Morsmordre

• Incantation: Morsmordre
• Pronunciation: morz-MOR-druh (film)
• Wand Movement: Unknown
• Light: The spell produces a flash of green light from the wand, which then erupts into a colossal, glowing green image in the sky.
• Effect: Conjures an image of the Dark Mark in the sky. The Dark Mark is the symbol of Lord Voldemort and his followers, appearing as a gigantic, glittering green skull with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue.
• Type: Dark Magic

The Morsmordre incantation is used exclusively by Death Eaters to brand the sky with the Dark Mark, signaling their presence and often marking a place where they have committed murder. The appearance of the Mark is designed to incite terror throughout the wizarding community.

• Quidditch World Cup (1994): The spell's first appearance in the series is after the Quidditch World Cup, when Barty Crouch Jr. casts it using Harry Potter's stolen wand. He does this to create panic and to mock the other Death Eaters who were rioting but fled at the thought of Lord Voldemort's return. The house-elf Winky was initially blamed for casting the spell. Ministry of Magic officials, including Arthur Weasley and Amos Diggory, used `Priori Incantatem` on Harry's wand to confirm it was the source of the Dark Mark.
• The Astronomy Tower (1997): After Severus Snape kills Albus Dumbledore, a Death Eater casts the Dark Mark over the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts. While the caster is not explicitly named in the moment, it is heavily implied to be the work of a fleeing Death Eater to signify their dark triumph.

Learning the Morsmordre spell is an act associated with the darkest of wizards. It is not taught at Hogwarts and is considered advanced Dark Magic, known only to Lord Voldemort's inner circle. There is no known direct counter-spell that can erase the Dark Mark from the sky once it has been conjured. The magical image hangs in the air for a considerable time before fading on its own. While defensive measures like the Stunning Spell can be used against the caster, they do not affect the conjured Mark itself.

The incantation `Morsmordre` is likely a combination of words from Latin and French.

• Mors: The Latin word for “death.” This directly relates to the skull imagery of the Dark Mark and the Death Eater moniker.
• Mordre: The French verb for “to bite.” This connects to the serpent emerging from the skull's mouth, as well as the concept of “taking a bite out of death,” a fitting phrase for Voldemort's followers.

Combined, the name can be interpreted as “to bite death” or “death-bite,” perfectly encapsulating the terrifying symbol it creates.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the casting of Morsmordre is a highly dramatic event. The spell is depicted as a stream of dark, smoky energy shooting into the clouds, which then coalesce into the animated, three-dimensional image of the Dark Mark. The pronunciation “morz-MOR-druh” is established in this film. (film)