Stupefy Harry Potter, labeled as a defense charm, is one of the most commonly used jinxes or charms in the Harry Potter novels and books. All one needs to do is chant the spell with or without the name of the person they want to stun.
True, Neville did Stun Padma Patil rather than Dean, at whom he had been aiming, but it was a much closer miss than usual, and everybody else had made enormous progress.”
— Dumbledore’s Army learning the Stunning Spell in December 1995
–Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Origin and Meaning of Stupefy Harry Potter
The word ‘stupefy’ comes from the Middle French word ‘stupéfier’. Another possible root word may be from the Latin word ‘stupefaciō’. It means to ‘strike dumb’ or ‘stun with amazement’. The third root of origin might be the English word ‘stupor’, which means ‘a state of near-unconsciousness or insensibility’.
The stunning spell is hard to master. As one needs to learn how to stun the opponent properly without causing maximum damage, only practice and skilled recitation and masterful wielding of the wand can assure a perfect cast of the Stunning Spell.
Nature and Appearance of Stupefy Harry Potter
If the spell is correctly cast, a jet of red light will emit from the caster’s wand.
When the light hits the opponent squarely on their chest, it will knock them out for quite a particular amount of time.
Depending on the accuracy of the caster and where the spell hits the opponent, the opponent may be unconscious anywhere from a few minutes to hours on end.
Counter Spell to Stupefy Harry Potter
The counterspell for the Stupefy Spell or the Stunning Charm is known as Enervate charm. The Enervate charm when cast wakes a person up from their stupefied state. However, unlike the Stupefy spell, the Enervate charm has limited uses.
Effect of the Stupefy Harry Potter
The Spell stuns a person completely. It makes the person unconscious. They do not often remember what happened prior to them being struck if they become completely unconscious in certain cases. The spell, being a jinx for obvious reasons, can incapacitate someone without actually killing them. The spell can quickly end a wizarding duel.
Defense against Stupefy Harry Potter
One can defend oneself from this Spell by deflecting it. Another solution lies with the Reviving Spell, which can counteract the Stupefy spell. However, this will wear over time. The Shield Charm can deflect the Stupefy or Stunning spell.
How to Resist Stupefy Harry Potter
This spell does not work on magical creatures like dragons, trolls, giants, half-giants, and acromantulas. Therefore, Rubeus Hagrid was not affected by this spell.
In 1996, the Ministry of Magic employees carried out the task to remove Hagrid from the Hogwarts grounds, but in vain. They could not do so with the spell.
One can also bewitch objects with this spell. The bewitching makes the objects volatilely reactive to ‘Stupefy’. Fred and George Weasley used the spell to bewitch their fireworks. The fireworks exploded when the spell hit them in the middle of the O.W.L.S. examinations in the fifth year.
Chances of Surviving Stupefy Harry Potter
Anyone hit by this spell will survive. The spell will incapacitate and immobilize the targeted person temporarily. However, it is neither fatal nor harmful. It causes no long-lasting effect.
Stupefy Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix
The spell is heavily featured in the fifth book of the Harry Potter series. The spell, in the book, yields both good and bad results. Harry and his friends and confidants in the Dumbledore’s Army (D.A.) practice and learn the spell. They believe the spell will help them defend themselves and also fight against Lord Voldemort and his Dark Forces and Death Eaters.
They took it upon themselves to learn the spell amongst various others after Professor Dolores Umbridge refused to teach them any kind of defensive spell or magic.
Stupefy in the book is seriously used for the first time on Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Head of the Gryffindor House, when she tries saving Hagrid, the Gamekeeper, and the Professor for Care for Magical Creatures, whom Umbridge along with her Inquisitorial Squad intended to deport from Hogwarts forever.
Known Practitioners of Stupefy Harry Potter
All known wizards at one point or on several occasions have had used the Stunning Spell. From Dark wizards like Gellert Grindelwald, Leta Lestrange, Tom Riddle Jr., Bartemius Crouch Junior to even the students- Harry, Ron and Hermione, and Molly Weasley and Tonks, all the members of the Order of the Phoenix and of course the Weasley twins as well.
Successful Uses of Stupefy Harry Potter
Gellert Grindelwald used it on Mykew Gregorovitch to steal the Elder wand in the 1990s.
Tom Riddle Junior used it non verbally in the Gaunt Shack in the summer of 1943 to kill his father.
Harry learned the spell and eventually used it to save Ron Weasley at the Third Task in the Triwizard Tournament.
Harry also used it on several Death Eaters during the Battle of the Seven Potters. He attacked Lucius Malfoy and Fenrir Greyback with this spell during the skirmish at the Malfoy Manor. He also used it at Gringotts Bank while escaping from there.
Cedric Diggory used it to stun an Acromantula in the maze section during the Triwizard Tournament.
Albus Dumbledore used it on Barty Crouch Junior, who was in Alastor Moody’s disguise as he tried to attack Harry.
Hermoine Granger used it on Mafalda Hopkirk when the Trio infiltrated the Ministry of Magic.
Unsuccessful Uses of Stupefy Harry Potter
Bellatrix Lestrange and an unknown Death Eater in 1996 attacked Harry with this spell in the Department of Mysteries. However, their efforts were futile.
Hermione was unsuccessful in stunning Draco in the skirmish of the Room of Requirement.
Now you know what you have to do to stun your opponent, even if the opponent is Harry Potter himself. Just raise your wand and say, “Stupefy Harry Potter!”.
