
                             The Akashic Record

    Being a Compendium of Lore, Onomatology, Miscellanea, and Pareidolia

                  Relating to the Universe of Harry Potter

                   With Commentary Esoteric and Exoteric

                        Compiled by Petra Mitchell

   This is the downloadable form of the Akashic Record. To get the latest
   version of this reference, go to:


    http://www.m5p.com/~pravn/hp/

    Spoiler level: End of book 5

A

   Abbott, Hannah (PS ch. 7): A Hufflepuff, same year as Harry, now a
   prefect and a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: The Middle English spelling of abbot, just the thing to go along
   with the Fat Friar.

   Abercrombie, Euan (OotP ch. 11): A Gryffindor, 4 years behind Harry.

   Etym: Last name of a British general who participated in the French
   and Indian Wars.

   Aberforth Dumbledore: Etym: No name-specific info. Aber in Scottish
   placenames means "confluence" or "river mouth", so it could mean the
   location of Edinburgh-- at the mouth of the river Forth.

   Abergavenny: A town in Wales where the Knight Bus dropped off a Madam
   Marsh.

   Abraxan horse (OotP ch. 20): A variety of winged horses.

   Etym: Looks like it's from Abraxas, a word used in magical amulets and
   later turned into a Gnostic deity, though what that implies I have no
   idea.

   Acanthia Way (OotP ch. 10): The address given in Little Norton for
   Doris Purkiss.

   Etym: Various plants in the genus Acanthus; the leaf of A. spinosa
   became a popular classical decorative motif.

   Accidental Magic Reversal Squad: An arm of the Ministry of Magic which
   rescues and restores the victims of splinching and other magical
   accidents.

   Accio: The incantation for a Summoning Charm, usually followed by the
   name of the item summoned.

   Etym: Latin, "I summon".

   Achievement in Charming (OotP ch. 31): A book Hermione was studying
   for her O.W.L.s from.

   Ackerley, Stewart [Acker] (GoF ch. 12): A Ravenclaw, three years
   behind Harry.

   Etym: From a Middle English or German word for "field".

   Acid Pops: A magical candy capable of actually burning a hole through
   one's tongue.

   Adalbert Waffling: Etym: No etymology found. Name of a bishop of
   Hamburg-Bremen, and a Lombard king of Italy.

   Adrian Pucey: Etym: From Latin Hadrianus "of the Adriatic", name of an
   emperor and several popes.

   Adventures of Martin Miggs, The Mad Muggle, The: A comic book series
   that Ron reads.

   Agatha Timms: Etym: From Greek agathos, "good". St. Agatha is a martyr
   of possibly the 3rd century.

   Age Line: A barrier which stops anyone below a certain age crossing
   it.

   Aging Potion: Can age a person physically, but does not fool an Age
   Line.

   Agnes (OotP ch. 23): A witch confined to the Janus Thickey Ward.

   Etym: From Latin agnus, "sheep". In this case, a sheep in wolf's
   clothing.

   Agrippa (PS ch. 6): Henrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim, at
   various times the secretary to Charles V, physician to Louis of Savoy,
   theologian, military entrepreneur, philosopher, orator, public
   advocate (discharged for defending an accused witch) and expert on
   occultism. His De occulta philosophia was one of the biggest
   influences on the Renaissance concept of magic, particularly Kabalism,
   and his writings and fame made him a figure in early versions of the
   Faust legend.

   Featured in the Famous Witches and Wizards series of trading cards.

   Aidan Lynch: Etym: Diminutive of Old Irish aid "fire".

   akashic record: A New Age concept derived from Hindu occultism. An
   alternate dimension or invisible energy in which psychic vibrations of
   every object and event, past, present, and future, are stored, thus
   providing a mechanism for clairvoyance. I chose this name because all
   the good relevant ones were taken, and in the faint hope that perhaps
   I have managed to make a forward reference.

   Alastor Moody: Etym: PN: "In Greek legend an avenging deity who drives
   the sinner to fresh crimes. Shelley's Alastor is, however, the Spirit
   of Solitude." Having seen what Moody thinks of Snape, that first part
   sounds rather ominous... Also used to name the target that the deity
   takes over, rather like Moody's form being used for evil purposes.

   Alberic Grunnion: Etym: A Germanic name, formed from from oelf "elf" +
   riic "power".

   Albus Dumbledore: Etym: From a root meaning "white". Cognate to
   Albion, a poetic term for Britain, usually translated as "White Isle".

   Algie (PS ch. 7): Neville Longbottom's great-uncle who was forever
   trying to get Neville's magic to manifest itself.

   Etym: Of Norman-French origin, meaning "with whiskers" or "mustaches".

   Ali Bashir: Etym: Anglicization of an Arabic name derived from from
   `ala, "rise, ascend".

   Alice Longbottom: Etym: From Old German athal "noble" + haidu "kind,
   sort"

   Alicia Spinnet: Etym: Ultimately from Old German athal "noble" + haidu
   "kind, sort" (the equivalent to Modern English -hood).

   Alohomora: Incantation for an unlocking charm.

   Etym: Possibly Hawai`ian aloha "hello, goodbye", plus something I
   can't identify.

   Alphard (Black?): Etym: A star whose common name means "the solitary
   one".

   Amelia Susan Bones: Etym: ECN says it's derived from the Old German
   name element amal- "work", but OED claims it's from Latin melior
   "better". The intended etymology is probably the latter.

   Amos Diggory: Etym: From Hebrew for "carried", an Old Testament
   prophet with a message of doom.

   Ancient Runes: An elective subject at Hogwarts, which Hermione is
   taking.

   Ancient Runes Made Easy: A book Hermione was reading to prepare for
   taking Ancient Runes.

   Andrew Kirke: Etym: From the Greek for "manly"; also the name of the
   patron saint of Scotland and Russia. The saint's name is probably
   derived from a Hebrew name.

   Andromeda Black Tonks: Etym: A mythical woman who was to be sacrificed
   to a sea monster because of her mother's boasting, saved by Perseus
   who killed the sea monster and an uncle who intended to marry her. In
   keeping with the astronomical names of the Black family, also the
   closest galaxy to our own.

   Angelina Johnson: Etym: "Little angel"; also a tree of tropical
   America, a genus of Leguminosae, with showy purple flowers.

   Angus Fleet: Etym: As a name, probably from Old Irish AEngus "one
   choice". Also a breed of cattle, a 9th century saint, and a minor
   mythical hero.

   Animagus: A wizard who can transform at will (along with their clothes
   and anything they may be carrying) into a characteristic animal form.
   The Ministry of Magic maintains a registry of Animagi, but
   unregistered ones abound. Animagi revealed so far are James Potter,
   Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, Rita Skeeter and, the only registered
   one mentioned here, Professor McGonagall.

   Etym: I'm guessing this is not "animal mage" but "spirit mage", from
   Latin anima.

   Anthology of Eighteenth-Century Charms, An: A book in the Hogwarts
   library.

   Anthony Goldstein: Etym: Unknown. The name of a couple saints.

   Anti-Cheating Charms (OotP ch. 31): Probably the same as the
   Anti-Cheating Spell, used on the O.W.L. exam papers.

   Anti-Cheating Spell: Used on the quills the Hogwarts student use for
   their written exams. Probable mechanism: the pen senses when it's
   about to be used to write information obtained illicitly. Maybe if the
   student doesn't think they're cheating...

   Anti-Disapparation Jinx (OotP ch. 36): A spell that disables the
   target's ability to Apparate.

   Antonin Dolohov: Etym: Cognate of Anthony, whose etymology is unknown.
   St. Anthony is the patron saint of swineherds.

   Aparecium: Incantation to be used with a Revealer.

   Etym: The closest thing I can find is apertum, Latin for "open,
   uncovered, accessible".

   Apparate: To perform an Apparation.

   Apparation Test Center (OotP ch. 7): The arm of the Ministry of Magic
   that certifies people to allow them to perform Apparation.

   Apparation: The act of teleporting from one place to another. The
   Ministry of Magic requires those who want to use it to pass a test and
   get a license, as it can be dangerous. The grounds of Hogwarts are
   enchanted to make Apparation impossible there.

   Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, An: A book which contains
   information on Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.

   Apollyon Pringle: Etym: A name for the Devil, meaning "destroyer". And
   we thought Filch was bad...

   Aquavirius maggots (OotP ch. 34): Whatever they are, The Quibbler
   thinks the Ministry of Magic is breeding them.

   Etym: Think it's from the Latin roots for "water" and "life".

   Arabella Doreen Figg: Etym: A name of Scottish origin and unknown
   etymology, possibly from Latin Orabilis "easy to be entreated"; also
   the title character of a Strauss opera.

   Aragog: A giant, intelligent, spiderlike creature raised by Hagrid in
   his school days. Aragog now lives in the Forbidden Forest with his
   wife Mosag and their happy brood of scuttling flesh-eating spawn.

   Etym: May be related to Gog and Magog, which among other things are
   the names of two giants in English legend, with ara- for "arachnid".

   Araminta Meliflua: Etym: Started as an invented name, possibly
   conflated from Arabella and Aminta.

   Archie [Archibald] (GoF ch. 7): A wizard in attendance at the
   Quidditch World Cup who is not entirely in tune with Muggle fashions.

   Etym: From Old German ercan "genuine, simple" + bald "bold".

   Argus Filch: Etym: A figure from Greek myth with a hundred eyes,
   killed by Hermes, after which his eyes were transferred to the tail of
   the peacock. By extension, a vigilant person.

   Argyllshire: A hilly and remote section of Scotland. The Fat Lady hid
   in a map of it after being attacked by Sirius Black.

   Arithmancy: An elective subject at Hogwarts which Hermione is now
   taking, taught by Professor Vector.

   armadillo bile: Apparently, a basic potionmaking supply used by
   Hogwarts students.

   Armando Dippet: Etym: From Old German harja "host, army" + mana "man".

   Arnold Peasegood: Etym: From Old German arin "eagle" + vald "power".

   Arsenius Jigger: Etym: Arsenious means "of or relating to arsenic".

   Arthur Weasley: Etym: From the name of the legendary king. Various
   Celtic derivations have been proposed, but most likely from a Roman
   gens named Artorius.

   ash: Any tree of the genus Fraximus. Wood of the commercial varieties
   is stiff, strong, resilient, and lightweight, and frequently used in
   tool handles and sports equipment.

   asphodel: In poetic use, the narcissus; ancient references are to the
   genus Asphodelus. An ingredient for the Draught of Living Death.

   Asiatic Anti-Venoms (OotP ch. 16): A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Augustus Pye: Etym: See below.

   Augustus Rookwood: Etym: Latin, meaning "venerable, consecrated".

   Aurors: Wizards employed by the Ministry of Magic to hunt down users
   of dark magic. Frank Longbottom and Alastor Moody are ex-Aurors.

   Etym: British slang calls policemen coppers. Auror could easily be
   from aureum, Latin for "gold".

   Auror Headquarters (OotP ch. 7): Located in the Ministry of Magic.

   Auto-Answer Quills (OotP ch. 31): A banned item at O.W.L. exams.

   Avada Kedavra: Incantation for the Killing Curse.

   Etym: Several Web sites (including an earlier version of this one, mea
   culpa) have given this as the root of abracadabra, originating as a
   Kabalistic term. Instead, it appears that abracadabra comes from
   Abraxas via Gnostic occultism, and I haven't been able to find
   anything on the origins of avada kedavra.

   Avery: A Death Eater, left at large after claiming he had been a
   victim of the Imperius Curse, but imprisoned after the battle at the
   Ministry of Magic.

   Etym: A variation of the Germanic name Alberic, from oelf "elf" + ric
   "power". John Avery was a renowned pirate of the late 17th century.

   Avis: Incantation to conjure birds from one's wand.

   Etym: Latin, "bird". Technically, should be the plural, aves.

   Axminster: A type of flying carpet used in Britain before carpets were
   added to the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects.

   Etym: An Axminster carpet refers to a type originally made by a
   factory in Axminster, Devon, from 1755 to 1835.

   Azkaban: A prison for users of dark magic, staffed by dementors.

   Etym: Origin unknown. Invented?

B

   Babbling Beverage (OotP ch. 32): A potion that makes the recipient
   spout nonsense.

   Babbling Curse: Details unknown; Lockhart claimed to have cured a
   Transylvanian villager of it.

   Baddock, Malcolm (GoF ch. 12): A Slytherin, three years behind Harry.

   Etym: A diminutive of a Provenal name meaning "open-mouthed idiot".

   Bagman, Ludo: A former Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps, a Death Eater
   allowed to remain free after pleading youthful misconduct, more
   recently the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and
   most recently in hiding from goblin financiers who do not understand
   the term "debt restructuring".

   Etym: The name means "one who carries a bag". In criminal jargon, can
   mean a money launderer, or someone who specializes in making
   inconvenienct people disappear.

   Bagman, Otto (GoF ch. 5): Ludo Bagman's brother, who got into "a spot
   of trouble" with the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office over an
   enchanted lawnmower.

   Bagnold, Millicent (OotP ch. 5): Fudge's predecessor as Minister of
   Magic.

   Etym: From Old English beadu "battle" + halh "nook, recess" or holt
   "wood".

   Bagshot, Bathilda (PS ch. 5): Author of A History of Magic.

   Etym: A type of ammunition. Looking at this whole name, it appears the
   history of magic must have been pretty, um, exciting...

   Ballycastle Bats: A British Quidditch team. Ballycastle may be a
   fictional place.

   Bandon Banshee: Allegedly banished by Gilderoy Lockhart. A banshee is
   a wailing or singing demonic spirit; Bandon is a town in County Cork,
   Ireland.

   Banishing Charm: The reverse of a Summoning Charm.

   banshee: see Bandon Banshee.

   Bane [Banes or Bain]:

   Etym: Bunch of choices here: from a nickname meaning "bones"; a Welsh
   patronymic meaning "anvil"; Gaelic for "white, fair"; Middle English
   meaning "welcoming, friendly"; or Middle English/Old French meaning
   "bath". Or perhaps the character name is just from the modern English
   word.

   Barnabas the Barmy (OotP ch. 18): A wizard who attempted to train
   trolls to do ballet, commemorated in a tapestry opposite the Room of
   Requirement.

   Etym: From bar "son" and Nabia, a name maybe meaning "confession". The
   name of a biblical missionary.

   Barnsley (OotP ch. 1): An industrial town in Yorkshire (for the
   British perception of it, read "dour and boring"), location of the
   Five Feathers.

   Barry Ryan: Etym: From Irish bearrach "spear".

   Bartemius Crouch: Etym: From Aramaic Bartholomew "son of Tolmai". No
   etymology on Tolmai.

   Baruffio (PS ch. 10): A wizard infamous for misspeaking a charm and
   conjuring up a buffalo.

   Etym: No etymology.

   Baruffio's Brain Elixir (OotP ch. 31): Confiscated by Hermione from
   Eddie Carmichael.

   Bashir, Ali (GoF ch. 7): A flying carpet merchant, upset that his
   wares are banned in Britain.

   Etym: "Bringer of good news, messenger sent by Allah".

   Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Basil (GoF ch. 7): A wizard helping with logistics at the Quidditch
   World Cup.

   Etym: From Greek basileios "kingly"; also the name for herbs of the
   genus Ocymum. There is a St. Basil, who was the bishop of Caesarea in
   the mid-4th century.

   basilisk: A mythical creature supposed to spring from an egg laid by a
   rooster and incubated by a serpent or toad. Basilisks are usually
   depicted as snakelike, sometimes with a crown (its name derives from
   the Greek for "king") and are capable of turning any living thing to
   stone by looking at them.

   The one which had been lurking in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts
   is additionally in danger from the crowing of roosters, and generates
   an aura that sends spiders fleeing.

   Bat-Bogey Hex (OotP ch. 6): A spell that summons winged imps to harass
   the target. A specialty of Ginny Weasley's.

   Etym: Bogey or bogy is a term covering many different malicious
   folkloric spirits.

   Bathilda Bagshot: Etym: OED has an entry for batilde, an obsolete form
   of a word meaning "embattled".

   Bayliss, Hetty (CoS ch. 5): A Muggle who spotted the flying Ford
   Anglia.

   Etym: From Late Latin baiulus "carrier, porter", cognate to bailiff.

   Beast Division (OotP ch. 7): A section of the Ministry of Magic for
   dealing with magical creatures.

   Beater: A member of a Quidditch team who deflects Bludgers away from
   their teammates (and, ideally, toward the opponents).

   Beauxbatons Academy: A school of wizardry which participates in the
   Triwizard Tournament; its current headmistress is Olympe Maxime. Its
   students speak with French accents, wear silk robes, and move in a
   balletic manner. (Ballet is absolutely essential to the British
   stereotype of the French.)

   Etym: French, "lovely wands".

   beechwood: Various trees of the genus Fagus, all tall, wide-spreading,
   and preferring temperate climes. The wood is durable under water, and
   used for cabinetry, tool handles, and shipping containers. Also
   cultivated as a shade tree.

   Befuddlement Draught (OotP ch. 18): A potion that creates
   hot-headedness or recklessness.

   Beginner's Guide to Transformation, A: The first-year textbook for
   Transfiguration.

   Being Division (OotP ch. 7): A section of the Ministry of Magic for
   dealing with magical sentients.

   Belch Powder: Something that can be gotten in Hogsmeade, probably from
   Zonko's Joke Shop.

   Bell, Katie (PS ch. 12): A Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team,
   and a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Does in fact come from Middle English for "bell".

   belladonna: Atropa belladonna, deadly nightshade, the "essence" of
   which probably refers to atropine.

   Bellatrix Black Lestrange: Etym: The name of a star; the name also
   means "female warrior".

   Benjy Fenwick [Benjamin]:

   Etym: Literally, Hebrew for "son of the south", interpreted as "son of
   the right hand". Allusively, the favored son or the best share.

   Bertha Jorkins: Etym: From Old English for "bright".

   Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans: Jellybean-like magical candies of
   any flavor imaginable... including the ones you don't want to imagine.

   Bethnal Green (OotP ch. 7): An area of London, the site of the third
   regurgitating toilet incident.

   bezoar: This term has been applied to various substances believed to
   be universal antidotes, but most commonly to a concretion formed
   around foreign matter in the gut of certain ruminants. Originally
   these were taken from the wild goat and antelope of Persia, which are
   also known as the bezoar goat and bezoar antelope.

   bicorn: A creature from early French and English literature, it
   subsisted by devouring virtuous husbands. Powdered bicorn horn is one
   of the ingredients of the Polyjuice Potion.

   Bilius (PoA ch. 6): One of Neville's uncles. He died a day after
   seeing a Grim.

   Etym: Probably a variation of bilious.

   Bill Weasley [William]:

   Etym: From Old German vilja "will" + helma "helmet".

   Binky (PoA ch. 8): Lavender Brown's rabbit, killed by a fox.

   Binns, (first name unknown): The teacher of the History of Magic
   classes at Hogwarts, and unusual among history teachers for being as
   dead as his lectures.

   Etym: From the Old English name Binna, of uncertain origin, or a word
   for an open manger, stall, or hollow place.

   Black Forest: An area in Germany.

   Black(?), Alphard (OotP ch. 6): Sirius's uncle, estranged from the
   family for supporting him.

   Etym: See below.

   Black(?), Elladora (OotP ch. 6): Sirius's aunt, who started the family
   tradition of beheading elderly house-elves.

   Etym: See below.

   Black Lestrange, Bellatrix: Etym: See below.

   Black, Madam (OotP ch. 4): Sirius's mother, technically dead but still
   very much a presence through her portrait.

   Etym: See below.

   Black Malfoy, Narcissa: Etym: See below.

   Black, Regulus (OotP ch. 6): Sirius's younger brother, a Death Eater
   during the first wizard war and not terribly good at it either.

   Etym: See below.

   Black, Sirius: Harry's godfather and a member of the Order of the
   Phoenix, imprisoned in Azkaban for years after being framed by Peter
   Pettigrew, and now unfortunately and rather confusingly dead.

   Etym: Just means black. As a side note, though, some instances of this
   surname come from Old English blac, the equivalent of French blanc...
   meaning "white"!

   Black Tonks, Andromeda: Etym: See above.

   bladvak: The Gobbledygook word for "pickax".

   Blaise Zabini: Etym: Full etymology unknown but cognate to Blasius,
   the name of the patron saint of wool-workers and sufferers of throat
   diseases. Once very popular in England, a major wool producer. ECN:
   "The only relic of the trade in Romsey, Hants (once a wool staple), is
   an inn called the Bishop Blaise."

   Blast-Ended Skrewts: A cross between fire-crabs and manticores used by
   Hagrid for the Care of Magical Creatures class.

   Blaze Box (OotP ch. 28): A unit of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs.

   Bletchley, Miles (PS ch. 11): The Keeper for the Slytherin Quidditch
   team in Harry's first year.

   Blibbering Humdinger (OotP ch. 13): Another creature only {The
   Quibbler
   believes in.

   Blood Blisterpod (OotP ch. 14): One of the components of the Skiving
   Snackbox.

   Blood-Replenishing Potion (OotP ch. 22): A treatment for hemorrhages
   at St. Mungo's Hospital, apparently obviating the need for
   transfusions.

   Blood-Sucking Bugbear: What Hagrid thought might be killing his
   roosters. A bugbear in popular legend is a monster in the shape of
   bear said to devour naughty children.

   Bloody Baron: The house ghost of Slytherin.

   Bludger: A small, hard ball used in Quidditch. Bludgers fly around the
   field of play attempting to knock players off their brooms.

   Etym: Undoubtedly from bludgeon. OED has an entry for bludger,
   actually, but in the interest of preserving our G rating we must move
   on.

   bluebell fire: A magically conjured blue fire that can be carried
   around in a jar.

   Bluebottle: A type of flying broom, advertised as "A Broom for the
   Whole Family."

   Boardman, Stubby (OotP ch. 10): According to the The Quibbler, Sirius
   Black's real name, under which he was the lead singer of The
   Hobgoblins.

   Etym: Originally a name for a person who lived on the edge of a town,
   from Middle English border "edge".

   Bode, Broderick (GoF ch. 7): An Unspeakable who was at the Quidditch
   World Cup.

   Etym: From the Germanic word "to announce", meaning much the same as
   the English word bode.

   Body-Bind: A curse that paralyzes the target completely. Incantation:
   Petrificatus Totalus.

   Bodrod the Bearded (GoF ch. 31): May have been a participant in a
   historical goblin rebellion.

   Etym: No info; probably invented.

   boggart: In these books, a creature that assumes the appearance of
   whatever a person looking at it fears most. Can be banished with a
   humorous mental image and the incantation Riddikulus.

   Bole (PoA ch. 15): A Beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team.

   Etym: Something of a cylindrical shape, such as the trunk of a tree or
   a pillar. As a name, an anglicized form of  Baoighill, possibly from
   words meaning "rash pledge", or derived from the placename Boyville.

   Bonaccord, Pierre (OotP ch. 31): The first Supreme Mugwump of the
   International Confederation of Wizards.

   Etym: French, "good agreement".

   Bones, Amelia Susan (OotP ch. 7): An official at the Wizengamot.

   Etym: Derived via Yiddish from Italian bona "good".

   Bones, Edgar (OotP ch. 9): A member of the Order of the Phoenix who
   was killed by the Death Eaters along with other members of his family.

   Etym: See above.

   Bones, Susan (PS ch. 7): A Hufflepuff, in the same year as Harry, and
   a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: See above.

   Bonfire Night: November 5th, in England the commemoration of the
   Gunpowder Plot. Typically involves lots of fireworks.

   boomslang: Dispholidus typus.

   Boot, Terry (PS ch. 8): A Ravenclaw, the same year as Harry, and a
   member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: From Middle English for "boot" or Dutch for "boat".

   Borgin and Burkes: A shop in Knockturn Alley specializing in the
   ingredients of dark magic; Evil backwards-R Us.

   Etym: No info on Borgin, but perhaps it's supposed to sound like
   Borgia. The name Burke comes from Old High German burg
   "fortification". A likelier source for the store's name, however, is
   the 19th-century murderer and grave-robber William Burke.

   Borgin, Mr. (CoS ch. 4): One of the founders of Borgin and Burkes,
   still working there, or else a descendant.

   Etym: See above.

   Boris the Bewildered (GoF ch. 23): A statue of him is near the
   prefects' bathroom.

   Etym: Russian name of uncertain etymology; may signify "fight".

   bouillabaisse: A fish stew whose characteristic form originated in
   France.

   Bouncing Bulbs: Some sort of plant covered in the Herbology class.

   bowtruckle (OotP ch. 13): Twig-like creatures that guard trees with
   wand-quality wood.

   Etym: Possibly bow as in "bend" + the obsolete word truckle "be
   subservient, yield, be daunted".

   Bozo (GoF ch. 24): Rita Skeeter's photographer.

   Bradley (OotP ch. 31): A Chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

   Etym: Possibly after Francis Herbert Bradley, an idealist philosopher.

   Branstone, Eleanor (GoF ch. 12): A Hufflepuff, three years behind
   Harry.

   Etym: From the Old English name Brant + tuun "enclosure, settlement".

   Break with a Banshee: One of Gilderoy Lockhart's books.

   Brian Dumbledore, Albus Percival Wulfric: Etym: Brian Boru, the
   legendary high king of Ireland.

   Bring-and-Fly Sale (OotP ch. 15): The wizard variant of a "Bring and
   Buy Sale", a sort of community flea market organized in aid of a
   church, school, or community center.

   British and Irish Quidditch League (OotP ch. 7): The league in which
   the professional Quidditch teams listed here play; its headquarters
   are at the Ministry of Magic.

   Brockelhurst, Mandy (PS ch. 8): A Ravenclaw, the same year as Harry.

   Etym: Placename, after a wooded hill that was home to badgers. Brock
   on its own has been a word for various small animals, including
   badgers.

