Hogwarts Legacy: All Spells and Unlock Guide

Hogwarts Legacy features 34 distinct spells spanning seven categories: Essential, Control, Force, Damage, Utility, Transfiguration, and the three Unforgivable Curses. This guide covers every spell in the game, how to unlock each one, the specific professor assignments that gate them, and the Sebastian Sallow questline decisions required for the Dark Arts spells.

Spell Categories Overview

The spell wheel (diamond) holds four spell sets of four slots each, giving you 16 quick-access spell slots. Managing which spells go into which set is crucial for fluid combat — the game rewards spell combos that chain different categories together.

Category Breakdown

Category	Total Spells	Primary Function	Key Professors
Essential	8	Core mechanics (Revelio, Lumos, Protego, Ancient Magic, etc.)	Various / automatic
Control	4	Crowd control (Arresto Momentum, Glacius, Levioso, Transformation)	Multiple
Force	4	Push/pull combat (Accio, Depulso, Descendo, Flipendo)	Professor Ronen / Professor Sharp
Damage	4	Direct damage (Confringo, Diffindo, Expelliarmus, Bombarda)	Professor Hecat / Professor Howin
Utility	4	Non-combat functions (Disillusionment, Reparo, Wingardium Leviosa, Lumos)	Multiple
Transfiguration	3	Conjuration spells (Conjuring, Altering, Evanesco)	Room of Requirement
Unforgivable Curses	3	Dark Arts (Crucio, Imperio, Avada Kedavra)	Sebastian Sallow questline

Essential Spells (Automatic / Story Unlocks)

These spells are either given automatically at the start or unlocked through main story progression. No assignment is required.

Basic Cast (Unlocked: Prologue): Your default spell mapped to R2/RT. Fires a simple magic bolt. Essential for breaking purple shield charms. Low damage but infinite — use it to build combo meter and reduce spell cooldowns between heavier casts.

Revelio (Unlocked: Prologue): The most-used spell in the game. Press Left D-pad to highlight nearby interactable objects, Field Guide Pages, loot chests, and hidden passages. Range increases with Talent investment. Pro tip: cast Revelio constantly while exploring — it pings through walls and floors.

Protego (Unlocked: Gringotts Vault): Shield charm that blocks most incoming attacks. A yellow indicator above your head signals a blockable attack — press Triangle/Y to raise Protego. Perfectly-timed Protego casts trigger a Stupefy counter that stuns the attacker. Red indicators signal unblockable attacks — you must dodge these.

Stupefy (Unlocked: Gringotts Vault): The counter-attack triggered by a perfect Protego. Stuns the enemy and opens them to follow-up combos. With the Stupefy Mastery Talent, the stun can chain to nearby enemies.

Ancient Magic Throw (Unlocked: First Trial): When you see an enemy's weapon or a nearby object glowing white, press R1/RB to grab and hurl it. Deals massive damage — often a one-shot against standard enemies.

Ancient Magic Finisher (Unlocked: First Trial): L1+R1 / LB+RB when your Ancient Magic meter has at least one full bar. Triggers a spectacular finishing animation that instantly kills or severely damages any non-boss enemy. Bosses take roughly 25–33% of their HP in damage.

Petrificus Totalus (Unlocked: Disillusionment Charm): Cast while invisible (Disillusionment active) and approaching an unaware enemy from behind. Instant kill on standard enemies. Essential for stealth sections and clearing enemy camps without alerting reinforcements.

Alohomora (Unlocked: The Caretaker's Lunar Lament): Lock-picking spell with three levels (I, II, III). Required to access many locked doors and chests throughout Hogwarts and the Highlands. See the Demiguise Statues guide for the complete unlock path.

Control Spells

Arresto Momentum (Unlocked: Madam Kogawa's Assignment 2)

• Assignment: Pop 10 groups of balloons while flying on your broom (balloon clusters appear across the Highlands map — use the Broom to fly close and hit them).
• Effect: Slows both enemies and objects. In combat, it significantly reduces enemy movement and attack speed, creating safe windows for heavy-hitting spells. Out of combat, it slows spinning puzzle mechanisms and falling platforms.

Glacius (Unlocked: Madam Kogawa's Assignment 1)

• Assignment: Fly through 10 floating rings near the Quidditch pitch using your broom. This is a simple flying exercise.
• Effect: Freezes enemies solid. Frozen enemies take bonus damage from the next attack — especially effective when followed by Diffindo (which shatters the ice for massive damage). Also freezes water surfaces temporarily, creating platforms to walk on.

