If you are up against an enemy, you need a magic wand and to be prepared with offensive and defensive spells. Imagine you are in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Gilderoy Lockhart is teaching you to duel. Now, you are up against Lord Voldemort in the graveyard after competing in the Triwizard Tournament. Fast forward to facing off with the Death Eaters in the Ministry of Magic. Finally, it is the battle of a lifetime at Hogwarts. Harry Potter took part in a number of duels and battles. Are you prepared to go head-to-head with Death Eaters? What spells do you have up your sleeve for a duel? Grab your magic wand and join Harry Potter and the rest of Dumbledore’s Army in preparation for the duels or battles in your life. Here is a list of some of the best spells to use during a duel.

Bat-Bogey Hex - Make bats fly out of your enemy’s nose with this spell. Ginny Weasley was popular for using this hex to overpower Draco Malfoy in Professor Umbridge’s office. It also earned her an invitation to Professor Slughorn’s Slug Club when she cursed Zacharias Smith on the Hogwarts Express.

Confringo - Use care when casting this dangerous and potentially lethal blasting curse. This spell causes items to explode. When facing off with Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew used a blasting curse to blow up a street including twelve Muggle bystanders.

Expelliarmus - Disarm your enemy quickly and easily. As possibly Harry Potter’s favorite and most used spell, Expelliarmus comes in handy even when battling the worst of the worst.

Levicorpus - Knock your opponent off his/her balance as James Potter did when he was bullying Snape at Hogwarts. Although this spell can be nonverbal or spoken aloud, it works the same way. This jinx hangs the victim upside down by his/her ankle.

Locomotor Mortis - Stop your enemy from physically advancing on you with this leg locking curse. Used by Draco against Neville in The Sorcerer’s Stone, this spell glues your opponent’s legs together making it difficult for him/her to move.

Petrificus Totalus - Neville fell victim to this curse when Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried to leave the common room in The Sorcerer’s Stone. This full body bind curse immobilizes your target. Only his/her eyes can still move.

Protego - Shield yourself from incoming curses using this defensive shield charm. This spell casts an invisible barrier in front of the caster to provide protection from incoming spells and physical entries.

Stupefy - As one of the most important spells in your arsenal, this stunning spell allows you to temporarily knock your target unconscious. This charm allows you to quickly end a duel without lasting damage.

Unforgivable Curses - Although we will leave the unforgivable curses to Voldemort and his followers, it does not hurt to be aware of them. Unforgivable for a reason, the Cruciatus Curse (Crucio), Imperius Curse (Imperio), and Killing Curse (Avada Kadava) are designed to torture, control, and kill the enemy. Remember that a shield charm will not protect you from the Killing Curse. It is best to disarm, end your duel, and defeat your enemy before these potentially deadly curses come into play.

Never go into a duel without your magic wand. Check out our selection of wands to complete your Harry Potter cosplay outfit or to prepare for your next wizard’s duel.