   Broderick Bode: Etym: None found.

   Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul: A book on divination at
   Flourish and Blotts.

   brooms: The flying broom is an ancient and venerable mode of wizard
   transportation, and an indispensable part of Quidditch. Types of
   brooms include the Bluebottle, Cleansweep Five, Cleansweep Seven,
   Cleansweep Six, Comet Two Ninety, Comet Two Sixty, Firebolt, Nimbus
   Two Thousand, Nimbus Two Thousand and One, Silver Arrow, and Shooting
   Star.

   Broom Compass (OotP ch. 23): Presumably a compass that can be mounted
   on a broom.

   Broom Regulatory Control (OotP ch. 7): An arm of the Ministry of
   Magic.

   Brown, Lavender (PS ch. 8): A Gryffindor, the same year as Harry, a
   founding member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Really means "brown".

   brown owl: A very common European owl, known most commonly as the
   tawny owl.

   Bryce, Frank: The gardener at the Riddle House, killed by Voldemort,
   brought back as a shade.

   Etym: No etymology; suspected to be of Celtic origin.

   Bubotuber: A magical plant useful for making an acne remedy.

   Etym: Bubo as in bubonic plague; there is a plant structure called a
   bulbo-tuber, which is neither a true bulb nor a true tuber.

   Buckbeak: A hippogriff falsely accused of being dangerous, now on the
   run with Sirius Black.

   Etym: Probably invented.

   budgie: A small yellow bird, very popular as a pet in Britain at one
   time, less common these days.

   bugbear: see Blood-Sucking Bugbear.

   Bulbadox Powder (OotP ch. 12): A powder that causes boils.

   Etym: From Latin roots meaning "rounded object" and "inflate".

   Bulstrode, Millicent (PS ch. 8): A Slytherin, the same year as Harry.

   Etym: A place name, from Old English burh "fortress, town" or bula
   "bull" + strood "brushwood".

   Bungy (OotP ch. 1): A budgie who lives at the Five Feathers who has
   learned to water-ski.

   Burning Day: The day on which a phoenix renews itself.

   Burrow, The: The house of the Weasley family.

   butterbeer: A popular drink at the Three Broomsticks, nonintoxicating
   to humans, but with a strong effect on house-elves.

C

   Cadmus Peverell: Etym: The legendary founder of Thebes. OED also
   includes Cadmean victory, "a victory involving one's own ruin".

   Cadogan, Sir: A knight whose portrait was temporarily moved to guard
   the Gryffindor dormitory when the Fat Lady was frightened off.

   Etym: From the Old Welsh name Cadoc, which is possibly related to a
   word meaning "battle".

   Callisto (OotP ch. 14): One of the Galilean moons of Jupiter.

   Calming Draught (OotP ch. 27): A soothing potion.

   Canary Creams: A pilot product for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes which
   turns the eater into a giant canary.

   Caput Draconis: The first password to the Gryffindor tower when Harry
   arrives at Hogwarts.

   Etym: Latin for "dragon's head".

   Caradoc Dearborn: Etym: The Celtic form of Caratacus, the name of a
   British chieftain who led resistance against the Romans.

   Care of Magical Creatures: An elective class at Hogwarts, taught by
   Professor Kettleburn until Harry's third year, when Hagrid took over.
   Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all enrolled in it.

   Carmichael, Eddie (OotP ch. 31): A Ravenclaw, one year ahead of Harry.

   Etym: From Britonnic ker "fort" + Michael.

   Cassandra Trelawney: Etym: See below.

   Cassandra Vablatsky: Etym: In Greek legend, Cassandra was given the
   gift of prophecy by the god Apollo, who loved her, and then cursed by
   him when she rejected him. The curse was that no one would ever
   believe her predictions.

   Cauldron Cakes: A type of wizard candy, probably something akin to a
   cupcake.

   Cauldwell, Owen (GoF ch. 12): A Hufflepuff, three years behind Harry.

   Etym: The name of several places, variously spelled but all from Old
   English c(e)ald "cold" + well(a) "spring". As a common noun, a weir
   that diverts water into a mill-lead.

   Cedric Diggory: Etym: ECN: "This now not uncommon name seems to have
   been invented by Sir Walter Scott for one of the characters in
   Ivanhoe, `Cedric the Saxon'. It was probably a mistake of Scott's for
   Cerdic, the name of the traditional founder of the West Saxon
   kingdom." Which may in turn be from the Welsh name Caradawg, meaning
   "amiable".

   Celestina Warbeck: Etym: This was the term for a late-18th-century
   keyboard instrument developed from the armonica. The word is from
   Latin caelestis "heavenly".

   centaur: A mythical creature with the body of a horse, and the top
   half of a human attached where the neck would be. Rowling's centaurs
   are largely peaceful but wish to keep to themselves. A group of them
   lives in the Forbidden Forest.

   Chamber of Secrets: An enormous magical cavern, rumored to have been
   constructed by Salazar Slytherin, concealed beneath Hogwarts for
   nearly eight centuries, even when a modern girls' bathroom was built
   over the entrance, until Tom Riddle figured out how to open it and pin
   the blame on Hagrid.

   chamberpot room: Dumbledore claims to have stumbled into a hidden room
   filled with solid gold chamberpots one night when he was heading for
   the bathroom. This was in fact the Room of Requirement.

   Chambers (OotP ch. 31): A Chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

   Etym: From Middle English/Old French cha(u)mbre "chamber, room".

   Chameleon Ghoul: Mentioned in passing, presumably a type of ghoul with
   some natural ability to disguise itself.

   Chang, Cho: A Ravenclaw, a year ahead of Harry, and Seeker for the
   Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Briefly Harry's girlfriend, and may still be
   a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: No reliable info.

   Charing Cross Road: A major road in London. The Leaky Cauldron is
   apparently located along or near it.

   Charlie Weasley [Charles]:

   Etym: From ceorl, Old English for "a man".

   Charm to Cure Reluctant Reversers, A: Page 12 of the Handbook of
   Do-It-Yourself Broomcare.

   Charms: One of the basic subjects that all students at Hogwarts have
   to study, taught by Professor Flitwick. A general term for all sorts
   of minor spells of instantaneous effect.

   Charm Your Own Cheese: One of Molly Weasley's cookbooks.

   Chaser: One of the three players on a Quidditch team who pass the
   Quaffle between them and attempt to throw it through one of the goal
   hoops. A goal is worth 10 points.

   Cheering Charm: A charm to elevate someone's mood.

   Chinese Chomping Cabbage (OotP ch. 16): Sounds like a special variety
   of Chinese cabbage that you don't want to mess with.

   Chinese Fireball: A variety of dragon.

   chipolata: A type of sausage.

   Cho Chang: Etym: No reliable info on the meaning of the name. It was
   the family name of a couple of Korean artists of the Yi dynasty.

   Chocoballs: A candy available at Honeydukes.

   Chocolate Frogs: A wizard candy, undistinguished except for the line
   of Famous Witches and Wizards trading cards that come with them.

   chocolate gateau: A type of chocolate cake. Here's an example,
   although I'm not sure how representative it is.

   Christmas pudding: A rich fruit pudding, typically splashed with
   brandy and set alight just before serving. Hiding a silver coin in it
   is also traditional.

   Chudley Cannons: A professional Quidditch team. Chudley itself appears
   to be fictional, unless it's an alternate spelling of Chudleigh.

   Circe: An enchantress who figures in the Odyssey. She transformed
   Odysseus's crew into pigs. Featured on a Famous Witches and Wizards
   trading card.

   Clapham (OotP ch. 14): Sturgis Podmore's hometown.

   Class C Non-Tradeable Substance (OotP ch. 9): Venemous Tentacula seeds
   are included in this category.

   Cleansweep Five: A type of flying broom.

   Cleansweep Seven: A type of flying broom.

   Cleansweep Six (OotP ch. 10): Yet another variety of flying broom.

   Clearwater, Penelope (CoS ch. 14): Percy Weasley's girlfriend, a
   Ravenclaw prefect.

   Etym: Pretty much what it looks like, and like her first name, a
   symbol of purity. Just the girl for Percy...

   Cliodna: A druid featured on a Famous Witches and Wizards trading
   card.

   cobbing: A penalizable infraction in Quidditch-- excessive use of
   elbows toward opponents.

   Etym: The word is first noted as a term for a nautical punishment in
   the late 18th century, taking on the more general meaning "to strike"
   in the mid-19th.

   cockatrice: In antiquity, originally another name for a basilisk.
   Later on, a creature with the head, wings, and feet of a rooster, a
   serpentine body, and a barbed tail.

   Cockroach Cluster: A candy available at Honeydukes.

   Etym: Likely from a product of the same name mentioned in the Monty
   Python "Crunchy Frog" sketch (series 1, episode 6).

   Cokeworth: Location of the Railview Hotel.

   Colin Creevey: Etym: Anglicization of Gaelic Cailean, which may be
   from coilen, meaning "young dog, youth" and by extension "cadet".

   Colloportus (OotP ch. 35): A spell to seal a door.

   Etym: I think this is intended to be from Latin roots meaning "bring
   together" and "door" (actually "gate").

   Color-Change Charm (OotP ch. 31): Something Harry mixed up with a
   Growth Charm.

   Come and Go Room (OotP ch. 18): Another name for the Room of
   Requirement.

   Etym: Probably refers to how sometimes it's there and sometimes it
   isn't.

   Comet Two Ninety (OotP ch. 9): A brand of flying broom.

   Comet Two Sixty: A brand of flying broom.

   Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures: Part of the
   Ministry of Magic. "Disposal" usually consists of killing the animal.

   Committee on Experimental Charms: Part of the Ministry of Magic.

   Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions: May or may not be an actual
   book available in the wizarding world.

   Common Welsh Green: A type of dragon native to the British Isles.

   Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions, A (OotP ch.
   18): A book that Dumbledore's Army found in the Room of Requirement.

   Confundus Charm: A spell that can be used to temporarily make a person
   believe something they would otherwise disbelieve.

   Confusing Concoction: A type of potion Harry had to make for his final
   exam in his third year.

   Confusing Draught (OotP ch. 18): Probably the same thing as the
   Confusing Concoction.

   Conjunctivitis Curse: Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the
   conjunctiva-- the inner membrane of the eyelid.

   Conjuring Spells (OotP ch. 13): What it sounds like.

   conk: British slang for "nose".

   Connolly (GoF ch. 8): A Beater on the Irish national Quidditch team.

   Etym: Anglicized form of  Conghalaigh, from a name meaning "valiant".

   Cornelius Oswald Fudge: Etym: St. Cornelius was pope from 251 to 253,
   and is noted for taking a liberal attitude toward Christians who had
   renounced their faith under duress. He was succeeded by St. Lucius.

   Corner, Michael (OotP ch. 16): A Ravenclaw, a member of Dumbledore's
   Army and Ginny's ex-boyfriend.

   Etym: Originally meant "hornblower", or referred to someone who lived
   at the corner of two streets.

   Cornish pasty: A pasty is a small pastry filled with meat, potatoes,
   and vegetables. Pronounced to rhyme with "nasty".

   Cornish pixies: Small electric-blue creatures; not terribly dangerous,
   although they seem to have a talent for vandalism.

   counterjinx (OotP ch. 15): Term for any spell when it is used in
   opposition to a curse.

   Courtroom Ten (OotP ch. 7): Where the hearing on whether to ban Harry
   from using magic was held.

   Crabbe senior (GoF ch. 33): A Death Eater still at large, at least
   until the battle at the Ministry of Magic.

   Crabbe, Vincent: One of Draco Malfoy's cronies, now a Beater on the
   Slytherin Quidditch team.

   Etym: From a nickname for someone with an odd gait, like a crab, or a
   cantankerous person, as a shortening of crabapple.

   Cragg, Elfrida (OotP ch. 22): A witch whose portrait hangs in St.
   Mungo's Hospital.

   Etym: From the same root as crag, originally a name for someone living
   near one.

   Cribbages Wizarding Crackers: A magical version of Christmas
   crackers-- traditional British party favors consisting of a wrapped
   tube containing a surprise.

   Creevey, Colin: A Gryffindor, a year behind Harry; Harry's first
   papparazzo. A member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Anglicized form of Gaelic  Craoibhe, from a name meaning
   "curly(-headed)" or "prolific". Thomas Creevey (1768-1838) was a
   politician and placeman, remembered because some of his journals and
   correspondence were published in 1903 and 1905.

   Creevey, Dennis: A Gryffindor, 3 years behind Harry, and a member of
   Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: See above.

   crinolines: Clothing made with crinoline, a stiff fabric made of
   horsehair that was used primarily in the 19th century. At first it was
   used in hats and shoes, and later to make dresses, petticoats, and
   other things as a substitute for stiffened muslin.

   crisps: Bits of pastry made by deep-frying batter.

   Croaker (GoF ch. 7): An Unspeakable seen at the Quidditch World Cup.

   Etym: As a common noun, one who talks dismally or despondingly, or who
   forebodes or prophesies evil. Makes you worry what they're up to in
   the Department of Mysteries.

   Crockford, Doris (PS ch. 5): A particularly effusive fan of Harry's
   that he met in The Leaky Cauldron.

   Etym: From the placename Crockford Bridge; further etymology is
   uncertain and probably not relevant. Also the name of a London
   gambling club, and the colloquial designation of a reference work
   produced by the Anglican Church.

   Crookshanks: Hermione's unusually intelligent cat.

   Etym: Means "crooked legs".

   Crouch, Bartemius, junior: A convicted Death Eater who was snuck out
   of Azkaban by his father and went on to repay him by mind-controlling
   him, usurping his identity, and eventually killing him.

   Etym: In addition to the usual meanings, an obsolete form of cross;
   name for someone who lived near a cross.

   Crouch, Bartemius, senior: The former head of the Department of
   Magical Law Enforcement, later Percy Weasley's boss in the Department
   of International Magical Cooperation, still later killed by his own
   son.

   Etym: See Crouch junior.

   Cruciatus Curse: One of the Unforgivable Curses, it causes unbearable
   pain to the target. Prolonged exposure can apparently result in memory
   loss, as for the Longbottoms. Incantation: Crucio.

   Crucio: The incantation for the Cruciatus Curse.

   Etym: Latin, literally "I crucify". The same word at the root of
   exruciating. Imperative: crucire "be crucified".

   Crumple-Horned Snorkack (OotP ch. 26): A possibly imaginary beast of
   burden that may live in Sweden and be very good at finding where its
   rider wants to go.

   Etym: I think the Snorkack part is onomatopoeic.

   crup (OotP ch. 15): A creature that resembles a Jack Russell terrier
   with a forked tail.

   Etym: An archaic word with various meanings related to the
   hindquarters or the tack on that part of a horse; also Kentish dialect
   meaning "brittle, short, snappish".

   curses: Spells that injure or impede the target. Some require only a
   wand and a quick incantation, but stronger ones require the caster to
   maintain line-of-sight and keep up the incantation for the full time
   of effect. The terms jinx and hex appear to be equivalent, and are
   used in curse names for alliterative effect. 

   Curses and Countercurses
   : A book seen in Diagon Alley.

   Curse of the Bogies: Something Professor Quirrell mentioned in class.
   Bogie has varied meanings, a lot of them overlapping with boggart.

   Cuthbert Mockridge: Etym: St. Cuthbert (d. 687) was bishop of
   Lindisfarne and is one of the most popular saints in northern England.
   Also a term for a conscientious objector in World War I.

D

   D.A.: Short for Dumbledore's Army.

   Dai Llewellyn Ward (OotP ch. 22): A ward for bite victims at St.
   Mungo's Hospital.

   Etym: Named for "Dangerous" Dai Llewellyn, whoever he is.

   Daily Prophet: A daily newspaper, the primary news source for most
   British wizards.

   dandelion juice (OotP ch. 38): Apparently a perfectly ordinary drink
   for wizards.

   Daphne Greengrass: Etym: A nymph who escaped Apollo's advances by
   being turned into a laurel, which ever after was sacred to Apollo.
   From this came the use of the laurel as an award for achievement.

   Dark Arts Outsmarted, The (OotP ch. 18): A book found in the Room of
   Requirement.

   Dark Force Defense League: An organization of which Gilderoy Lockhart
   is an honorary member. It may be some sort of vigilante group.

   Dark Forces, The: A Guide to Self-Protection: The first-year textbook
   for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

   Davies, Roger (PoA ch. 14): Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

   Etym: From the Hebrew name David, meaning "beloved". Sarah Emily
   Davies (1830-1921) was a pioneer in the movement to allow women into
   colleges, and was the founder of Girton College, Cambridge.

   Davy Gudgeon [David]:

   Etym: Hebrew, meaning "beloved". St. David is the patron saint of
   Wales.

   Dawlish (OotP ch. 27): An Auror who came to arrest Dumbledore.

   Etym: Might be related to dawly, a dialect word in northern England
   meaning "miserable, gloomy, lonely".

   Dean Thomas: Etym: From Middle English dene "valley", or deen, a
   borrowing of a word that ultimately meant "a leader of ten men".

   Dearborn, Caradoc (OotP ch. 9): Etym: None found, but might just be
   from dear and born.

   deathday: The date on which a ghost comes into being, or the
   anniversary of that date. Like a birthday, a cause for celebration.

   Death Chamber (OotP ch. 35): The room in the Department of Mysteries
   where Sirius Black died.

   Death Eaters: Voldemort's merry band of evildoers, now mostly gathered
   back together to start another reign of terror. The ones we know about
   are:

   Killed in the first war: Regulus Black, Evan Rosier, Wilkes
   Killed in Harry's time: Bartemius Crouch junior
   Renounced Voldemort: Igor Karkaroff, Severus Snape
   Alive and kicking: Avery, Ludo Bagman, Crabbe senior, Antonin Dolohov,
   Goyle senior, Jugson, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange,
   Rodolphus Lestrange, Walden Macnair, Lucius Malfoy, Mulciber, Nott
   senior, Peter Pettigrew, Augustus Rookwood, Travers, and 2 or 3
   unnamed people recently freed from Azkaban

   Death Omens: What to Do When You Know the Worst is Coming: A book in
   Flourish and Blotts.

   Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Wizardry: A law
   dating from 1875 which disallows student wizards from using magic
   outside of school.

   Dedalus Diggle: Etym: Alternate spelling of Daedalus, of course.

   Defense Against the Dark Arts: A required subject for all Hogwarts
   students, but by far the most hazardous class to teach. Teachers so
   far:

   Harry's first year: Professor Quirrell
   Second year: Gilderoy Lockhart
   Third year: Remus Lupin (with a bit of substitute teaching from
   Professor Snape, who is thus the only person we've seen fully survive
   the job so far)
   Fourth year: Bartemius Crouch disguised as Alastor Moody
   Fifth year: Dolores Umbridge

   Defensive Magical Theory (OotP ch. 9): The textbook for Defense
   Against the Dark Arts in Harry's fifth year.

   Deflagration Deluxe (OotP ch. 28): A collection of Weasleys' Wildfire
   Whiz-Bangs.

   Deflating Draft: The antidote to a Swelling Solution.

   Delacour, Fleur: The Beauxbatons entry in the Triwizard Tournament.
   Wand: 9.5", inflexible, rosewood and veela hair (one of her
   grandmother's). Now works for Gringotts.

   Etym: French for "of the court". A "flower of the court" would be a
   particularly striking noble lady.

   Delacour, Gabrielle: Fleur Delacour's little sister.

   Etym: See above.

   Delaney-Podmore, Sir Patrick (CoS ch. 8): The head of the Headless
   Hunt.

   Etym: Delaney may be from a French root meaning "wool" or "alder
   grove", or the Gaelic patronymic  Dubhshline, composed of the
   elements dubh "black" + sln "challenge, defiance".

   Podmore is of uncertain origin, possibly from Middle English pod or
   pad "frog" + more "fen, marsh".

   Deletrius: An incantation to banish a summoned creature.

   Etym: An alteration of deleterious, maybe.

   dementor: A corpselike, possibly undead creature that feeds on
   emotions, draining away a person's will to live. Usually swathed in a
   cloak, their faces are seen only by people about to receive a
   dementor's kiss. Dementors are the guards of Azkaban.

   Etym: Invention from demented, as in cause to be.

   dementor's kiss: How a dementor sucks out a person's soul, leaving
   them in a permanent vegetative state.

   de Mimsy-Porpington: see Mimsy-Porpington.

   Dennis (PS ch. 3): Part of Dudley Dursley's gang.

   Etym: Derived from Dionysius, though the exact etymology is uncertain.
   St. Denis is a patron saint of France, who according to legend was
   martyred by decapitation. He is portrayed in art as a headless living
   figure.

   Dennis Creevey: Etym: See above.

   Densaugeo: Incantation for a curse that makes the target's teeth grow.

   Etym: Latin dens "tooth" + augeo "I augment". To make grammatical
   sense, ought to be dentemaugeo ("tooth" as direct object) or densauge
   (imperative: "tooth, grow!").

   Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures: One of
   the many departments of the Ministry of Magic, incorporating the Beast
   Division, Being Division, Spirit Division, the Goblin Liaison Office,
   and the Pest Advisory Bureau.

   Department of International Magical Cooperation: Another department of
   the Ministry of Magic, responsible in part for overseeing the
   Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, and containing the
   International Magical Trading Standards Body, the International
   Magical Office of Law, and the British seats of the International
   Confederation of Wizards.

   Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes (OotP ch. 7): Another
   arm of the Ministry of Magic which holds the Accidental Magic Reversal
   Squad, the headquarters for Obliviators, and the Muggle-Worthy Excuse
   Committee.

   Department of Magical Games and Sports: Yet another tentacle of the
   Ministry of Magic, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch
   League, the Official Gobstones Club, and, for some reason, the
   Ludicrous Patents Office.

   Department of Magical Law Enforcement (OotP ch. 7): A piece of the
   Ministry of Magic which contains the Magical Law Enforcement Squad,
   the Improper Use of Magic Office, the headquarters for the Aurors, and
   the administrative services for the Wizengamot.

   Department of Magical Transport (OotP ch. 7): Another name for the
   Department of Magical Transportation.

   Department of Magical Transportation: A section of the Ministry of
   Magic which contains the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory
   Control, the Portkey Office, and the Apparation Test Center.

   Department of Mysteries: The research arm of the Ministry of Magic.

   Derek (PoA ch. 11): A Hogwarts student, two years behind Harry, house
   unknown.

   Derrick (PoA ch. 15): A Beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team.

   Etym: Related to Theoderic, "people-rule". As a common noun, from the
   surname of a noted hangman at Tyburn, circa 1600.

   Dervish and Banges: A toy shop in Hogsmeade.

   Etym: Dervish is from Arabic darwiish, meaning a member of a Sufi
   fraternity, and is also used in fantasy to mean a whirling
   supernatural being. Banges would be an alteration of bangs.

   Derwent, Dilys (OotP ch. 22): An 18th century Healer at St. Mungo's
   Hospital, after which a stint as headmistress of Hogwarts must have
   seemed fairly easy.

   Detachable Cribbing Cuffs (OotP ch. 31): A banned item at O.W.L.
   exams.

   Devil's Snare: A magical plant which grabs hold of anyone within
   range. (What it plans to do with them next has not been recorded.) It
   recoils from bright light.

   Devon: A region of the UK which is home to the Flamels.

   Diagon Alley: A wizard shopping district somewhere in London,
   accessible from The Leaky Cauldron and the Floo Network.
   Establishments therein include Eeylops Owl Emporium, Flourish and
   Blotts, Gringotts, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Gambol and
   Japes, Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor, Magical Menagerie,
   Quality Quidditch Supplies,and Ollivander's.

   Diffindo: The incantation for the Severing Charm.

   Etym: Possibly Latin, "I split, cleave". Imperative: diffindere.

   Diggle, Dedalus: A wizard who, according to Professor McGonagall,
   "never had much sense". Harry met him at The Leaky Cauldron.

   Etym: Probably from the word dighel, meaning secret or obscure, though
   the proper etymology of the surname is different.

   Diggory, Amos (GoF ch. 6): Cedric Diggory's father. He works for the
   Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

   Diggory, Cedric: A Hufflepuff, two years ahead of Harry, the captain
   and Seeker of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and one of the Hogwarts
   champions in the Triwizard Tournament. Also a co-winner of the
   tournament, which inevitably leads to him being killed seconds later.
   Now exists as a shade. Wand: 12.25", springy, ash and unicorn hair.

   Etym: Goes back to the medieval romance of Sir Degar, and is probably
   from French gar "strayed, lost".

   Dijon (OotP ch. 20): A region of France that Hagrid and Maxime passed
   through on their way to find the giants.

   Dilys Derwent: Etym: None found.

   Dimitrov (GoF ch. 8): A Chaser on the Bulgarian national Quidditch
   team.

   Etym: From Greek Deemeetrios "(follower) of Demeter".

   Dingle, Harold (OotP ch. 31): A student who was selling fake powdered
   dragon claw as an exam-taking aid.

   Etym: From the Middle English word for a small wooded dell or hollow.

   Dippet, Armando (CoS ch. 13): The headmaster of Hogwarts in Tom
   Riddle's time, probably Dumbledore's immediate predecessor.

   Etym: Variation of Theobald, from the Germanic personal name *eudo
   "people, race" + bald "bold, brave".

   Disapparation: Apparation as seen from the point of departure.

   Disarming Charm: A spell that knocks an opponent's wand out of their
   grip. Incantation: Expelliarmus.

   Disillusion (OotP ch. 3): To cast a Disillusionment Charm on.

   Disillusionment Charm (OotP ch. 3): A spell that gives the target
   perfect camouflage.

   Dissendium: The password to open the secret passage from Hogwarts to
   Honeydukes.

   Etym: Latin, "dissension, discord".

   dittany: OED lists a number of possible plants but, for our purposes,
   probably Origanum dictamnus aka Dictamnus creticus, once alleged to
   have medicinal virtues.

