Ice in the Wizarding World

Ice is the solid state of water, occurring naturally in the Wizarding world just as it does in the Muggle world, primarily during cold weather. However, in the magical community, ice can also be created, manipulated, and enchanted through various spells and curses. It appears throughout the series as an environmental feature, a component of magical challenges, a defensive measure, and a manifestation of dark magic.

Witches and wizards can create and control ice using specific magical means, far beyond the capabilities of Muggles.

• Freezing Charms: The most direct way to create ice is through a Freezing Charm. The specific incantation `Immobulus` was used by Hermione Granger to disable a swarm of Cornish Pixies, freezing them in mid-air. Other unnamed freezing spells are presumed to exist for general purposes, such as chilling drinks or creating ice for recreational skating.
• Weather-Modifying Charms: These charms can alter the atmospheric conditions in a specific area to produce snow and freezing temperatures, thereby creating ice. The ceiling of the Great Hall at Hogwarts is often enchanted to reflect the winter weather outside, including snowfall.
• Dark Magic and Creatures: The presence of certain dark creatures, most notably Dementors, generates an intense, unnatural cold that drains all warmth from the surroundings. This chilling effect is powerful enough to cause ice to form on windows, such as when they boarded the Hogwarts Express, and to freeze patches of water.

Beyond its normal physical properties, ice can be imbued with unique magical characteristics.

• Cursed Ice: A notable example of enchanted ice was found within the Lestrange Vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. This particular type of ice was part of the vault's defenses and was cursed to burn on contact with skin, causing painful blisters.
• Magical Confections: The wizarding sweet shop Honeydukes sells `Ice Mice`, a confection which makes one's teeth “chatter and squeak.”
• Potions: While not explicitly named as a common ingredient in the Potions curriculum, ice is logically essential in a potioneer's storeroom for rapidly cooling concoctions to stabilize them or for preserving perishable ingredients.

Ice plays a significant role in several key events in the series, often presenting an obstacle or setting a critical scene.

• The Second Task: During the Triwizard Tournament in 1994-1995, the Black Lake on the Hogwarts grounds froze over during the winter. This created the harsh, icy environment for the Second Task, where the champions had to rescue hostages from the Merpeople beneath the frozen surface.
• The Sword of Gryffindor: In the winter of 1997, Severus Snape, using his Patronus, led Harry Potter to a frozen pond in the Forest of Dean. At the bottom of this pond lay the Sword of Gryffindor. Harry had to break the ice and dive into the freezing water to retrieve it, where he was nearly killed by Salazar Slytherin's Locket before being rescued by Ron Weasley.
• Dementor Attacks: The signature icy chill that precedes Dementors is a recurring element. This phenomenon was first described in detail during the Dementor's search of the Hogwarts Express and again during the attack on Harry Potter and Dudley Dursley in Little Whinging.

• In the *Harry Potter* video games, the spell `Glacius` is a commonly featured freezing charm that encases targets in a block of ice. This incantation does not appear in the original seven novels. (video game)
• The film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire` depicts the Black Lake during the Second Task as a vast, snow-covered, and solidly frozen landscape, emphasizing the extreme danger and cold of the challenge. (film)