An introduction to charm-work
Welcome, students, to your first lesson in charms. Charm-work is the backbone of magic - you will find it in every nook and cranny of the magical world, from your every-day house cleaning endeavors, to the security measures at your local bank, to the very thing that saves your life.
Let us begin our discussion by defining what, exactly, a charm is. A charm is a magical spell that adds specific properties to an object or living being. In opposition to transfiguration, charm-work's goal is usually to change what something does, rather than what something is. For example, a Levitation Charm doesn't give an object wings or change it into something that already flies, such as a bird - instead, it gives the object (or person, potentially!) the ability to levitate. Charm work requires precise movements and careful pronunciation; mispronounce a charm or get a little too crazy with your movements and anything (or worse, nothing!) can happen. In your textbook, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, author Miranda Goshawk tells the rather amusing, but important, tale of Wizard Baruffio. While casting a charm, Baruffio mispronounced the incantation, saying "s" instead of "f". As a result, his charm gave him a very different result... before he knew what was happening, he was laying on the ground with a buffalo sitting on his chest! While charm-work is much more flexible than transfiguration magic, please keep in mind that it is still a rather precise art, and as such, take caution against adding too much of your own "personal flair"!
Charm-work has come a long way over the centuries. Charms were once cast using long incantations, required multiple items to draw magic from, and sometimes required writing. In addition, their intended effect was quite different - purifying water, continual protection against dark creatures, wart-removal, etc. These are no longer the worries of witches and wizards, but they were important first steps toward the incredible charm-work we see in today's world. In the early days of charm work, charms were often cast on objects or jewelry, which the witch or wizard would then carry or wear. To this day we are still unsure of why this was - perhaps early charms stayed longer on inanimate objects? Perhaps it was all superstition? Or perhaps in a world where witches and wizards were continually persecuted rather than brushed off, this was simply the safest method.
Nowadays, charms often last long regardless of what - or who - they are cast on. In fact, there are three different "levels" or "types" of charm-work. There are your basic charms, which are cast for a relatively brief period of time on a single object or person (or, sometimes, conjure something for a short period of time, such as the bird-conjuring charm Opugno or the powerful protective Patronus charm). Then there are enchantments, which are more powerful than charms and often last a longer time. Enchantments are also usually cast over a large area, such as the protective Muggle-repelling enchantments cast around our school grounds. Finally, I am sure you have heard of "bewitched" objects. Bewitchments are like enchantments in that they are long-lasting and more potent than regular charms, but bewitchments are cast on specific objects or people, rather than having a blanket-effect like enchantments. For example, the popular wizarding pub The Leaky Cauldron has a few bewitched teapots, which float around and serve tea to the patrons who hold up their mugs.
The evolution of charm-work owes a lot to those who have experimented with magic and pushed the perceived limitations of what magic was capable of. As such, we will briefly look at some of the most famous people in the history of charms. Andros the Invincible was said to produce the largest Patronus of all time (the size of a giant!) All four of the Hogwarts Founders excelled at charm-work. Godric Gryffindor was the most accomplished duelist of his time, which would've required a hefty amount of practice and knowledge in the field of charms. Helga Hufflepuff excelled at food-related charms - and as such, she was likely in charge of feeding all of the students at Hogwarts. Many of her recipes and charms are still used in our kitchens today. Salazar Slytherin was an accomplished Legilimens, and was even able to bewitch the Sorting Hat with this ability! Rowena Ravenclaw's mastery of charms was an incredible help as she came up with (and executed) the floor plan for Hogwarts, including the enchanted staircase so many of you are fond of. It is also rumored that Ravenclaw bewitched her diadem to enhance the wisdom of the wearer, but no distinctive proof of this has ever been found. Merwyn the Malicious is credited with inventing a disturbingly large amount of jinxes and hexes. Ignatia Wildsmith, the inventor of Floo Powder, Bowman Wright, inventor of the Golden Snitch, and Edgar Stroulgar, inventor of the sneakoscope, likely used charm-work in their inventions. Potentially the most important name in charms history, though, is Balfour Blane. Blane established the Committee on Experimental Charms, which oversees the use and development of new charms. Without this committee, the discovery of new charms would be messy and difficult, and word about new and safe charms would be hard to come by. We certainly owe a lot to Mr. Blane!
We will finish this lesson with a discussion of certain wand woods and their influence on charm-casting.
That's it for today, class! Please continue to your first assignment here.
Let us begin our discussion by defining what, exactly, a charm is. A charm is a magical spell that adds specific properties to an object or living being. In opposition to transfiguration, charm-work's goal is usually to change what something does, rather than what something is. For example, a Levitation Charm doesn't give an object wings or change it into something that already flies, such as a bird - instead, it gives the object (or person, potentially!) the ability to levitate. Charm work requires precise movements and careful pronunciation; mispronounce a charm or get a little too crazy with your movements and anything (or worse, nothing!) can happen. In your textbook, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1, author Miranda Goshawk tells the rather amusing, but important, tale of Wizard Baruffio. While casting a charm, Baruffio mispronounced the incantation, saying "s" instead of "f". As a result, his charm gave him a very different result... before he knew what was happening, he was laying on the ground with a buffalo sitting on his chest! While charm-work is much more flexible than transfiguration magic, please keep in mind that it is still a rather precise art, and as such, take caution against adding too much of your own "personal flair"!