   Divination: An elective subject at Hogwarts, taught, in a loose sense
   of the word, by Professor Trelawney.

   Dobbs, Emma (GoF ch. 12): A Hogwarts student three years behind Harry,
   house unknown.

   Etym: From a variation of Robert, which comes from Old English/German
   hrothi "fame" + berhta "bright".

   Dobby: A house-elf formerly in the employ of Lucius Malfoy, who went
   to Hogwarts to break new ground with the unthinkable practice of being
   paid to work.

   Etym: Word for a household sprite or apparition, particularly a
   brownie. See house-elf for more.

   Doge, Elphias (OotP ch. 3): A member of the Order of the Phoenix.

   Etym: The title of the ruler of Venice from the 8th to 18th centuries,
   also used as the title of a civil official for a time in Genoa.

   Dolohov, Antonin (GoF ch. 30): A Death Eater, imprisoned in Azkaban,
   freed, and sent right back after the Death Eater raid on the Ministry
   of Magic.

   Etym: No info on the name and the nearest Russian words don't look too
   likely at the moment.

   Dolores Jane Umbridge: Etym: Spanish for "sorrows".

   Dorcas Meadowes: Etym: A Biblical figure whose name became associated
   with women's associations that made clothes to give to the poor.

   Doreen Figg, Arabella: Etym: Probably an Irish version of Dorothy,
   "gift of God".

   Doris Crockford: Etym: The name of a sea nymph in Greek myth, origin
   unknown. Noted as a given name only as far back as 1819.

   Doris Purkiss: Etym: See above.

   Dorkins, Mary (OotP ch. 1): A TV news reporter.

   Etym: No info on the name. Used here, the closeness to dork might be
   intentional.

   Dot [Dorothy] (GoF ch. 1): The cook at The Hanged Man.

   Etym: The name is believed to have developed from an arbitrary
   inversion of Theodora, Greek for "God's gift".

   doxy (OotP ch. 6): Small, beetle-like magical creatures with a
   venemous bite.

   Etym: Not sure.

   Doxycide (OotP ch. 6): An aerosol spray that will paralyze a doxy.

   Draco Malfoy: Etym: Latin for "dragon", though the direct source for
   Mr. Malfoy's name is probably the Athenian ruler who gave us the word
   draconian.

   dragons: Many dragon species are still found in the wild throughout
   Europe. All appear to be are variations on the typical European
   dragon, with wings and fiery breath. Specific varieties mentioned so
   far are the Chinese Fireball, Common Welsh Green, Hebridean Black,
   Hungarian Horntail, Swedish Short-Snout, and Norwegian Ridgeback.

   Although captive dragon breeding is now outlawed, dragons are still
   useful to wizards in many ways. Their heartstrings are used in wands,
   their dung is used as compost for magical plants, and Albus Dumbledore
   alone has invented twelve uses for their blood.

   When facing a dragon, it is helpful to remember that its eyes are its
   weakest spot.

   Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit: One of Hagrid's collection of
   dragon books.

   Dragon Keeper's Guide, A: Another of Hagrid's collection of dragon
   books.

   dragon pox (OotP ch. 22): A contagious magical disease. I don't even
   want to think about how you get it.

   Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland: Yet another of Hagrid's
   collection of dragon books.

   Draught of Living Death: An extremely powerful sleeping potion.

   Draught of Peace (OotP ch. 15): A calming potion.

   Dreadful Denizens of the Deep: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Dream Oracle, The (OotP ch. 12): A book used in the Divination class
   in Harry's fifth year.

   Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks: Magical
   fireworks available at Gambol and Japes.

   Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction (OotP ch. 38): Applied to heal Harry's
   wounds from being attacked by a brain.

   Etym: Ubbly might be another form of obley an archaic word for
   "offering, oblation, sacrifice".

   Drooble's Best Blowing Gum: A wizard candy. Probably best to steer
   clear of it, because...

   Etym: One of a number of variations on the French word for "trouble".

   Drought Charm: A spell to lower or dry up small bodies of water.

   Dudley Dursley: Etym: From an Old English placename, composed of the
   name Dudda + leeah "wood, clearing", and maybe a pun on him being a
   bit of a dud as a human being.

   Dumbledore, Aberforth: Albus Dumbledore's brother, banned from using
   magic after being caught "practicing inappropriate charms on a goat".

   Etym: See below.

   Dumbledore, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian: A bowling and chamber music
   aficionado, a gourmet of candies, and the headmaster of Hogwarts. Has
   been known to dabble in projects useful to wizard society, such as
   discovering the 12 current uses for dragon's blood, and defeating the
   dark wizard Grindelwald. Said to be an ex-Gryffindor. In his spare
   time, also a Supreme Mugwump and, until just recently, a Chief Warlock
   of the Wizengamot.

   Etym: Old word for a bumblebee, from dumble "stupid, dull, slow" + dor
   "insect that makes a loud humming noise".

   Dumbledore's Army (OotP ch. 18): Harry's secret extracurricular
   Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Members are Ron, Hermione, Hannah
   Abbott, Katie Bell, Susan Bones, Terry Boot, Lavender Brown, Cho
   Chang, Michael Corner, Colin Creevey, Dennis Creevey, Marietta
   Edgecombe, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Seamus Finnigan, Anthony Goldstein,
   Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Ernie
   Macmillan, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil, Zacharias Smith, Alicia
   Spinnet, Dean Thomas, Fred and George Weasley, and Ginny Weasley.

   Dundee: A city in northern Scotland.

   Durmstrang Institute: Another school of magic, thought to be somewhere
   in northeastern Europe. Its curriculum is rumored to include dark
   magic.

   Etym: Almost certainly invented from the German phrase sturm and
   drang.

   Dursley, Dudley: Harry's cousin, a fine young lad who knows how to get
   the best out of life, at least from people who are swayed by screaming
   tantrums.

   Etym: Stated by Rowling to be from the place name, which for the
   record is from the Old English given name Deeorsige + leeah "wood,
   clearing".

   Dursley, Marge: Harry's aunt-in-law, Vernon Dursley's sister, dog
   fancier, occasional babysitter, and dispenser of time-honored wisdom
   on the subject of breeding.

   Etym: See above.

   Dursley, Petunia Evans: Harry's aunt, Lily Potter's sister, who
   selflessly gave up several cubic feet of storage space to house her
   weird nephew.

   Etym: See above.

   Dursley, Vernon: A respectable businessman, the director of Grunnings,
   a doting father, and really not at all to blame for his nephew being a
   freak.

   Etym: See above.

E

   eagle owl: A type of owl found across Eurasia; the largest of the
   European owls. Draco Malfoy has one.

   ebony: Wood from several tree species in the genus Diospyros, favored
   for its durability, hardness, and ability to take high polish. In
   India it was used for drinking cups for its supposed ability to
   neutralize poison. Use these days is mainly decorative.

   Eddie Carmichael: Etym: From Old English ead "rich, happy" + weard
   "guardian".

   Edgar Bones: Etym: From Old English Eadgar "rich, happy".

   Edgecombe, Marietta (OotP ch. 18): A friend of Cho Chang, probably a
   Ravenclaw, who spilled the beans on Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Couldn't find anything specific, but probably from a name for a
   person living on the edge of a valley.

   Educational Degree Number Twenty-eight (OotP ch. 28): The one that
   made Umbridge the headmistress.

   Educational Degree Number Twenty-five (OotP ch. 19): The one that gave
   the High Inquisitor supreme authority over all punishments given to
   Hogwarts pupils.

   Educational Degree Number Twenty-four (OotP ch. 17): The one that
   restricted freedom of assembly to approved student groups.

   Educational Degree Number Twenty-nine (OotP ch. 28): The one that
   Filch thought would bring back corporal punishment.

   Educational Degree Number Twenty-seven (OotP ch. 26): The one to expel
   any student caught in possession of The Quibbler.

   Educational Degree Number Twenty-three (OotP ch. 15): The one that
   created the post of Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

   Educational Degree Number Twenty-two (OotP ch. 15): The one that gave
   the Ministry of Magic the power to select a teacher when the
   headmaster cannot.

   Eeylops Owl Emporium: A store in Diagon Alley, where Harry got Hedwig.

   elderflower wine: Can mean wine made from elderberries or elderberry
   flowers combined with some other fruit.

   Eleanor Branstone: Etym: From a Provenal form of Helen, Greek for
   "the bright one". The name of several queens.

   Elephant and Castle (OotP ch. 7): The site of one of the regurgitating
   toilet pranks; a popular part of London.

   Elfric the Eager (PS ch. 16): The leader of a notable historical
   uprising.

   Etym: From the Old English words for "elf" and "ruler".

   Elixir of Life: A formula that extends the lifespan indefinitely, made
   possible with a Philosopher's Stone.

   Elfrida Cragg: Etym: From Old English lf "elf" + thryth "strength".

   Elladora (Black?): Etym: None found.

   Eloise Midgen: Etym: From Old German haila "hale, sound" + vid "wide".

   Elphias Doge: Etym: Unknown.

   Emeric the Evil: Some historical personage who could be confused with
   Uric the Oddball.

   Etym: From an Old German root Im- or Em-, of unknown meaning, + ric
   "ruler". Also, emerick is an obsolete alternate form of emery.

   Emeric Switch: Etym: See above.

   Emma Dobbs: Etym: A hypocoristic form of various Old German names
   combined with ermin/irmin "whole, universal".

   Emmeline Vance: Etym: From a diminutive form of amal- "work".

   Enchantment in Baking: A cookbook in Molly Weasley's collection.

   Encyclopedia of Toadstools: A book at Flourish and Blotts.

   Enervate: An incantation to revive an unconscious person.

   Etym: English. Spelled ennervate in some first editions, but one n is
   correct.

   Engorgement Charm: A spell to increase the size of something.
   Incantation: Engorgio.

   Engorgio: Incantation for an Engorgement Charm.

   Etym: Pseudo-Latin, "I (cause to) engorge". The imperative form would
   be engorgere or engorgire "become engorged".

   Enid (PS ch. 7): Neville Longbottom's great-aunt.

   Etym: Celtic name of uncertain derivation. In Arthurian legend, the
   wife of Geraint, noted as an example of long-suffering patience.

   Enlarging Spell (OotP ch. 23): A spell that makes something bigger
   inside than out.

   Entrail-Expelling Curse (OotP ch. 22): What it sounds like, I guess.

   Entrancing Enchantments: Not defined explicitly, but would seem to be
   spells to produce infatuation.

   Eric Munch: Etym: An unknown element + ric "ruler, government". Also
   an obsolete word for blood money.

   Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi: The inscription on the
   Mirror of Erised, describing soed ti tahw.

   Ernie Macmillan [Ernest] (CoS ch. 11):

   Etym: From Old German Ernust "vigor, earnestness".

   Ernie Prang [Ernest]:

   Etym: See above.

   Errol (CoS ch. 3): The Weasleys' owl.

   Etym: From Latin errare "to wander". Hints also of Errol Flynn.

   Eton: The most exclusive secondary school in England; Justin
   Finch-Fletchley still picked Hogwarts over it.

   Euan Abercrombie: Etym: Probable variation of Evan.

   Europa (OotP ch. 14): One of the Galilean moons of Jupiter.

   Evan Rosier: Etym: From a Welsh form of John, from Hebrew Johanan,
   meaning "Jehovah has favored".

   Evanesco (OotP ch. 5): Etym: Formed from Latin evanescere "to vanish
   like vapor".

   Evans Dursley, Petunia: Etym: See Evan.

   Evans, Mark (OotP ch. 1): A ten-year-old that Dudley Dursley and his
   gang beat up.

   Etym: See Evan.

   Evans Potter, Lily: Etym: See Evan.

   Evening Prophet: An evening newspaper, probably an alternate edition
   of the Daily Prophet.

   Everard (OotP ch. 22): A previous headmaster of Hogwarts.

   Etym: From Old German ebur "boar" + hardu "hard".

   Ever-Bashing Boomerangs: Something from the long list of items
   students are banned from bringing into Hogwarts.

   Expecto Patronum: Incantation to summon a Patronus.

   Etym: From Latin exspecto "I expect" (literally "look forward to") and
   patronus, "patron, defender".

   Expelliarmus: The incantation for the Disarming Charm.

   Etym: Derived somehow from Latin expellere "drive out, drive away".

   Expellimellius (OotP ch. 18): A fumbled incantation for a Disarming
   Charm that instead resulted in an arm catching fire.

   Etym: Just a gibberish form, I guess.

   Exploding Snap: A wizard card game.

   Extendable Ears (OotP ch. 4): An eavesdropping aid produced by
   Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

   Extinguishing Spell: A spell to put out fires.

F

   Fabian Prewett: Etym: Short form of the name of Quintus Fabius
   Maximus, a Roman general famous for delaying and skirmishing tactics.

   Fainting Fancy (OotP ch. 13): One of the ingredients of the Skiving
   Snackbox.

   fairy lights: Magical decorations which are actual fairies, persuaded
   to hold still.

   Famous Witches and Wizards: A series of trading cards packaged with
   Chocolate Frogs. Featured people include Agrippa, Circe, Cliodna,
   Albus Dumbledore, Nicholas Flamel, Alberic Grunnion, Hengist of
   Woodcroft, Merlin, Morgana, and Paracelsus.

   Fang: Hagrid's dog, a boarhound.

   Fanged Frisbees: A banned item at Hogwarts.

   Fanged Geranium (OotP ch. 31): A plant in the O.W.L. for Herbology.

   Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: A first-year textbook. Also
   available in a Muggle edition.

   Fat Friar: The house ghost of Hufflepuff.

   Fat Lady: The painting that guards the Gryffindor dormitory.

   Fawcett (CoS ch. 12): A Ravenclaw who came to Lockhart's dueling club.
   A couple years later, she tried to age herself to be a candidate for
   the Triwizard Tournament.

   Etym: From the placename Fawcet or Facit, both from Old English fah
   "(brightly) colored, variegated, flowery" + side "slope".

   Fawcetts senior (GoF ch. 6): Acquaintances of the Weasley family who
   couldn't get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup.

   Etym: See above.

   Fawkes: Dumbledore's phoenix friend, and the donor of the feathers in
   both Harry's and Voldemort's wands.

   Etym: From Guy Fawkes, the mastermind of the Gunpowder Plot.

   Fenwick, Benjy (OotP ch. 9): A member of the Order of the Phoenix who
   was killed by the Death Eaters.

   Etym: From Old English fenn "marsh, fen" + wiic "dairy farm, outlying
   village".

   Ferula: An incantation to conjure up some sort of magical splint.

   Etym: Probably from ferrule, a ring or cap put on a shaft to keep it
   from splitting. Ferula is an actual word, but means an instrument such
   as a flat piece of wood used to punish children.

   Fever Fudge (OotP ch. 18): One of the items in the Skiving Snackboxes.

   Fidelius Charm: A spell that conceals a piece of information inside a
   living soul-- a Secret-Keeper.

   Figg, Arabella Doreen: A Squib who is a member of the Order of the
   Phoenix, set to watch Harry while he stays with the Dursleys.

   Etym: The name is properly derived from fig, but my guess is that if
   there is any meaning to it, Rowling is thinking more along the lines
   of the surname Figgis, from a nickname for a trustworthy or reliable
   person.

   Filch, Argus: The caretaker of Hogwarts and terror of
   curfew-breakers-- all the harder for him as he's a Squib.

   Etym: Probably just the English word... thus, Argus Filch is on the
   lookout for all who might steal. (Doesn't do a very good job of it,
   does he?)

   Finch-Fletchley, Justin (PS ch. 7): A Hufflepuff, the same year as
   Harry, and a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Finch means what it looks like, and I've no idea about the other
   part.

   Finite (OotP ch. 36): An incantation that halts the operation of a
   spell.

   Etym: Latin, "end".

   Finite Incantatem: An incantation that halts all ongoing spells in the
   vicinity.

   Etym: Latin, "end spellcasting".

   Finnigan, Seamus (PS ch. 7): A Gryffindor, the same year as Harry, and
   a member of Dumbledore's Army. His mother was a witch, and didn't tell
   his Muggle father until after they were married.

   Etym: From the Gaelic name Fionn, meaning "white".

   fire-crabs: One of the creatures hybridized to form Blast-Ended
   Skrewts.

   Firebolt: The absolutely most advanced broom yet created by modern
   magical technology.

   Firenze: A centaur who once lived in the Forbidden Forest, now an
   outcast for helping humans, if you can call his lessons as an
   alternate Divination teacher helpful.

   Etym: The modern Italian name for Florence.

   Five Feathers (OotP ch. 1): The Barnsley habitat of Bungy the budgie.

   Fizzing Whizbee: A type of wizard candy available at Honeydukes.

   Flagrate (OotP ch. 34): An incantation to draw a flaming symbol on
   something.

   Etym: From a Latin word meaning "burst into flame".

   Flamel, Nicholas (PS ch. 6): A 665-year-old alchemist and opera lover,
   a friend of Dumbledore's, and the creator of the only Philosopher's
   Stone known to be in existence.

   Etym: The name of an actual historical alchemist. The Spell Binder has
   a lengthy article on him.

   Flamel, Perenelle (PS ch. 13): Nicholas Flamel's wife, a mere 658
   years old.

   Fleet, Angus (CoS ch. 5): A Muggle resident of Peebles who spotted
   Harry and Ron in the flying Ford Anglia.

   Etym: As a last name, from Old English fleot "stream, estuary, creek"
   or Middle English flete "swift".

   Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish: Part of Harry's broomstick
   maintenance kit.

   Etym: Fleet... wood... get it?

   Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent: Something to keep Flesh-Eating Slugs out
   of cabbages, apparently.

   Fletcher, Mundungus (CoS ch. 3): The target of a raid by the Misuse of
   Muggle Artifacts Office. Also, a member of Dumbledore's "old gang".

   Etym: An arrowsmith, from Old French fleche "arrow".

   Fleur Delacour: Etym: French for "flower".

   Flint, Marcus (PS ch. 11): A Slytherin, five years ahead of Harry.
   Chaser and captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team during Harry's
   first year.

   Etym: Name for someone who lived near a notable outcrop of flint, or
   nickname for a hard-hearted individual.

   Flitterbloom (OotP ch. 25): What someone disguised a Devil's Snare as
   to send to Bode.

   Flitwick: The Charms teacher at Hogwarts, a former dueling champion
   who has since moved on to the far more exciting and dangerous career
   of teaching adolescents to handle supernatural forces.

   Etym: A town in Bedfordshire; no etymology found, though.

   flobberworm: The most uninspiring magical creature in existence. A
   flobberworm subsists on a diet of lettuce and does nothing else.

   Floo Network: The network on which one travels with Floo powder.
   Overseen by the Floo Regulation Panel.

   Floo Network Authority (OotP ch. 7): May or may not be the same thing
   as the Floo Regulation Panel.

   Floo powder: A substance that allows one to travel from fireplace to
   fireplace (via the Floo Network) by throwing some into a fire and
   speaking the intended destination.

   Etym: Probably a pun on flew or flue or both.

   Floo Regulation Panel: The governmental body that maintains the root
   servers of the Floo Network.

   Florean Fortescue: Etym: From Latin florianus "flowery, blooming".
   Florian is the name of a 4th century saint invoked against fire and
   drought.

   Florence (GoF ch. 30): A student at Hogwarts at the same time as
   Bertha Jorkins.

   Flourish and Blotts: A bookstore in Diagon Alley, the place where
   Hogwarts students buy their textbooks.

   Etym: A flourish, in penmanship, is an added decoration. To blot is to
   dry wet ink by pressing something absorbent (like a blotting-paper)
   onto it, to absorb the excess and keep it from smudging. When writing
   with a fountain pen or quill, one would sign with a flourish and then
   blot it.

   Fluffy: A cerberid dog acquired by Hagrid and put to work guarding the
   Philosopher's Stone.

   Flutterby Bush: A magical plant, undescribed but possibly a variation
   of a butterfly bush.

   fluxweed: An ingredient of the Polyjuice Potion. Invented, as far as I
   can tell.

   Flying with the Cannons: A book on the Chudley Cannons.

   Foe-Glass: A mirror which shows any enemies of the owner who are in
   the vicinity.

   Forbidden Forest: The woods adjoining Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, home to
   all sorts of magical creatures, including centaurs, Aragog, and
   possibly a werewolf or two.

   Ford Anglia: A cousin to the Ford Prefect which was produced in
   England from 1959 to 1967 and then was simplified to become the Ford
   Popular. Arthur Weasley got hold of one and performed a few minor
   adjustments to it such as allowing it to fly and become invisible at
   will. Since being crashed into the Whomping Willow, the car has turned
   feral and been living in the Forbidden Forest.

   Forgetfulness Potion: The final exam for Harry's first year of
   Potions.

   Fortescue (OotP ch. 27): A previous headmaster of Hogwarts.

   Etym: See below.

   Fortescue, Florean (PoA ch. 4): The proprietor of an ice cream parlor
   in Diagon Alley, who for some reason knows an awful lot about the
   history of witch-burning.

   Etym: From Old French fort "strong, brave" + escu "shield". Thus, a
   powerful protection against burning.

   Fountain of Magical Brethren (OotP ch. 7): An artistic statement of
   the Ministry of Magic's worldview, now, appropriately, utterly
   destroyed.

   Four-Point Spell: A spell to make one's wand indicate north (whether
   it's magnetic or true north hasn't been said). Incantation: Point Me.

   Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality: A book Ron consulted in
   Buckbeak's defense.

   Frank Bryce [Francis]:

   Etym: From Latin Franciscus, "Frenchman".

   Frank Longbottom [Francis]:

   Etym: See above.

   Fred Weasley [Frederick]:

   Etym: From Old German frithu "peace" + ric "ruler". The name of lots
   and lots of German kings.

   Freezing Charm: Some kind of paralysis-inducing spell.

   Fridwulfa (GoF ch. 24): Hagrid's mother, a giantess, whereabouts
   unknown.

   Etym: As far as I can tell, this name is invented, but from
   recognizable roots. Frid and similar forms mean "peace" as a name
   element, though another possibility (from An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary is
   friid- meaning "stately". Wulfa is undoubtedly "wolf".

   Frobisher, Vicky (OotP ch. 13): A Gryffindor who tried out to be the
   Keeper on the Quidditch team.

   Etym: Originally an occupational name for a polisher of metal, from
   Old French fo(u)rbisseor. Also the name of a 16th century explorer who
   was not too good at factual reporting.

   Frog Spawn Soap: Something available at Zonko's Joke Shop.

   From Egg to Inferno: Another of Hagrid's collection of books on
   dragon-rearing.

   Fubster, Colonel (PoA ch. 2): A retired friend of Harry's Aunt Marge
   who sometimes looks after Marge's dogs.

   Fudge, Cornelius Oswald: The current Minister of Magic, although
   apparently unable to handle the job without constant advice from
   Dumbledore. If political events in the books match actual history,
   Fudge is a Tory (in fact, he bears a suspicious resemblance to one
   particular Tory) who is due to be replaced sometime in book 6 or 7
   when Labour takes over the government.

   Etym: Of all the meanings available, I think we should look at "false"
   or "clumsily forged".

   Fudge Flies: A candy available at Honeydukes.

   Furnunculus: I believe this is a typo for furunculus. Can someone tell
   me if this was corrected in a later version of GoF?

   Furunculus: An incantation that causes the target to break out in
   boils.

   Etym: Latin, "boil", the root of the modern word furuncle.

G

   Gabrielle Delacour: Etym: Feminine form of Gabriel, from Hebrew for
   "God is a strong man" or "strong man of God".

   Gadding with Ghouls: One of Gilderoy Lockhart's books.

   Galleon: A gold coin, equivalent to 17 Sickles or 493 Knuts.

   Etym: Probably from the meaning "a great prize or catch", referring to
   the capture of Spanish galleons by English privateers.

   Gambol and Japes: The joke shop in Diagon Alley.

   Etym: Gambol as in to play, jape as in joke.

   Ganymede (OotP ch. 14): One of the Galilean moons of Jupiter.

   gargoyles (OotP ch. 17): Apparently there is a pair of them guarding
   the staffroom. (Technically, unless they're channeling water, they're
   actually grotesques.)

   garlic: Rumored to be the source of the smell coming from Professor
   Quirrell's turban. Garlic has been credited with numerous medical
   powers, and the ability to ward off vampires.

   Garroting Gas (OotP ch. 32): Some kind of asphyxiatory magical gas.

   Geoffrey Hooper: Etym: Several different possible etymologies.

   George Weasley: Etym: The patron saint of England, whose
   dragon-killing exploits, said to have happened in Libya, may be a
   transfer of the Perseus myth. The name is from Greek for "farmer".

   ghosts: Dead wizards who have chosen to remain in the mortal plane,
   rather than move on. Hogwarts has about 20 ghosts in residence,
   including the Bloody Baron, the Fat Friar, the Grey Lady, Nearly
   Headless Nick, Moaning Myrtle, Peeves, and Professor Binns.

   ghoul: A malignant spirit sometimes associated with grave-robbing; one
   haunts the attic of The Burrow.

   giants: Huge humanoids usually believed to have existed before humans.
   Frequently characterized as brutish and stupid, although medieval
   mythology included several giants as tutelary figures.

   Gideon Prewett: Etym: The name of an Israelite judge and leader. Comes
   from Hebrew, meaning "having only a stump (for a hand)".

   Gilbert Wimple: Etym: From Old German gisil "pledge" + berhta
   "bright". There was a St. Gilbert of Sempringham in the early 12th
   century who founded an order of monks, which spread as far as Scotland
   before the order was dissolved by Henry VII.

   Gilderoy Lockhart: Etym: The name of a famous robber, whose victims
   included Cardinal Richelieu and Oliver Cromwell.

   Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests: Yet another of Gilderoy
   Lockhart's books.

   gillyweed: A magical plant that allows someone who eats it to breathe
   water.