Levioso (Unlocked: Defence Against the Dark Arts — Story)

• Assignment: Automatically unlocked during the early game.
• Effect: Levitates enemies into the air, rendering them immobile and defenseless. Follow up with basic casts or Accio for extended juggle combos. The Levioso + Accio + Descendo slam combo is one of the game's most reliable crowd-control sequences.

Transformation (Unlocked: Professor Weasley's Assignment)

• Assignment: Collect the Field Guide Page from the Gryffindor common room bathroom (using Revelio) and collect a Venomous Tentacula leaf from the Herbology greenhouse.
• Effect: Transforms enemies into harmless objects (barrels, chickens, etc.) for a limited time. Transformed enemies take extra damage and the barrel can be thrown with Ancient Magic Throw for area damage. Hilarious and surprisingly effective.

Force Spells

Accio (Unlocked: Charms Class — Story)

• Effect: Pulls enemies and objects toward you. In combat, used to close distance or break enemy spell-casting. Pair with Incendio (close-range fire AoE) for the classic "pull and burn" combo.

Depulso (Unlocked: Professor Sharp's Assignment 1)

• Assignment: Drink an Invisibility Potion and then use a Thunderbrew Potion in combat. Purchase or brew both (ingredients: Leaping Toadstool Caps + Knotgrass Sprig + Stench of the Dead for Invisibility; Stench of the Dead + Leech Juice + Shrivelfig Fruit for Thunderbrew).
• Effect: Repels enemies away from you with significant force. Perfect for knocking enemies off ledges and cliffs — an instant kill if they fall from sufficient height.

Descendo (Unlocked: Professor Onai's Assignment)

• Assignment: Use Accio on a levitated or mid-air enemy, then cast Descendo while they are suspended. This is the combo tutorial — practice it during Crossed Wands.
• Effect: Slams levitated enemies into the ground. The damage scales with the height from which they fall. Maximum damage is achieved by using Levioso, then Accio (pulls them higher), then Descendo for the devastating slam.

Flipendo (Unlocked: Professor Garlick's Assignment 2)

• Assignment: Grow and harvest a Fluxweed plant (requires large pot and 15-minute grow time) and acquire all three combat plants (Venomous Tentacula, Mandrake, Chinese Chomping Cabbage) — purchase seeds from Dogweed and Deathcap in Hogsmeade.
• Effect: Flips enemies and objects upside down. In combat, uses include flipping trolls' clubs back into their faces (stun) and solving puzzle mechanisms that require inverted switches.

Damage Spells

Confringo (Unlocked: Professor Hecat's Assignment 3)

• Assignment: Successfully dodge-roll 10 attacks, then use Incendio 5 times on enemies. This is cumulative across all combat encounters.
• Effect: Long-range fire bolt that deals direct damage plus a burning DoT (damage over time). Detonates explosive barrels. The best spell for breaking red-shielded enemies. Can also light braziers and torches for environmental puzzles.

Diffindo (Unlocked: Professor Sharp's Assignment 2)

• Assignment: Acquire a Focus Potion and use it, then acquire a Maxima Potion and use it. Purchase or brew both.
• Effect: A slashing spell that deals heavy damage at medium range. Excellent as a follow-up to Glacius (shatter combo) or against grouped enemies. Cuts through red magical barriers in certain puzzles.

Expelliarmus (Unlocked: Professor Hecat's Assignment 2)

• Assignment: Win two rounds of Crossed Wands and practice the dodge-roll mechanic.
• Effect: Disarms enemies. In addition to dealing damage, it forces enemy wizards to stop casting and run to retrieve their wands. Essential against Dark Wizards who spam ranged magic. Also breaks yellow-shielded enemies.

Bombarda (Unlocked: Professor Howin's Assignment)

• Assignment: Use a Chinese Chomping Cabbage in combat and collect a Troll Bogeys item (drop from trolls). Chinese Chomping Cabbage seeds are purchased from Dogweed and Deathcap.
• Effect: Creates a powerful explosion at the target location. High damage in a large area of effect. Destroys breakable walls, heavy armor, and environmental obstacles. The go-to spell for large groups of clustered enemies.

Utility Spells

Disillusionment Charm (Unlocked: Professor Fig — Story)

• Effect: Renders you nearly invisible. Enemies have a detection meter that fills if you remain in their line of sight while moving. Useful for stealth sections and sneaking past high-level enemies. Allows Petrificus Totalus from behind.

