Lumos Maxima

• Incantation: Lumos Maxima
• Pronunciation: LOO-mos MAX-i-ma
• Wand Movement: Unknown from the novels. In the film adaptations, it is typically cast with a sharp flick or jab of the wand (film).
• Light: A bright, intense burst or ball of white light.
• Effect: Creates a powerful, intense flare of light from the wand tip, significantly stronger than the standard Lumos charm. The light can be projected outwards and can illuminate a very large area.
• Type: Charm

The spell Lumos Maxima is not mentioned in any of the seven original Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling. Its use is exclusive to the film adaptations and other related media.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter is seen practicing this spell under his bedcovers at Number Four, Privet Drive. He casts it several times, creating a bright flash of light that nearly reveals his activity to his Uncle Vernon (film).
• Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter both use a powerful, non-verbal version of the Wand-Lighting Charm in the sea cave that produces an effect similar to Lumos Maxima, but the incantation is not stated.
• The spell is also used in the Fantastic Beasts film series by characters such as Newt Scamander to illuminate large, dark spaces (film).

As the spell does not appear in the source novels, its learning difficulty is unknown. It is presumed to be a more advanced and powerful variation of the standard Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos), which is covered in the first-year Charms curriculum at Hogwarts. The counter-spell is almost certainly the Wand-Extinguishing Charm, Nox, which is used to extinguish the light produced by the Lumos charm.

The incantation Lumos Maxima is derived from two Latin words:

• Lumos: Derived from the Latin word lumen, which means “light.”
• Maxima: The feminine form of the Latin adjective maximus, meaning “greatest” or “largest.”

When combined, the incantation literally translates to “greatest light,” reflecting its nature as a more powerful version of the Lumos spell.

Lumos Maxima is a spell created for the film series and is one of the most prominent examples of magic not originating from J.K. Rowling's books. Its inaugural appearance in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban created a potential plot hole, as Harry Potter, an underage wizard, performing magic at his Muggle home should have resulted in a formal warning from the Ministry of Magic's Improper Use of Magic Office. This incident is often rationalized by fans as either the Ministry overlooking minor infractions due to the more serious matter of Sirius Black's escape, or that Harry's actions were overshadowed by the accidental magic he performed on Aunt Marge shortly thereafter. The spell is a popular feature in the Harry Potter video game series, where it often serves as a more potent magical light source for exploration.