   Etym: Invented; OED has an entry for gillyflower, meaning various
   pinks or wallflowers, particularly Dianthus Caryophyllus.

   Ginger Newt (OotP ch. 12): A kind of cookie that Professor McGonagall
   keeps a supply of in her office.

   Ginny Weasley (Ginevra):

   Etym: A variant of the name we know best as Guenivere, originally from
   a Celtic root meaning "white, shining".

   Gladrags Wizardwear: A chain store with branches in London, Paris, and
   Hogsmeade.

   Gladys Gudgeon: Etym: From Welsh Gwladys, of unknown etymology. Folk
   etymology favors a formation from Claudia.

   gnomes: In these books, burrowing pests that tear up wizard gardens.
   Plaster statues of gnomes are fulfill roughly the same function in
   British gardens as plastic flamingoes do in American ones.

   Gobbledegook: The language of goblins.

   Goblet of Fire: The magical artifact that selects champions for the
   Triwizard Tournament.

   goblins: The bankers of the wizard world. As a species which
   specializes in handling money, they are required to be short, ugly,
   and unpleasant in accordance with the long tradition enshrined in the
   Secret Protocols of the Elders of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

   Goblin Liaison Office: A department of the Ministry of Magic.

   Gobstones: A wizard variation of marbles in which the marbles can spit
   a foul-smelling liquid in a player's face.

   Godric Gryffindor: Etym: From Old English god, which may mean "good",
   + ric "ruler".

   Godric's Hollow: Where Harry's parents were living when they were
   killed by Voldemort. A fictional place.

   Golden Snitch: A tiny, winged ball used in Quidditch. It flies around
   the field of play attempting to not get caught by the Seekers.
   Catching the Snitch earns 150 points for the catching team and ends
   the game.

   Goldstein, Anthony (OotP ch. 10): A Ravenclaw prefect in Harry's year
   and a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Ashkenazic Jewish for "gold stone".

   Golgomath (OotP ch. 20): The new Gurg of the giants.

   Etym: Might be related to Golgotha, Aramaic for "skull".

   Gordon (PS ch. 3): A member of Dudley Dursley's gang.

   Goshawk, Miranda (PS ch. 5): Author of the Standard Book of Spells
   series.

   Etym: Astur palumbarius and relatives, primarily short-winged,
   forest-dwelling accipters. All the other textbook authors named have
   names clearly relating to the subject of their books, but I'm at a
   loss to explain this one. A pun on a real-world author's name,
   perhaps?

   governors, board of: Some sort of oversight board for Hogwarts. Lucius
   Malfoy is (or was) a member.

   Goyle, Gregory: The slightly stupider of Draco Malfoy's cronies, now a
   Beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team.

   Etym: A deep trench or ravine. Or maybe intended to make us think of
   gargoyle.

   Goyle senior: A Death Eater, still at large.

   Graham Pritchard: Etym: From the surname of a prominent Scottish
   family, originally from the placename Grantham, etymology unknown.

   Granger, Hermione: One of Harry's two best friends, and the smartest
   student in the school; a fighter for truth, justice, and getting those
   lazy slobs around her to do some real studying; even more of a force
   to be reckoned with now that she has the authority of being a prefect.

   Etym: A word for a farm bailiff, responsible for overseeing the
   collection of rent. In the US, the Granger movement fought on behalf
   of farmers against the monopolistic grain transport practices of the
   railroads after the Civil War.

   Grawp (OotP ch. 30): Hagrid's younger full-giant half-brother.

   Etym: No idea.

   great grey owl: A large owl distributed all around the northern
   hemisphere.

   Great Hall: The biggest indoor space in the Hogwarts castle; where the
   students and staff usually dine. The ceiling is enchanted to look like
   the sky outdoors.

   Great Hangleton: A town next to Little Hangleton.

   Great Humberto, The (PS ch. 3): A stage magician (well, one
   assumes...) whose TV show on Monday nights is one of Dudley Dursley's
   favorites.

   Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century: A book Hermione read
   to catch up on wizard culture.

   Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century: One of the books in the
   Hogwarts library.

   Greengrass, Daphne (OotP ch. 31): Another student in Harry's year.

   Etym: An actual recorded surname. Means what it looks like. I guess
   she's really good at Herbology.

   greenhouse one: The only greenhouse first-year Herbology students are
   allowed into.

   greenhouse three: A place with much more interesting plants than
   greenhouse one.

   Gregorovitch (GoF ch. 18): The maker of Viktor Krum's wand.

   Etym: Russian name, a patronymic (but not usually surname) from
   Gregory.

   Gregory Goyle: Etym: See below for one meaning. In common usage, has
   meant "a gallant" (c. 1599), "a hangman" (17th century), and a
   children's game. My money's on the hangman...

   Gregory the Smarmy (PS ch. 9): A statue that conceals a secret passage
   out of Hogwarts.

   Etym: As a name, from a Greek word meaning "to be watchful".

   Grey Lady: The house ghost of Ravenclaw.

   Grim: A death omen in the form of a huge black dog. Though it should
   also be noted that there is a "Church Grim", said to guard graveyards
   from witches and the Devil.

   Grimmauld Place (OotP ch. 3): The street on which Sirius Black's
   ancestral home is hidden.

   Etym: Well, the house is a grim old place, y'see...

   Grindelwald (PS ch. 6): A dark wizard defeated by Dumbledore in 1945,
   likely on or before May 7th. (The mess in the Pacific was presumably
   still the work of mere Muggles.)

   Etym: Grindel means "fierce, angry" and wald is German for "forest".
   Grindelwald is also the name of a place in south central Switzerland.

   grindylow: A malignant creature that lurks in water, waiting to
   strangle the unwary. From Yorkshire folklore, where it is said to
   prefer deep pools of stagnant water for its resting place and children
   fr its victims.

   Gringotts: The British wizards' bank, run by goblins and based in
   Diagon Alley.

   Griphook (PS ch. 5): A goblin working at Gringotts.

   Etym: Probably invented.

   Griselda Marchbanks: Etym: Related to an archaic word for "gray,
   grizzled". Also, the name of a character in medieval romance who was
   celebrated for her patience and wifely obedience.

   Growth Charm (OotP ch. 31): Mixed up with a Color-Change Charm by
   Harry during his O.W.L. test.

   Grubbly-Plank, Wilhelmina (GoF ch. 24): The substitute Care of Magical
   Creatures teacher.

   Etym: No info; probably one of those random interesting names off of a
   gravestone.

   Grunnings: The drill-making firm of which Vernon Dursley is the
   director.

   Grunnion, Alberic (PS ch. 6): A person featured on a Famous Witches
   and Wizards trading card. No further info found.

   Gryffindor, Godric: Etym: Invented. The griffon (or gryphon) is a
   symbol of bravery and guardianship.

   Gryffindor House: The house that Harry belongs to; it selects for
   bravery and leadership qualities. The house ghost is Nearly Headless
   Nick, and the head of the house is Professor McGonagall. Badge: Gules,
   a lion rampant to sinister Or.

   Gubraithian fire (OotP ch. 20): Everlasting fire. Hagrid and Maxime
   presented a branch of it to Karkus.

   Gudgeon, Davy (PoA ch. 10): A former Hogwarts student who nearly lost
   an eye to the Whomping Willow.

   Gudgeon, Gladys (CoS ch. 7): A big fan of Lockhart's, still writing to
   him even during his rehabilitation.

   Etym: Nickname deriving from a fish (Gobio gobio), which originally
   may have been used with reference to a greedy or credulous person.
   Also, various meanings referring to pins or sockets at pivot points.

   Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans: A directive of
   the Ministry of Magic which covers vampires, among others. This of
   course brings up the question of the legal status of a part-human who
   is a wizard...

   Guide to Advanced Transfiguration, A: Harry's fourth-year
   Transfiguration textbook.

   Guide to Medieval Sorcery, A: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Gurg (OotP ch. 20): The chieftain of the remaining giants.

   Etym: Maybe as in gurgle?

H

   haggis: A traditional Scottish dish consisting of sheep innards
   stuffed with oatmeal.

   Hagrid, Rubeus: The Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, a
   giant of a man with a heart to match, especially when it comes to
   exotic and dangerous animals (cf. Norbert and Fluffy). Wand
   (supposedly destroyed, but strongly hinted to be hidden in his
   umbrella): oak, bendy, 16".

   Etym: According to Rowling, "If you were hagrid-- it's a dialect
   word-- you'd had a bad night. Hagrid is a big drinker-- he's had a lot
   of bad nights."

   Hair-Raising Potion: Something that includes rat tails as an
   ingredient.

   Hair-Thickening Charm (OotP ch. 19): Something that could conceivably
   cause someone's eyebrows to get huge.

   Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare: A book Hermione gave to Harry.

   Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology: A book Ron consulted to defend
   Buckbeak.

   Hand of Glory: An item associated with dark magic since medieval
   times. Usually said to be the hand of a thief or murderer hanged at
   midnight, modified to allow candles to be socketed in its fingertips.
   In this series, it provides light only to the holder.

   Hanged Man, The: The pub in Little Hangleton.

   Hannah Abbott: Etym: From Hebrew for "He (God) has favored me". In the
   Bible, the mother of Samuel, and in the Talmud, a prophetess; her
   prayer exemplifies successful petitions to God.

   Harold Dingle: Etym: Derives from the Old English words here "host,
   army" + weald "power".

   Harry James Potter: Etym: Stated by Rowling on numerous occasions to
   just be her favorite male name.

   Hassan Mostafa: Etym: Means "beautifier".

   Hawkshead Attacking Formation: A Quidditch move which involves the
   three Chasers flying close together.

   Head Boy: A seventh-year student chosen for leadership and scholastic
   abilities who shares the prefects' duties.

   Head Girl: A seventh-year student chosen for leadership and scholastic
   abilities who shares the prefects' duties.

   Head Hockey: A pastime of the Headless Hunt.

   Headless Hat (OotP ch. 24): Another fine product of Weasley's Wizard
   Wheezes which causes the wearer to appear decapitated.

   Headless Hunt: A mass of headless ghosts who won't let Nearly Headless
   Nick join them.

   Head Polo: Another pastime of the Headless Hunt.

   Healer (OotP ch. 22): One of the medical staff at St. Mungo's
   Hospital. Their symbol is a crossed wand and bone.

   Hebridean Black: A type of dragon native to the British Isles.

   Hedwig: Harry's owl, named after someone he read about in A History of
   Magic.

   Etym: Stated by Rowling to be a medieval saint, which would be St.
   Hedwig of Andechs. Another possibility is the devout but not canonized
   medieval woman who was crowned "king" of Poland at the age of 9,
   strongly supported religion and scholarship, and caused the
   restoration of the university of Krakw, which became the Jagiellonian
   University. (Here's the English root page.)

   Helga Hufflepuff: Etym: From Norse, meaning "holy". Also an alternate
   name for St. Olga (890-969), the first recorded female ruler in Russa,
   the first Russian royal to adopt Christianity, and the first Russian
   Orthodox saint.

   heliopath (OotP ch. 16): Fire spirits that Cornelius Fudge allegedly
   has a private army of.

   Etym: Greek helio- "sun" + -path in the sense of "sympathetic to,
   sharing the quality of".

   hellebore (OotP ch. 12): Can refer to various plants in the genera
   Helleborus and Veratrum, believed to have medicinal properties. Syrup
   of hellbore is an ingredient in the Draught of Peace.

   Hengist of Woodcroft (PS ch. 6): Was featured on a Famous Witches and
   Wizards trading card. Might be an actual historical person, but I
   haven't found any info on him.

   Heptomology (OotP ch. 25): Some kind of divination.

   Etym: Hept- indicates it involves the number 7 in some way.

   Hestia Jones: Etym: The Greek goddess of the hearth.

   Hetty Bayliss [Henrietta]:

   Etym: Feminine of Henry from Old German haimi "house, home" + ric
   "ruler".

   Herbology: A required course at Hogwarts, taught by Professor Sprout.

   Hermes (CoS ch. 3): Percy's owl, a screech owl, bought for him when he
   became a prefect.

   Etym: The Greek name for the messenger of the gods, also the god of
   thieves, children, and travellers.

   Hermione Granger: Etym: A derivative of Hermes. Used by Shakespeare in
   A Winter's Tale as the name of a queen falsely accused of adultery,
   who dies of the shock when the evidence in her favor is disregarded.

   Hiccup Sweet: Something available at Zonko's Joke Shop.

   Higgs, Terence (PS ch. 12): The Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch
   team in Harry's first year, replaced by Draco Malfoy later on.

   Etym: From the medieval given name Hicke, a form of Richard, whose
   etymology is uncertain; may be riic "ruler" + heard "hard".

   High Inquisitor (OotP ch. 15): A post created for Dolores Umbridge
   giving her authority of inspection and dismissal over the other
   teachers. The real-world equivalent is Ofsted.

   hinkypunk: A one-legged creature which lures travelers to their death
   in bogs.

   Etym: Usually spelled Hinky-Punk, this is a local equivalent to the
   will-o'-the-wisp on the Somerset-Devon border.

   Hippocrates Smethwyck: Etym: After the most important medical figure
   of ancient times.

   hippogriff: A mythical creature with the head, wings, and legs of an
   eagle and the hindquarters of a horse. In these books, a proud and
   demanding creature that requires a person to show respect before they
   can approach it.

   History of Magic: A required course at Hogwarts, taught by Professor
   Binns.

   Hit Wizards: The toughest portion of the Department of Magical Law
   Enforcement.

   Hobgoblins, The (OotP ch. 10): A band that Sirius Black is alleged to
   have led under the name Stubby Boardman.

   Hog's Head, The (OotP ch. 16): The wrong-side-of-the-tracks bar in
   Hogsmeade.

   Hogsmeade: The only entirely non-Muggle settlement in the British
   Isles, located near Hogwarts. Local businesses and features include
   the Three Broomsticks, the Hog's Head, Madam Puddifoot's tea shop, the
   Shrieking Shack, Honeydukes, a branch of Gladrags Wizardwear,
   Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, Dervish and Banges, and Zonko's Joke Shop.

   Etym: -meade in English placenames refers to a piece of grassland;
   thus, it's the meadow near Hogwarts. Interesting that the school
   appears to have preceded the village (unless both were named after
   some other local feature).

   Hogwarts: The school for young wizards in the British Isles, housed in
   a massive castle with 142 shifting staircases, living paintings,
   numerous ghosts, and pretty much everything else that would have made
   your school the least bit interesting.

   Hogwarts Express: The train that runs from King's Cross to Hogwarts at
   the beginning of the school year, and back at the end.

   Hogwarts, a History: One of the books Hermione read to get ready for
   the start of school.

   Holidays with Hags: One of Gilderoy Lockhart's books.

   holly: Shrubs and trees of the genus Ilex, reputed to have protective
   powers. Harry's wand probably was made with English holly (I.
   aquifolium).

   Etym: Rowling has given her reason for using it as its association
   with life and also with the word holy. Unfortunately, the second part
   is folk etymology; the word holly goes back to an Indo-European stem
   meaning "to prick". (Hollyhock, on the other hand, evolved from holy
   hock.)

   Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles: The textbook for the
   Muggle Studies class.

   Homorphus Charm: The spell with which Lockhart claims to have cured
   the Wagga Wagga Werewolf. He probably made it up-- it appears the
   Wolfsbane Potion is the only effective countermeasure.

   Honeydukes: The candy store in Hogsmeade.

   Etym: No info; also invented?

   honking daffodils (OotP ch. 27): A variety cultivated by Professor
   Sprout.

   Hooch, Madam: The flying instructor at Hogwarts, and usually the
   referee for inter-house Quidditch games.

   Etym: No etymology. There was a minor Dutch painter named Pieter de
   Hooch, or Hoogh, or Hooghe (1629-1684).

   Hooper, Geoffrey (OotP ch. 13): A Gryffindor who tried out to be the
   Keeper on their Quidditch team.

   Etym: Occupational name for a craftsman who would fit hoops on casks,
   barrels, etc., from Middle English hoop "hoop, band".

   Hopkirk, Mafalda (CoS ch. 2): Someone in the Improper Use of Magic
   Office.

   Etym: From Hopekirk, named from Northern Middle English hop(e) "valley
   among hills" + kirk "church". A former Hufflepuff?

   hornbeam: Various hardy, slow-growing trees of the birch family grown
   for timber and ornament. The wood is valued for toughness.

   Hornby, Olive (CoS ch. 16): A girl who particularly tormented Moaning
   Myrtle and was haunted by Myrtle for it until the day she (Olive) died
   what seems like an awfully early death.

   Etym: Name of several places in northern England, from the Old Norse
   name Horni "horn" + br "farm, settlement".

   Horseback Head-Juggling: Another pastime of the Headless Hunt.

   house-elf: A magical creature, bound to a specific wizard family or
   place, which does housekeeping tasks. If a house-elf's employer hands
   a piece of clothing to them, the elf is considered dismissed.

   House-elves are based on brownies, mostly benevolent spirits said to
   inhabit particular houses or farmsteads and do chores when no one is
   looking. One can leave bread or a bowl of milk or cream out for the
   brownie to show thanks, but making any more extravagant gifts will
   offend it, which will turn to mischief. If a suit of clothes is made
   for a brownie, it will put them on and disappear.

   House-Elf Liberation Front: Hermione's current effort to better the
   conditions of house-elves.

   Hover Charm: A spell used to make something float in the air.
   Apparently detectable from a distance (unless someone from the
   Improper Use of Magic Office just happened to be nearby).

   Howler: An angry voice recording which plays at full volume when
   opened, sent by parents to give public rebukes to their children at
   school; a nastygram.

   Hufflepuff, Helga: One of the four founders of Hogwarts.

   Etym: See below.

   Hufflepuff House: One of the four houses of Hogwarts, it emphasizes
   hard work, goodness, and self-sacrifice. The house of the saints-- and
   martyrs. Badge: Or, a brock rampant reguardant, at best guess, anyway.
   House colors are supposed to be black and gold. The house ghost is the
   Fat Friar, and the head of the house is Professor Sprout.

   See "In Defense of Hufflepuff" for more on the house philosophy.

   Etym: Invented; along the lines of "huff and puff".

   Humberto: see The Great Humberto.

   Hungarian Horntail: A particularly large and nasty species of dragon.

   Hurling Hex: A malignant spell which can be cast on a broomstick.

I

   Ice Mice: A type of wizard candy.

   Ignatius Weasley, Percy: Etym: Ignatius Loyola was the founder of the
   Jesuits.

   Igor Karkaroff: Etym: From the Viking name Ingvar(r), meaning "hero".
   The name of a couple Russian princes; one was the founder of the
   Kievan dynasty of Rus, and the other is the Prince Igor of the opera.

   Imago, Inigo (OotP ch. 12): The author of The Dream Oracle.

   Etym: In psychoanalysis, a subjective image formed in the subconscious
   that influences one's behavior without conscious knowledge.

   Impedimenta: The incantation for the Impediment Curse.

   Etym: Latin, "impediment".

   Impediment Curse: A spell that slows or completely stops the movement
   of a living being. Incantation: Impedimenta.

   Impediment Jinx (OotP ch. 19): Probably the same as the Impediment
   Curse.

   Imperio: The incantation for the Imperius Curse.

   Etym: Latin, "I command".

   Imperius Curse: One of the Unforgivable Curses, a spell which makes
   the target do the caster's bidding against their will, although a
   strong wizard can fight the curse to some extent. Incantation:
   Imperio.

   Imperturbable Charm (OotP ch. 4): Wards off anything from making
   contact with the target.

   Impervius: An incantation that makes a surface repel water.

   Etym: Altered spelling of impervious.

   Important Modern Magical Discoveries: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Improper Use of Magic Office: The arm of the Ministry of Magic which,
   among other things, keeps tabs on any students who try to use magic
   outside of school.

   Inanimatus Conjurus (OotP ch. 14): A spell to conjure up a non-living
   thing.

   Etym: From Latin in- "not" + animatus "life, animation" and conjuro,
   the root for "conjuration".

   incantations: The verbal components of spells. Incantations come in a
   variety of languages. Oddly, modern-language spells which contain
   verbs are in the imperative (the command form) but the Latin ones are
   in the indicative (that is, descriptive of action). There may be a
   deep reason for this, but it's probably just because Rowling was never
   forced to take Latin. I was, and by golly I'm going to get some use
   out of it. Imperative forms are provided for the curious.

   Incarcerous (OotP ch. 33): An incantation that conjures ropes to bind
   the target.

   Etym: The Latin root is carcer "prison", as in incarcerate.

   Incendio: An incantation to start a fire.

   Etym: Latin, "I set fire to". Imperative: incendere.

   Inigo Imago: Etym: Unknown, a cognate to Ignatius, but I think it was
   just picked for assonance.

   Inquisitorial Squad (OotP ch. 28): Umbridge's own little junior
   Gestapo.

   Inner Eye: A term for clairvoyant ability.

   InterCity 125: An engine widely used on Britain's commuter railways.

   Inter-House Championship: The competition between the Hogwarts houses
   to see which can accumulate the most points by the end of the year.

   Intermediate Transfiguration: The textbook for the third-year
   Transfiguration class.

   International Association of Quidditch: The organization which
   sanctions the Quidditch World Cup, akin to FIFA.

   International Ban on Dueling: The exact nature of the ban has not been
   explained, but since Lockhart was allowed to have a go at starting a
   dueling club, it's either very recent, or not a total ban, or the UK
   is not a signatory to it. We know for certain that Transylvania is
   not.

   International Confederation of Warlocks: Some sort of multinational
   professional association.

   International Confederation of Wizards (OotP ch. 7): Another variation
   on the International Confederation of Warlocks.

   International Federation of Warlocks: Probably a typo for the
   International Confederation of Warlocks, or vice versa.

   International Magical Office of Law (OotP ch. 7): A division of the
   Ministry of Magic.

   International Magical Trading Standards Body (OotP ch. 7): Another
   division of the Ministry of Magic.

   Invigoration Draught (OotP ch. 28): Something Harry had to make in
   Potions class.

   Invisible Book of Invisibility: The most problematic book ever to
   blight the stockroom of Flourish and Blotts until the arrival of The
   Monster Book of Monsters.

   Invisibility Booster: Something that can make a flying car invisible,
   at least to Muggles.

   invisibility cloak: An extremely rare magical item which makes the
   wearer(s) totally invisible to normal sight, though it is penetrable
   with any kind of magical sight. Harry's father left one to him.

   Io (OotP ch. 14): One of the Galilean moons of Jupiter.

   Ivanova (GoF ch. 8): A Chaser on the Bulgarian national Quidditch
   team.

   Etym: Patronymic from Ivan, another form of John.

J

   Jack Sloper: Etym: Another form of John.

   James Potter: Etym: A variation of Jacob, from Hebrew qoob, whose
   meaning is not clear. Folk etymology gives a meaning of "he seized the
   heel" or "he supplanted". St. James the disciple, along with St. John,
   are sometimes called boanerges, Greek for "sons of thunder", for their
   fiery zeal.

   Jane Umbridge, Dolores: Etym: A feminine variant of John.

   Janus Thickey Ward (OotP ch. 23): The section of St. Mungo's Hospital
   for those with incurable spell damage.

   Etym: Janus is a Roman god represented as having two heads facing in
   opposite directions; thickey is British slang for an idiot. It's the
   confused and stupid ward.

   Jelly-Legs Jinx: A spell that makes a person's legs wobbly in an
   unnatural fashion.

   Jelly Slugs: A type of wizard candy available at Honeydukes.

   Jenkins, Joey (GoF ch. 22): A current or former member of the Chudley
   Cannons.

   Etym: From the Middle English given name Jenkin, a diminutive of John.

   Jigger, Arsenius (PS ch. 5): Author of Magical Drafts and Potions.

   Etym: 1.5 fluid ounces; a measurement used for alcoholic drinks. So, a
   poisoned drink. Jeez, it's like everything associated with potions has
   to be evil and nasty.

   Jinxes for the Jinxed (OotP ch. 18): A book that Dumbledore's Army
   found in the Room of Requirement.

   Joey Jenkins [Joseph]:

   Etym: Joseph is from the Hebrew for "may Jehovah add (children)". On
   the other hand, Joey is a semi-archaic slang term for a clown.

   Johnson, Angelina (PS ch. 12): A Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch
   team, 2 years ahead of Harry. Now team captain as well, and a member
   of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Patronymic form of John, which is from the Hebrew name Johanan
   "Jehovah has favored".

   Jones, Hestia (OotP ch. 3): A member of the Order of the Phoenix.

   Etym: Another form of John.

   Jordan, Lee (PS ch. 7): A Gryffindor and a close friend of Fred and
   George Weasley. The announcer at inter-House Quidditch matches. Also
   now a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: As a personal name, from an Old Norse or Old German root meaning
   "land". As the river, from the Hebrew for "flowing down".

   Jorkins, Bertha (GoF ch. 1): A witch of the same generation as Harry's
   father. She worked for the Department of International Magical
   Cooperation before being tortured and killed by Voldemort. She is one
   of the people brought back as a shade.

   Etym: No info found.

   Jugson (OotP ch. 35): A Death Eater, who may have been one of the ones
   sprung from Azkaban, but is definitely there now after the fight at
   the Ministry of Magic.

   Justin Finch-Fletchley: Etym: From Latin justus "just", the name of
   two Byzantine emperors and a saint; also brings to mind the emperor
   Justinian.

K

   kappa: A creature from Japanese mythology which lurks in rivers and
   lakes, waiting to kill unwary passers-by. In these books, the kappa
   kills by strangulation; in the mythological form, it goes after
   swimmers by pulling their livers out through their bottoms. Kappas are
   confined to wilderness waters, so there is absolutely no reason
   whatsoever to think about this if your bottom is exposed to water in
   an urban setting.