Lumos (Unlocked: Charms Class — Story)

• Effect: Creates a light source at the tip of your wand. Used to illuminate dark areas and guide moths to frame puzzles scattered throughout Hogwarts. Also required for the Depulso puzzle rooms.

Reparo (Unlocked: Professor Ronen — Story)

• Effect: Repairs broken objects, bridges, and mechanisms. Frequently required in quests and puzzles to rebuild collapsed structures or fix broken artifacts. Can also clean up debris to reveal hidden passages.

Wingardium Leviosa (Unlocked: Professor Garlick's Assignment 1)

• Assignment: Acquire a Mandrake (purchase or grow) and use it in combat on multiple enemies simultaneously. Mandrake seeds are available at Dogweed and Deathcap.
• Effect: Levitates and manipulates objects in the environment. Unlike Accio, Wingardium Leviosa allows free-form movement of objects. Essential for many puzzle rooms where you need to position objects precisely.

Transfiguration Spells (Room of Requirement)

These spells are exclusive to the Room of Requirement and the Vivarium. They are unlocked automatically as you progress the Room of Requirement storyline with Professor Weasley and Deek the house-elf.

Conjuring Spell (Unlocked: Room of Requirement introduction)

• Effect: Summon furniture, crafting stations, and decorative items in the Room of Requirement. Conjuring uses Moonstone as a resource. Each conjuration has a cost, and you can rearrange items at any time using the Altering Spell.

Altering Spell (Unlocked: Room of Requirement introduction)

• Effect: Change the appearance, color, size, and position of conjured items. Used for decorating and optimizing your Room layout. You can also alter the ambiance of each Vivarium biome.

Evanesco (Unlocked: Room of Requirement introduction)

• Effect: Vanishes conjured items, returning their Moonstone cost to your inventory. Essential for redesigning your Room layout without losing resources.

Unforgivable Curses (Sebastian Sallow Questline)

The three Unforgivable Curses are entirely optional. You can complete the main story without ever learning them. However, they provide powerful combat options and access to the Dark Arts Talent tree.

Crucio (Unlocked: "In the Shadow of the Study")

During this quest, Sebastian leads you through a secret passage in the library to the Scriptorium — Salazar Slytherin's hidden study. You reach a door that requires the Cruciatus Curse to open.

• Learn Crucio: Tell Sebastian "Yes, I want to learn the Cruciatus Curse." He teaches you, and you must cast it on him.
• Refuse: Let him cast Crucio on you. You take damage but do not learn the spell.
• Effect: Inflicts continuous damage over time on the targeted enemy. Cursed enemies (those affected by Crucio) take increased damage from other spells. With the Crucio Mastery Talent, hitting a cursed enemy spreads the curse to nearby foes. Efficient in long boss fights for sustained DPS.

Imperio (Unlocked: "In the Shadow of Time")

During this quest, you recover a dark relic from a catacomb. Sebastian offers to teach you Imperio after the relic is obtained.

• Learn Imperio: Accept his offer. He teaches you the spell.
• Refuse: You do not learn the spell. The quest continues without it.
• Effect: Temporarily forces an enemy to fight on your side. The controlled enemy attacks its allies and draws aggro. Duration is roughly 15–20 seconds. With the Imperio Mastery Talent, a controlled enemy that defeats another spreads the mind-control effect. Incredibly useful in large encounters — turn a Troll or Dark Wizard into your personal tank.

Avada Kedavra (Unlocked: "In the Shadow of the Relic")

This is the final and most consequential Sebastian quest. In the catacombs beneath Feldcroft, Sebastian confronts his uncle Solomon. During the confrontation, Sebastian casts Avada Kedavra on his uncle, killing him.

• Learn Avada Kedavra: After the cutscene, speak to Sebastian. He asks if you want to learn the curse. Say "Yes, I want to learn the Killing Curse." He teaches you.
• Missed It?: If you did not learn it during the quest or chose not to, you can still learn it later by visiting Sebastian in the Undercroft (if you did not turn him in). This window only exists if Sebastian remained at Hogwarts.
• Effect: Instant kill on almost every enemy in the game. Bosses (Pensieve Guardians, Ranrok, Trolls) take massive damage (~30–40% HP) but do not die instantly. With the Avada Kedavra Mastery Talent, killing an enemy with the curse instantly kills all other cursed enemies in the area. This is the most devastating combo in the game: Crucio a group → Avada Kedavra one target → entire group dies.

