Severing Charm

Spell to cut something.

Wand movement: a jagged, cutting down motion with the wand: up, then slash down and right, then up again (BoS3)

References from the canon

• Ron used a Severing Charm to remove the lace from the neck and sleeves of his used dress robes (GF23).
• Harry used it on Cedric's book bag to slow him down so Harry could tell him about the dragons (GF9).
• Harry cast "Diffindo" in an attempt to sever the tentacles of thought that the attacking brain wrapped around Ron during the battle of the Department of Mysteries (OP35).
• Harry used the spell to slice the cover off his own brand-new copy of Advanced Potion-Making (tapping the cover while saying the spell). He then repeated the spell for the copy of the book he had borrowed from the Potions dungeon's supply of spare textbooks (HBP11).
• Hermione used "Diffindo" to cut Ron free of the magical ropes (DH9).
• Used to cut Mrs. Cattermole free of the chained chair, but it didn't work (DH13).
• Used to break the ice on the pool containing the sword of Gryffindor in the Forest of Dean (DH19).