Hogwarts Dictionary
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A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N

O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z


A

Animagus: A witch or wizard that can change into animal form.

Apparate/Disapparate: The ability of a witch or wizard to vanish from one place and appear in another almost instantly.

Aragog: Leader of the spiders who live in the Forbidden Forest.

Auror: Dark wizard catcher.

Azkaban: The wizard prison.

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B

Basilisk: King of Serpents, snake monster in the Chamber of Secrets. Can kill with its stare.

Beater: Position on Quidditch team. Beaters keep Bludgers away from their team.

Beauxbatons Academy of Magic: Another witchcraft and wizardry school.

Bezoar: A stone taken from the stomach of a goat that will save you from most poisons

Blast-Ended Skrewts: Mean-spirited, crab-like creatures.

Bludger: A Quidditch ball that flies around the field trying to knock players off their brooms.

Boggart: A shape-shifting monster; takes the form of whatever it thinks will frighten those near it.

Bubotubers: Magical plants that look like slugs. Their pus has healing qualities, but can also cause painful blisters when it comes directly in contact with skin.

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C

Centaur: A centaur has a human head and a body of a horse, it is intelligent and capable of speech

Chamber of Secrets: Hidden chamber within Hogwarts, built over a thousand years ago by Salazar Slytherin, one of the school's four founders. According to legend, only Slytherin's true heir can ever open the Chamber, unleashing a horrible monster that supposedly lives inside it.

Chaser: Quidditch position. Chasers try to score with the Quaffle.

Cruciatus Curse: One of three illegal Unforgivable Curses. Causes intense pain. It's used to torture someone. "Crucio!"

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D

Daily Prophet, The: The wizards' newspaper.

Dark Mark: Skull and serpent symbol that is the sign of Voldemort. It's said that the Death Eaters, Voldemort's followers, display the sign whenever they have killed.

Death Eaters: Name of the group of Dark wizards who are Voldemort's followers.

Deathday: The day when a ghost celebrates when he or she became a ghost.

Dementor: Dark, cloaked, faceless creatures who guard the prisoners in Azkaban (the wizards prison). A dementor's kiss will suck out a person's soul.

Dragon: A well known creature.

Dueling Club: Hogwarts club where students pair off and cast spells against each other, learning how to defend themselves.

Durrmstrang: Another wizarding school in Europe. No one knows its true whereabouts, but people assume it's in the cold Far North.

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E

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F

Forbidden Forest: Forest surrounding Hogwarts. Home to unicorns and other mystical creatures. Very dangerous; Hogwarts students are told to stay away from it.

Flamel, Nicolas: The only known maker of the Sorcerers' Stone.

Floo Powder: Magical, glittering powder that, when sprinkled, transports a wizard or witch from one place to another in a flash.

Foe-Glass: A magical mirror that shows one's enemies.

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G

Gillyweed: Magical plant that, when eaten, gives a person gills like a fish, allowing her or him to breathe underwater.

Goblet of Fire: A large wooden cup that is filled to the brim with dancing blue flames. It magically selects the contestants for the Triwizard Tournament.

Golden Snitch: The most important ball in Quidditch. It's fast and hard to catch; must be caught by the Seeker to earn 150 bonus points, which usually wins a game.

Grim: A giant spectral dog that haunts graveyards, also when you see this beast, it means you're going to die

Gringotts: A Wizarding bank run by Goblins.

Gryffindor: One of four student houses at Hogwarts. Named for Godric Gryffindor, one of the school’s four founders.

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H

Harry Potter: The boy who lived and mysteriously weakened Voldemort.

Hermione Granger: Hermione is Harry's friend and a muggle born girl who is interested in books and classes.

Hippogriff: Magical creature that is half bird and half horse.

Hogsmeade: The only Non-Muggle village left in London. Students in 3rd year or above may visit it.

Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Howler: A screaming, scolding letter sent by owl.

Hufflepuff: One of four student houses at Hogwarts. Named for Helga Hufflepuff, one of the school’s four founders.

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I

Imperious Curse: One of three illegal Unforgivable Curses. When cast, it gives a wizard total control over another person or creature. "Imperio!"

Invisibility Cloak: A "silvery gray" cape that makes its wearer invisible. Harry receives it as a Christmas gift in Book One but does not know who it's from. It arrives with a note explaining that the cloak once belonged to Harry's father.

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K

Keeper: Player who guards the goal posts in a Quidditch game.

Killing Curse: One of three illegal Unforgivable Curses. It will kill a person or creature when cast. "Avada Kedavra!"

Knight Bus, The: Magical bus that serves as emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards.

