Counter-spell

A **counter-spell** was a type of spell where the primary effect was to inhibit, remove, or negate the effects of another spell.

## Classification

Although the exact definition of a counter-spell is unclear, it can be assumed from the name, that counter-spells countered the spell type that replaces the "-spell" suffix in their name (if it did so). For example, a counter-charm should theoretically reverse a charm, a counter-curse should reverse a curse, a counter-jinx a jinx, a counter-transfiguration a transfiguration and so on.

For example, in their confrontation in the Chamber of Secrets, Tom Riddle asked Harry Potter how he survived the former's Killing Curse and then concluded that it was the result of Lily's Sacrificial Protection, which he mentioned was a powerful counter-*charm*. Similarly, in 1991, while Quirrell *jinxed* Harry Potter's broom, Snape was later revealed to have been muttering a counter-*curse*. Whilst this would suggest that counter-curse referred to a counter-spell that countered a spell of *any* type, this cannot be true due to the known existence of counter-jinxes.

Likewise, there was the term Untransfiguration (which reverses transfiguration) as opposed to counter-transfiguration, which would be expected. Therefore, the true counter-spell nomenclature is unknown, though (according to all canonical sources), it seems to go as such: counter-spells that acted like charms (regardless of the spell type they countered and regardless of whether they prevented or removed the spell in effect) were termed counter-charms; counter-spells that acted like Transfigurations were Untransfigurations; a counter-spell designed to foil another offensive spell was termed either a counter-jinx, -hex or -curse depending on how strong it was (similar to the offensive spell hierarchy); and counter-spells that *prevented* jinxes (but do not *remove* them) were termed anti-jinxes.

For the purposes of this wiki, broad-spectrum counter-spells (such as the widely-used *Finite Incantatem*, which simply terminated spell effects in general) or ones that appeared to be counter-spells but are of unknown type are termed **undifferentiated** counter-spells. Although they could also be considered as more general counter-charms, to lessen or terminate any charms and minor dark spell effects.

Wilbert Slinkhard once said that the term "Counter-Jinx" was improperly named, and that "*Counter-Jinx is a name wizards give their spells to make them sound more friendly*". Hermione Granger disagreed with this assessment.

It should be noted that the categories are not mutually exclusive either.

* *Finite* - Same as *Finite Incantatem*, but acted on a specified target.
* *Meteolojinx Recanto* - terminated magical weather effects.
* *Surgito* - counter-spell to remove several enchantments.
* *Offero* - counter-spell to return elements to their previous state.
* *Reverte* - counter-spell to reverse physical and magical actions and movements of objects.
* *Vipera Evanesca* for *Serpensortia*
* Counter-curse for Jelly-Legs Curse
* Counter-curse for Curse of the Bogies
* Counter-curse for Broom jinx
* *Liberacorpus* for *Levicorpus*

* *Alohomora* for *Colloportus*
* Anti-Alohomora Charm for *Alohomora*
* An unknown charm counters *Annihilare*, *Dunamis*, *Emancipare*, and *Liberare*
* *Nox* for *Lumos*
* *Quietus for Sonorus*
* Counter-Charm for hiccoughs
* *Rennervate* for *Stupefy*
* Sacrificial Protection for the Killing Curse
* Remembrance Charm
* Animagus reversal spell for Animagi.
* Pig Into Desk for Desk Into Pig.
* Ferret to human for Human to ferret spell.
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