Ancient Magic Collection

Ancient Magic Hotspots are scattered across the Highlands map. Each hotspot you complete adds one segment to your Ancient Magic meter (maximum 5 full bars). Hotspots appear as small ruins or platforms with floating white orbs — approach and interact to begin a mini-challenge where you must collect three orbs before time runs out.

Ancient Magic Meter capacity progression:

• Start: 2 bars
• 4 Hotspots: 3 bars
• 8 Hotspots: 4 bars
• 12+ Hotspots: 5 bars (maximum)

Prioritize collecting hotspots early. A full 5-bar meter allows you to unleash Ancient Magic Finishers frequently during difficult boss fights, dramatically reducing encounter difficulty.

Spell Combo Synergies

The combat system rewards chaining spells across categories. Some essential combos:

• Levioso → Accio → Descendo → Incendio: Float, pull, slam, burn. Works on almost every standard enemy.
• Glacius → Diffindo: Freeze then shatter. Massive burst damage.
• Accio → Incendio: Pull enemies into close range and unleash the fire AoE.
• Crucio → Basic Cast spam → Avada Kedavra: Curse everyone through Crucio Mastery, then one-shot the entire pack.
• Imperio → Confringo spam: Let your mind-controlled tank hold aggro while you burn from range.
• Expelliarmus → Confringo: Disarm the Dark Wizard, then unload fire damage while they are defenseless.
• Transformation → Ancient Magic Throw: Turn an enemy into an explosive barrel, then hurl it into their allies.

Experiment with different combinations. The Talent tree further empowers specific combos, so build your spell sets around your chosen Talents for maximum synergy.

Complete Spell Unlock Checklist

#	Spell	Category	Unlock Method	Required Level
1	Basic Cast	Essential	Automatic	1
2	Revelio	Essential	Automatic	1
3	Lumos	Utility	Charms Class	1
4	Protego	Essential	Gringotts Vault	3
5	Stupefy	Essential	Gringotts Vault	3
6	Accio	Force	Charms Class	1
7	Levioso	Control	DADA Class	1
8	Expelliarmus	Damage	Hecat Assignment 2	5
9	Incendio	—	Hecat Assignment 1	5
10	Disillusionment	Utility	Story (Fig)	8
11	Petrificus Totalus	Essential	Disillusionment unlock	8
12	Ancient Magic Throw	Essential	First Trial	10
13	Ancient Magic Finisher	Essential	First Trial	10
14	Confringo	Damage	Hecat Assignment 3	12
15	Depulso	Force	Sharp Assignment 1	14
16	Descendo	Force	Onai Assignment	16
17	Glacius	Control	Kogawa Assignment 1	16
18	Arresto Momentum	Control	Kogawa Assignment 2	18
19	Diffindo	Damage	Sharp Assignment 2	18
20	Wingardium Leviosa	Utility	Garlick Assignment 1	18
21	Flipendo	Force	Garlick Assignment 2	20
22	Bombarda	Damage	Howin Assignment	22
23	Transformation	Control	Weasley Assignment	24
24	Alohomora I/II/III	Essential	Gladwin Moon Quest	14
25	Conjuring Spell	Transfiguration	Room of Requirement	18
26	Altering Spell	Transfiguration	Room of Requirement	18
27	Evanesco	Transfiguration	Room of Requirement	18
28	Reparo	Utility	Story (Ronen)	1
29	Crucio	Unforgivable	Sebastian — Study	16
30	Imperio	Unforgivable	Sebastian — Time	22
31	Avada Kedavra	Unforgivable	Sebastian — Relic	28
32	Glacius	Control	Kogawa Assignment 1	16
33	(Nab-Sack)	Utility	Deek — Beasts class	18
34	(Feast/Mount)	Utility	Vivarium interaction	18

Note: Spells 32–34 represent in-game utility actions rather than traditional spells but are counted in the official spell collection tab. The Nab-Sack allows capturing magical beasts; the Beast Feed and Beast Pet actions are required for Vivarium care.

All spells are permanently learned. You cannot swap out or "unlearn" a spell, but you can rearrange your spell sets at any time through the Spell menu. Build your four sets strategically around combat situations: one set for crowd control, one for single-target burst, one for stealth, and one flexible set for exploration.