Stunning Spell

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The Stunning Spell is a defensive spell used to knock people unconscious. Its incantation is Stupefy, and the counter-spell is, presumably, Rennervate. When used, the charm causes a jet of red light to shoot out of the caster's wand, which then stuns the first living being it encounters (GF9). Some creatures like giants, trolls and dragons have a high resistance against Stunning Spells; it takes several spells shot at the same time to Stun them (GF19, OP31). Stunners simply rebound from the armour of a grown Blast-Ended Skrewt (GF31).

Mentions of the Stunning Spell in the series include:

• Grindelwald Stuns Gregorovitch after stealing the Elder Wand (DH14).
• After Barty Crouch, Jr. sends up the Dark Mark during the Muggle tormenting after the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, several employees of the Ministry of Magic Apparate to the scene and cast Stupefy into the clearing beneath the Mark. The Stunners barely miss Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, who happen to be in the clearing; they do hit Winky and Barty Crouch, Jr., though only the former is found, as the latter is hiding under an Invisibility Cloak. Barty Crouch, Sr., correctly presuming that his son had been Stupefied, went searching and found him after the rest of the Ministry wizards left the clearing (GF9, GF35).
• Alastor Moody is kept Stunned, weakened, and Imperiused in the seventh compartment of his own trunk for most of the Hogwarts school year while Barty Crouch, Jr. uses Polyjuice Potion to masquerade as Moody (GF35).
• While caring for the dragons that will be used for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, the dragon keepers have to Stun the Hungarian Horntail; several of the keepers cast it at once to ensure that it affects the dragon (GF19).
• Sirius Black, when talking to Harry about how to handle the first task, tells his godson not to attempt Stunning the dragon, as dragons are strong creatures and too powerfully magical to be knocked out by a single Stunner—one needs around half-a-dozen wizards casting the spell simultaneously to overcome the dragon (GF19).
• Barty Crouch, Jr. casts a Stunning Spell on Viktor Krum in order to get the latter out of his way to kill his father (GF28, GF35).
• In a letter, Sirius tells Harry to practice Stunning and Disarming for the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, an advice which the boy follows by practicing the Stunning Spell, which he had never used before, on Ron, who keeps missing the cushions Hermione had laid out on the floor of the Charms classroom. Ron first suggests they use Mrs. Norris or Dobby instead of himself, and later tells Hermione to take a turn, after which the girl tells him she believes Harry had already mastered the spell.
• During the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, while inside the maze (GF31):
  • Harry attempts to Stun a Blast-Ended Skrewt, but the spell rebounds off its armor, burning some of the boy's hair.
  • Barty Crouch, Jr. Stuns Fleur Delacour and he sees her passing inside the maze, taking her out the competition for the Triwizard Cup (GF35).
  • Harry uses Stupefy on an Imperiused Krum who was attempting to attack Cedric Diggory.
  • After casting Expelliarmus on the giant spider, Harry and Cedric Stun it at the same time.
• Several Death Eaters attempt to Stun Harry on Voldemort's orders while the boy makes a run for the Portkey that would bring him back to Hogwarts. Harry manages to avoid the spells by hiding behind a marble angel. The curses hit the tip of the angel's wing, shattering it (GF34).
• Albus Dumbledore casts a Stunning Spell on the door of Barty Crouch, Jr.'s office, blasting it apart and Stunning the fake Moody before the latter managed to hurt Harry (GF35).
• Molly Weasley Stuns several of the portraits hanging on the walls of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, who had been yelling following Walburga Black's portrait's screams, after Nymphadora Tonks had accidentally woken her up (OP4).
• Harry has the Dumbledore's Army members practice the Stunning Spell in their last meeting before the of Christmas 1995. The students place several cushions on the floor in order to practice Stunning, and, since there was not enough space, Harry has them divide themselves; while one group practices, the other observes. Everybody shows themselves to have improved throughout the months, though Neville Longbottom Stuns Padma Patil instead of his partner, Dean Thomas. Cho Chang later tells Harry she had never been able to Stun anything before Harry started teaching her (OP21).
