips, which chokes the victim.
Sectumsempra: slashes the victim multiple times leaving deep bleeding lacerations. With immediate treatment there is only, at worst, a bit of scarring, at best, no blemishes or disfigurement. It doesn't do much good on inferi, however.
Serpensortia: causes a long black snake, poised to attack, shoot out of the caster's wand. It has only been used once.
Silencio: causes whoever it is cast upon to lose the ability to make audible noises. The charm works best with a sharp jab of the wand.
Sonorus: amplifies your voice in a way similar to that of the muggle "microphone." The spell "Quietus!" will bring the caster's voice back to normal.
Specialis Revelio: identifies the ingredients or enchantments in a potion or on a target object.
Stupefy: stuns whoever it is cast upon, knocking them temporarily unconscious. Many Stunners cast at once can cause long-term damage.
Tarantallegra: causes the legs of the victim to jerk around out of control, in a kind of quickstep; can be stopped by "Finite Incantatem!"
Tergeo: wipes up a target substance. Hermione uses this spell to clean the blood off Harry's face after Malfoy breaks his nose.
Toenail-growing Hex: The hex causes the target's toenails to grow at an increasing rate. It is one of the many spells invented by Snape
Tripping Jinx: The jinx trips the target. Malfoy uses this jinx on Harry when running away from the Room of Requirement.
Unbreakable charm: the charm makes an object unbreakable. Hermione uses this charm on the jar in which she traps the bug, Rita Skeeter.
Waddiwasi: The exact effects of the spell are unclear, but the following happened the only time it was used in the books: "With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril."
Wiggle and Twitchy Ears Hex: Harry was hit by this hex in DADA; it causes the victim's ears to wiggle and twitch.
Wingardium Leviosa: causes an object to levitate. Once the caster has an object in the air, it can be moved with the caster's wand as a navigator.
Aging Potion: causes the drinker to become older. Whether in body only, or in body and mind, isn't clear. The effects are likely temporary. The most famous use of the Ageing Potion occurred when Fred Weasley, George Weasley and Lee Jordan attempted to use it to enter the Triwizard Tournament when they were still underage. Dumbledore had placed an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire to prevent anyone under the age of 17 from approaching it. Fred, George and Lee thought that Ageing Potion would be enough to fool the Age Line magic, but they were wrong. Fred and George were ejected forcefully back over the line and both sprouted long white beards for their trouble. Lee, much to his relief, never attempted to cross the line and so escaped such humiliation On this occasion, George reported that they had taken only a single drop of potion each, as they only needed to increase their age by a few months. This indicates that the more of the potion is drunk, the larger the degree of aging that occurs. It is also clear, however, that other magic can see through the effects of this potion, as Dumbledore's Age Line proved
Amortentia: The most powerful Love Potion in the world, this causes a strong infatuation or obsession in the drinker. It has a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen, and steam rises from it in characteristic spirals. It also has a different aroma to everyone who smells it, reminding each person of the things that they find attractive. Horace Slughorn brewed up some Amortentia to demonstrate to Harry's class in their first Potions lesson of their 6th year, although nobody drank any of it. Whilst Love Potions are mentioned a number of times in the books, there are no confirmed cases of anyone taking Amortentia. It may, however, have been the potion used by Merope Gaunt in order to entice Tom Riddle Sr. to run away with her
Babbling Beverage: Effect unknown, but from the context in which this potion was mentioned, it is reasonable to assume that it causes the drinker to babble nonsense. When Harry, Ron and Hermione had been caught in Umbridge's office, Harry tried to communicate in code with Snape. Snape responded that if he wanted nonsense shouted at him he'd administer some Babbling Beverage.
Baruffio's Brain Elixir: a potion that supposedly increases brain power. A boy tried to sell a bottle of it to Ron and Harry for 12 Galleons when they were revising for their OWLs, claiming that it was entirely responsible for him getting 9 "Outstanding" grades the previous year. Hermione confiscated the bottle and poured it down the toilet. Given that other supposed revision aids such as powdered Dragon claw were fake (what Harold Dingle was offering as Dragon claw was actually dried Doxy droppings) it is unclear whether Baruffio's Brain Elixir actually exists or just made up
Befuddlement Draught: Causes the drinker to become fuddled, or confused. This may be the same potion as "Confusing Concoction" under a different name. Harry was reading up on "Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts" in his Potions book one time during his fifth year when he fell asleep and had one of his dreams about the Department of Mysteries
Blood-Replenishing Potion: Tops up the blood levels of the drinker after injury. Arthur Weasley had to take this once an hour when he was in hospital after having been bitten by Nagini, as her fangs contained a type of poison that kept the wounds open and prevented them from healing.
