Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In today’s video, we’re going
to be discussing powerful spells. However, we’re not going to just be discussing any
old powerful spells- we’re going to be discussing the most powerful FIRE related spells. Elemental
magic is a huge part of Harry Potter- and we see all sorts of water and fire related
spells crop up across the series. This list will include spells from all of Harry Potter
canon - including Fantastic Beasts. Without further ado- let’s get in to it.
5. Bluebell Flames
Starting off in rather innocent fashion we have Bluebell Flames- a simple spell which
produces a blue flame that’s able to singe objects. Bluebell Flames are considered to
be less powerful than REAL fire, but the advantage is that they are waterproof. They could be
touched and even held by the caster without any risk of burning themselves- HOWEVER, the
spell could be used to singe materials like- oh, I don’t know - robes.
The spell is notably used by Hermione Granger on professor Severus Snape when she set his
robes on fire during the Gryffindor / Slytherin quidditch match- she also used this same spell
on the Devil’s Snare protecting the Philosopher’s Stone:
"She whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell
flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the two boys felt
it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth."
This spell is actually pretty innocent, but it is useful, and given that it has far more
application than some of the other basic fire spells, it earns a spot on the list. However,
I will say this- the spells get a lot more powerful from here on out.
4. Gubraithian Fire
Derived from the Scottish Gaelic phrase “gu brath”, which means ‘forever’ - Gubraithian
fire is just that- a flame that will burn for eternity. It also goes by the name ‘everlasting
fire’- and will burn forever via special enchantment. Supposedly, the fire will even
continue to burn after the caster dies. In terms of Harry Potter magic- this is extremely
powerful, and while it may not be perfect for combat- the prospect of fire that literally
burns FOREVER and can’t be put out makes it extremely enigmatic. Additionally, it was
EXTREMELY advanced magic and very difficult to cast- in fact, VERY few wizards were capable
of casting it.
As far as its place in the story- Dumbledore gave Hagrid a branch enchanted with this fire
as a gift to the giants- a gift that went down quite well. Dumbledore, quite unsurprisingly,
was able to cast it.
"Dumbledore'd bewitched this branch to burn fer evermore, which isn' somethin' any wizard
could do... "
Though I believe the spell was too powerful to be taught to students at Hogwarts- it was
mentioned in class by Flitwick in numerous charms lessons.
3. Fiendfyre
A slight step up from the last spell in terms of POWER- we have FIENDFYRE- one of the most
powerful spells in the entire Harry Potter universe.
"It was not normal fire; Crabbe had used a curse of which Harry had no knowledge: As
they turned a corner the flames chased them as though they were alive, sentient, intent
upon killing them. Now the fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: Flaming
serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again, and the detritus of centuries
on which they were feeding was thrown up in the air into their fanged mouths, tossed high
on clawed feet, before being consumed by the inferno."
For those unaware- Fiendfyre is absurdly overpowered- and its basic function is to destroy everything.
Voldemort is a known proponent of the spell, and can be seen using it against Dumbledore
in their epic duel in the ministry atrium. Fiendfyre produces enchanted flames of an
enormous scale that essentially destroy anything in its path, often taking the form of gigantic
fiery beasts that are semi-sentient. In addition to all of the above it has been expressed
that the flames are entirely inextinguishable by water- scary. While it doesn’t sound
like you can get much more powerful than this- turns out it actually can.
2. Firestorm AKA Fire Rope
In the Harry Potter books and films, we see Dumbledore’s mastery of elemental magic
on numerous occasions. First in his ministry atrium duel against Voldemort, and then his
encounter with the inferi in the cave. However- one of the most impressive spells that stuck
out to me was FIRESTORM aka Fire rope (the two names seem to be largely conflated between
book/film).
"But then, through the darkness, fire erupted: crimson and gold, a ring of fire that surrounded
the rock so that the Inferi holding Harry so tightly stumbled and faltered... Dumbledore
was on his feet again, pale as any of the surrounding Inferi, but taller than any, too,
the fire dancing in his eyes; his wand was raised like a torch and from its tip emanated
the flames, like a vast lasso, encircling them all with warmth."
Firestorm, otherwise known as ‘lasso of flames’ or ‘fire rope’- is an incantation
that produces a large ring of fire from the caster’s wand. When the caster moves, the
ring of fire moves with them and will effectively ward off anyone trying to hurt them. While
the ring of fire circles them, the caster also holds the ability to shoot individual
jets or balls of flames at their opponents. This ability pairs well with partis temporus
which allows a gap in the flames for the caster to safely pass through. Dumbledore used this
spell to ward off the masses of inferi who were guarding the horcrux. Even in his weakened
state this spell proved to be MORE than enough to serve its purpose.
1. Protego Diabolica
Topping the list of fire spells today is actually one of derivations of ‘protego’. I know
what you’re thinking- isn’t protego just a shield charm? Where’s the fire?
Yes, you’re certainly right, protego IS just a shield charm- however, there are MANY
levels of the spell- and basically the more powerful you are, the more likely it is that
you’ll be able to cast one of the high level versions.
Protego (regular) is a defensive ability that any witch or wizard should possess in their
magical arsenal. It blocks physical entities, reflects spells, and even rebounds conjurations
back towards the caster.
Protego Duo is just a slightly more advanced form of the regular Protego, Protego Totalum
is where things start to pivot towards more of a protective shield type spell, Protego
Maxima is a more powerful version of Protego Totalum, Protego Horribilis is the MOST powerful
of the traditional protective shield formats, and Protego Diabolica is a whole other animal
and the FIRE spell in question.
Ever heard the adage "The best defense is a good offense"? Well, Protego Diabolica is
unimaginably strong in both offensive and defensive settings. It’s possibly the most
powerful spell across both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts, and we first see it in the
Crimes of Grindelwald when Gellert Grindelwald casts it inside the Lestrange mausoleum.
The spell creates a ring of protective black fire around the target, and anyone who is
an enemy of the caster will be instantly incinerated when they try to enter the circle. The shield
can also be controlled like a weapon, and the caster has the capacity to extend tendrils
of black flames towards enemies. Anyone struck by one of these tendrils will suffer the same
fate as someone trying to enter the circle, and if that isn’t enough already, the spell
eventually escalates in to what can only be described as a fiery-winged demon with the
capacity to destroy entire cities. Though the spell is ‘blue’ in the films-
it’s worth mentioning that it’s meant to be BLACK.
And that’s it for this video! I hope you enjoyed the list. Did I miss any spells? What’s
your list? Let me know in the comment section below.
Until next time
YER A WIZARD ARRY