   Karkaroff, Igor: The headmaster of Durmstrang and a former Death
   Eater, now on the run from Voldemort.

   Etym: Couldn't find anything on this name, but might be invented from
   the Russian stem karka- "to caw, to predict the worst". Another
   outside possibility is Finnish karkuri "deserter, runaway".

   Karkus (OotP ch. 20): The Gurg until he was killed by Golgomath.

   Etym: Maybe from carcass?

   Katie Bell [Katherine]:

   Etym: St. Katherine or Catherine of Alexandria was a scholarly woman
   who was imprisoned for converting the wife and soldiers of the emperor
   Maxentius. He is said to then have dispatched his philosophers to
   convince her by logical arguments to denounce her faith, only to find
   that she instead converted them. Later she was martyred, and a
   particular instrument of torture associated with this is known as "St.
   Katherine's Wheel". The etymology of this name is unknown.

   Keeper: The player on a Quidditch team who attempts to keep the
   Quaffle from going through any of the goal hoops.

   kelpie: A malicious water creature able to assume a number of shapes,
   but usually appearing as a horse, which takes delight in the drowning
   of passers-by.

   Kenmare Kestrels (OotP ch. 11): Seamus Finnigan's favorite Quidditch
   team.

   Kenneth Towler: Etym: Unknown, but the name of one of the most popular
   Scottish saints and three Scottish kings.

   Kent: The home of the Wailing Widow.

   Kettleburn (PoA ch. 5): The former Care of Magical Creatures teacher.

   Etym: Means pretty much what it looks like.

   Kevin (GoF ch. 7): Etym: See below.

   Kevin Whitby: Etym: From Old Irish Coemgen or Caemgen "comely birth".
   St. Kevin is one of the patron saints of Dublin and is represented as
   a protector of animals.

   Killing Curse: One of the Unforgivable Curses, a spell of
   instantaneous and terrifying death; fod; kill -9. The only person ever
   known to have survived it is Harry.

   King's Cross: A major train station in London, and the point of origin
   for the Hogwarts Express.

   Kingsley Shacklebolt: Etym: Possibly after Charles Kingsley, a
   Victorian novelist, clergyman, and teacher who was a strong supporter
   of social causes.

   Kirke, Andrew (OotP ch. 21): One of the replacement Beaters on the
   Gryffindor Quidditch team.

   Etym: From Middle English kirk "church".

   knarl (OotP ch. 9): A hedgehog-like magical creature which can fire
   its quills at people. (Hedgehogs were once believed to be able to do
   this).

   Etym: A 19th-century word which meant "hunchback" or "dwarf".

   kneazle (OotP ch. 15): Something that was going to be covered in Care
   of Magical Creatures.

   knickerbocker glory: A confection similar to a large ice cream sundae
   with all the attendant toppings, sauces, etc., traditionally served in
   a very tall glass.

   Knight Bus: A bus summonable by any wizard in dire need of
   transportation which can take them anywhere they want to go on land.

   Knockturn Alley: The evil twin of Diagon Alley, location of Borgin and
   Burkes.

   Etym: Say it out loud...

   knotgrass: Polygonum aviculare, and one of the ingredients for the
   Polyjuice Potion. Herbal lore says an infusion of knotgrass is supposd
   to stunt one's growth.

   Knut: 1/493 of a Galleon, 1/29 of a Sickle.

   Etym: Not sure, maybe just a variation of nut, the coins being
   brownish and all.

   Kreacher (OotP ch. 4): The loyal, long-suffering, put-upon, etc., etc.
   house-elf steward of the Black family's house in Grimmauld Place.

   Etym: Mangled spelling of creature.

   Krum, Viktor: The Seeker on the Bulgarian national Quidditch team, and
   the Triwizard Champion for Durmstrang. Wand: 10.25", rigid, hornbeam
   and dragon heartstring.

   Etym: This was the name of a Bulgarian khan who died in 814, who
   developed the first rudiments of state organization there and was able
   to threaten the Byzantine Empire toward the end of his reign. Krumm,
   German for "crooked, bent, winding, twisted" is mentioned on other HP
   Web sites, but this seems an unlikely source to me.

   Kwikspell: A correspondence course in basic magic that Filch
   apparently tried.

L

   Laburnum Gardens (OotP ch. 14): The street in Clapham where Sturgis
   Podmore lives.

   Etym: Laburnum is a genus of ornamental but poisonous trees and
   shrubs.

   lacewing flies: An ingredient for the Polyjuice Potion. This could
   refer to anything in the order Neuroptera, particularly in the family
   Chrysopidae (green lacewings) or Hemerobiidae (brown lacewings).

   Lachlan the Lanky (OotP ch. 13): A historical figure of whom there is
   a statue in Hogwarts.

   Etym: Possibly from Gaelic laochail "warlike".

   Ladislaw Zamojski: Etym: Name shared, with various other spellings, by
   kings of Bohemia, Hungary, and Naples. No info on what it actually
   means.

   Lavender Brown: Etym: Lavandula vera, used for perfumes. The flower
   signifies distrust.

   Leaky Cauldron, The: A wizards' pub located somewhere in London, along
   Charing Cross Road; the primary entrance to Diagon Alley.

   Leaving Feast: The traditional end-of-school-year feast, held the
   night before everyone goes home on the Hogwarts Express.

   Lee Jordan: Etym: The sheltered side of something, or dregs. As a
   name, from Old English leeah "meadow".

   leeches: An ingredient for the Polyjuice Potion. The type of leech
   needed for magic is probably the European medicinal leech, Hirudo
   medicinalis.

   Legilimency (OotP ch. 24): The magical art of rooting around in
   someone else's mind. Incantation: Legilimens.

   Legilimens (OotP ch. 24): The incantation for Legilimency; also
   someone who practices it.

   Etym: Latin, legere "read" + mens "mind, intellect".

   Leg-Locker Curse: A spell that paralyzes the legs. Incantation:
   Locomotor Mortis.

   Lestrange, Bellatrix Black: A Death Eater cousin of Sirius's, doing
   her darndest to make up for how little help he's given the dark side
   of wizardry.

   Etym: Derived from strange as you might expect. A Sir Roger
   L'Estrange, an early English journalist and pamphleteer, was a
   Royalist supporter during the English Civil Wars and Commonwealth
   period, and was imprisoned for four years after being implicated in an
   unsuccessful attempt to capture the town of Lynn, Norfolk for the
   Royalists.

   Lestrange, Rabastan (OotP ch. 6): Rodolphus's brother, also a Death
   Eater, sprung from Azkaban briefly but recaptured at the Ministry of
   Magic.

   Etym: See above.

   Lestrange, Rodolphus (OotP ch. 6): Bellatrix's husband, also a Death
   Eater, also imprisoned in Azkaban, but, unlike her, recaptured at the
   Ministry of Magic.

   Etym: See above.

   Levski: A Chaser on the Bulgarian national Quidditch team.

   Etym: No etymology found, but this was the byname of Vasil Ivanov
   Kunchev (1837-1873), a Bulgarian revolutionary leader.

   Licorice Wands: A wizard candy, undoubtedly very tasty if you happen
   to like licorice.

   Lily Evans Potter: Etym: As a personal name, probably derives from a
   pet form of Elizabeth. In the plant world, anything in the genus
   Lilium. Different types of lily have different meanings; if a specific
   one is intended, it's probably "purity and sweetness", the white lily.
   Outside possibilities are "majesty", for the imperial lily, or "return
   of happiness", the lily of the valley.

   lionfish: Several species of fish of the family Scorpaenidae. The
   spines, which contain a mild venom, are a basic potion-making supply.

   Lisa Turpin: Etym: Another nickname from Elizabeth, which is from
   Hebrew Elisheba, "my God (is) satisfaction".

   Little Hangleton: The location of the Riddle House and The Hanged Man,
   200 miles from Little Whinging. Apparently fictional, though there is
   a just plain Hangleton in Sussex.

   Little Norton (OotP ch. 10): The home of Doris Purkiss.

   Little Whinging: The town in Surrey in which the Dursleys live. Does
   not appear to be a real town.

   Lockhart, Gilderoy: A best-selling author, honorary member of the Dark
   Force Defense League, five-time winner of the Witch Weekly Most
   Charming Smile Award, and the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in
   Harry's second year. Owing to a bungled Memory Charm, he is now
   confined to St. Mungo's Hospital, and unlikely to write anything more
   unless it's Psessions with Psychologists.

   Favorite color: lilac. Ideal birthday gift: harmony between magic and
   non-magic peoples. Secret ambition: Rid the world of evil and market
   his own line of hair-care products.

   Etym: EB has an entry for John Gibson Lockhart (1794-1854) a Scottish
   writer, best remembered for his Life of Sir Walter Scott, "one of the
   great biographies in English". Appropriate for a thief of biographies.

   Locomotor (OotP ch. 3): Generalized incantation to give an object the
   power of independent movement.

   Etym: Latin for "that which has locomotive power".

   Locomotor Mortis: Incantation for the Leg-Locker Curse.

   Etym: Latin, "appendage" and "death".

   Longbottom, Alice: Neville's mother, tortured by the Death Eaters to
   try and get information out of Neville's father. Confined to St.
   Mungo's Hospital along with her husband.

   Etym: See below.

   Longbottom, Frank (GoF ch. 30): Neville's father, an Auror who was
   captured and tortured by the Death Eaters after Voldemort's fall. Now
   confined to St. Mungo's Hospital.

   Etym: See below.

   Longbottom, Neville: A Gryffindor, same year as Harry, with the worst
   memory in his class. Nevertheless, now a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Place name from western Yorkshire, from Middle English for "long
   valley".

   lovage (OotP ch. 18): Levisticum officinale, used in our world as an
   herbal tea, a seasoning, and a perfume oil. In the magical world, a
   common ingredient of Confusing Draughts and Befuddlement Draughts.

   Lovegoods: Acquaintances of the Weasley family who arrived at the
   Quidditch World Cup site a week before them. Mr. Lovegood runs The
   Quibbler.

   Etym: No etymology.

   Lovegood, Luna (OotP ch. 10): A Ravenclaw a year behind Harry, and a
   member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: None found.

   Lucius Malfoy: Etym: From Latin lux, light; possibly intended as a
   reference to Lucifer, "light-bearer". The name of three popes,
   including the patron saint of Copenhagen, who succeeded St. Cornelius
   and continued his policies... does this mean we'll be seeing a new
   Minister of Magic? EB also gives this as an obsolete form of luscious,
   but let's not go there.

   Ludicrous Patents Office (OotP ch. 7): A function of the Ministry of
   Magic.

   Ludo (Ludovic) Bagman:

   Etym: Ludo is a game similar to pachisi/parcheesi. The word is Latin
   for "I play".

   Lumos: An incantation to make one's wand glow.

   Etym: Pseudo-Latin/Greek for "light".

   Luna Lovegood: Etym: The Latin name for the moon, which does have a
   linguistic connection with lunatic.

   Lupin, Remus J.: The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry's
   third year. Removed after he was revealed to be a werewolf, due to
   some parents having small-minded knee-jerk prejudices against allowing
   their children into close proximity with someone who can turn into a
   man-eating monster. Lupin was also one of James Potter's close friends
   during their school days.

   Etym: A variation on lupine.

   Lynch, Aidan (GoF ch. 8): The Seeker on the Irish national Quidditch
   team.

   Etym: Anglicized form of  Loingsigh, from a given name meaning
   "mariner", or of Linseach, a name of unknown origin.

M

   MacDougal, Morag (PS ch. 7): A Hogwarts student of the same year as
   Harry, house unknown.

   Etym: From the Gaelic name Dubhghall, from dubh "black" + gall
   "stranger".

   Macmillan, Ernie: A Hufflepuff in Harry's year, now a prefect and a
   member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Anglicized form of Mac Maolin, from a diminutive form of maol,
   meaning "bald, tonsured" and in a transferred sense, a devotee of a
   saint.

   Macnair, Walden: The former executioner for the Committee for the
   Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, now imprisoned in Azkaban for being a
   Death Eater.

   Etym: HH has three possibilities, the most interesting being an
   anglicization of Mac an Mhaoir, "son of the steward, keeper". "The
   principal Irish family of this name held the hereditary post of Keeper
   of the Book of Armagh at Ballymoyer (Gaelic Baile an Mhaoir `town of
   the keeper')."

   Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Madley, Laura (GoF ch. 12): A Hufflepuff, 3 years behind Harry.

   Etym: Name of several places in Britain, from the Old English words
   *mada (probably a derivative of maad, "foolish") + leeah "wood,
   clearing".

   Mafalda Hopkirk: Etym: No etymology on this one, but it's the name of
   the socially concerned title character of a Portuguese comic strip.

   Magical Drafts and Potions: A first-year textbook for Hogwarts
   students.

   Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms (OotP ch. 25): A book Hermione was
   reading to study for her O.W.L.s.

   Magical Law Enforcement Patrol (OotP ch. 7): Alternate name for the
   Magical Law Enforcement Squad.

   Magical Law Enforcement Squad: The ordinary police of the wizard
   world, as opposed to Aurors.

   Magical Maintenance (OotP ch. 7): The department at the Ministry of
   Magic that decides what kind of illusory weather is visible out the
   windows.

   Magical Me: Gilderoy Lockhart's most recent (and probably last) book
   of his exploits.

   Magical Menagerie: The general pet store in Diagon Alley.

   Magical Theory: A first-year textbook for Hogwarts students.

   Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean: A book lent to Neville by
   the fake Alastor Moody.

   Magnolia Crescent: A street near the Dursleys' home.

   Magnolia Road (OotP ch. 1): Another street near the Dursleys' home.

   Magorian (OotP ch. 30): A centaur living in the Forbidden Forest.

   Etym: Couldn't find any.

   mahogany: A tropical hardwood from several trees of the family
   Meliaceae, most often the West Indies mahogany, used mainly in
   furniture and paneling.

   Malcolm Baddock: Etym: See below.

   Malcolm (PS ch. 3): Part of Dudley Dursley's gang.

   Etym: From Gaelic maol-Columb, "servant or disciple of Columb". Columb
   is the Gaelic form of the Latin Columba "dove", and was the name of a
   saint known as "the apostle of the Picts". Malcolm was also the name
   of several Scottish kings.

   Malfoy, Draco: A Slytherin, the same year as Harry, who generously
   offered to introduce Harry to the "in" crowd and has not yet gotten
   over being snubbed. In Harry's second year and later, the Seeker for
   the Slytherin Quidditch team. In their fifth year, a prefect, for all
   the good it does him.

   Etym: Stated by Rowling to be an invented name, from the French mal +
   foy or foi. Could be taken to mean "bad faith" as in a lack of faith
   or a false promise, or "faith in evil". We've certainly seen both out
   of the Malfoys by now.

   Malfoy, Lucius: A Death Eater of exalted lineage who has ascended the
   steps of societal power, taking hold of the scepter of leadership for
   the pure-blood faction, only to be smacked by the wet haddock of
   Voldemort's return and fall into the slimy canal of embarrassment at
   not being immediately thrilled at his former master's return. Now
   proving his everlasting loyalty by being locked up in Azkaban.

   Etym: See above.

   Malfoy, Narcissa Black: Draco's mother.

   Etym: See above.

   Malkin, Madam (PS ch. 5): Proprietor of Robes for All Occasions in
   Diagon Alley.

   Etym: As a surname, derived either from the medieval female given name
   Malle, or the Yiddish name Malke, from the Hebrew word malka "queen".
   OED also gives it as a name for a woman of the lower classes in
   various proverbial expressions; the name of a female spectre or demon;
   dialectual name for a cat; or an effeminate man. If I had to guess,
   I'd go with the female spectre.

   mallowsweet (OotP ch. 27): Something in the family Malvaceae which
   centaurs burn along with sage for divinatory purposes.

   mandrake: In these books, a plant which resembles a humanoid with a
   normal-looking plant growing out of its head. The scream of a mature
   mandrake can kill, while that of a young one will still stun a person.
   Mandrakes can be used to restore a person who has been paralyzed by a
   basilisk.

   The real mandrake is any of the six species of the genus Mandragora,
   alleged to have all sorts of magical powers, and said to produce the
   scream when pulled from the ground.

   Mandrake Restorative Draught: The potion made from mandrakes which can
   cure a person who has been paralyzed by a basilisk.

   Mandy Brockelhurst [Amanda]:

   Etym: Latin for "fit to be loved", also translated as "beloved".

   manticore: A mythological creature with the body of a lion, the head
   of a man, sharp quills like a porcupine, and the tail of a scorpion.

   maple: Any tree of the genus Acer, comprising the sugar maple, several
   varieties that provide a dense, hard wood used in furniture, and many
   ornamental trees.

   Marauders, the: What James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and
   Peter Pettigrew called themselves at school.

   Marauder's Map: A magical map created by Messrs. Moony, Wormtail,
   Padfoot, and Prongs, which shows all of Hogwarts, the locations of all
   people therein, and instructions for opening the various secret
   passages out of the school.

   Marchbanks, Griselda (OotP ch. 31): The head of the Wizarding
   Examinations Authority, and an elder of the Wizengamot until resigning
   in protest at the introduction of the High Inquisitor.

   Etym: A Scottish surname, said to date from the 16th century when a
   family previously named Johnston acquired an estate by the name of
   Ratho-Majoribankis.

   Marcus Flint: Etym: Probably derived from Mars. If this name is meant
   as a historical reference, then it's got to be Marcus Antonius aka
   Mark Antony.

   Marge (Marjorie) Dursley (PS ch. 2):

   Etym: From a French form of Margaret, derived from the Greek for
   "pearl". St. Margaret is the patron saint of Scotland.

   Marietta Edgecombe: Etym: Modern use of this name appears to originate
   with a town in Ohio named for Marie Antoinette.

   Mark Evans: Etym: The modern form of Marcus, the name of 2 saints.

   Marlene McKinnon: Etym: This name was invented for Marlene Dietrich by
   telescoping her original first and middle names of Maria Magdalena.

   Mars: Stemming from its association with the Roman god of war, Mars is
   often associated with conflict and death in astrology.

   Marsh, Madam (PoA ch. 3): A frequent passenger on the Knight Bus.

   Etym: Derived from the Old English word for same.

   Mary Dorkins: Etym: See Molly.

   Marvolo Riddle, Tom: Etym: Probably invented to make the anagram come
   out right.

   Masons (CoS ch. 1): A builder (contractor) and his wife that the
   Dursleys had over for dinner in an attempt to get a large drill order
   out of them.

   Etym: What it looks like; the surname derives from being an
   occupational name for a stonemason.

   Maxime, Olympe: The headmistress of Beauxbatons, alleged by Hagrid to
   be a half-giant but not admitting to it yet.

   Etym: Probably invented as a cognate to "maximum".

   McDonald, Natalie: A Gryffindor, 3 years behind Harry.

   Etym: From a Gaelic patronymic deriving from dubno "world" + val
   "might, "rule".

   McGonagall, Minerva: Head of Gryffindor House, and the Transfiguration
   instructor.

   Etym: Patronymic from the name Congal, composed of the Old Celtic
   words for "high" and "valor", appropriate for a Gryffindor. However,
   the professor is actually named for a Scottish poet reputed to be the
   worst ever to, er, grace the English language.

   McGuffin, Jim (PS ch. 6): A TV weatherman.

   Etym: Name etymology is probably not relevant. The name was used as a
   term by Alfred Hitchcock to mean an object that is significant to a
   plot. Okay, that's probably not relevant here either.

   McKinnon, Marlene (OotP ch. 9): An early member of the Order of the
   Phoenix who was killed by Voldemort along with her husband.

   Etym: Anglicized form of Mac Fhionghuin, from the name meaning "fair
   born" or "beloved son".

   Meadowes, Dorcas (OotP ch. 9): A member of the Order of the Phoenix
   who was killed by Voldemort during his earlier reign.

   Etym: Originally a name for someone living by a meadow.

   Medal for Magical Merit: Tom Riddle was awarded one during his days at
   Hogwarts.

   Medieval Assembly of European Wizards: Something the History of Magic
   class was assigned to write a yard-long essay about.

   mediwizard: A wizard paramedic.

   Meliflua, Araminta (OotP ch. 6): A cousin of Madam Black's who tried
   to make Muggle-hunting legal.

   Etym: If she was making legislation, she was probably a mellifluous
   speaker.

   Memory Charm: A spell that causes the target to forget about
   something. Incantation: Obliviate.

   Men Who Love Dragons Too Much: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Merlin (PS ch. 6): The best-known wizard in English folklore, and also
   apparently in the British wizard community, as evidenced by the Order
   of Merlin.

   Mermish: The language of merpeople.

   merpeople: Mermaids and mermen, not on the best terms with
   air-breathers. A town of them is located at the bottom of the lake by
   Hogwarts.

   Metamorphmagus (OotP ch. 3): A witch or wizard with the inborn ability
   to change their appearance at will. Not their overall shape, though,
   as far as we can tell.

   Michael Corner: Etym: The name of the head Biblical archangel, from
   Hebrew for "Who is like the Lord?"

   Midgen, Eloise (GoF ch. 13): A girl who tried to curse her acne off
   and ended up removing her nose (reattached, though slightly
   off-center).

   Etym: No info found.

   Miles Bletchley: Etym: From Old German Milo, possibly related to Old
   Slavonic milu "merciful" (not in this case, though).

   Millicent Bagnold: Etym: See below.

   Millicent Bulstrode: Etym: From the Old German name Amalasuintha,
   composed of amal "work" + swintha "strong".

   Mimbulus mimbletonia (OotP ch. 10): The Latin name for the plant that
   produces stinksap.

   Etym: Variation on the real genus Mimulus, used as a folk remedy for
   shyness, anxiety, and forgetfulness.

   Mimsy-Porpington, Sir Nicholas de: Aka Nearly Headless Nick, the house
   ghost of Gryffindor. He celebrated his 500th deathday on Halloween,
   1992. If this count includes the shift to the Gregorian calendar, it
   means he died on October 20th or 21st, 1492.

   Etym: Mimsy was a word invented by Lewis Carroll for his poem
   "Jabberwocky", and has been defined as "prim, prudish, contemptible".
   No idea about Porpington.

   Minerva McGonagall: Etym: Probably of Etruscan origin, this is the
   Roman equivalent to Athena, the goddess of wisdom and valor.

   Minister of Magic: The head of the Ministry of Magic.

   Ministry of Magic: A secret Cabinet-level department of the UK
   government, charged with providing civil services to wizard-dom. The
   current Minister of Magic is Cornelius Fudge.

   The Ministry is divided into these departments, which contain further
   subentities (see the department entries for lists):

   Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures
   Department of International Magical Cooperation
   Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes
   Department of Magical Games and Sports
   Department of Magical Law Enforcement
   Department of Magical Transportation
   Department of Mysteries

   We don't know which departments these belong to:

   Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures (probably the
   Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures)
   Committee on Experimental Charms
   Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office

   Minsk (OotP ch. 20): A place in eastern Russia where Hagrid had an
   argument with a vampire.

   Miranda Goshawk: Etym: Invented by Shakespeare, from Latin for "worthy
   to be admired".

   Miriam Strout: Etym: Probably, like Mary, from the Hebrew for
   "wished-for child", though the alternative mer, "rebellion" has been
   posited.

   Mirror of Erised: A magical device which entraps its viewer by showing
   them impossible scenes of what thay most desire, entrapping the viewer
   to stare blankly at it for hours. Muggles have managed to build a
   crude version of this.

   Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office: The department of the Ministry of
   Magic which enforces laws on enchanting certain proscribed objects and
   tries to keep enchanted objects of all sorts away from Muggles.

   Moaning Myrtle: The ghost of a Hogwarts student who haunts a stall in
   the first-floor girls' bathroom. She was killed by Tom Riddle when he
   first opened the Chamber of Secrets.

   Etym: Myrtle refers to various shrubs of the genus Myrtus.

   Mobiliarbus: An incantation to levitate a tree.

   Etym: Probably supposed to be Latin, "moving tree". "Tree" is in fact
   arbor.

   Mobilicorpus: An incantation to levitate a body.

   Etym: Latin, "moving body".

   Mockridge, Cuthbert (GoF ch. 7): The head of the Goblin Liaison
   Office.

   Etym: From the town of Mogridge in Devon, whose name comes from Old
   English Mogga, probably a personal name, and hrycg "ridge, spur".

   Modern Magical History: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Molly Weasley: Etym: A form of Mary, from a Hebrew name probably
   meaning "wished-for child".

   monkshood: see wolfsbane.

   Monster Book of Monsters, The: The textbook for the Care of Magical
   Creatures class.

   Montague (PoA ch. 15): A Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team, he
   became team captain in Harry's fifth year, though he may not be
   anymore if he never recovers from his experience with the Vanishing
   Cabinet.

   Etym: From a place name in La Manche, from Old French mont "hill" +
   agu "pointed", or an Anglicized form of Mac Taidhg, from a name
   meaning "poet, philosopher". Also the family name of the late-medieval
   Earls of Salisbury.

   Moody, Alastor: An Auror, instrumental in rounding up the Death Eaters
   after Voldemort's fall, appointed to teach Defense Against the Dark
   Arts in Harry's fourth year, but captured and impersonated by
   Bartemius Crouch. Nicknamed "Mad-Eye" for the magical device which
   takes the place of his natural left eye.

   Etym: HH: "Nickname for a courageous, arrogant, or foolhardy person,
   or one quickly moved to anger." Or we could just be supposed to look
   at the modern English word.

   Moon (PS ch. 7): A student in the same year as Harry, house unknown.

   Etym: Several possibilities: the French town Moyon; Anglo-Norman
   French moun "monk"; Cornish mon "thin"; or a diminutive of the Gaelic
   word for "early, timely".

   moonstone (OotP ch. 12): Has various meanings, but to the ancients it
   was selenite, which was believed to help with prediction of the future
   and to reconcile lovers.