Boil-Cure Potion: Cures boils. This is a very simple potion that Harry's class were taught in their first ever Potions lesson. Neville had an accident with his, accidentally adding the porcupine quills before taking his cauldron off the fire. The spoiled potion melted the cauldron and drenched him, with the interesting result that his skin erupted in boils, the opposite of the intended effect of the potion
Bruise Removal Paste: a thick yellow paste, guaranteed to remove any bruise within an hour. It was invented by Fred and George Weasley, who found that as they had to test most of their joke shop products on themselves, a decent bruise remover was a necessity. Hermione used it to good effect when she'd been attacked by one of their punching telescopes.
Burn-Healing Paste: a thick orange paste used to heal burns. Madam Pomfrey used it on Cedric Diggory after the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. The extent of the burns he got from his Dragon meant that the whole of one side of his face was covered in the stuff, although he seemed to suffer no long-term effects.
Calming Draft: potion that relieves stress and induces calm in the drinker. Hannah Abbot was given a Calming Draught by Madam Pomfrey after becoming so upset about her impending OWL exams that she burst into tears in Herbology, and said that she was too stupid to take exams and that she wanted to leave the school
Confusing Concoction / Confusing Draught: Causes the drinker to become confused. This may be the same potion as "Befuddlement Draft" under a different name. Harry had to make Confusing Concoction for his third year Potions exam and he couldn't get it to thicken.
Deflating Draught: Causes anything swollen by magical means to shrink back to normal size. This is the opposite of a Swelling Solution, and acts as an antidote to it. When Harry, Ron and Hermione were trying to get hold of the ingredients for Polyjuice Potion from Snape's private stores, Harry caused a diversion during a Potions class by flinging a Filibuster firework into Goyle's cauldron of Swelling Solution. Most of the class was splashed in the subsequent explosion and various parts of their bodies swelled up to mammoth size. Snape used Deflating Draught to return them to normal.
Doxycide: This a black solution used to spray Doxies. It renders them unconscious for a time. Molly Weasley handed out bottles of Doxycide to everyone who was helping her cure the Doxy infestation in 12 Grimmauld Place. The idea was to spray the Doxies and drop them into a bucket whilst they were unconscious. Fred and George wanted to experiment with Doxy venom for their Skiving Snackboxes, however, and so pocketed as many Doxies as they could instead.
Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction: A medicinal potion given to Ron after he had been attacked by brains in the Department of Mysteries.
Draught of Living Death: an extremely powerful sleeping potion. Snape thought Harry should have read up on it in Magical Drafts and Potions before arriving for his first year at Hogwarts, and quizzed him about it in his first Potions lesson. This appears rather unfair, as this is a complex potion, and they didn't actually have to make it until they'd started their NEWTs in the 6th year. Even then, Slughorn didn't expect anyone to get it spot on at their first attempt. It was when they were making this potion that Harry first came across the Half-Blood Prince's copy of Advanced Potion-Making. When making this potion, it goes through a number of colour stages as ingredients are added. At the halfway point it is meant to be black currant-coloured, and after the Sopophorous Bean is added, it's meant to be lilac. Finally, after being stirred, the final product should be clear.
Draught of Peace: Calms anxiety and soothes agitation. This is a fiddly potion to make, and one that often comes up in OWL exams. The ingredients have to be added in the correct sequence, the number and direction of stirs has to be very precise, and the level of heat applied to the cauldron has to be spot on. Particular care needs to be taken when preparing this potion, as in incorrect mix of ingredients will put the drinker into an over-heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep. Harry's class had to make Draught of Peace in their first Potions class of the 5th year. Harry forgot to add his syrup of hellebore, with the result that his cauldron gave off dark grey steam rather than a light silver vapor, and the contents were worthless.
