A popular fan theory claims that Hogwarts has a spell that keeps individuals from dying quickly on the premises.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is complete with dangerous components and characteristics that never manage to bring anyone down ultimately. Harry is constantly badly hurt throughout the series, only to be saved by some lucky or well-timed spell. In truth, Hogwarts, being a magical institution, is intrinsically dangerous. It’s an institution that asks adolescents to mess with occult powers on top of all the terrible monsters that live on the grounds.
There are numerous close calls throughout the series, with multiple people ending up in the hospital wing, where their injuries are magically repaired. That doesn’t explain why someone wouldn’t die instantaneously if they fell from a broomstick or were attacked by a freezing spell. According to one idea, Hogwarts was purposefully created to weaken magic to keep things from reaching a dangerous level.
The hypothesis claims that someone placed a secret spell on the school that diminished any magical or physical threat offered by anyone on the Hogwarts premises over time. LogOut is a Reddit user. Eventually, an argument for the existence of a “nerf” enchantment on Hogwarts is well-thought-out, explaining why the school is so lenient with safety precautions because they don’t believe they are necessary. There have been numerous potentially dangerous events throughout the books, ranging from students engaging in magical duels (such as Malfoy being injured by Harry in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) to in-school activities (such as Quidditch and classes like Potions). For safety, the notion claims that a charm exists in the school that more or less shields anyone from being murdered, preventing spells from being used to their full potential.
That could explain why some spells used inside and outside Hogwarts appear to be more powerful outside the institution. The problem with this hypothesis is that there has been a confirmed death on the school grounds: Myrtle Warren, who was killed by the Basilisk in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but the Basilisk predates any life-saving spell placed on the school by someone like Dumbledore. In light of Myrtle’s death, Dumbledore may have opted to perform the charm, explaining how Hogwarts might be regarded as one of the Wizarding World’s safest locations.
It would also explain two significant sections of the series, the Forbidden Forest and the Battle of Hogwarts, that mainly were left unspoken. The Forbidden Forest is located on the outskirts of Hogwarts and is home to a variety of deadly beasts. However, it’s worth noting that the forest is treated with far more fear by the staff than the rest of the equally dangerous institution. That could be because the “nerf spell” does not extend outside the castle grounds, making any mortal wound suffered in the forest lethal. As a result, the Forbidden Forest is managed with significantly more excellent care, which explains why Dumbledore warns students to avoid it and why people could more aggressively employ the Killing Curse on each other in the forest.
Meanwhile, the Battle of Hogwarts was fought primarily within Hogwarts and on the school grounds. Despite the presence of a great army of Death Eaters and horrible beasts brought by Voldemort, an army predominantly made up of teenagers triumphed. While several individuals died due to the many killing curses flung around during the conflict, the theory claims that the death toll would have been far worse if it hadn’t been for them, despite the Death Eaters being significantly more likely than their rivals use the Killing Curse. If Hogwarts had an inbuilt ability to avert death, the spells would be weaker or more likely to miss. It’s an intriguing concept that adds to Hogwarts’ reputation as a safe sanctuary for young witches and wizards.