Charm-work has come a long way over the centuries. Charms were once cast using long incantations, required multiple items to draw magic from, and sometimes required writing. In addition, their intended effect was quite different - purifying water, continual protection against dark creatures, wart-removal, etc. These are no longer the worries of witches and wizards, but they were important first steps toward the incredible charm-work we see in today's world. In the early days of charm work, charms were often cast on objects or jewelry, which the witch or wizard would then carry or wear. To this day we are still unsure of why this was - perhaps early charms stayed longer on inanimate objects? Perhaps it was all superstition? Or perhaps in a world where witches and wizards were continually persecuted rather than brushed off, this was simply the safest method.
Nowadays, charms often last long regardless of what - or who - they are cast on. In fact, there are three different "levels" or "types" of charm-work. There are your basic charms, which are cast for a relatively brief period of time on a single object or person (or, sometimes, conjure something for a short period of time, such as the bird-conjuring charm Opugno or the powerful protective Patronus charm). Then there are enchantments, which are more powerful than charms and often last a longer time. Enchantments are also usually cast over a large area, such as the protective Muggle-repelling enchantments cast around our school grounds. Finally, I am sure you have heard of "bewitched" objects. Bewitchments are like enchantments in that they are long-lasting and more potent than regular charms, but bewitchments are cast on specific objects or people, rather than having a blanket-effect like enchantments. For example, the popular wizarding pub The Leaky Cauldron has a few bewitched teapots, which float around and serve tea to the patrons who hold up their mugs.
The evolution of charm-work owes a lot to those who have experimented with magic and pushed the perceived limitations of what magic was capable of. As such, we will briefly look at some of the most famous people in the history of charms. Andros the Invincible was said to produce the largest Patronus of all time (the size of a giant!) All four of the Hogwarts Founders excelled at charm-work. Godric Gryffindor was the most accomplished duelist of his time, which would've required a hefty amount of practice and knowledge in the field of charms. Helga Hufflepuff excelled at food-related charms - and as such, she was likely in charge of feeding all of the students at Hogwarts. Many of her recipes and charms are still used in our kitchens today. Salazar Slytherin was an accomplished Legilimens, and was even able to bewitch the Sorting Hat with this ability! Rowena Ravenclaw's mastery of charms was an incredible help as she came up with (and executed) the floor plan for Hogwarts, including the enchanted staircase so many of you are fond of. It is also rumored that Ravenclaw bewitched her diadem to enhance the wisdom of the wearer, but no distinctive proof of this has ever been found. Merwyn the Malicious is credited with inventing a disturbingly large amount of jinxes and hexes. Ignatia Wildsmith, the inventor of Floo Powder, Bowman Wright, inventor of the Golden Snitch, and Edgar Stroulgar, inventor of the sneakoscope, likely used charm-work in their inventions. Potentially the most important name in charms history, though, is Balfour Blane. Blane established the Committee on Experimental Charms, which oversees the use and development of new charms. Without this committee, the discovery of new charms would be messy and difficult, and word about new and safe charms would be hard to come by. We certainly owe a lot to Mr. Blane!
We will finish this lesson with a discussion of certain wand woods and their influence on charm-casting.
- Acacia wands are fairly temperamental, and as such can result in unpredictable results in charm-work. However, they are capable of producing a wide range of power, and thus (with the right owner) can be some of the best for charm-work.
- Alder excels at non-verbal spells and charms. Paired with a powerful and disciplined owner, it makes an excellent wand for charms.
- Aspen wands are famous for their prowess with charms. They are especially good with dueling magic.
- Black Walnut wands excels in all areas of charm-work, but they come with a twist; only owners who are able to be honest with themselves will be able to take advantage of this wand's power.
- Dogwood wand owners are notoriously capable of producing very flashy, noisy, and vibrant charms, and have a particular knack for enchantments. However, they refuse to perform non-verbal magic.
- Ebony wands, like aspen wands, excel at dueling magic.
- Elm wands produce the most elegant charms, in addition to being the least prone to accidents and rudimentary errors.They prefer owners with excellent magical dexterity, and as such, elm wand wielders are frequently excellent duelers as well. I would go as far as to say that elm wand wielders rarely have to duel - they can often take out an opponent quickly and effectively, before their opponent is even aware that a duel has begun.
- Hawthorn wands are quite intriguing - they are equally suited to healing charms and dark magic. They are also prone to backfiring. Hawthorn wands prefer owners who are experiencing inner turmoil. This combination leads me to providing you with a warning: if you can, avoid a Hawthorn wand user unless you are confident that they are stable and have proven their talent.
- Pine wands encourage creativity, and as such, they are well-matched to those who wish to experiment with new charms or the invention of charms. They are also the best of all wand-woods at non-verbal magic. Interestingly enough, pine wands are also said to choose owners who have long lives - something you would not normally expect of those who choose the dangerous path of spell invention.
- Rowan wood is unmatched when it comes to protective charm-work. They produce incredibly strong and break-resistant charms and enchantments.
- Silver Lime wands perform best when used in charms of the mind, such as Legilimency.
- Willow wands are well-suited to healing charms and are proficient at advanced, non-verbal magic.
That's it for today, class! Please continue to your first assignment here.