Dreamless Sleep Potion: A medicinal potion, used to induce dreamless sleep in the drinker and aid recuperation. Madam Pomfrey gave some of this to Harry after his ordeal in the graveyard at Little Hangleton to help him recover.
Elixir of Life: This is produced by the Sorcerer's Stone, and grants the drinker eternal life for as long as they keep on drinking it. Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel are the most famous users of Elixir of Life. They were the possessors of the only known Sorcerer's Stone in existence, which was later destroyed, meaning that Elixir of Life could no longer be made. The Stone was destroyed as it had become clear that Voldemort was trying to get hold of it, and getting rid of it was the only sure way to make sure that he didn't get his own grubby hands on the Elixir.
Elixir to Induce Euphoria: A sunshine-yellow potion that creates a feeling of euphoria in the drinker. Side-effects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking can occur on occasions, although adding a sprig of peppermint should help to counterbalance these. Harry made this in a 6th-year Potions lesson, when most of the class was off having their Apparition Test.
Voldemort's Horcrux Potion: A mystery potion that Voldemort used to protect his locket Horcrux. It induces fear and delirium in the drinker, and is almost certainly highly poisonous. It has a highly debilitating effect on the drinker and will cause death if left untreated. Only two people are known to have imbibed this potion - Regulus Black and Albus Dumbledore - and both expired shortly afterwards. A vivid description of its effects was given in the case of Albus, who saw horrific visions, experienced intense pain, and became unable even to raise the drink to his own mouth as he seemed to become only semi-conscious. Eventually he screamed and collapsed before regaining consciousness a short time later. He was severely weakened by the experience, and didn't recover his full strength before he was killed later that evening.
Essence of Dittany: This is a medicinal potion that stops bleeding, even from serious wounds, in an instant. Hermione treated Ron with this when he Splinched himself whilst Apparating from the Ministry of Magic to Grimmauld Place and then to the Quidditch World Cup forest during the search for Horcruxes Three drops of the potion were sufficient to heal a sizeable wound, which Hermione dripped onto the injured area. When it came into contact with the wound, a large quantity of greenish smoke was released. The main ingredient of this potion can be assumed to be Dittany, which is a magical plant with known healing properties. Madam Pomfrey also used Dittany to help treat Draco Malfoy's wounds after he was attacked with Sectumsempra.
Essence of Insanity: This is a potion that Ron thought Harry might have taken instead of Felix Felicis. Harry had taken the Felix with the intention of seeing Professor Slughorn to get the Horcrux memory from him, but then suddenly announced he was off to Aragog's funeral instead. Ron was bemused, but of course Felix knew what he was doing
Essence of Murtlap: Hermione gave this to Harry to help his hand heal after his series of detentions with Umbridge and her revolting punishment quill. At this point she described it as "a solution of strained and pickled Murtlap tentacles". When Harry put his bleeding hand in a bowl of it he got an immediate feeling of relief from the pain. When Lee Jordan was given a similar detention later in the year for questioning one of the many Educational Decrees, Harry recommended it to him as well.
Exploding Potion: The Erumpent produces a remarkable fluid in its horn which causes anything it is injected into to explode. This is used in potion-making to produce an Exploding Potion. The fluid is very difficult to get hold of, due to the fact that Erumpents often explode each other during the mating season. It can therefore be assumed that Exploding Potion is rather rare.
Felix Felicis: This gold-coloured potion is lady luck in liquid form. Felix Felicis makes the drinker lucky for a period of time, dependent on how much is drunk, during which time everything they attempt will succeed. It must be used sparingly, however, because if taken in excess it causes giddiness, recklessness and dangerous overconfidence. It is highly toxic in large quantities, and is also a banned substance in all organised competitions. According to Horace Slughorn, it's incredibly difficult to make and disastrous to get wrong, which may explain why people don't go round trying to make it and drink it all the time. Slughorn offered a small bottle of Felix Felicis as a prize in Harry's first Potions lesson of the 6th year, awarding it to the person who made the best Draught of Living Death. Harry won it due to the fact that his copy of Advanced Potion-Making had been heavily modified with handy hints by its previous owner, Severus Snape.
