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The Harry Potter franchise is chock-full of amazing magic and powerful spells used throughout the wizarding world. Anybody who is fortunate enough to receive a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be given the chance to learn incredible magic that can benefit their lives greatly.
Throughout the expansive world of Harry Potter exists an array of practical spells. There are spells for almost every imaginable task, but this is perhaps where certain spells begin to become a bit unnecessary. Some spells exist for the sole purpose of existing and benefit the user very little. Though the world of magic is a fascinating one, certain impractical spells aim to ruin it.
10 Spongify
Spongify is a softening charm that can render a surface soft and foam-like when cast. Seen primarily in the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone games, the Spongify spell can be a great method of traversal, but that is about the extent of its utility.
When cast on a particular surface, the Spongify spell will result in the formation of a spring-like object emerging from the ground. Harry can use this spring to jump to great heights to continue his journey throughout Hogwarts. Though it can be an effective spell when caught in a bind, it holds very little strength in a world full of flying broomsticks.
9 Skurge
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The Skurge spell sees great utilization in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on the PS2. The ghost enemies present in this game often leave behind trails of ectoplasm: a green substance that prevents entrance to an area if found in abundance. It is a viscous liquid that appears throughout Hogwarts, where ghosts are free to roam unattended.
The only purpose of the Skurge spell is to clean areas covered in ectoplasm. Though its cleaning abilities are nothing short of incredible, it is an unnecessary addition to the Hogwarts syllabus and one that has failed to resurface in subsequent Harry Potter games.
8 Vera Verto
The Vera Verto spell is one of the more unique spells present in the Harry Potter franchise. When cast, the spell allows the person casting it to transform an animal into a glass, cup, or goblet. Though it is a spectacle visually, its exact purpose is somewhat unclear.
There are seldom situations where the usage of the Vera Verto spell would be required due to its limitations. Many would argue that its ability to conceal an animal or pet is unrivaled, but this is untrue. If a witch or wizard chooses to use the spell to hide multiple animals they will become engulfed by an array of kitchenware. In a world where the Vera Verto spell is taught in schools, it makes for a poor choice for concealment.
7 Sunshine, Daisies, Butter Mellow, Turn This Stupid, Fat Rat Yellow
One of the first instances where a magic incantation is used in the series is seen in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. While demonstrating his knowledge of magic, Ron Weasley uses this longwinded spell on his pet rat, Scabbers, but nothing happens.
The spell is a nonsensical one, likely created by Ron's brothers to poke fun at their younger sibling. If the spell was real though, it would still be one of the most impractical spells present in the series due to the specific requirements needed for it to be cast successfully.
6 Diffindo
The severing charm, Diffindo, is taught to second-year students in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Its purpose is to allow its caster to make a precise incision on an object, but the need for it to be taught to students is condescending.
Not all members of the Wizarding World are restricted to utilizing only magical means for completing a task, but they still feel the need to show off their skills no matter how mundane they are. Though the spell can be effective in certain situations, more often than not, a pair of scissors would prove to be just as efficient, if not more.
5 Snufflifors
The Snufflifors spell can transform a book into a mouse. If utilized on the Monster Book of Monsters, the spell can serve to render it a far less threatening bundle of pages, but if used on a simple library book it will achieve very little more than causing trouble.
Teaching this spell to students is a terrible idea due to the potential disasters it could lead to. If they wanted, a student could walk into the Hogwarts library with their wand in hand and transform hundreds of years of wizarding history into a terrified mischief of mice. Snufflifors only benefits a wizard if they hope to cause minor chaos.
4 Draconifors
The Draconifors spell is a transfiguration charm used to transform an object into a dragon. When cast on a dragon statue, the statue will come alive and breathe fire in whichever direction it chooses.
In a world where the Incendio spell exists, the need for Draconifors is nonexistent. Casting Incendio allows the player to spray fire from the tip of their wand, bypassing the need to bring a dragon to life. Wizards will likely be much more familiar with the Incednio charm than they would be with Draconifors, so its reason for existing is somewhat unclear.
3 Waddiwasi
The Waddiwasi spell is perhaps the most unnecessary spell present in the entire Harry Potter franchise. When cast, it creates a small object from the tip of the wand and fires it in whichever direction it is aimed.
Used primarily in pranks, the Waddiwasi spell provides little benefit to the wizard who casts it. With the time it takes for a witch or wizard to learn this spell, it would make much more sense for them to simply throw an object with their bare hands. The existence of this spell would only be necessary in a world without straws.
2 Slugulus Eructo
The Slugulus Erecto Spell, first seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is a disturbing spell that can cause the caster's victim to begin vomiting slugs. Ron attempts to use this spell on Draco Malfoy to punish him for calling Hermione a "Mudblood," but, due to his broken wand, the spell is deflected straight back onto Ron.
Though the spell can be an effective means of creating an abundance of slugs to ruin someone's garden, it provides little use in all other capacities. There are surely better pranks to perform on someone than forcing them to puke slugs for hours on end.
1 Carpe Retractum
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The Carpe Retractum spell can be used in a variety of ways throughout the Harry Potter series. When cast at an immovable object, it can pull the caster toward it. When cast at a less restricted object, however, it will instead bring the object toward the caster.
This spell, though practical in certain situations, resides in the shadow of Accio: a much more capable means of summoning items. Regarding traversal, a broomstick would be a far more efficient means of ascending to unreachable heights. Its power is undeniable, but its practicality is null and void.