Blight

• Incantation: Unknown. “Blight” may refer to the effect of various dark charms or curses rather than a single spell with a specific incantation.
• Pronunciation: N/A
• Wand Movement: Unknown.
• Light: Unknown.
• Effect: Causes a magical disease or malady in plants, leading to withering, decay, stunted growth, or general sickness.
• Type: The act of inflicting blight would likely be classified as a Jinx or a Curse, falling under the category of Dark Magic.

Blight is a magical affliction that harms flora. The most prominent mention of this condition occurs in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. During a Herbology lesson, Professor Sprout informs her second-year students that the Whomping Willow on the Hogwarts grounds was suffering from “a nasty bout of blight.” This incident demonstrates that even highly resilient and aggressive magical plants like the Whomping Willow are susceptible to such ailments. The novels do not specify whether this particular blight was a naturally occurring magical disease or the result of a deliberately cast curse. The context implies it is treated as a sickness that requires the attention of a Herbologist.

There is no information in the novels regarding the casting of a blighting curse. Curing a magical blight likely requires advanced knowledge of Herbology and potentially Potions. As the Hogwarts Herbology professor, Professor Sprout would be the primary expert in diagnosing and treating such conditions. Specific remedies or counter-curses for blight are not mentioned in the canonical texts.

The term “blight” is a standard English word that refers to any of a wide range of plant diseases that can cause rapid and widespread wilting, browning, and death of plant tissues such as leaves, flowers, and stems. Figuratively, it denotes anything that spoils, damages, or impairs. Its use in the wizarding world is a direct magical parallel to its real-world botanical meaning.

• In the video game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, a “Blighting Curse” is a known dark charm that causes plants to wither and die (video game).