Horcrux
A rare piece of magic that allows the practitioner to split his or her soul. This allows the practitioner to cheat death. Dumbledore believes Lord Voldemort made seven Horcruxes.
Unbreakable Vow
A vow that, once made, must be fulfilled. If it is broken, the person that broke the vow dies.
Daily Prophet
The wizard newspaper
Parseltongue
The language snakes speak
Parselmouth
Someone who speaks Parseltongue
Dark Mark
The mark Death Eaters leave above a building after they kill someone. It is also a tattoo branded onto the forearm of all Death Eaters. The mark burns when Lord Voldemort summons them.
Weasley Wizard Wheezes
Fred and George’s joke shop, in Diagon Alley.
Pure-Blood
Wizards and witches that descend from only witches and wizards. Their magic only lineage gives many a false sense of superiority, like the Malfoys for example. Not all pure-blood witches and wizards feel this way. The Weasleys, Sirius and Neville are pure-bloods.
Half-Blood
A witch or wizard that has one parent descended from witches and wizards and one parent that is either muggle-born or a muggle. Some examples of half-bloods are: Harry, Tonks, and Tom Riddle (Lord Voldemort).
Muggle-Born
A witch or wizard who is the first of their family to be magical, neither parent is a witch, wizard or squib. The derogatory term mud-blood is used to refer to muggle-borns. Some examples of muggle-borns are Lily and Hermione.
Squib
A person with no magical abilities that was born to a family that has magical abilities. Some examples of squibs are: Argus Filtch and Mrs. Figg.
Professor
A Hogwarts instructor; although they are not actual professors, students refer to them as such out of honor.
Quidditch
A Hogwarts sport, in which two student teams race to catch a flying ball.
surreptitious
Marked by quiet, caution, and secrecy.
While the Prime Minister surreptitiously touched the wood of his desk, Fudge continued, "But Black's by-the-by now. The point is, we're at war, Prime Minister, and steps must be taken." (Rowling 12)
aggreive
Cause to feel sorrow.
Fudge subsided into what was clearly an aggrieved [sorrowed] silence, but it was broken almost immediately by the portrait, which suddenly spoke in its crisp, official voice. (Rowling 15)
admonition
A firm rebuke (sharp dissaproval)
At last, Narcissa hurried up a street named Spinner's End, over which the towering mill chimney seemed to hover like a giant admonitory finger. (Rowling 21)
Agapanthus
Any of various plants of the genus Agapanthus characterized by umbels of showy blue to purple flowers.
"It is a long time since my last visit," said Dumbledore, peering down his crooked nose at Uncle Vernon. "I must say, your agapanthus are flourishing." (Rowling 46)
Doff
remove
"Until we meet again," he said to the Dursleys, who looked as though that moment could wait forever as far as they were concerned, and after doffing his hat, he swept from the room. (Rowling 56)