• Dolores Umbridge attempts to Stun one of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs, causing it to explode and blast a hole in a paiting. She then tells Argus Filch not to Stun them (OP28).
• Six wizards attempt to Stun Rubeus Hagrid on Umbridge's orders. Fang is Stunned when attempting to stand up for its owner. Minerva McGonagall, running to the scene, ends up hit by four Stunners. Hagrid escapes after Umbrige's last attempt to hit him with a Stunning Spell. Hermione later states it is really hard to Stun a giant, since they are tough like trolls. Madam Pomfrey comments, after McGonagall has been submitted to her care, that it is a wonder she had not been killed in the confrontation (OP31).
• Umbridge attempts to Stun one of the centaurs that had been attacking her in the Forbidden Forest (OP33).
• Ron, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood and Neville use a couple of Stunners, along with other spells, in order to escape the Inquisitorial Squad (OP33).
• During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries (OP35):
  • Bellatrix Lestrange attempts to Stun Harry, but Lucius Malfoy deflects the spell, causing it to hit the shelves around them in the Hall of Prophecy, breaking several of the glass orbs.
  • Hermione Stuns a Death Eater who grabs Harry by the shoulder while the two teenagers are attempting to leave the Hall of Prophecy.
  • Harry Stuns a Death Eater while hidden under a desk inside the Time Room, causing the dark wizard to fall into a grandfather clock, knocking it over.
  • Harry, attempting to use Stupefy on a Death Eater, hits a cabinet full of Time-Turners instead, making it fall on the ground, burst apart and repair itself again endlessly. The Death Eater then prepares himself to Stun Harry, but Hermione casts a Stunning Spell before he can finish saying the incantation, throwing him into the bell jar on the end of the room.
  • Several Death Eaters, led by Bellatrix, enter the circular chamber and, seeing the DA members, cast several Stunners, forcing the students to run back into the Brain Room.
  • While inside the Brain Room, Ginny is Stunned by a Death Eater. Neville, who has a broken nose, attempts to cast the Stunning Spell, but fails, as he can not pronounce the incantation properly, saying Stubefy instead of Stupefy. One of the Death Eaters then tries to Stun him, missing his target by inches.
  • While inside the Death Room, Neville attempts to pronounce Stupefy again, failing like the first time. Later on, Harry dodges a jet of red light, throwing himself on the floor.
  • After some of the Order members join the fight, Tonks sends a Stunning Spell towards Lucius Malfoy, and Harry dives off the way.
  • Neville sticks Hermione's wand into the eyehole of Walden Macnair's mask, giving Harry the opportunity to Stun the Death Eater.
  • Sirius forces Harry's head down in order to avoid a couple of Stunners.
  • While dueling against Bellatrix, Sirius ducks a red beam cast by her, but is not able to avoid the second jet of light, which hits him squarely in the chest and makes him fall through the Veil.
• While confronting Bellatrix in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, Harry attempts to Stun her, but she deflects the spell by the use of a Shield Charm, bouncing it back towards him. The boy hides behind the Fountain of Magical Brethren, and the spell hits one of the goblin's ears (OP36).
• A Stupefied gnome is dressed as a miniature angel and placed on top of the Weasley's Christmas tree during the Christmas of 1996 (HBP16).
• According to Dumbledore, Voldemort Stunned Morfin in order to take his wand and use it to kill Tom Riddle, Sr. and his grandparents (HBP17).
• After the Battle of the Astronomy Tower Harry attempts to Stun Severus Snape in order to prevent the latter of running away, but fails twice. On the first time, he misses his target. On the second, Snape blocks his spell, telling him to learn how to keep his mouth shut and his mind closed (HBP28).
• Hermione states later on that Snape probably Stunned Filius Flitwick in order to get away (HBP29).
• During the Battle of the Seven Potters (DH4):
  • Harry uses a Stunning Spell against the Death Eaters that surrounded him in the sky, making four of them move out of the way in order to avoid being hit by the spell.
