Sticking Charm

• Incantation: Unknown
• Pronunciation: Not applicable
• Wand Movement: Unknown
• Light: Unknown
• Effect: Magically adheres or fastens an object to a surface, or to another object. The charm can be cast to be permanent, at which point its effects become exceptionally difficult, if not impossible, to reverse.
• Type: Charm

The Sticking Charm is best known in its most powerful form, the Permanent Sticking Charm. This variation was famously used by a young Sirius Black to decorate his bedroom at number twelve, Grimmauld Place. He used it to affix posters, a Gryffindor banner, and photographs of Muggle girls to the walls in defiance of his family's pure-blood beliefs. Most significantly, Sirius Black also used a Permanent Sticking Charm to fasten a life-sized portrait of his mother, Walburga Black, to the wall in the main hallway of the house. The enchantment was so strong that no one in the Order of the Phoenix was able to remove it, not even after the house became their headquarters. The portrait remained a constant security risk and a source of irritation, shrieking insults whenever its curtains were disturbed. Years later, when Mundungus Fletcher was looting the house, he was unable to remove the portrait and other fixtures enchanted by the charm. A standard, non-permanent version of the charm is also used in the manufacturing of Quidditch supplies. According to Newt Scamander, a Sticking Charm is used to affix Quintaped hide to the iron Bludgers used in the game (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them).

While the difficulty of a standard Sticking Charm is not specified, casting a permanent version is clearly a mark of considerable magical skill. The fact that Sirius Black could perform such powerful magic as a teenager speaks to his talent. There is no known counter-spell or method for reversing a Permanent Sticking Charm. The collective failure of skilled wizards such as Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, and Alastor Moody to remove Walburga Black's portrait strongly suggests that the charm, once made permanent, is irreversible.

The name “Sticking Charm” is a simple, functional description derived from the English verb “to stick,” meaning to adhere, attach, or fasten to something.

The Permanent Sticking Charm serves primarily as a narrative device. It physically roots the dark legacy of the Black family within the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, creating a constant source of conflict and tension. It is a lasting symbol of Sirius Black's rebellion and the indelible nature of the past.