Forgetfulness Potion: The exact nature of this potion is never described, but it is reasonably to assume that it causes the drinker to become forgetful. This must be a simple potion, as it is taught in the first year at Hogwarts. In Harry's first year exams, Snape made him nervous by breathing down his neck whilst he was trying to remember how to make a Forgetfulness Potion.
Gregory's Unctuous Unction: Invented by Gregory the Smarmy, this potion makes a person drinking it think that whoever gave it to them is their best friend. There is a statue of Gregory the Smarmy at Hogwarts, behind which is a secret passage.
Hiccoughing Solution: Causes the drinker to hiccough. Malfoy made this in the 6th-year Potions class where he, Harry and Ernie were the only ones present, as everyone else was old enough to be off taking their Apparition test. Slughorn asked them to make something amusing: Malfoy plumped for Hiccoughing Solution, which at the end of the lesson Slughorn described as "passable". Malfoy, for one, was not amused.
Invigoration Draught: Effect unknown, but presumably it invigorates the drinker and increases energy levels. Harry had to make this in a 5th year Potions lesson. Snape had taken to ignoring him rather than bullying him at the time and so Harry's effort was rather more successful than usual. Snape still gave him zero marks, however, because he dropped Harry's flask of potion on the floor when Harry wasn't looking, so he couldn't test it.
Mandrake Restorative Draught: Mandrake is a powerful restorative, used to return people who have been either cursed or Transfigured back to their original state. It also has the power to revive people who have been petrified. Mandrake is administered via Mandrake Restorative Draught, which is made from the plants once they have been harvested, cut up, and stewed. The Mandrake itself is a tufty purplish-green plant - the young Mandrake is, at least. No description of the full-grown plant has been given. The above-ground parts of the Mandrake look entirely normal, but the roots are anything but. Instead of normal roots, the young Mandrake plant instead has a small, muddy and extremely ugly baby with mottled green skin, with the leaves of the plant growing directly out of its head. Professor Sprout makes several references to Mandrakes growing up as the months pass during Harry's second year, and so it is reasonable to assume that as the plant matures, so does the underground baby. Mandrakes must be mature before they are harvested for making the Draught. This means waiting until they have gone through their moody and secretive phase and allowing their acne to clear up. Once this stage has been reached, the Mandrakes are ready for cutting, and the Draught can be made.
Pepperup Potion: This is a potion used by Madam Pomfrey to treat colds, although it is unclear whether it simply addresses the symptoms or actually provides a cure. As October came on during Harry's second year, a spate of colds swept through Hogwarts, and Madam Pomfrey treated the sufferers with Pepperup Potion. It feels very hot when drunk, and although it provides immediate relief, it does cause large amounts of steam to come from the drinker's ears for some time afterwards. When Ginny Weasley was bullied into taking some by Percy, the steam coming out from under her bright red hair made it look like her head was on fire. Madam Pomfrey also administered the potion to people who had been in the water for a long period of time during the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, which indicates that it is also useful for treating exposure. Both Ron and Harry were given some to perk them up after their ordeal in the lake.
Scintillation Solution: Effect unknown. However, Madam Z Nettles of Topsham, a satisfied customer of the Kwikspell course, happily wrote to tell them that her recipe for this potion was now in great demand.
Shrinking Solution: This is an acid green potion which is on the 3rd year syllabus at Hogwarts. Harry's class made it in the first Potions lesson they had after Malfoy had been injured by Buckbeak during Care of Magical Creatures. Malfoy was milking his injury and Snape made Harry and Ron do most of his work for him. Snape also used the lesson to bully Neville particularly badly. Neville was making a mess of his potion, and Snape told him that he was going to feed the final product to Trevor, his toad. If Neville had made it correctly, Trevor would turn into a tadpole. If he hadn't, Trevor would be poisoned. In the event, Hermione managed to secretly help out Neville, and the potion worked perfectly. Snape twigged and took five points from Gryffindor. Trevor's transformation into a tadpole suggests that the effect of this potion is to made things younger rather than smaller. As such, it has the opposite effect to Aging Potion. In addition to making the potion in class, Snape set an essay on the subject for summer homework between the second and third years. Harry referred to the potion as Shrinking Potion rather than Shrinking Solution at the time, but it is likely to be the same thing.
