CHRM-301 Lessons

Review

Hello students! I hope you've been reviewing for your final this week! To help you along, we'll cover very little new material this week and instead spend a brief time going over what we learned this year. We will also connect the lessons from this year to those in years past, though material from past years won't be on the final unless otherwise noted.

In Lesson One we discussed physical magic, starting with the Tattoo Charm. We also learned that a physical object doesn’t contain magic but some items are protected by magic. Humans are much more complex though so you must properly understand a spell before using it on a human. We learned the Tattoo Charm because it affects only the surface and is a relatively safe spell to start with.

Lesson Two dealt with First Degree charms. This is the type of surface level magic that the Tattoo Charm deals with. These spells are easiest to cast on yourself because they only affect the very surface. However non-living, inanimate objects and living material do have differences in their molecular material that must be accounted for. We learned the Color Change Charm, the Flashing Color Charm, the Tinting Charm, and the Concealer Charm.

Lesson Three spoke of Second Degree charms. These charms are harder to cast and affect deeper layers of the target. These are the types of charms that can heal minor cuts or bruises. This lesson we learned about the Cut-Mending Charm, the Bruise Removal Charm, the Muscle Soothing Charm, and the Dislodging Charm. We also practiced casting these spells on those handy mannequins from St. Mungos.

Lesson Four talked about Third Degree physical charms. These are the deepest and most complex charms. These affect large areas of the body, like the Full Body-Bind which affects all the muscles of the body. We also learned in this lesson that some human-targeted spells are easier to cast than others. This is because some spells have a larger target, making it easier to hit said target! We learned the Quick-Drying Charm in this class as well.

Our fifth lesson discussed the mind and the magic that can affect it. These spells alter the way the target thinks. These can be in positive or negative ways. We also discussed when to use these spells as they can be very dangerous and manipulative.

In Lesson Six we talked about thoughts and thought-affecting magic. We learned about advertisements that can alter our thoughts and compulsions. Unfortunately most thought-affecting magic is not very friendly, so you should not use it. It can have positive uses like helping get over addiction, but largely it is negative. The Imperius Curse was the example we learned about in class. However, as we have learned, thoughts can affect magic too! Thoughts when casting should be on what you want to accomplish or you may accomplish the wrong thing.

Lesson Seven discussed emotion and the magic that can affect emotion. However, in order to affect emotion, you must also be feeling that emotion. The memory of an emotion can work for this as well. These are not spells meant for combat as they can tell your opponent how you feel. We learned how to cast the Cheering Charm and the Encouragement Charm in this lesson.

Our last lesson of the year focused on memory and magic that affects memory. We also learned about how to use a Pensieve. Memory modification was the first type of memory-affecting magic we learned about. We also learned about the Forgetfulness Charm, the False Memory Charm, and the Memory Extraction Charm. I must reiterate that these are dangerous and tricky spells, and should not be used lightly.

And that brings us to today and our final exam! I wish you the best of luck on your final exam but am confident you will all pass with flying colors. Make sure to carefully review all the lessons and your notes from this year as well as any notes you may have on the Effect-Canceling Charm. There is also a Course Evaluation form -- you will be given a passphrase at the end of the (anonymous) survey, so answer honestly please. Good luck!