Before I get into this month's spell, I would like to apologize for any misspelled words or grammar errors. You see, my ex-best friend and I recently got into a not-so-friendly duel, and in the process, my ex-friend destroyed most of my candles. So, I am writing this in the dark. However, I have a really useful spell for you guys this spooky month!
Wait a second, I am a witch! I can just... ah, that is better! I am not sure why I did not think of it sooner. I have just used our spell of the month to give myself a little light so I can see what I am writing. It is quite a handy spell, and I am sure most of you have found a use for this spell in your lives. Whether you needed a little extra light to search for that lost quill that fell behind your desk, or you entered an abandoned building with no candles, this spell can help you in many dark situations.
Have you guessed it, yet? This handy spell of the month is Lumos, or the Wand-Lighting Charm. To do this spell, you make a loop in the air with your wand while saying the incantation, LOO-mos. Although, I am positive you all already knew that. After all, this spell is taught in first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts.
The inventor of Lumos was Ministry of Magic worker, Levina Monkstanley. She first used this spell publicly when she was searching for her quill that fell into a dusty corner of her office in 1772. Her coworkers were so surprised, and immediately asked Monkstanley to show them how to do the spell.
Lumos is very simple and useful, but it is not only used to find quills in dark places. This spell can also be used to repel Gytrashes and malevolent spirits. Now, before you get any ideas about repelling the Bloody Baron, it will not work. As rude as the Baron can be, he is not a malevolent spirit. Also, note that I only said this spell will repel them not get rid of them. It works like a Patronus Charm does on Dementors, allowing you to escape from an area that is full of Gytrashes (example: there is a task in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets video game on the Gameboy Color where you have to repel a group of Gytrashes).
Since it is such a common spell, there have been many users of this spell in the Harry Potter series. Some of the more famous users of this spell were Harry Potter, Severus Snape, Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore, Nymphadora Tonks, and Ginny Weasley.
I can feel the warmth of the spell emitting from my wand as it has been on for a few minutes now. That leads me to the counter-charm of Lumos. To cancel the spell, one must simply say Nox, and the light diminishes. One more thing before I close, there is a modified version of Lumos that produces even more light and heat. I will not be describing how to do this spell in this article, but I thought it would be worth mentioning Lumos Maxima. Lumos Maxima can be thrown off the wand tip and into a dark corner of a room to hang there for several minutes before darkening once again.
Isn't it interesting to learn a bit more about some simple spells? Did you ever know who the inventor of Lumos was before this article? I actually did not know myself before researching this spell for the article. So, the next time you use Lumos remember to thank Levina Monkstanley.
Nox,
Eimear