======Maxima (Spell Modifier)======
=====Spell Information=====
  * **Incantation:** Maxima
  * **Pronunciation:** //MAX-ee-ma//
  * **Wand Movement:** Not specified. It is used in conjunction with a primary spell, so any wand movement would likely be that of the base [[spell]].
  * **Light:** Dependent on the spell being modified.
  * **Effect:** A spell modifier used as a suffix to another incantation. It significantly enhances the original spell's power, scale, or area of effect, raising it to its maximum potential.
  * **Type:** Spell Modifier, [[Charms]].
=====History and Known Uses=====
The most significant use of a `Maxima`-modified [[spell]] in the series occurs during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]]. As [[Voldemort]] and his army of [[Death Eaters]] prepared to assault [[Hogwarts Castle]], the school's defenders erected a powerful set of protective enchantments.
In //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows//, [[Professor Flitwick]], [[Professor McGonagall]], [[Professor Slughorn]], and [[Molly Weasley]] work in concert to cast a series of powerful [[Shield Charms]] to fortify the castle. They cast `[[Protego Maxima]]` in unison along with `[[Fianto Duri]]` and `[[Repello Inimicum]]`. The combined effect of these spells created a massive, shimmering, magical barrier that enveloped the entire castle, protecting it from the initial magical onslaught of the attacking forces. This barrier was immensely powerful, though it was eventually shattered by the combined dark magic of [[Voldemort]] and his followers.
=====Learning and Counter-Spells=====
The difficulty of using this modifier is not explicitly stated, but it is implied to be advanced magic. Its only canonical users are highly accomplished [[witches]] and [[wizards]], suggesting that a high degree of magical skill is required to successfully amplify a [[spell]] to its maximum level without it backfiring.
There is no specific counter-spell for the `Maxima` modifier itself. To counter a `Maxima`-enhanced [[spell]], one would need to use a counter-spell or offensive [[spell]] of sufficient power to overcome the amplified magic. For instance, the protective shield over [[Hogwarts]] was brought down not by a single counter-charm, but by a sustained barrage of powerful [[Dark Magic]].
=====Etymology=====
The word `Maxima` is a Latin adjective. It is the feminine singular or neuter plural form of `maximus`, which means "greatest," "largest," or "highest." This etymology directly reflects the modifier's function: to make a [[spell]] the "greatest" or most powerful version of itself.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2//, the casting of `[[Protego Maxima]]` and the other protective [[spells]] is a major visual sequence. The casters create a vast, blue energy dome that forms over the [[Hogwarts]] grounds, which visibly shatters and breaks apart under the bombardment from [[Voldemort]]'s army (film).
  * The `Maxima` modifier appears in various video games, often as an upgrade to a standard [[spell]]. For example, in //Hogwarts Legacy//, the player can learn `[[Bombarda Maxima]]`, a more powerful and destructive version of the Blasting Curse, `[[Bombarda]]` (video game).