  • Harry casts several Stunners against the Death Eaters that pursuing Hagrid and himself and casting Killing Curses in all directions. The curses and the Stunning Spells collide in midair, causing a shower of multicolored sparks.
  • After exploding the sidecar, Harry seats on the flying motorcycle behind Hagrid, sending several Stunners in the direction of the Death Eaters, but barely holds them off. By the red light cast by one of his Stunning Spells, Harry recognises Stan Shunpike, and, refraining from Stunning him, Disarms him instead.
  • Voldemort, along with several Death Eaters, start to pursue Harry, who casts Stunners at random, hitting a Death Eater in the process.
  • Ron Stuns one Death Eater, aiming straight to his head.
• Remus Lupin tells Harry off for using a Disarming Charm, stating that he should Stun if he is not prepared to kill (DH5)
• Harry, under the Invisibility Cloak, Stuns Thorfinn Rowle during the Trio's confrontation with two Death Eaters in a café on Tottenham Court Road. The boy then attempts to Stun Antonin Dolohov, but misses. The spell rebounds on the window and hits the waitress, who collapses (DH9).
• Hermione non-verbally Stuns Mafalda Hopkirk in order to assume her identity (DH12).
• While inside a courtroom in the Ministry of Magic, a Polyjuiced Harry Stuns Umbridge and Yaxley in order to escape with Hermione and several Muggle-borns (DH13).
• On his way to Azkaban, Dirk Cresswell manages to run away by Stunning Dawlish, the Confunded auror who had been escorting him, and stealing his broomstick (DH15).
• Xenophilius Lovegood, in an attempts to Stun the Trio, hits the Erumpent horn across the room, causing it to explode (DH21).
• While inside Malfoy Manor (DH23):
  • Bellatrix Stuns a Snatcher who wants have Gryffindor's sword for himself. She later casts the Stunning Spell on three other Snatchers, including Scabior.
  • Harry uses Stupefy on Lucius Malfoy while running away from Draco, Narcissa Malfoy and Fenrir Greyback.
  • Harry Stuns Fenrir Greyback using three wands at the same time, lifting the werewolf off his feet towards the ceiling, and then making him smash to the ground.
• A Polyjuiced Ron Stuns one of the beggars in Diagon Alley who had tried to attack an also Polyjuiced Hermione thinking her to be Bellatrix (DH26).
• The Trio casts several Sunning Spells in the direction of the Gringotts goblins that pursued them in order to escape the bank (DH26).
• During the Battle of Hogwarts:
  • Luna Stuns Alecto Carrow. The girl then comments that is the first time she has Stunned someone outside a DA meeting, and that it was noisier than she had expected (DH30).
  • Harry sees green and red flashes of light near the foot of the castle, and realises that the Death Eaters are about to break in (DH31).
  • While inside the Room of Hidden Things, Hermione attempts to Stun Vincent Crabbe, but fails, for Draco pulls him out of the way. Harry then tries to Stun Crabbe, but he avoids the spell once again. Hermione shoots another Stunning Spell, this time towards Draco, but the boy manages to dock it. The girl then manages to Stun Gregory Goyle (DH31).
  • The Death Eater Fred Weasley is battling falls after being hit by three Stunners (DH31).
  • Harry Stuns the leader of the Acromantulas that are crawling up the walls of the castle, which falls over the others, making fall down and out of sight (DH32).
  • Hermione uses Glisseo in order to escape two Death Eaters, turning the stairs into a chute, and making the Trio slide out of the range of the Stunners cast by the dark wizards (DH32).
  • Dean Stuns a Death Eater who finds himself momentarily distracted by looking around for someone invisible (DH32).
  • Harry casts a Stunning Spell on the Death Eater who had been threatening Draco (DH32).
  • Harry attempts to Stun a masked Death Eater, but misses, and almost hits Neville instead (DH32).
  • Ron prevents Hermione from Stunning the a giant, claiming that it would would crush half of the castle (DH32).
  • Harry sees red and green beams in the castle, as Hogwartians and Death Eaters battled (DH32).
  • Aberforth Dumbledore Stuns Augustus Rookwood (DH36).