   Moony: Remus Lupin's nickname during his school days.

   Morag MacDougal: Etym: Gaelic, a diminutive of mor(a), meaning "the
   sun".

   Moran (GoF ch. 8): A Chaser on the Irish national Quidditch team.

   Etym: Gaelic mrn "great, large".

   Morgana (PS ch. 6): A sorceress who, in some versions of the Arthurian
   legend, was Arthur's sister and helped bring about his downfall.
   Featured in the Famous Witches and Wizards trading card series.

   Morsmordre: The incantation that conjures the Dark Mark.

   Etym: "Death mark", from Latin mors "death" and French mordre "to
   bite, cut".

   Mortlake (CoS ch. 14): A wizard raided by the Misuse of Muggle
   Artifacts Office who turned out to be law-abiding except for the
   presence of "some extremely odd ferrets".

   Mosag (CoS ch. 16): Aragog's wife, procured for him by Hagrid.

   Etym: No etymology.

   Mostafa, Hassan (GoF ch. 8): The chair of the International
   Association of Quidditch, and referee for the Quidditch World Cup.

   Etym: Variation of Mustafa, meaning "chosen, selected, preferred".

   Most Charming Smile Award: Awarded by Witch Weekly five times to
   Gilderoy Lockhart.

   Moste Potente Potions: A book in the Restricted Section of the
   Hogwarts library; contains the formula for the Polyjuice Potion.

   mountain troll: The variety of troll that got loose in Hogwarts on
   Halloween; apparently one of the lesser varieties.

   Mr. Paws (PS ch. 3): One of Mrs. Figg's cats.

   Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover: Pretty much what it
   claims to be.

   Etym: Skower is an invented variation on scour.

   Mudblood: Extreme pejorative for someone with any non-magical
   ancestry. Users of this word contrast themselves as pure-bloods.

   Muggle: 1) A person who is not part of, or was not raised in, the
   wizard society. 2) A person with no magical powers.

   Etym: Stated by Rowling to be invented from the British slang meaning
   of mug, "a dupe". Coincidentally an actual archaic English word, as
   has been discussed at length elsewhere.

   Muggle Protection Act: A proposed new law (possibly passed by now).

   Muggle Repelling Charms: Spells that keep prying non-magical people
   away from large gatherings of wizards (such as the Quidditch World
   Cup).

   Muggle Studies: An optional class at Hogwarts.

   Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee (OotP ch. 7): A division of the
   Ministry of Magic, which may be for coming up with explanations of
   bizarre things that Muggles inadvertently see.

   Mugwump: Albus Dumbledore is a (or the) supreme one.

   Etym: Not sure of the meaning in this context, but it was 18th/19th
   century slang for a person disinterested in party politics, an
   independent thinker, or, alternatively, a major "boss". The term
   originates from a Natick Indian word for a major chief.

   Mulciber (GoF ch. 30): A Death Eater, imprisoned in Azakaban until
   recently, briefly sprung and then sent right back after the battle at
   the Ministry of Magic.

   Etym: Another name for Vulcan/Hephaestus, the god of the forge and
   weaponsmith to Zeus, whose smithy was said to be in Mount Etna.

   Mullet (GoF ch. 8): A Chaser on the Irish national Quidditch team.

   Etym: From Middle English mule, meaning, you guessed it, "mule".

   Mundungus Fletcher: Etym: Offal, refuse, or bad-smelling tobacco, from
   Spanish mondongo, meaning "black pudding" or "tripe"... like that
   thing about his 12-person tent.

   Murcus (GoF ch. 26): The chieftainess of the merpeople who live by
   Hogwarts.

   Etym: OED has an entry for murcous, meaning having had a thumb cut
   off, from a Latin word meaning "one who cuts his thumb off to avoid
   military service". Er, no, I don't think so either.

   murtlap (OotP ch. 15): Some magical creature that has tentacles, the
   essense of which aids in healing.

   Etym: No idea.

N

   Nagini (GoF ch. 1): A gigantic snake under the control of Voldemort
   which produces some kind of magical milk.

   Etym: Naga is the name of a Hindu deity represented as a snake, and
   various other mythological snake-creatures; this name, I think,
   signifies someone who has transformed (or been transformed) into a
   snake.

   Narcissa Black Malfoy: Etym: The feminine form of Narcissus, the
   figure from Greek legend who gave his name to a flower after pining
   away from falling in love with his reflection. The flower signifies
   egotism or self-esteem.

   nargles (OotP ch. 21): A creature which Luna Lovegood believes can
   infest mistletoe.

   Etym: No idea. Narghile is another word for a hookah, but I don't
   think that's it.

   Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests: The highest-level graduation exams
   that Hogwarts offers; equivalent to the "A-level" (advanced level)
   exams in real British schools. Possible passing grades are
   O(utstanding), E(xceeds Expectations), and A(cceptable); failing,
   P(oor), D(readful), and T(roll).

   Natalie McDonald: Etym: From Latin natale (domini), i.e. Christmas
   Day.

   Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy (OotP ch. 6): A book in the
   Black house.

   Nearly Headless Nick: The students' nickname for Sir Nicholas de
   Mimsy-Porpington.

   Nettles, Madam Z., of Topsham: A witch quoted by the Kwikspell ad
   copy.

   nettle wine: Believe it or not, somebody out there actually makes
   this...

   Neville Longbottom: Etym: From a two French towns of the same name, or
   an Anglicized form of  Niadh, from a name meaning "warrior". The name
   of various earls; also the first Lord Latimer of the village of Snape.
   The Battle of Neville's Cross, October 17, 1346, was a notable English
   victory over the Scots, who were allied with France against the
   English.

   N.E.W.T.s: Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests.

   Newt Scamander [Newton]:

   Etym: From Old English neowe "new" + tun "enclosure, settlement".

   newts, double-ended: Creatures available at the Magical Menagerie. The
   reader is left to speculate on which end they have two of.

   New Theory of Numerology (OotP ch. 23): A book Harry gave Hermione for
   Christmas.

   Nicholas Flamel: Etym: See below.

   Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington:

   Etym: St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra circa 300, is the patron saint of
   sailors, pawnbrokers, wolves, and scholars, especially schoolboys.

   niffler: A small, furry black creature which has an ability to sniff
   out treasure. It can be trained to bring anything it finds back to its
   handler.

   Nigellus, Phineas (OotP ch. 6): Sirius Black's
   great-great-grandfather, a Slytherin alleged to be the least popular
   headmaster Hogwarts ever had.

   Etym: Latin, diminutive of "black".

   Nimbus Two Thousand: The (once) most advanced broom yet created by
   modern magical technology.

   Nimbus Two Thousand and One: The (previously) new most advanced broom
   yet created by modern magical technology.

   Norbert: A Norwegian Ridgeback hatched by Hagrid, raised in secret to
   the age of a month or two, then spirited away to Romania to finish
   growing up in the wild and probably enter a lifetime of psychotherapy.

   Etym: St. Norbert of Xanten (1080-1134), was the founder of the
   Premonstratensians (or Norbertines, or White Canons), a monk-like
   order.

   Norfolk: A rather flat, boring sector of England, I am told. I can't
   even find a decent Web site on it...

   Norris, Mrs.: Filch's cat and assistant in spotting trespassers.

   Etym: Named for a sneaky, spiteful character in the Jane Austen novel
   Mansfield Park.

   Norwegian Ridgeback: A species of dragon, sporting mildly poisonous
   fangs in addition to the usual features. Its eggs are large and black.

   Nose-Biting Teacup: A gag item from Zonko's Joke Shop.

   Nosebleed Nougat (OotP ch. 6): An ingredient in the Skiving
   Snackboxes.

   Notable Magical Names of Our Time: A book in the Hogwarts libary.

   Nott, Theodore: A Slytherin in the same year as Harry.

   Nott senior (GoF ch. 33): A Death Eater, still at large.

   Etym: See above.

   Nox: An incantation that cancels out Lumos.

   Etym: Latin, "night".

   Numerology and Gramatica: A textbook for one of Hermione's classes in
   her third year.

   Nymphadora Tonks: Etym: -dora as a name element usually means "gift";
   this could be "nymph's gift" or "girl who is a gift". The mythical
   Andromeda had six sons and a daughter; if that's the case with Mother
   Tonks, the latter meaning could be it.

O

   oak: Any of the trees or shrubs in the genus Quercus, notably some
   hardy, long-lived timber trees whose lumber is used in structural
   members, furniture, millwork, and cooperage.

   Oblansk (GoF ch. 8): Something close to the name of the Bulgarian
   Minister of Magic.

   Etym: The closest thing I can find is Obolensk or Obolensky, the
   latter being a habitation name derived from the former.

   Obalonsk (GoF ch. 8): Something else close to the name of the
   Bulgarian Minister of Magic.

   Etym: See above.

   Obliteration Charm (OotP ch. 20): A spell to make something vanish.

   Obliviate: The incantation for a Memory Charm.

   Etym: Just the English word.

   Obliviator: A member of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, or
   someone who specializes wiping Muggles' minds of things they weren't
   supposed to have seen.

   Occlumency (OotP ch. 24): The art of blocking Legilimency.

   Etym: Latin occluudere "to shut up, close" + mens "mind, intellect".

   Occlumens: A wizard or witch who is proficient in Occlumency.

   Official Gobstones Club (OotP ch. 7): A Gobstones league run by the
   Ministry of Magic.

   Ogden's Old Firewhisky: A favorite of Gilderoy Lockhart.

   Etym: Place in Yorkshire, from Old English aac "oak" + denu "valley";
   probably just picked for alliterative value.

   Ogden, Tiberius (OotP ch. 15): An elder of the Wizengamot who resigned
   in protest at the creation of the post of High Inquisitor.

   Etym: See above; also the name of a an early 20th century linguist.

   Ogg (GoF ch. 31): The groundskeeper before Hagrid.

   Etym: Anglicized form of a nickname from the Gaelic g "young", used
   to distinguish the younger of two bearers of the same given name. Also
   Australian/New Zealand slang for "shilling".

   Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes: A book in the Hogwarts
   library.

   Olive Hornby: Etym: Olea europaea or Olea sativa. ECN: "In the Roman
   martyrology there is a St. Oliva, a virgin of Anagni of unknown date,
   and also a St. Oliva, venerated in the place so named and the
   patroness of olive-trees, which looks suspiciously as though she
   started life as a tutelary goddess."

   Oliver Wood: Etym: With a small o, an olive tree. The name is more
   likely from the Old German Alfihar, "elf-host".

   Ollivander, Mr.: Proprietor of a wand shop in Diagon Alley. According
   to its sign, his family have been "Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC".

   Etym: OED thinks this is an error for olivaster, meaning
   "olive-colored" or "having an olive complexion".

   Olympe Maxime: Etym: Probably related to Olympus, in Greek legend, the
   highest mountain in the world.

   Omnioculars: Magical binoculars that not only enhance vision but offer
   instant replay and advanced graphics.

   One Minute Feasts -- It's Magic!: A cookbook in Molly Weasley's
   collection.

   One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi: A first-year textbook for
   Herbology.

   Order of Merlin: An award given by the Ministry of Magic; the highest
   honor available to a British wizard.

   There is a real-life Order of Merlin, but it's nothing like the
   fictional one. It's given by the International Brotherhood of
   Magicians for 25 years of membership.

   Order of the Phoenix, The (OotP ch. 4): Dumbledore's anti-Voldemort
   alliance. Members and status:

   Casualties of the first war: Edgar Bones, Caradoc Dearborn, Benjy
   Fenwick, Alice Longbottom, Frank Longbottom, Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas
   Meadowes, James Potter, Lily Potter, Fabian Prewett, Gideon Prewett
   Survivors of the first war: Sirius Black, Dedalus Diggle, Elphias
   Doge, Arabella Figg, Rubeus Hagrid, Remus Lupin, Minerva McGonagall,
   Alastor Moody, Sturgis Podmore, Severus Snape, Emmeline Vance (killed
   later on)
   May or may not have survived it: Aberforth Dumbledore
   Later arrivals: Mundungus Fletcher, Hestia Jones, Kingsley
   Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley
   Ex-member: Peter Pettigrew
   Junior auxilliary: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Fred and George Weasley
   Logistical support: Molly Weasley

   Order of Suspension: Issued by the governors of Hogwarts to
   temporarily remove Dumbledore.

   Ordinary Wizarding Levels: Exams to demonstrate basic competence in a
   subject at graduation, equivalent to "O-levels" (ordinary levels) in
   British schools. Possible grades are O(utstanding), E(xceeds
   Expectations), and A(cceptable) for passing and P(oor) and D(readful)
   for failure. The Weasley twins claim it's also possible to get
   T(roll). Actual O-levels are graded on an alphabetically arranged
   scale.

   Orla Quirke: Etym: No info.

   Ornithomancy (OotP ch. 25): Divination through birds. This was
   practiced in ancient Rome by the auspex ("bird-watcher") priest, from
   which we get auspice.

   Oswald Fudge, Cornelius: Etym: From Old English oos "god" + weald
   "power".

   Ottery St. Catchpole: The fictional village where The Burrow is
   located.

   Otto Bagman: Etym: From Old German auda "rich". The name of various
   Central European kings and emperors.

   Ouagadougou: The capital of Burkina Faso, where Gilderoy Lockhart
   claims to have halted a series of supernatural attacks.

   Owen Cauldwell: Etym: From Gaelic Eoghan "a youth". The name of
   several Welsh princes.

   owls: Popular as familiars, owls are also the basis of the wizard
   postal system, able to find anyone, anywhere, to deliver their mail.
   In places where owls are not native, other birds may be used.

   O.W.L.s: Ordinary Wizarding Levels.

   Owlery: The place where the Hogwarts-owned owls, and sometimes student
   ones, roost when not delivering mail.

   Owl Treats: What it sounds like.

P

   Padfoot: Sirius Black's nickname during his school days.

   Etym: A term originating around Leeds for a sheep-sized creature,
   sometimes in the form of a dog, said to haunt people who would shortly
   die.

   Padma Patil: Etym: In Sanskrit, means the lotus, the symbol of
   enlightenment, and has various related meanings. In present-day usage,
   also the main channel of the Ganges River.

   Pansy Parkinson: Etym: Viola tricolor aka heartsease. Signifies
   "thoughts", and the common name is derived from the French for
   "thought".

   paper airplanes (OotP ch. 7): Used for interoffice memos at the
   Ministry of Magic, as owls are too messy.

   Paracelsus (PS ch. 6): The pseudonym of Philippus Aureolus
   Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493-1541), physician and
   alchemist, who established the role of chemistry in medicine, and was
   one of the first advocates of an empirical approach that became modern
   scientific method.

   Parkinson, Pansy (PS ch. 7): A Slytherin in the same year as Harry;
   Draco's chief hanger-on and now his fellow prefect.

   Etym: From a diminutive of Peter.

   Parselmouth: One who has the automatic ability to speak Parseltongue.

   Etym: According to Rowling, it's an old word for someone who has a
   mouth-related deformity.

   Parseltongue: The language of snakes.

   Partial Vanishment (OotP ch. 26): A weaker relative to Vanishing
   Spells.

   Parvati Patil: Etym: EB: "The benevolent aspect of Shakti." Depending
   on which thread of Hinduism you follow, Shakti is either (a) the wife
   of Shiva, (b) a wife of Shiva, (c) the feminine, creative aspect of
   Shiva, (d) a personification of positive energy in general, or (e) all
   of the above but it doesn't matter since all definable things are
   illusion anyway.

   Patil, Padma: A Ravenclaw, in the same year as Harry, now a prefect
   and a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: See below.

   Patil, Parvati: A Gryffindor, same year as Harry, and a member of
   Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: From the Pictish peit "portion (of land)" and Gaelic tulach
   "hill". Alternatively, also a surname of Indian origin.

   Patricia Stimpson: Etym: Feminine form of Patrick.

   Patrick Delaney-Podmore: Etym: The name of the patron saint of
   Ireland, whose original name was Sucat. This name comes from Latin
   patricius, "nobleman". Also a Scottish variant of partridge.

   Patronus Charm: A spell that invokes a guardian spirit to protect the
   caster; the primary means of defense against dementors. An essential
   component of the spell is focusing on a happy thought-- the happier
   the thought, the stronger the Patronus. Incantation: Expecto Patronum.

   Payne (GoF ch. 7): One of the campsite managers at the Quidditch World
   Cup.

   Etym: From Latin pagus "outlying village", the same root as for pagan.
   At first it meant a rustic, then later a civilian, and finally a
   heathen.

   Peasegood, Arnold (GoF ch. 7): An Obliviator who was at the Quidditch
   World Cup.

   Etym: No info for this name. Pease is a variation of peas, meaning
   peas or the pea plant.

   Peebles: A town on the England-Scotland border.

   Peeves the Poltergeist: An obnoxious ghost inhabiting Hogwarts,
   teasing the students and irritating the staff and other ghosts.
   Controllable only by the teachers and the Bloody Baron.

   Etym: Invented, as far as I can tell, from peeve.

   Penelope Clearwater: Etym: The wife of Ulysses. When he was thought to
   be dead, she held off suitors by saying she must first finish weaving
   a shroud for Laertes. Each night, she would undo the weaving she had
   done that day, thus delaying them indefinitely. She has come to
   symbolize the chaste and faithful wife.

   Pensieve: An invention of Dumbledore's which allows him to store and
   review memories.

   Etym: Pun on pensive and sieve.

   Pepper Imps: A magical candy which causes the eater to breathe smoke.

   Peppermint Toad: A wizard candy.

   Pepperup Potion: A concoction useful for perking up someone who is
   cold and damp.

   Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Albus: Etym: A knight of the Round
   Table who entered Arthurian lore in the 12th century. The knightliest
   of the first group of knights.

   Percy Ignatius Weasley: Etym: A family name that dates back to William
   de Perci, a comrade of William the Conqueror.

   Perenelle Flamel: Etym: I seem to recall this is a name for some kind
   of flower, but can't find any info. Anyone?

   Perkins (CoS ch. 3): Along with Arthur Weasley, the staff of the
   Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. The Weasleys borrowed a couple
   tents from him for the World Cup.

   Etym: From another variation of Peter, from the Greek for "stone".

   Perks, Sally-Anne (PS ch. 7): A student of unknown house, in the same
   year as Harry.

   Etym: Variation of park, which in the Middle Ages meant a large
   enclosed area used for game hunting.

   Permanent Sticking Charm (OotP ch. 5): What it sounds like. Used by
   Madam Black to ensure her picture would never be moved.

   Peskipiski Pesternomi: An incantation that Lockhart claimed would
   drive off Cornish pixies.

   Etym: At a guess, mangled English: pesky-piskey pester-no-me. Piskey
   is a dialectual variant of pixie.

   Pest Advisory Bureau (OotP ch. 7): A section of the Ministry of Magic.

   Peter Pettigrew: Etym: From the Greek petros "stone", a translation of
   the Aramaic Cephas.

   Petrificatus Totalus: The incantation for the Body-Bind.

   Etym: Latin-ish back-formation from petrify and total.

   Pettigrew, Peter: One of James Potter's school friends, he became an
   Animagus with an animal form of a rat, which in retrospect really
   should have seen as some kind of warning. He later turned to the dark
   side and betrayed the Potters to Voldemort. When that unexpectedly
   resulted in Voldemort's fall, he faked his own death, cut off a finger
   to leave evidence framing Sirius Black for it, and took up a new life
   as Scabbers until Black hunted him down. Pettigrew then helped to
   resurrect Voldemort by cutting off an entire hand. One wonders what
   he's going to lose next time he switches sides.

   Etym: From Old French petit "little" and cru "growth", a nickname for
   a small man, or an old form of "pedigree".

   Petunia Evans Dursley: Etym: From petun, "tobacco"; the flower is in
   the tobacco family.

   Philosopher's Stone: A substance representing the ideal combination of
   the essences of all elements, sought by alchemists down the ages,
   thought to make it possible to do all sorts of magical things. In
   these books, an actual stone which can be used to make the Elixir of
   Life.

   Phineas Nigellus: Etym: From an Egyptian word meaning "black".

   phoenix: A mythical bird which lives 500 years and then dies, only to
   be reborn in a magical fire. Rowling's variant symbolizes love or
   loyalty. Phoenix feathers are used as wand cores, and phoenix tears
   have healing powers.

   Phyllida Spore: Etym: Probably from Greek phyllos, meaning "leaf".

   Pierre Bonaccord: Etym: Same as below.

   Piers Polkiss: Etym: A French variation of Peter.

   Pigwidgeon: Ron's owl, given to him by Sirius Black and named by Ginny
   Weasley.

   Etym: May be an alternate form of Pigwiggin, a fairy knight favored by
   Queen Mab, the wife of Oberon. Also, an archaic Scottish epithet.

   Pince: The librarian at Hogwarts.

   Etym: Variation of Pinch, a nickname for a chirpy person. Really.

   Platform 9 3/4: The platform for the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross
   Station.

   Pocket Sneakoscope: A magical device that spins and flashes when
   someone untrustworthy is present.

   Podmore: see Delaney-Podmore.

   Podmore, Sturgis (OotP ch. 3): A member of the Order of the Phoenix
   sent to Azkaban for trying to break into the Department of Mysteries.

   Etym: See Delaney-Podmore.

   Point Me: The incantation for the Four-Point Spell.

   Poliakoff (GoF ch. 16): A student at Durmstrang.

   Etym: Ethnic or regional name for someone from Poland.

   Polkiss, Piers (PS ch. 2): Dudley Dursley's best friend and chief
   accomplice in tormenting Harry.

   Etym: No etymology.

   Polyjuice Potion: With the addition of a hair or other bit of someone,
   allows the drinker to take on the form of that person for one hour.
   Cannot be used for animal transformations.

   pomegranate (OotP ch. 17): Its juice is not an ingredient in a
   Strengthening Solution.

   Pomfrey, Poppy: The nurse at Hogwarts, for whom treating broken arms,
   catatonia, poison, and the like is a typical day's work.

   Etym: Welsh name from the given name Humphrey, from the Germanic huun
   "bear cub" + frid "peace". (Alternately, OEW translates it as "peace
   through force".) St. Humphrey was a 9th century bishop of Therouanne.

   Pontner, Roddy (GoF ch. 7): One of the people Ludo Bagman had bets on
   the Quidditch World Cup with.

   Etym: Derived from Old French pont, "bridge".

   Poppy Pomfrey: Etym: Various flowers of the genus Papaver. Signifies
   consolation or oblivion. Also, in the UK, worn to commemorate veterans
   of the World Wars.

   porlock (OotP ch. 15): A creature the Care of Magical Creatures class
   was going to cover.

   Porskoff Ploy: A Quidditch move in which a Chaser pretends to hold on
   to the Quaffle, drawing the opponents' attention, while actually
   passing it to someone else.

   Etym: None found.

   Portable Swamp (OotP ch. 29): A product of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
   demonstrated during Hogwarts's revolt against Umbridge.

   Portkey: An otherwise uninteresting object enchanted to transport
   anyone touching it to a predetermined location at a given time, or
   under specified circumstances.

   Portkey Office (OotP ch. 7): An arm of the Ministry of Magic.

   Portus (OotP ch. 36): The incantation that creates a Portkey.

   Potions: A standard class at Hogwarts; taught by Professor Snape.

   Potter, Harry: An orphaned wizard, unique among even his magically
   talented classmates in that dark forces really are constantly
   attacking him and causing him to miss class. Wand: 11", supple, holly
   and phoenix feather.

   Etym: Stated by Rowling to be a name she just liked.

   Potter, James: Harry's father, killed by Voldemort, but now wandering
   about as a shade. In school, he was a Gryffindor and became Head Boy.
   He was also an Animagus, taking on the form of a stag. Wand: 11",
   pliable, mahogany.

   Potter, Lily Evans: Harry's mother, killed protecting Harry from
   Voldemort, now also resurrected as a shade. She came from a Muggle
   family, was a Gryffindor and became Head Girl when she was at
   Hogwarts. Wand: 10 1/4", swishy, willow.

   Powers You Never Knew You Had and What to Do With Them Now You've
   Wised Up: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts (OotP ch.
   23): A set of books that Sirius and Lupin gave Harry for Christmas.

   Prang, Ernie (PoA ch. 4): The driver of the Knight Bus.

   Etym: Various meanings relating to crashing.

   Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulating Yourself Against Shocks: A
   book in Flourish and Blotts.

   prefect: A fifth-year or later student appointed by the teachers to
   take some responsibility for other students. There appears to be at
   least one prefect for each of the Hogwarts houses.

   Prefects Who Gained Power: An engrossing book Percy picked up in
   Diagon Alley.

   Prentice, Mr. (OotP ch. 21): One of Arabella Figg's cats.

   Prewett, Fabian (OotP ch. 9): A member of the Order of the Phoenix who
   was killed by the Death Eaters.

   Etym: Diminutive form of a name from Middle English prou(s) "brave",
   "valiant".

   Prewett, Gideon (OotP ch. 9): A member of the Order of the Phoenix who
   was killed by the Death Eaters.

   Etym: See above.

   Pride of Portree (OotP ch. 25): A professional Quidditch team. Portree
   is a port on the Isle of Skye.

   Pringle, Apollyon (GoF ch. 31): The caretaker who preceded Filch.

   Etym: To have a prickly and tingling sensation. Also a proper surname.

   Priori Incantatem: A phenomenon which occurs when two wands that share
   an identity are used in battle against each other. By this effect,
   Harry's wand caused Voldemort's to regurgitate the shades of its most
   recent victims.

   Etym: Sort-of Latin, "former spell".

   Prior Incantato: An incantation used on a wand to see what spell it
   was last used to cast.

   Etym: See above.

   Pritchard, Graham: A Slytherin, 3 years behind Harry.

   Etym: As a surname, a Welsh patronymic derived from Richard, which may
   be from Middle English elements meaning "hard ruler". Pritch is also a
   mostly obsolete English word meaning "prod", "poke", or various sharp
   things.