Knockturn Alley: An alleyway of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. An offshoot of Diagon Alley.

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L

Little Hangleton: Town where Tom Riddle and his family once lived. Many years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Riddle and their son Tom were found dead in the house.

Lord Voldemort: Mostly referred to as "He Who Must Not be Name" or "You-Know-Who", Lord Voldermort's real name is Tom Ridle,Tom attended Hogwarts and was head boy and prefect.

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M

Mandrake: A screaming plant that helps "return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

Marauder's Map: Map showing every detail of Hogwarts castle and the castle grounds. It magically shows people moving around within the school, too. Also shows secret passageways to Hogsmeade, the wizarding village.

Ministry of Magic: Council whose main job is to keep wizards and witches a secret from Muggles.

Mirror of Erised, The: A mirror that reflects the greatest desire of the person looking into it.

Mudblood: A mean name to call someone who is Muggle-born (born to non-magical parents).

Muggle: A non-magical person.

Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries: Where wizards can recuperate and receive treatment.

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N

Nagini: Gigantic 12-foot female snake whose venom is used as food by Lord Voldemort as he regains his strength and body.

N.E.W.T: Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests

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O

Omnioculars: Magical binoculars that have instant replay and slow-motion features.

O.W.L.s: Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Exams Hogwarts students must take at age 15 (fifth year).

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P

Parselmouth: A witch or wizard who can talk to (and understand) snakes. A talent that Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts, was famous for.

Patronus: An "anti-dementor," it guards a person from dementors.

Pensieve: Magical basin that stores a persons thoughts and memories. Platform nine and three-quarters: The magical platform (invisible to Muggles) at London's King's Cross station where Hogwarts students board the Hogwarts Express train to school.

Pocket Sneakoscope: A tool that lights up and spins whenever someone untrustworthy is near. Point Me: Also known as the Four-Point spell, this forces the tip of the wand to point north.

Polyjuice Potion: Changes a person into someone else.

Portkey: Object (which usually looks like trash to a Muggle) that can transport wizards from one place to another at a specific, prearranged time.

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Q

Quaffle: A ball used in Quidditch to score goals.

Quick-Quotes Quill: Magical quill that writes by itself. Used by nasty Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter.

Quidditch: Wizard sport played up in the air on broomsticks. A bit like soccer.

Quidditch World Cup: Championship tournament like World Cup Soccer. Each country has a team; a world champ is determined in a final playoff. The game is usually attended by 100,000 witches and wizards at a magical stadium unseen by Muggles.

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R

Ravenclaw: One of four student houses at Hogwarts. Named for Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the school’s four founders.

Remembrall: A little ball that tells you if you have forgotten something to do, it then turns red

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S

Sage: Someone that can do magic without their wand. Voldemort is the only Sage that is known about today. A Sage is as rare as talking to snakes. It leaves us wondering if Harry Potter will have the same power.

Sensor: Tool that vibrates when it detects concealment or lies.

Seeker: The key position on a Quidditch team. The Seeker must catch the Golden Snitch before the other team’s Seeker does. When the Snitch is caught, the match ends.

Snitch: See "Golden Snitch".

Slytherin: One of four student houses at Hogwarts. Named for Salazar Slytherin, one of the school’s four founders.

Sorcerer's Stone: Special stone that can change metal into gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which makes the drinker immortal.

Sorting Hat: Tattered, talking wizard's hat, which, when tried on, tells first years which house they will live in at Hogwarts.

S.P.E.W.: Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. An organization started by Hermione to get fair treatment for the hard-working house-elves.

Squib: Someone who has no magical powers even though he or she was born into a wizarding family.

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T

Triwizard Tournament: Year-long magical tournament between three European wizarding schools --- Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. One student from each school is chosen to compete, their names selected by the ancient Goblet of Fire. The tournament is held at Hogwarts in GOBLET OF FIRE; it has not been held for centuries, because the death toll was too high.

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U

Unforgiveable Curses: Three cruel curses illegal in the wizarding world. Includes the Imperious Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Killing Curse.

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V

Veela: Beautiful female creatures that can enchant boys and men.

Veritaserum: A powerful Truth Potion.

Voldemort: See Lord Voldemort.

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W

Weird Sisters: Band that plays at the Yule Ball, the Hogwarts school dance.

Whomping Willow: A type of tree on the Hogwarts grounds that has the ability to attack with its branches.

Witch Weekly: A magazine for Witches

Wronski Feint: Daring Quidditch move; on flying broomstick, a player goes into a fast, steep dive.

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Y

Yule Ball: Christmas dance held at Hogwarts for fourth-years and older.

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