Warning! At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. As such, spoilers will be present within the article. For gameplay-specific information, please see the relevant article on the Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Wiki!

Summoning Charm Incantation Accio

(AH-kee-oh)[1] (AH-kee-oh) Type Charm[2] Hand movement Light [2] None Effect [2] Summons an object [Source]

"And then he heard it, speeding through the air behind him; he turned and saw his Firebolt hurtling towards him around the edge of the woods, soaring into the enclosure, and stopping dead in mid-air beside him, waiting for him to mount." —The Firebolt, under influence of this spell[src]

The Summoning Charm (Accio) was a charm that summoned an object towards the caster. It was able to summon objects in direct line of sight of the caster, as well as things out of view, by calling the object aloud after the incantation (unless the spell is cast nonverbally). This spell needs thought behind it, and the object must be clear in the caster's mind before trying to summon it. The opposite charm of the Summoning Charm was the Banishing Charm.[3]

Contents show]

History

The Summoning Charm is one of the oldest known to wizarding society.[4] This spell's most famous use was, according to Miranda Goshawk, by the Accionites and their leader, Gideon Flatworthy.[4]

In the traditional wizarding tale "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" from The Tales of Beedle the Bard , the son of the titular pot's original owner summoned a lost donkey belonging to one of his fellow villagers.[5]

This charm is taught to fourth years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Charms class[6][7] and is revised again in a students fifth in preparation for O.W.L.s.[8] This spell is located in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk.[9]

Casting and effects

The Summoning Charm can not be used on buildings.[4] In addition, it will not work on living things, although they may be moved indirectly by summoning things they are wearing or holding. It is risky to summon them in this manner, because they travel at close to the speed of light and may be injured in the process.[10][11] The only known exception to this rule are Flobberworms, which are generally not considered worth summoning.[4]

The further the desired object is from the caster, the harder it is to summon. Hermione Granger, however, stated that it did not matter how far away the object was — so long as the caster had it clearly in mind, they should be able to summon it with ease.[2] In addition, the object's general location must be known, otherwise it cannot be summoned.[12]

There exist counter-spells that could be placed on objects to keep them from being summoned.[13][14] Most wizarding goods sold as of the 20th century and early 21st century came pre-enchanted with an Anti-theft charm to keep them from being summoned by anyone but their rightful owners.[4]

Known uses

Successful

" Accio! Accio! Accio! she shouted, and toffees zoomed from all sorts of unlikely places, including the lining of George’s jacket..." —Molly Weasley uses this spell on the twins[src]

Unsuccessful

"YOU’VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME! Accio prophecy! ACCIO PROPHECY!" —Bellatrix Lestrange tries to summon the smashed prophecy[src]

Known practitioners

Etymology

The Latin word accio can mean "I call", "I summon", or "action". In the Hungarian translation, the spell is called "Invito", possibly from the word "to invite".

Pronunciation

Many various suggestions have been made on the pronunciation of this spell. Some include: (AK-ee-oh) or (AK-see-oh)- from the film, (AK-see-oh)- from the UK audio book and video game, (AS-see-oh)- from the US audio book, and (AT-chee-oh)- the Anglo-Catholic pronunciation. The original Latin translation sounds like (AK-ee-oh).

Behind the scenes

Appearances

Notes and references



