[HPforGrownups] Re: Evanesco

[Danger Mouse]

No: HPFGUIDX 76556

> Just reading the Order of the Phoenix chapter, and found that the 
evanesco charm was used to clear up parchments left over from the 
recent meeting... Snape uses it to empty cauldrons, and it is Seamus, 
I believe who uses it to empty a puke-filled pail. What does evanesco 
actually do? Does it move a substance or object to somewhere else or 
does it just transfigure it into air (in which case, I would think 
it's not permanent)? Thoughts?
> 
> -Dan
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Anna:
I just recently looked it up upon getting the new "Evanescence" cd.

go check these out . . .

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=evanesce

http://evanescence.com


I hope these links work.

Dan:
Yes, they did! Thank you! According to dictionary.com, evanesce is, "to vanish away; to become dissipated and disappear, like vapor." Sounds pretty accurate. The things that evanesco is cast upon "vanish way" and "disappear like vapor." So, first of all, I assume that this is permanent. If I was making some soup that went horribly awry, evanesco would transfigure the liquid into air, but permanently. Right? The spell would not fail and then, a few days later, I wake up to find the stove covered in my old soup? The term "disappear" has confused me throughout the series. I always read it to mean, "make invisible" but the way Mr. Weasley describes the waste in toilets tampered with my anti-muggle pranksters as "not disappearing," the waste is clearly not invisible but just gone. If it is a permanent transfiguration, that would make sense (even though if might be a bit disconcerting to think that you're breathing in potions/waste/scrolls, etc. 

-Dan, who still thinks that stuff is sent somewhere.

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