Spirit Division

• Incantation: Unknown, likely none. The process is not a cast spell but a self-willed act at the point of death.
• Pronunciation: Not applicable.
• Wand Movement: Not applicable.
• Light: None described.
• Effect: The magical separation of a wizard's or witch's spirit from their physical body, causing the spirit to remain in the mortal world as a ghost. The result is a spectral, three-dimensional “imprint” of the deceased individual, retaining their personality, memories, and appearance from the time of death.
• Type: Post-mortem Magic

The term Spirit Division is used explicitly only once in the series, but the process it describes is the fundamental means by which all ghosts are created.

• Professor Binns: The History of Magic professor is the only character to use the term Spirit Division. He explains to his class that his death was unremarkable; he had simply fallen asleep in an armchair in the staffroom and, upon waking the next morning to teach, left his body behind. He refers to this event as his Spirit Division and seemed only mildly surprised by it.
• Nearly Headless Nick's Explanation: In his attempt to comfort Harry Potter after the death of Sirius Black, Nearly Headless Nick provides a more detailed explanation of the choice to become a ghost. He reveals that it is not a common fate for wizards. Only those who “dread death” and fear what lies beyond can choose to remain on Earth. He describes ghosts as “pale imitations” of their living selves, who can neither truly leave nor fully participate in the world of the living.
• Other Hogwarts Ghosts: All ghosts residing at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including The Fat Friar, The Bloody Baron, The Grey Lady, and Moaning Myrtle, must have undergone Spirit Division at the moment of their respective deaths, choosing to remain behind rather than “go on.”

Spirit Division is not a learnable spell or a skill that can be practiced. It is a choice made by a wizard or witch at the moment of their death. The primary requirement is a profound fear of what comes next, which leads the individual to cling to their former existence. There are no known counter-spells or methods to reverse the process. Once a spirit has become a ghost, it appears to be a permanent state. The alternative to Spirit Division is to accept death and “go on,” as characters like Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black chose to do.

The term is a literal description of the event:

• Spirit: From the Latin spiritus, meaning “breath, courage, the soul.” It refers to the non-corporeal essence of a person.
• Division: From the Latin dividere, meaning “to force apart, to distribute.” It refers to the act of separation.

Together, the term precisely means “the separation of the spirit” from the physical body.

• According to the Pottermore/Wizarding World website, only wizards and witches can become ghosts. Muggles are unable to leave a spiritual imprint on the earth in this manner (Pottermore).
• The decision to become a ghost can also be influenced by having “unfinished business” in the mortal world, which ties into the fear of moving on (Pottermore).