Jinx

> I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him.
>
> Hermione Granger regarding jinxes, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

A **jinx** was a type of dark charm. The effects of a jinx were irritating, but amusing. As a minor type of Dark Magic, jinxes had the least severe effects of the three dark charms.

## Jinx

### Creator

Merwyn the Malicious
 Severus Snape
Tom Riddle etc.

## Usage

> Mr Slinkhard doesn’t like jinxes, does he? But I think they can be very useful when they’re used defensively.
>
> Hermione Granger regarding the practical uses of jinxes, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In order to successfully cast a jinx, the caster had to keep eye contact on the target.

Jinxes could also be used in a defensive capacity, and hence students of Defence Against the Dark Arts learnt some of them, such as the Knockback Jinx and Impediment Jinx.

Jinx effects could be blocked or removed by a counter-jinx or a counter-curse, and they can be prevented by an anti-jinx. The former category was taught in Defence Against the Dark Arts class, while the latter was presumably part of several protective enchantments, and therefore mostly covered in Charms class.

In case of major jinx effects, like backfired and unliftable ones, wizards would have to let themselves be treated in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries or at least by any Healer or expert in the knowledge of Dark Magic.

## Behind the scenes

* J. K. Rowling defined jinxes as "*spells whose effects are irritating but amusing*".
* As with most spell names, this classification is not hard and fast; for instance, Tom Riddle's jinx on the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher of Hogwarts was neither a minor effect, nor amusing, nor truly irritating. Indeed, it proved lethal for its targets on several occasions. Less strikingly, other jinxes, while admittedly "amusing", have also demonstrated lethal consequences, such as the tree animating jinx. Even though Rowling herself specified the differences between curses, hexes, and jinxes, she states that "*Within the Potter world, the boundaries are flexible and I imagine that wizards may have their own ideas.*" This shows that the categorization of dark charms is not set and stone, and may sometimes be used interchangeably. This explains why some spells are known by multiple names, like why the Slug-vomiting Charm is a curse, and why the Jelly-Legs Curse is also sometimes known as the Jelly-Legs Jinx. This also explains why some curses, such as the Leg-Locker Curse, Jelly-Legs Curse and Full Body-Bind Curse, which don't cause any lasting injury, seem to fall more under the definition of a jinx or hex, while Voldemort's jinx has had serious, lasting consequences for several of those affected, which would seem more like a curse. This also applies to charms like the Disarming Charm, Stunning Spell and other combat charms. They affect the opponent negatively and leaves them defenceless and prone to further harm from their adversaries, which makes them seem more like a jinx or a hex.

## Appearances

* Template:PS Template:1st
* Template:COS
* Template:POA
* Template:GOF
* Template:OOTP
* Template:HBP
* Template:DH
* Template:DH
* Template:DH
* Template:FB Template:Mention Template:Possible
* Template:FB Template:Mention Template:Possible
* Template:COG
* Template:COG
* Template:FB Template:Mention
* Template:QTA Template:Mention
* Template:JKRS Template:Mention
* Template:DP Template:Mention
* Template:PM
* Template:WW
* Template:TCG
* Template:HPV
* Template:LEGO
* Template:LEGO
* Template:HPK
* Template:HPS
* Template:WBS
* Template:HM
* Template:WU
* Template:PAS
* Template:MA
* Template:HL

## Notes and references

Template:Reflist

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Template:PM - *The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Section: Extra Stuff - Spell Definitionsfrom Template:JKRS (via Internet Archive)
3. ↑ Template:COS
4. ↑ Template:HBP
5. ↑ Template:HBP
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Template:PS
7. ↑ Template:GOF
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Template:OOTP
9. ↑ Template:OOTP
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Template:HBP
11. ↑ Template:HBP
12. ↑ Template:PS
13. ↑ Template:HM
14. ↑ Template:OOTP
15. ↑ Template:OOTP
16. ↑ Template:OOTP
17. ↑ Template:OOTP
18. ↑ Template:HBP
19. ↑ Template:WW - A guide to the lesser known spells in the wizarding world
20. ↑ Template:HBP
21. ↑ Template:PM - *The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection*
22. ↑ Template:HM
23. ↑ Template:POA

## See also

* Hex
* Curse
* Dark charm
* Dark Arts