   Privet Drive: The street in Little Whinging where the Dursleys live.
   Privet is commonly used in hedges-- very much a feature of dull,
   conformist suburbia.

   Prod, Warlock D. J., of Didsbury (CoS ch. 8): A satisfied Kwikspell
   customer.

   Prongs: James Potter's nickname among his school buddies.

   Protean Charm (OotP ch. 19): A spell that transfers changes in an
   object to linked copies of the object.

   Etym: From Proteus, a prophet in Greek myth who was also regarded as a
   symbol of the original matter from which the universe was constructed.

   Protego (OotP ch. 26): The incantation for the Shield Charm.

   Etym: Latin, "I cover over, protect". Imperative: protege.

   Pucey, Adrian (PS ch. 11): A Chaser for the Slytherin Quidditch team.

   Etym: From a town in Berkshire.

   Puddifoot, Madam (OotP ch. 25): The proprietor of a tea shop in
   Hogsmeade.

   Etym: A name for someone compared in shape to a round barrel, from
   Middle English puddy "round-bellied" + fat "fat".

   Puddlemere United: A Quidditch team which now includes Oliver Wood as
   a reserve player.

   puffer fish: Any of the ninety or so fishes of the family
   Tetradontidae. Their eyes are an ingredient in a Swelling Solution.

   puffskein (OotP ch. 6): There was a nest of dead ones under the sofa
   in the drawing room at the Black house.

   Puking Pastilles (OotP ch. 6): Another component in a Skiving
   Snackbox. A pastille is a chewy, lozenge-shaped candy of sugar or
   sugar-covered fruit.

   Pumpkin Pasties: A wizard candy, probably some kind of pastry with
   pumpkin filling.

   pure-blood: Term for a wizard with no discernable Muggle or nonhuman
   ancestry. Used only by wizards who feel this sort of eugenic
   superiority gives them a divine right to rule others and operate
   outside the rules (as opposed to the actual divine right of
   Gryffindors to rule others and operate outside the rules).

   Purge and Dowse Ltd. (OotP ch. 22): The storefront that hides St.
   Mungo's Hospital.

   Etym: Purging (inducing vomiting) was one of the standard remedies,
   alongside bleeding, for just about anything before real medicine got
   going. Some dowsers, in addition to finding water, also claim the
   ability to locate sickness in the body.

   Purkiss, Doris (OotP ch. 10): The witch who claimed in The Quibbler
   that Sirius Black was really Stubby Boardman.

   Etym: From Anglo-Norman French purchacer "to acquire, buy", a name for
   an official who obtained supplies required by a manor house or
   monastery.

   Put-Outer: A magical device that can supress lights.

   Pye, Augustus (OotP ch. 22): The trainee Healer of the Dai Llewellyn
   Ward.

   Etym: Various possible origins; I think the intended on is the Welsh
   patronymic derived from Hugh, which is from Old French hug "heart,
   mind, spirit".

Q

   Quaffle: A large ball used for scoring in Quidditch.

   Quality Quidditch Supplies: A store in Diagon Alley.

   Quentin Trimble: Etym: From Latin for "fifth"; also the name for a
   type of French linen around the end of the 17th century.

   Quibbler, The (OotP ch. 7): A wizard tabloid specializing in news of
   dubious provenance, kind of a magical equivalent to The Sun.

   Quick-Quotes Quill: An indispensable part of Rita Skeeter's arsenal
   which eliminates all the tiresome rote work of actually writing turgid
   prose and lets her get straight to the libel and slander.

   Quidditch: The most popular sport in the wizarding world, combining,
   on the one hand, the fast-moving team action of soccer or basketball
   with, on the other hand, the injury rate of rugby and the vehicular
   technology arms race of Formula One.

   Briefly, a game takes place on brooms between two teams, each
   consisting of three Chasers, two Beaters, a Keeper, and a Seeker,
   using three types of ball: a Quaffle, two Bludgers, and the Golden
   Snitch. For a full treatment of the subject, see Quidditch Through the
   Ages or Quidditch.com.

   Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland: A book that Hermione gave
   Harry for Christmas.

   Quidditch Through the Ages: The definitive work on the history of
   Quidditch, available in a Muggle edition.

   Quidditch World Cup: An international Quidditch competition held every
   four years.

   Quietus: An incantation that cancels out the effect of Sonorus.

   Etym: Latin, "quiet" (as a noun).

   Quigley (GoF ch. 8): A Beater on the Irish national Quidditch team.

   Etym: Anglicized form of  Coighligh, from a byname meaning "untidy
   person".

   Quirke, Orla (GoF ch. 12): A Ravenclaw, 3 years behind Harry.

   Etym: Anglicized form of  Cuirc, from a personal name meaning "heart"
   or, possibly, "tuft of hair". Sometimes translated as if from coirce,
   "oats".

   Quirrell: The last name of the teacher of Defense Against the Dark
   Arts in Harry's first year; revealed as a servant of Voldemort and
   killed in a confrontation with Harry.

   Etym: Nickname for a troublemaker, from Middle English/Old French
   querel, meaning "complaint, accusation".

R

   Rabastan Lestrange: Etym: Probable corruption of Rastaban, a star
   whose name means "head of the snake".

   Rackharrow, Urquhart (OotP ch. 22): The inventor of the
   Entrail-Expelling Curse. Wonder if he survived the experience.

   Etym: Rack as in a racking cough, harrow as in "torment" or its
   archaic sense of "plunder".

   Ragnok (OotP ch. 5): A goblin leader in negotiations with the Order of
   the Phoenix.

   Etym: Diminutive form of Ragnarok??

   Railview Hotel: A place where the Dursleys attempted to hide
   themselves and Harry from the Hogwarts owls.

   Ravenclaw House: One of the four houses of Hogwarts, extolling the
   virtues of wisdom and friendship. Its symbol is an eagle, and its
   colors are blue and silver. Attempting to combine this with the
   versions of its badge appearing in the movie and on merchandise gives
   Azure, an eagle displayed, wings inverted, argent, which really
   doesn't resemble either of those versions. The house ghost is the Grey
   Lady.

   Etym: Invented. The raven is a symbol of wisdom in Norse mythology.

   Ravenclaw, Rowena: One of the founders of Hogwarts.

   Etym: See above.

   Red Caps: Malicious spirits which lurk where there has been a battle,
   or other major bloodshed.

   Reducio: An incantation which shrinks the target.

   Etym: Latin, "I reduce". Imperative form: reducere "be reduced". Also,
   see below.

   Reducto: The incantation for the Reductor Curse.

   Etym: Akin to Latin reductio "reduction"; I suspect, though, that it's
   a typo for the above.

   Reductor Curse: A spell that shrinks the target. Incantation
   (possibly): Reducto.

   Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects: A listing of Muggle
   artifacts that are illegal to enchant.

   Regulus Black: Etym: A star of great astrological importance. Its name
   is Latin for "little king".

   Relashio: An incantation that Harry attempted to fight a grindylow off
   with.

   Etym: Not sure.

   Remembrall: An item resembling a clear marble, which flashes red when
   the owner has forgotten something. It is unable to indicate what has
   been forgotten, though.

   Remus J. Lupin:

   Etym: In Roman legend, Romulus and Remus were orphaned or abandoned
   twins who were raised by a she-wolf and went on to found Rome (named
   after Romulus after he killed Remus).

   Reparo: An incantation to fix minor damage.

   Etym: Latin, "I repair". Imperative: repare "be repaired".

   Restricted Section: A part of the Hogwarts library open only to
   faculty, advanced students of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and other
   students who can get a teacher's permission. Naturally, this is where
   all the really interesting and useful books are kept.

   Revealer: An item that can make invisible ink visible.

   Reverse Spell Effect: Another name for Priori Incantatem.

   Rictusempra: A curse that makes the target laugh uncontrollably.

   Etym: Rictus is Latin for "open mouth", and sempra is akin to various
   Romance languages' words for "always".

   Riddle House: The house in Little Hangleton where Tom Riddle senior
   lived with his parents until all three were killed. The current owner
   of the house is a mysterious wealthy man who is believed to have
   bought it for tax reasons.

   Riddle, Tom Marvolo: A star student and Head Boy about 50 years before
   Harry's time who opened the Chamber of Secrets and went on to a highly
   successful career as a master of dark wizardry under the name
   Voldemort.

   Etym: OEW on an obscure meaning that I think is the one intended:
   "riddle has been used for a thousand years to mean a dark saying ...
   and almost as long to mean a coarse sieve, for arranging: separating
   chaff from corn, ashes from cinders, etc."
   Beastly equation for "Tom Riddle": a=12, b=18, c=24, etc.; a=43, b=46,
   etc.; a=105, b=102, etc.
   and for "Thomas Riddle": a=26, b=29, etc.; a=85, b=82, etc.

   Riddle, Tom, senior: Tom Riddle's father, a Muggle who abandoned his
   wife when he learned that she was a witch and went back to live with
   his own parents, until he and they were mysteriously murdered. The
   younger Riddle is still a bit put out about this. One of his bones was
   used to reconstitute Voldemort.

   Riddikulus: An incantation used to counter a boggart.

   Ripper (PoA ch. 2): One of Harry's Aunt Marge's favorite bulldogs.

   Etym: As in Jack the...

   Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, The: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Rita Skeeter: Etym: A variation of Margaret.

   Roberts (GoF ch. 7): One of the campsite managers for the Quidditch
   World Cup.

   Etym: From Old English/German hrothi "fame" + berhta "bright".

   rock cakes: A type of fruitcake, meant to be hard only on top but
   frequently ending up hard all the way through.

   Roddy Pontner: Etym: Could be short for Roderick, from Old German
   hrothi "fame" + ricja "rule", or Rodney, from the village of Rodney
   Stoke.

   Rodolphus Lestrange: Etym: From Old German hrothi "fame" + vulf
   "wolf".

   Roger Davies: Etym: Derived from Old German Hrodgar, from hrothi
   "fame" and ger "spear". Name of various royalty.

   Ron Weasley [Ronald]:

   Etym: From a compound of the Old English words regen and weald, both
   of which mean "power, force, might".

   Ronan: One of the centaurs living in the Forbidden Forest.

   Etym: Gaelic for "seal".

   Rookwood, Augustus: A Death Eater who worked in the Department of
   Mysteries until being caught and imprisoned in Azkaban. Ran loose for
   a brief time, until being rounded up at the Ministry of Magic and sent
   back to Azkaban again.

   Etym: A rook is a type of crow, as well as the chess piece. Rookwood
   is a romance by W. A. Ainsworth, recounting the exploits of highwayman
   Dick Turpin and his mare Black Bess.

   Room of Requirement (OotP ch. 18): A room on the seventh floor of
   Hogwarts that appears when necessary equipped with whatever the seeker
   desperately needs. Presumably there are limitations, since it isn't
   also known as the Room of Deus Ex Machina.

   Rose Zeller: Etym: The name actually comes from (h)ros "horse", but
   over time has become associated with the flower.

   rosewood: Name for several different ornamental timbers, never seen in
   large pieces because the heartwood of these trees decays early on. Its
   use it becoming even less common now due to dwindling supplies.

   Rosier, Evan (GoF ch. 27): A Death Eater, killed before Voldemort's
   fall.

   Etym: Poetic term for rose-tree or bush, of obscure origin.

   Rosmerta, Madam: Proprietor of the Three Broomsticks.

   Etym: Name of a Celtic goddess.

   Rowena Ravenclaw: Etym: ECN: "This name seems to originate with
   Geoffrey of Monmouth, who gives it to the daughter of Hengist, with
   whom Vortigern fell in love." May be a compound of the Old English
   words hreod "fame" and wine "friend".

   Rubeus Hagrid: Etym: From the Latin for "reddish".

   Ryan, Barry (GoF ch. 8): The Keeper on the Irish national Quidditch
   team.

   Etym: As a surname, derived ultimately from Rian or Riaghan, names of
   uncertain origin.

S

   sage (OotP ch. 27): Any plant of the genus Salvia, but particularly S.
   officinalis, believed in medieval times to strengthen the memory and
   promote wisdom. Centaurs burn it to try to divine the future.

   salamander: In mythology, a lizardlike creature associated with fires.
   Its blood is an ingredient in the Strengthening Solution.

   Salazar Slytherin: Etym: A name of Basque origin from the Romance sala
   "hall" and Basque zahar "old". Hmm...

   Salem Witches' Institute: A contingent from there came to the
   Quidditch World Cup. Might be the wizard equivalent to MIT.

   Sally-Anne Perks: Etym: Sally is an alternate form of Sarah, Hebrew
   for "princess"; Anne is another form of Hannah.

   Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Scabbers: Ron's pet rat for his first three years of school, until the
   rat turned out to be Peter Pettigrew in disguise.

   Scamander, Newt (PS ch. 5): Author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to
   Find Them.

   Etym: The name of a river mentioned by Homer, used in the late 19th
   century to mean "to wander about" or "to take a devious course".

   Scintillation Solution: No idea. It's mentioned by the Kwikspell ad.

   Scops owl: A type of owl native to sub-Saharan Africa.

   Scourgify (OotP ch. 3): The incantation for the Scouring Charm.

   Etym: Modification of scourge in the sense of its Latin root, "to
   strip off the hide of".

   Scouring Charm: A cleaning spell. Incantation: Scourgify.

   Screaming Yo-yos: A toy banned from Hogwarts.

   screech owl: Refers to several species of owl, the most common ones
   being the western and eastern screech owls.

   Screechsnap (OotP ch. 25): Another plant in fifth-year Herbology which
   probably does what it sounds like.

   Scrimgeour (OotP ch. 7): Someone (likely among the Aurors) becoming
   suspicious about what Tonks and Shacklebolt are up to.

   Etym: From Old French eskermisseour, meaning fencer (related to
   skirmisher). The modern Earls of Dundee have the surname
   Scrymgeour-Wedderburn.

   Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop (OotP ch. 16): A shop in Hogsmeade.

   Etym: Scriven as in "carved", shaft as in that of a feather quill.

   scrofungulus (OotP ch. 22): A contagious magical malady.

   Etym: Looks like a conflation of scrofula and fungus. Might be a
   fungal infection of the lymph nodes.

   scurvy-grass (OotP ch. 18): Cochlearia officinalis, at one time
   believed to help with scurvy. A common ingredient in Confusing
   Draughts and Befuddlement Draughts.

   Seamus Finnigan: Etym: The Irish form of James.

   Secrecy Sensor: A device that vibrates when it detects concealment and
   lies.

   Secret-Keeper: The person used in a Fidelius Charm.

   Seeker: The player on a Quidditch team who chases the Golden Snitch.
   Catching the Snitch scores 150 points and ends the match.

   Self-Correcting Ink (OotP ch. 31): A banned item at O.W.L.
   examinations.

   Self-Defensive Spellwork (OotP ch. 18): A book found in the Room of
   Requirement by Dumbledore's Army.

   Self-Fertilizing Shrubs (OotP ch. 14): Presumably this means plants
   which make their own compost, since the other possible interpretation
   actually exists in the real world.

   Serpensortia: An incantation that conjures a giant snake.

   Etym: Latin serpens "snake" + something akin to French sortir "escape,
   go out" (a cognate to English sortie).

   Severing Charm: A spell to cut things apart. Incantation: Diffindo.

   Severus Snape: Etym: The name of several Roman emperors, most notably
   Septimius Severus, who shifted the imperial power base from the
   nobility to the army. The word is Latin for "harsh, severe, strictly
   correct". Also, cognate to the later name Severian.

   One Latin dictionary-- but just one out of 5 or 6 I've consulted by
   now-- suggests that the word may be from se verus, "one who separates
   the truth (from falsehood)".

   Shacklebolt, Kingsley (OotP ch. 3): A member of the Order of the
   Phoenix; an Auror who has spent the past three years carefully not
   tracking down Sirius Black.

   Etym: Just English shackle and bolt (as in a lock).

   shade: Term used here for the manifestations brought out of
   Voldemort's wand by the Priori Incantatem effect, until we get to find
   out the proper word. The shades are echoes of some sort of targets of
   the Killing Curse. While Dumbledore says they aren't proper ghosts
   (speculation: not connected to the actual soul of the person
   represented), they do retain personality and memories and have some
   ability to interact with material objects.

   The shades formed by this effect are those of James Potter, Lily
   Potter, Bertha Jorkins, Frank Bryce, and Cedric Diggory.

   Shield Charm: A general-purpose spell-blocker which can reflect
   attacks back at their originator. Incantation: Protego.

   Shock Spells (OotP ch. 26): Administered at St. Mungo's Hospital.
   Sounds roughly equivalent to electroshock therapy.

   Shooting Star: A brand of broom.

   Shrieking Shack: A building in Hogsmeade reputed to be the most
   haunted structure in Britain; never actually haunted except by Remus
   Lupin undergoing werewolf transformations during his school years.

   Shrinking Solution: A potion which appears to have the ability to age
   an animal backwards.

   shrivelfig: I have no idea. Invented?

   Shunpike, Stan: Etym: In early 20th-century US usage, "to drive along
   minor roads, avoiding the toll on turnpikes, or for pleasure". This
   may not be the direct source for Rowling's usage, but probably a
   similar meaning is intended.

   Sibyll Trelawney: Etym: A sibyl is a female oracle or fortuneteller.

   Sickle: 1/17th of a Galleon, or 29 Knuts.

   Etym: "Silver sickle" is a popular poetic term for the crescent moon.

   Silencing Charm (OotP ch. 18): A spell that silences the target.
   Incantation: Silencio.

   Silencio (OotP ch. 18): The incantation for the Silencing Charm.

   Etym: Portuguese, "silence".

   Silver Arrow: A brand of flying broom, now out of production.

   Etym: This was a nickname for Mercedes-Benz race cars up to 1955, when
   Mercedes-Benz pulled out of racing for a while due to one of its cars
   being invovled in a horrific accident at a race in Le Mans. Still used
   sometimes for its modern race cars.

   Sinistra (CoS ch. 11): The witch who teaches Astronomy at Hogwarts.

   Etym: Feminine form of Latin sinister, originally meaning
   "left-handed"; has connotations of "strange", "abnormal", the occult,
   etc. A Slytherin, perhaps?

   Sirius Black: Etym: Canis Major, the Dog Star.

   Sites of Historical Sorcery: A book which mentions a goblin rebellion
   at Hogsmeade in 1612.

   Skeeter, Rita: Star reporter for the Witch Weekly, a perky and
   go-getting newspaper gal who lets nothing stand in the way of a good
   story, least of all the facts.

   Etym: From the Old Norse byname Skytr, meaning "swift". Here, could
   also be from the slang abbreviation of mosquito.

   Skele-Gro: A medicinal concoction used to help regrow or enlarge
   bones.

   skinning: In Quidditch, a deliberate attempt at collision with another
   player.

   Skiving Snackbox (OotP ch. 6): A product of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
   which contains an assortment of treats for producing a brief sickness
   to get out of class. They include Blood Blisterpods, Fever Fudge,
   Nosebleed Nougat, and Puking Pastilles.

   Sleekeazy's Hair Potion: A wizard beauty product, tedious to use but
   sometimes worth it.

   Sleeping Draft: Alternate spelling for Sleeping Draught.

   Sleeping Draught: A potion that puts the drinker into an
   uninterruptible sleep.

   Sleeping Potion: Another alternate for the Sleeping Draught.

   Slinkhard, Wilbert (OotP ch. 9): The author of Defensive Magical
   Theory.

   Etym: None found, so probably what it looks like. Yup, another
   Slytherin...

   Sloper, Jack (OotP ch. 21): A replacement Beater on the Gryffindor
   Quidditch team.

   Etym: Akin to Old English sluupan "to slip".

   Sloth Grip Roll (OotP ch. 16): A Quidditch move that would seem to
   involve hanging upside down.

   Slytherin House: One of the four houses of Hogwarts. Its defining
   virtues are subject to debate: many non-Slytherins believe it selects
   for evil; the pure-blood faction says it's the house of the "true"
   wizards; the Sorting Hat and Dumbledore say determination and sneaky
   cleverness. For more on this topic, see "In Defense of Slytherin".

   The head of the house is Professor Snape. Badge: Vert, a snake erect
   argent. The house ghost is the Bloody Baron.

   Etym: Invented; undoubtedly meant to sound like "slithering".

   Slytherin, Salazar: One of the founders of Hogwarts, and constructor
   of the Chamber of Secrets. He is rumored to have been a bigot about
   Muggle-born wizards, but one notes that the Sorting Hat has no problem
   placing students of Muggle ancestry in Slytherin.

   Smeltings: The school that Vernon Dursley attended and which Dudley
   now goes to.

   Etym: Probably invented from smelting.

   Smethley, Veronica (CoS ch. 7): A big fan of Lockhart's.

   Etym: From the name of an unspecified place, probably derived from Old
   English smee "smooth" + leeah "wood, clearing".

   Smethwyck, Hippocrates (OotP ch. 22): The Healer in charge of the Dai
   Llewellyn Ward.

   Etym: None found.

   Smith, Zacharias (OotP ch. 16): A Hufflepuff who is on their Quidditch
   team and is a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: Originally an occupational name for a metalworker.

   Snape, Severus: The Potions teacher at Hogwarts; head of Slytherin
   House; a former Death Eater who turned spy before Voldemort's downfall
   (or maybe was a spy all along); a member of the Order of the Phoenix;
   and general doer of things to keep dark forces under control at the
   school, even though everything he does ends up being misinterpreted.
   Also spends a lot of time in a foul mood. Can't imagine why...

   Etym: Stated by Rowling on numerous occasions to be from a village
   name. The name comes from Old Norse snap or Old English snoep, meaning
   "poor grazing" or "winter pasture", and is still used in Sussex as a
   term for ground that is too boggy to cultivate. Not too far from the
   meaning of Nettleship.

   sneezewort (OotP ch. 18): Could refer to either Achillea ptarmica or
   Veratrum album. A common ingredient in Confusing Draughts and
   Befuddlement Draughts.

   Snowy (PS ch. 2): One of Mrs. Figg's cats.

   Snuffles: Sirius Black's nickname in his Animagus form as he lurks
   around Hogsmeade pretending to be a lovable stray.

   Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare: Hermione's first attempt
   at creating a political movement to push for house-elf rights,
   superseded by the House-Elf Liberation Front.

   Sonnets of a Sorcerer: A book which caused everyone who read it to
   speak in limericks for the rest of their lives.

   Sonorus: An incantation which magnifies the target's voice immensely.

   Etym: Altered spelling of sonorous.

   Sorceror's Stone: Name for the Philosopher's Stone in US editions. The
   US editor felt the word "philosopher" would scare people away from
   buying the book.

   Sorting Ceremony: How new students at Hogwarts are assigned to a
   house. They put on the Sorting Hat, which decides where to send them.

   Sorting Hat: A sentient magical artifact which looks into the minds of
   new students to decide which house they should be in. Originally, it
   was Godric Gryffindor's hat.

   spattergroit (OotP ch. 23): A magical malady that a portrait in St.
   Mungo's Hospital thought Ron had.

   Etym: Groit is a Scottish variation of groat, so maybe an affliction
   that causes a lot of small-coin-sized spots.

   Special Award for Services to the School: Awarded to Tom Riddle for
   unspecified reasons-- possibly for exposing Hagrid as the opener of
   the Chamber of Secrets.

   Spellman's Syllabary (OotP ch. 26): A book Hermione was studying from
   for the Ancient Runes class.

   Spellotape: What Ron fixed his wand with.

   Etym: A pun on Sellotape, the British term for Scotch tape.

   S.P.E.W.: The Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare.

   Spinnet, Alicia (PS ch. 11): A Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch
   team, two years ahead of Harry, and a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: May be derived from a name used to mean a thorn bush or the
   crest of a hill. Also, a spinet is an instrument resembling a
   harpsichord.

   Spirit Division (OotP ch. 7): A section of the Ministry of Magic that
   deals with relations with the dead.

   splinched: Caught between one place and another due to a failed
   Apparation.

   Spore, Phyllida (PS ch. 5): Author of One Thousand Magical Herbs and
   Fungi.

   Etym: Meant to mean what it looks like.

   spotted dick: Alas, this is merely a type of pudding with raisins
   being the spots.

   Sprout: The witch who teaches Herbology at Hogwarts; also, head of
   Hufflepuff House.

   Etym: Derived from an Old English name possibly also meaning "sprout".

   Squib: A person of magical parentage who has no magical powers.

   Etym: A term from the 1800s, referring to a firework that produces
   only a slight explosion. Earlier, applied to persons, could mean mean,
   insignificant, or paltry.

   squid, giant: A denizen of the lake adjoining Hogwarts, something
   along these lines.

   Stan Shunpike [Stanley]:

   Etym: From a place name derived from Old English staan "stone" + leeah
   "wood, clearing". Perhaps used as a reference to the explorer?

   Standard Book of Spells, The: Name of a series of basic spell
   textbooks used at Hogwarts.

   Statute of Secrecy: The law stating that wizard activity should be
   kept secret from Muggle society.

   Stealth Sensoring Spell (OotP ch. 32): Some kind of passive detection
   spell.

   St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys: Where the
   Dursleys now claim Harry is going to school.

   Etym: Can't find anything on any such saint but the name is cognate to
   "brutal".

   Stebbins senior (OotP ch. 28): A student at Hogwarts at the same time
   as Harry's parents.

   Etym: See below.

   Stebbins (GoF ch. 23): A Hufflepuff, year unknown.

   Etym: From a derivative of Old English stubb, "tree stump".

   Stewart Ackerley: Etym: From a variation of steward.

   Stimpson, Patricia (OotP ch. 12): A student two years ahead of Harry,
   house unknown.

   Etym: Patronymic from Stephen, from the Greek word for "crown".

   Stinging Hex (OotP ch. 24): A minor attack spell that produces a welt
   on the target.

