Magic Law

[Hillman, Lee]

No: HPFGUIDX 17591

Yep, still catching up: 

Amber asked:
> 
> 1) What exactly is a Charm? To me, a Charm means that something is
> enchanted to perform a type of magic. However, this isn't always so in
> JKR's world, examples Cheering Charms and Wingardium Leviosa. To me,
> Wingardium Leviosa is a regular spell but it was taught in 
> Charms. Why?
> What distinguishes it?
> 

The way I see it, Charms create an instantaneous effect that either is
finite in nature (i.e., summoning something) or wears off over time (i.e.,
cheering charms). I agree with multiple posters who mentioned that Charms
essentially corresponds to "basic magic 101" or "English" in a Muggle
curriculum.

> 2) What's the difference between Charms and a regular spell? 
> And do the
> Hogwarts students have a class for "regular" spells?For example, where
> did the students learn Lumos? Or was that in Charms? Or are Charms
> regular spells and I'm just confused?
> 

Define "regular" spell. A Charm, a hex, a curse, or a jinx are all kinds of
spells. As to why some are classified "charms" and some "hexes," I don't
think we know enough yet to quantify all the reasons. But like I said, I
believe a charm is an instantaneous spell with a finite effect. A curse (as
in Unforgivable) has a more lasting implication (Imperius lasting for years)
and must be lifted by the caster, or else has permanent effects that cannot
be reversed (Avada Kedavra). Hexes and jinxes probably fall in the middle.

> 3) Could anyone make a Potion, or can it only be made by people with
> magic talent in them? After all, Potions is simply adding ingrediants
> in the right order, the right way (or at least it seems that way to
> me). 
> 

This has been answered several ways, but I'll throw in my two cents. I
believe that magical ability is a requisite for successful potions-brewing.
Absolutely it also requires the right ingredients, quantities, and sequence
of addition, but without the all-important magical intention and focused
concentration on the bubbling cauldron, the potion will have a varied range
of effect. And yes, as someone pointed out, I think there are advanced
potions that also involve additional components, such as an incantation (I
don't think Wormtail was reciting in the graveyard for dramatic effect
alone).


> 4) What's the difference between an easy spell and a hard spell?
> Clearly, with the Patronus spell, a force of will and ability 
> to hold a
> happy thought separated it from the easy spells. Is it always a force
> of will? 
> 

Again, as has been answered, I agree that a hard spell is one that requires
more concentration, possibly a more focused will, possibly specific
movements of the wand or other components, and in the case of the Patronus,
as someone pointed out, a combinative effect of concentration, willpower,
and holding onto a happy memory clearly. The more complex the effect, or the
more finesse involved, the harder the spell, as well. To use a horrible
analogy, think of the Force (SW). It's much easier for Luke to pick up a
boulder than to place it on a pile and keep it balanced.


> 5) Why is the wand necessary for magic? Obviously, one can do magic
> without it. Harry did before he found out he was chosen at 
> Hogwarts and
> so did Neville (remember, he bounced when his Uncle let go of him out
> the window). So why do they need wands? Is it a way to help them focus
> their magic? If so, then why don't the adults do magic without their
> wands since they have supposedly learned to focus their magic?
> 

Wands focus magic per JKR. They may also act as an amplifier, picking up on
the magic being focused through them and making it easier to direct, also
making it a more powerful stream (rather than a diffuse one--a bullet
instead of buckshot). It seems reasonable that once one learns to focus and
concentrate on the really complicated stuff, casting the simple stuff
without a wand can be done. I doubt that any but the really superlative
wizards can do anything majorly powerful without a wand, though (but I bet
Dumbledore can!).

> 6) What in the frick is Arithmancy? Hermione keeps going to that class
> but I'm still clueless on what it is. Magic with math? If so, give me
> details!
> 

This came up a while ago and once again, several people posted a link to a
definition of Arithmancy. But am I the only one who finds that definition
strange? First of all, if that was the defninition JKR meant to use, that
means Hogwarts is home to no less than three distinct tracks of classes that
deal with divination in one form or another: 

--Trelawny's brand, which so far consists of folklore, tea leaves, crystal
balls, numerology, and apparently a true talent as an occasional medium--all
things we classify as fortune-telling;

--Arithmancy, which the link posted defines as divination using numbers;

--Ancient Runes, which aside from being arcane forms of communication were
frequently used for prophesying or telling fortunes.

I have a problem with this--I don't see why these all need to be separate
tracks of classes. Runes I can make a case for, but if all Arithmancy is is
number crunching, why doesn't Trelawney cover it? She teaches astrology and
numerology--couldn't "divination with numbers" be taught at some future
point in Divination class?

Second, unless there are additional (advanced) tracks of classes they
haven't been offered yet, we haven't seen any attention paid to so-called
ceremonial (or ritual) magic (a la Buckland, Crowley, Fraser, et al). We
also haven't seen any emphasis on non-western magic, like sympathetic or
systematic magic (popular in verdun, Native American, and eastern
mysticism). I firmly believe that some of the magic these kids learn has to
be more complicated than waving a wand and chanting a word or phrase.
Potions certainly requires preparation. Transfiguration implies years of
study (for advanced magic like animagi); DADA seems to cover a wide base of
knowledge, from creatures to countercurses to "remedies," as Madam Pomfrey
noted. Somewhere, there must be a method of magic that calls for elaborate
ritual--of the type that Wormtail used to bring back Voldemort, though not
necessarily dark magic. What if this method is what JKR refers to as
Arithmancy?

Where does the arithmetic come in, you ask? I believe the numbers come from
making the measurements, calculating the right time and place for a ritual
to occur, and other quantitative aspects of the magic in question. That
sounds to me like the kind of thing Hermione could definitely sink her
research-oriented teeth into. It calls for precision--from the diagram on
the floor to the placement of the candles to the length of the incantation
to the time of day to the number of participants. Any number of rituals can
be taught by this method, which also allows a track of classes that spans
five years of schooling--and they are presumably not dark arts, or else one
would learn them in DADA.

So, anyone else want to swim upstream on this issue?

Gwendolyn Grace