Skele-Gro: This causes lost bones to re-grow, which is a slow and painful process.
Sleekeazy's Hair Potion: This is used to calm down problem hair so it can be styled. Hermione used liberal amounts of it when she went to the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum, with fantastic results. She said it was far too much trouble to do every day, however, so she chose to leave her hair in its usual bushy state the rest of the time.
Sleeping Draught/Potion: Causes the drinker to fall asleep. An example of how potent even the standard Sleeping Draught can be comes from the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. When Hagrid, Olympe and Harry snuck off to get a preview of the Dragons, Charlie Weasley informed them that a Sleeping Draught was used to knock them unconscious for the trip over to Scotland, but now they were awake they were snapping, snarling and being generally extremely vicious.
Strengthening Solution: Effect unknown, but presumably this potion makes the drinker stronger. It could, however, be designed for inanimate objects if the potion was intended to be applied to them. Harry made this potion (very badly) in a 5th year class whilst Snape was being assessed by Umbridge. Umbridge disapproved of teaching this particular potion to the students, and Snape took very little notice of her He did, however, make Harry write an essay on where his potion went wrong, as it had ended up a congealed mess that smelt of burnt rubber. Strengthening Solution has to be made over a number of days. The class began theirs before the weekend, leaving their mixture to mature before finishing it off in the following lesson.
Swelling Solution: This potion causes whatever it touches to swell up in size. It is on the 2nd year syllabus at Hogwarts. Harry's class were making this in the Potions lesson when Harry created a diversion so that Hermione could sneak out and steal some ingredients they needed for their Polyjuice Potion from Snape's personal stores. Harry did this by throwing a Filibuster firework into Goyle's cauldron, which then exploded, showering the class with Swelling Solution. Wherever someone got hit, the body part in question swelled up to enormous size and had to be treated with Deflating Draught. Snape was very angry indeed, and Harry was convinced he knew it was him
Truth Potion/Truth Serum: When Snape first shows Harry a bottle of Veritaserum and threatens him with it, he calls it "a truth potion", which suggests that other Truth Potions (presumably less powerful) must also exist. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them also states that Jobberknoll feathers are used in Truth Serums.
Voldemort's Potion: This is a potion of Voldemort's own invention, which he used to regenerate himself and give himself a new humanesque body. Before the addition of the known ingredients, the potion had been prepared in a massive cauldron and looked like water. When it was heated it sent fiery sparks into the air and gave out large quantities of steam. Voldemort, in his baby form, was placed into it the cauldron. As each new ingredient was added, the potion changed colour, after which the new, adult-sized Voldemort emerged from a huge cloud of white steam.
Wit-Sharpening Potion: The effect of this is not known, although it is likely to involve sharpening the wit of the drinker. Harry's class was making Wit-Sharpening Potion shortly after the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Rita Skeeter had just published an article in Witch Weekly about a supposed love triangle with Harry, Hermione and Viktor Krum, and Harry, Ron and Hermione were discussing it in their Potions class. Snape responded by splitting them up and reading the article aloud to the entire class. Harry was moved to the front, where Snape threatened him in a quiet voice because he believed Harry had been stealing from his office.
Wolfsbane Potion: A new and complex potion, this relieves the symptoms of lycanthropy. If the affected person drinks the potion at full moon, they transform only into a normal wolf rather than a bloodthirsty out-of-control Werewolf. When ready to drink, the Wolfsbane Potion smokes faintly and tastes revolting. Unfortunately, the addition of sugar makes it useless, so there's nothing the drinker can do but brace himself and get it down his neck. The potion must be taken for the week preceding the full moon, and Lupin believes it best to take it daily for this period. Forgetting to take even a single dose results in the entire effect being negated and the drinker will still turn into a full Werewolf at full moon. Severus Snape made this potion every month for Lupin while he taught at Hogwarts, demonstrating Snape's considerable skills in the area.
Wound-Cleaning Potion: a smoking purple liquid that cleans open wounds in preparation for magical healing. Madam Pomfrey used it on Harry when he was injured during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. It stung when it was applied, but she then healed the wound instantaneously with her wand and Harry appeared to suffer no unpleasant side-effects.
