Depulso

• Incantation: Depulso
• Pronunciation: de-PUL-so
• Wand Movement: Unknown from the novels.
• Light: No specific color is described in the novels.
• Effect: Sends the target object flying away from the caster. It is also known as the Banishing Charm.
• Type: Charm

The Banishing Charm is the direct counter-charm to the Summoning Charm, Accio. While the charm's effect is seen multiple times throughout the novels, the incantation Depulso is never explicitly used in the books and originates in other media. The spell is referred to simply as the “Banishing Charm.” The spell is a standard part of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry curriculum.

• In Harry Potter's fourth year, students learn the Banishing Charm in Professor Filius Flitwick's Charms class. The objective was to banish cushions into a box at the other end of the classroom. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger succeeded, while Neville Longbottom, who struggled with the spell, accidentally sent Professor Flitwick flying across the room.
• During the third task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Harry used a Banishing Charm to push aside a golden mist that was obscuring his vision in the maze. He later attempted to use it against a Blast-Ended Skrewt, but it had no effect on the creature's thick armor.
• The Banishing Charm was one of the spells practiced by members of Dumbledore's Army during their meetings in the Room of Requirement.
• During the fifth-year O.W.L. examinations, a student was seen successfully banishing a cushion as part of their practical Charms exam.

The Banishing Charm is taught to fourth-year students at Hogwarts and is a required spell for the Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations. The primary counter-spell is the Summoning Charm, Accio, which causes an object to fly toward the caster. Professor Flitwick noted that the two spells were “counter-charms” and that students often confused them.

The incantation Depulso is derived from the Latin verb dēpulsō, which means “I drive away,” “I push aside,” or “I repel.” This directly corresponds to the spell's function of pushing objects away from the caster.

The incantation Depulso is not found in any of the seven original Harry Potter novels. Its first prominent appearance is in the Harry Potter video games, starting with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) and continuing through subsequent games. In the games, it often functions as a basic spell for interacting with the environment and as a weak combat spell. The books only ever refer to this spell effect as the “Banishing Charm.”