   Stink Pellets: Things available at Zonko's Joke Shop.

   Stinkpellet (OotP ch. 28): Another spelling for Stink Pellet.

   stinksap (OotP ch. 10): A particularly awful substance produced as a
   defensive mechanism by Mimbulus mimbletonia.

   St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries: The current
   residence of Frank Longbottom, his wife, and Gilderoy Lockhart, hidden
   behind the storefront of Purge and Dowse Ltd. in London.

   Etym: St. Mungo, proper name Kentigern, is the patron saint of
   Glasgow. The name is Gaelic, meaning "amiable" or "my dear friend".

   Stoatshead Hill: Where Harry and some of the Weasleys caught a Portkey
   to the site of the Quidditch World Cup.

   Stonewall: The name of the local comprehensive school (what in the US
   would be a public combined high school and junior high) Harry was
   going to be sent to before he knew about Hogwarts.

   Strengthening Solution (OotP ch. 15): A potion Harry had to make in
   class.

   Strout, Miriam (OotP ch. 25): A healer at St. Mungo's Hospital.

   Etym: Can't find this one.

   Stubby Boardman: Etym: Generally used as a nickname for a short and
   thick-set person.

   Study of Ancient Runes: A class Hermione started taking in her third
   year.

   Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry, A: A book in the Hogwarts
   library.

   Stunner: Short way of referring to Stunning Spell.

   Stunning Spell: A spell intended to knock out the target. Very large
   or tough targets can take the combined efforts of several casters to
   stun. Incantation: Stupefy.

   Stupefy: The incantation for a Stunning Spell.

   Etym: Just English.

   Sturgis Podmore: Etym: From Old Norse orr (the god) + gils "hostage,
   pledge".

   Substantive Charm (OotP ch. 31): Not described; possibly the reverse
   of a Vanishing Spell.

   sugar quills: Wizard candies cunningly disguised as the quills
   students write with in class.

   Summerby (OotP ch. 26): The new Seeker on the Hufflepuff Quidditch
   team.

   Summers (GoF ch. 16): Hufflepuff, year unknown, who tried to age
   himself to be a candidate for the Triwizard Tournament.

   Etym: As a surname, a nickname for someone with a warm or sunny
   disposition, or associated with summer in some other way.

   Summoning Charm: A spell that causes the target to fly through the air
   to the caster. Incantation: Accio plus (usually) the name of the
   target.

   Supreme Mugwump: One of Dumbledore's titles, which appears to be
   bestowed by the International Confederation of Wizards.

   Surrey: The area in which Little Whinging is located. Surrey is fairly
   thick with businessmen who commute to London.

   Susan Bones: Etym: From the the Hebrew Shushannah, "lily", the name of
   the heroine of the Book of Susannah, an apocryphal addition to the
   Book of Daniel.

   Susan Bones, Amelia: Etym: See above.

   Swedish Short-Snout: A breed of dragon.

   Swelling Solution: A potion that causes whatever it touches to
   inflate.

   Switch, Emeric (PS ch. 5): Author of A Beginner's Guide to
   Transformation.

   Etym: What it looks like.

   Switching Spells: Spells used in Transfiguration.

T

   Tail-Twig Clippers: Part of a broom maintenance kit.

   Tarantallegra: An incantation that makes the target dance
   uncontrollably.

   Etym: From Italian tarantella, a type of dance, and allegra "fast"
   (also a musical term).

   Ted [Theodore] (PS ch. 1): Name of a newsreader the Dursleys watch.

   Etym: Greek, "god's gift".

   Ted Tonks [Theodore]:

   Etym: See above.

   Tenebrus (OotP ch. 21): Hagrid's favorite of the thestrals, the first
   one born in the Forbidden Forest.

   Etym: Altered spelling of tenebrous.

   Terence Higgs: Etym: From Latin Terentius, the name of a Roman gens of
   unknown etymology.

   Terry Boot [Terence]:

   Etym: See above.

   Theodore Nott: Etym: See Ted.

   thestrals (OotP ch. 10): Big skeletal carrion-eating black winged
   horses visible only to those who have seen death. Understandably, they
   have a bit of a bad reputation.

   Etym: From an archaic word, thester "darkness".

   Thomas, Dean (PS ch. 7): A Gryffindor, the same year as Harry, and a
   member of Dumbledore's Army. From a Muggle family, he is a big fan of
   the West Ham soccer team.

   Etym: From Aramaic meaning "twin". We can also consider Thomas the
   Rhymer, a 13th century Scottish poet and prophet who in popular lore
   is connected with Merlin.

   Three Broomsticks: The pub in Hogsmeade.

   Tibbles, Mr. (PS ch. 2): One of Mrs. Figg's cats.

   Tiberius Ogden: Etym: The name of 2 Roman emperors, etymology unknown.

   Time Room: The room in the Department of Mysteries for time-related
   research.

   Timms, Agatha (GoF ch. 7): Etym: Etymology unknown; possibly cognate
   to the Germanic name Timmo, of unknown meaning.

   Tofty, Professor (OotP ch. 31): Griselda Marchbanks's assistant in
   performing O.W.L. exams.

   Etym: From Middle English toft "homestead".

   Toujours Pur (OotP ch. 6): The motto of the Black family.

   Etym: French, "always pure".

   Tom (PoA ch. 3): The proprietor of The Leaky Cauldron.

   Tom Marvolo Riddle [Thomas]:

   Etym: From an Aramaic word meaning "twin". One of the twelve apostles,
   whose real name may have been Judah; the nickname would have been used
   to distinguish him from Judah the brother of James (St. Jude), and
   Judah of Kerioth (Judas Iscariot).

   Tonks, Andromeda Black (OotP ch. 3): Sirius's cousin; Nymphadora's
   mother.

   Etym: Patronymic from a diminutive form of Thomas.

   Tonks, Nymphadora: An Auror and member of the Order of the Phoenix; a
   Metamorphmagus with a tropism for unstable furniture.

   Etym: See above.

   Tonks, Ted (OotP ch. 3): Nymphadora's father, a Muggle.

   Etym: See above.

   Ton-Tongue Toffee: A joke candy created by Fred and George Weasley
   which enlarges the eater's tongue beyond all belief.

   Toothflossing Stringmints: A type of candy available at Honeydukes.

   Towler, Kenneth (OotP ch. 12): A student, probably a Gryffindor, two
   years ahead of Harry.

   Etym: Name for a toll taker or tax gatherer, from Middle English toll
   "tax, payment".

   trading cards: See Famous Witches and Wizards.

   Transfiguration: One of the basic subjects at Hogwarts, it concerns
   the changing of things from one form to another. The Transfiguration
   teacher is Professor McGonagall.

   Transfiguration Today: A wizard publication.

   Transmogrifian Torture: A deadly spell that Lockhart claimed to know
   about.

   Travels with Trolls: One of Gilderoy Lockhart's books.

   Travers: A Death Eater, imprisoned in Azkaban until recently.

   Etym: Name for someone who lived by a bridge or ford, or a gatherer of
   tolls, from Middle English/Old French travers "passage, crossing". Or,
   an Anglicized form of Gaelic  Treabhair, from a byname meaning
   "industrious, prudent".

   treacle tart: A syrupy pastry usually served with custard.

   Trelawney, Cassandra (OotP ch. 15): Professor Trelawney's
   great-great-grandmother, a seer of some reknown.

   Etym: See below.

   Trelawney, Sibyll: The Divination instructor and constant predictor of
   woe.

   Etym: Placename, from Cornish tre "homestead, settlement" + an element
   of unknown meaning.

   Trevor (PS ch. 6): Neville Longbottom's toad.

   Etym: From Welsh tre(f) "homestead, settlement" + mawr "large", or
   Gaelic  Treabhair, from a byname meaning "industrious, prudent".

   Trip Jinx (OotP ch. 27): A spell to trip someone.

   trifle: A confection made of layers of sherry-soaked sponge cake,
   jelly, and custard, usually topped with whipped cream and fruit.

   Trimble, Quentin (PS ch. 5): Author of The Dark Forces: A Guide to
   Self-Protection.

   Etym: From an Old English personal name, formed from trum "strong,
   firm" + beald "bold, brave". On the other hand, also an obsolete form
   of tremble.

   Triwizard Cup: The trophy of the Triwizard Tournament.

   Triwizard Tournament: A competition between champions selected from
   Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts chosen by the Goblet of Fire.
   Originally established 700 years ago and meant to be held every five
   years, but discontinued in recent centuries owing to a high fatality
   rate. It was resurrected in Harry's fourth year.

   trolls: Large, stupid humanoid creatures that like to fight with
   clubs.

   Troy (GoF ch. 8): A Chaser on the Irish national Quidditch team.

   Etym: An Anglicized form of  Troighthigh, from a byname meaning "foot
   soldier".

   True Seer: One with the gift of prophecy.

   tubeworms: This term covers a whole range of polychaete worms.

   Tufty (PS ch. 2): One of Mrs. Figg's cats.

   Turpin, Lisa (PS ch. 7): A Ravenclaw, same year as Harry.

   Etym: A number of possibilities here, but my favorite is Dick Turpin
   (1706-1739), an English highwayman, the subject of Rookwood.

   Tutshill Tornadoes (OotP ch. 10): Cho Chang's favorite Quidditch team,
   presently leading their league. Tutshill is not a real place.

   Twitchy Ears: A curse that makes the target's ears wiggle.

U

   Umbridge, Dolores Jane (OotP ch. 8): A Ministry of Magic stooge sent
   in to harass, intimidate, and generally undermine Hogwarts, or someone
   who did a brilliant unintentional job of same.

   Etym: Modified spelling of umbrage, in the sense of "shade, shadow".

   Umgumbular Slashkilter (OotP ch. 18): A creature alleged by The
   Quibbler to be kept by Cornelius Fudge.

   Etym: Couldn't find anything.

   Unbreakable Charm: A spell that maintains the structural integrity of
   an object.

   Undetectable Poisons: Harry had to write an essay on them for Potions
   class, so apparently they do exist in the wizard world.

   Unfogging the Future: The textbook for the Divination class.

   Unforgivable Curses: Spells banned by the Ministry of Magic, although
   Crouch senior permitted their use in the hunt for the Death Eaters.
   Normally, use of them is a quick ticket to Azkaban. They are the
   Cruciatus Curse, the Imperius Curse, and the Killing Curse.

   unicorns: Horselike creatures with a single horn, symbolizing absolute
   purity. (In medieval art, the unicorn was actually a single-horned
   goat.) Unicorn hairs are used as the cores of some wands.

   Unplottable: Not placeable on a map.

   Unspeakable: A person who works for the Department of Mysteries.

   Urg the Unclean (GoF ch. 31): Possibly a goblin involved in one of
   their many rebellions.

   Etym: No info. Probably just invented to sound grunt-like.

   Uric the Oddball: Some historical personage who could be confused with
   Emeric the Evil.

   Etym: None found.

   Urquhart Rackharrow: Etym: Name deriving from a place on Loch Ness,
   from Welsh ar "on, upon" + cardden "thicket". He might however have
   been named after Sir Thomas Urquhart, a 17th century translator and
   writer of some very weird fantastical works.

V

   Vablatsky, Cassandra (PoA ch. 4): The author of Unfogging the Future.

   Etym: "Madam" Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was one of the most famous
   spiritualists, and the founder of modern theosophy.

   vampires: Essentially, semi-human creatures who drink blood; the
   details of the legend have gone through many variations over the
   centuries. Rowling's vampires retain the aversion to garlic, though
   the exact mechanism by which it wards them off is yet to be explained;
   they are also recognizable in part by being very pale and gaunt.
   Modern Dracula-inspired mythology insists on a kinship with bats and a
   predilection for wearing black. Okay, kids, now keep a sharp lookout!

   Treatment of vampires in wizard society is covered by the Guidelines
   for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans; nevertheless, there seems
   to be popular opinion in favor of exterminating them anyway.

   Vance, Emmeline (OotP ch. 3): A member of the Order of the Phoenix.

   Etym: From Old English fenn "marsh, bog"; also an archaic word meaning
   "advance".

   Vanishing Cabinet (OotP ch. 28): An artifact on the first floor of
   Hogwarts which transports people away to some random place.

   vanishing sickness (OotP ch. 22): A magical malady that must be very
   hard to treat.

   Vanishing Spell: A spell to unconjure a thing.

   Vauxhall Road: A major thoroughfare in London. Tom Riddle bought a
   diary there.

   Vector: Last name of the witch who teaches Arithmancy at Hogwarts.

   Etym: From the mathematical term.

   veela: Usually spelled vila, these originate from Balkan legends.
   Veela are the spirits of young women who died before marriage, who
   appear human except for having goats' hooves. They are said to be
   jealous and capricious, but not entirely unkind.

   Venemous Tentacula: A spiky, dark red plant that has teeth.

   Veritaserum: A truth potion. Three drops of it will cause the drinker
   to answer all questions fully and without falsehood. Testimony
   gathered in this way is considered unreliable, however, for reasons as
   yet unexplained.

   Etym: From Latin veritas "truth" + serum "serum, whey".

   Vernon Dursley: Etym: Alternative for vernal in 1658, or a surname
   derived from a common placename in France.

   Veronica Smethley: Etym: Corrupted form of Latin vera icona, "true
   image". St. Veronica is a legendary figure who is said to have wiped
   perspiration from Jesus's face as he carried his cross; the cloth used
   retained an image. Also the name of a plant genus.

   Vicky Frobisher [Victoria]:

   Etym: Latin, "victory".

   Viktor Krum: Etym: Cognate to Victor, as you suspected.

   Vincent Crabbe: Etym: From a derivative of Latin vincens,
   "conquering". The name of a 3rd century martyr, and St. Vincent de
   Paul (1580-1660), remembered for his clinics and works of charity. A
   bit closer to the character we're talking about, also used in 1592 to
   mean the dupe in a betting game.

   Vindictus Viridian: Etym: From the same root as vindictive and meaning
   pretty much the same thing.

   Violet (GoF ch. 17): A friend of the Fat Lady who lives in a portrait
   in a room off the Great Hall.

   Viridian, Vindictus (PS ch. 5): Author of Curses and Countercurses.

   Etym: Strong green; technically, Veronese green. In this case, the
   green of jealousy or envy.

   Voldemort: The Dark Lord; He Who Must Not Be Named. His rule was cut
   short by a curse that rebounded on him when he tried to kill the
   infant Harry and left him a shapeless wraith. Now reconstituted with
   the help of Peter Pettigrew, he has regathered the Death Eaters and
   started in on some serious villainy. Wand: 13 1/2", yew and phoenix
   feather.

   Etym: Probably derived from French vol-de-mort, "flight of death".
   Beastly equation for "L*rd V*ld*m*rt": a=30, b=33, etc.

   Volkov (GoF ch. 8): A Beater on the Bulgarian national Quidditch team.

   Etym: From Polish wilk, "wolf", probably from an Old Slavic given name
   or nickname.

   Voyages with Vampires: One of Gilderoy Lockhart's books.

   Vulchanov (GoF ch. 8): A Beater on the Bulgarian national Quidditch
   team.

   Etym: No name info. Might be from something like volchonok, Russian
   for "young wolf", to go with Volkov.

W

   Waddiwasi: A spell used by Lupin to eject some chewing gum from a
   keyhole.

   Etym: Possibly the first element is as in a wad of gum... no idea
   otherwise.

   Waffling, Adalbert: Author of Magical Theory.

   Etym: No etymology.

   Wagga Wagga Werewolf: A beast that Lockhart claimed to have cured with
   the Homorphus Charm. Wagga Wagga is a city in Australia.

   Wailing Widow (CoS ch. 8): A ghost from Kent who came to Nearly
   Headless Nick's 500th deathday celebration.

   Walden Macnair: Etym: From Old English wealh "foreigner, Briton, serf"
   + denu "valley".

   wands: An essential tool for a wizard, used in nearly all magic (a
   notable exception being potions). Wands have four distinguishing
   characteristics: length, flexibility, the material used in the core,
   and the wood used for the exterior.

   Wand cores are taken from magical animals or beings: phoenix feathers,
   unicorn hairs, veela hairs, and dragon heartstrings have been
   mentioned so far. The core determines the "identity" of the wand. The
   significance of the wood used and the flexibility of the wand are not
   clear, but it appears to affect the type of magic it is best suited
   for. This lexicographer hesitates to offer a hypothesis on the
   significance of wand length.

   Wanderings with Werewolves: One of Gilderoy Lockhart's books.

   Warbeck, Celestina (CoS ch. 3): The Singing Sorceress, as featured on
   Witching Hour.

   Etym: No name etymology found, but this was the name of a piano
   manufacturer. There is also a British musician and composer named
   Stephen Warbeck.

   Warlocks' Convention: Some kind of rule-making body or event. One in
   1709 outlawed dragon breeding.

   Warrington (PoA ch. 15): A Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team.

   Etym: From a town in Lancashire, from Old English Woeringtun,
   "settlement by a weir".

   Weasley, Arthur [Wesseley]: The head of the Weasley clan; Ron's
   father.

   Etym: Variation of the Russian patronymic Veselov, from a nickname
   meaning "cheerful".

   Weasley, Bill: The oldest of the Weasley children. He became Head Boy
   during his time at Hogwarts and is now a curse-breaker for Gringotts.

   Weasley, Charlie: Second-oldest of the Weasley children, he became
   captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team when he was a student. Now,
   he is studying dragons in Romania.

   Etym: See above.

   Weasley, Fred and George: Twins, 2 years older than Harry and Ron, who
   were the Beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team until being banned,
   and members of Dumbledore's Army until leaving school in a blaze of
   joke-firework glory. Now loosed on an unsuspecting world, they have
   formed a gag-manufacturing company called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

   Etym: See above.

   Weasley, Ginny: Ron's sister, a year younger than him and Harry, and
   also a Gryffindor. The replacement Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch
   team when Harry was banned, and also a member of Dumbledore's Army.

   Etym: See above.

   Weasley, Molly: Ron's long-suffering mother.

   Etym: See above.

   Weasley, Percy Ignatius: One of Ron's older brothers, the Arnold
   Rimmer of his class (except for actually getting somewhere), now a
   junior assistant to the Minister of Magic.

   Etym: See above.

   Weasley, Ron: Harry's best friend, a Gryffindor in the same year; the
   perfect sidekick until their fifth year, when he has suddenly
   developed talents of his own, becoming the Keeper for the Gryffindor
   Quidditch team and also a prefect. Are independent interests going to
   be next?

   Wand: 14", willow and unicorn hair.

   Etym: See above.

   Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs (OotP ch. 28): The Weasleys' joke
   fireworks.

   Weasley's Wizard Wheezes: The company Fred and George Weasley plan to
   form to manufacture their joke products and spread evil and misery
   across the world. Er, I mean laughter and merriment. Of course.

   Weird Sisters (GoF ch. 22): A band which does music in some sort of
   Celtic vein.

   Weird Wizarding Dilemmas and Their Solutions: A book in the Hogwarts
   library.

   Wendelin the Weird (PoA ch. 1): A witch who was burned 47 times in
   various guises.

   Etym: From gwen, "fair".

   werewolf: So far the werewolves here appear to be the standard Western
   model, infected by another werewolf and turning into an unthinking
   man-eater when a full moon is above the horizon. A partial antidote to
   lycanthropy exists in the Wolfsbane Potion.

   Werewolf Code of Conduct: Enacted in 1637, the specifics have not been
   given.

   Where There's a Wand, There's a Way: A book in the Hogwarts library.

   Whitby, Kevin (GoF ch. 12): A Hufflepuff, 3 years behind Harry.

   Etym: From one of two places of the same name, in Yorkshire and
   Cheshire.

   Which Broomstick: The definitive reference on all brands of broom.

   Whizzing Worms: Something available in Hogsmeade; probably from
   Dervish and Banges.

   Whomping Willow: A magical tree growing on the Hogwarts grounds which
   has an urge to batter anyone and anything in its reach, though it can
   be temporarily paralyzed by touching a certain spot on its trunk. This
   particular one was planted to guard the secret passage from Hogwarts
   to the Shrieking Shack.

   Widdershins, Willy (OotP ch. 22): A prankster and spy of sorts who
   appears to have friends in high places.

   Etym: From the English word, meaning a counter-clockwise rotation,
   associated with black magic.

   Wilbert Slinkhard: Etym: From Germanic wil "will, desire" + berht
   "bright, famous".

   Wilfred the Wistful (OotP ch. 14): A wizard commemorated with a statue
   at Hogwarts.

   Etym: From Old English will "will" + frith "peace".

   Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank: Etym: Name of the queen of the Netherlands
   during World War II, a symbol of the Dutch resistance.

   Wilkes (GoF ch. 27): A Death Eater, killed before Voldemort's fall.

   Etym: From a medieval given name related to William. EA mentions a
   John Wilkes (1727-1797), an English reformist politician, rake, and
   wit.

   Williamson (OotP ch. 36): An employee of the Ministry of Magic.

   Etym: Patronymic from William; see Bill.

   willow: Any shrub or tree of the genus Salix, grown variously for
   ornament, shade, or timber. Willow bark is the source for salicin, the
   parent of a whole set of pain relievers.

   Willy Widdershins [William]:

   Etym: See Bill.

   Wiltshire (OotP ch. 15): Where Lucius Malfoy's mansion is located. A
   popular place for ancestral country estates, having better weather
   than most of the UK and easy access to London. Also, the area where
   Stonehenge is located.

   Wimbledon (OotP ch. 7): The site of one of the regurgitating toilet
   pranks.

   Wimbourne Wasps: The team Ludo Bagman played for professionally.
   Wimbourne could be a misspelling for Wimborne, as in Wimborne Minster.

   Wimple, Gilbert (GoF ch. 7): A wizard on the Committee on Experimental
   Charms who acquired a pair of horns somewhere along the way.

   Etym: In addition to a head covering, wimple is a verb meaning to
   enfold or cover up.

   Wingardium Leviosa: The incantation for a levitation charm.

   Etym: From wing or something similar, and Latin levis, "light".

   Winky: A house-elf once in the employ of Bartemius Crouch senior, set
   to guard Crouch junior and later dismissed by him. Last seen being
   sheltered by the Hogwarts house-elves.

   Etym: Like winky is 19th/early 20th century abbreviation for like
   winking, i.e., very fast.

   Wisteria Walk (OotP ch. 1): A street in the Dursleys' neighborhood.

   Witching Hour: A wizard radio program.

   Witch Weekly: A weekly publication focusing on soft news; something
   along the lines of People for wizards.

   Wizarding Examinations Authority (OotP ch. 31): The department in
   charge of O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s.

   Wizarding Wireless Network: A wizard radio network.

   Wizengamot (OotP ch. 5): The high court of wizard-dom.

   Etym: May be from roots meaning "wisdom" and "coming together". Not
   very sure of this.

   wolfsbane: see monkshood.

   Wolfsbane Potion: A potion which can cancel the mental effects of a
   werewolf's transformation, allowing them to remain sane. Rendered
   ineffective by the addition of sugar.

   Wood, Oliver: The former Keeper and captain of the Gryffindor
   Quidditch team, now a reserve player for Puddlemere United.

   Etym: What it sounds like.

   Wormtail: Peter Pettigrew's nickname among James Potter's gang.

   wormwood: Artemisia Absinthium, used as a tonic and vermifuge. One of
   the ingredients of the Draught of Living Death.

   Wronski Defensive Feint: A Quidditch move in which a Seeker pretends
   to have seen the Golden Snitch, making the other team's Seeker follow
   and possibly causing them harm.

   Etym: Russian patronymic from a nickname meaning "crow". Jsef Maria
   Wronski (1778-1853) was a Polish mathematician and philosopher.

   Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Albus Percival: Etym: The name elements mean
   "wolf" and "ruler".

   WWN: The Wizarding Wireless Network, with intimations of the BBC.

X

   X: The 24th letter of the modern alphabet and the 21st of the Roman,
   corresponding in form and position to the Greek xi. The early Greek
   forms represented the aspirate voiceless velar kh in the Ionian
   alphabet and ks in the Chaldean. The ancient Roman name of the letter
   was ix, and the Romans used it for the ks sound. Its earliest use in
   English was as a medial and final alternate spelling of cs.

   In modern usage, x is a marker, a metasyntactic variable, and a symbol
   for the unknown. It is not, however, the beginning of any names or
   terms relevant to any of the Harry Potter books.

Y

   Year with the Yeti: One of Gilderoy Lockhart's books.

   yew: Trees and shrubs of the genus Taxus. The timber trees produce a
   wood that is hard, finegrained, and heavy, and was once popular for
   cabinetry, tools, and bows. In British folklore, it's associated with
   death.

   Yorkshire: A region of northern England.

   Yorkshire pudding: A floury batter cooked until crisp on top, usually
   served with roast meats.

   Yvonne (PS ch. 2): Petunia Dursley's friend.

   Etym: French name, possibly from Old German Iv "yew".

Z

   Zabini, Blaise (PS ch. 7): A Slytherin in the same year as Harry.

   Etym: Derives from the name of the Sabine tribe. Probably no special
   meaning here.

   Zacharias Smith: Etym: A minor prophet who produced eschatological
   visions. The name is from the Hebrew for "Jehovah has remembered".

   Zamojski, Ladislaw (OotP ch. 19): Etym: No etymology, but maybe a
   variant of Zamoyski, the name of a Polish family that was highly
   influential in the 15th-19th centuries.

   Zeller, Rose (OotP ch. 11): A Hufflepuff four years behind Harry.

   Etym: From German zelle "small room", meaning specifically a shrine or
   hermit's cell.

   Zograf (GoF ch. 8): The Keeper on the Bulgarian national Quidditch
   team.

   Etym: No info.

   Zonko's Joke Shop: The pranksters' supply house in Hogsmeade.

   Etym: Zonko is an invention from or variation of zonky.
