TNFG-301 Lessons

Elements and Birds

Welcome
As the students entered the Transfiguration classroom, they noticed what appeared to be four stations set up in each corner of the room.  In one corner was a large tank of water, while across from it there were many flowerpots filled with dirt.  The third corner contained a number of balloons and in the final corner stood their professor with her back to the class.  She appeared to be fiddling with something, but all of a sudden a pillar of fire blazed up in the corner. Professor Mitchell turned then and walked in front of her class to begin the lecture.

Introduction
I hope you’re all ready as today’s transformation is a fun one! Any class where you get to play with… I mean, work with fire has to be fun, right? As mentioned last week, today we will be learning the Avifors transformation, which takes any of the four elements, earth, air, water, or fire, and transforms it into a bird.  This spell is especially intriguing as it has a special affinity for control.  Though a possibility for nearly all inanimate to animate transformations, Avifors has the ability to make the strongest mental connection between caster and creature, for reasons yet unknown to transfigurists.  I’m assuming more than one of you is a little confused right now, but bear with me as we discuss a little mind magic.

Control
So, when dealing with inanimate to animate transformations, part of what makes our created creatures different from their natural counterparts is their lack of free will.  Part of the beauty of life and the mind is the ability to decide for yourself where you want to go and what you want to do.  Through transformation, you may create a creature that is sentient and will react to the world around it, but it is as of yet unheard of to create a creature that is able to make conscious decisions about where to go and what to do.  It is for this reason that you can often spot a transformed creature by its seeming lack of interest and “lazy” nature, as it will usually just wander about.

Though all of this sounds incredibly unhelpful in the quest to create something close to life, there is a silver lining that dramatically increases the applicability of these spells.  Where a transformed creature lacks a will of its own, it is possible to fill that void with the will of the caster.  When you cast an inanimate to animate spell, you have the ability, with the proper application of concentration and willpower, to create a mental connection between yourself and your transformed animal.  Through this connection you can direct the creature to do nearly anything you wish, so long as it is within its physical ability to do so.  Though significantly less cruel, those of you familiar with it may draw a connection between this and the Unforgivable Imperious Curse.  Where that curse drowns out the free will of its target with the intentions of the caster, taking control of a transformed creature simply fills a place in the mind that was previously empty.  As you can imagine, this is extraordinarily helpful in accomplishing physical tasks that you yourself would be otherwise unable to do.

Now, in order to accomplish this mental connection and take control of your creature, you must use your willpower to push your mind into that of the creature.  Then, once the connection has been created, you must direct the animal with your mind.  This process is very close to the concentration you use when casting a dynamic spell in your Defense or Charms classes, and yet it is slightly different.  You’re still using your mind to direct something, but that “something” is not magic.  What still makes these transformations static in nature is that the mental connection is not a continuation of the spell itself, but merely one of its effects.  The spell creates the mental connection, at the same time that the physical transformation takes place, then it is done. Though you still technically “concentrate” past this point, it is concentration of a different, non-magical variety that begins to fuzzy the line between static and dynamic spells.

Birds
Birds, in general, are endothermic vertebrates of the class Aves.  The feathers that cover their body are their distinguishing feature and aid in everything from flight to camouflage, thermoregulation, and signaling, with different types of feathers having different purposes.  Along with their feathers, birds contain a strong but lightweight, skeleton, a pair of flight muscles, and wings that act as airfoils to allow them to fly.  This ability provides birds a method of travelling in addition to helping them avoid predators, catch prey, and mate.  It also sets them apart from all other vertebrates, though there are currently 60 known species, out of nearly 10,000 total, that are flightless.  Birds range in size from the tiny Bee Hummingbird, measuring a measly two and a half inches, to the monstrous North African Ostrich, which can be up to nine feet tall.  

I mentioned earlier that birds have a lightweight skeleton.  This is due to the air-filled cavities present in their bones that connect to their very complicated respiratory system.  They also have a four chambered heart, a high metabolic rate, and toothless jaws.  They lay hard shelled eggs, though note that any transfigured bird you create will not be able to even go through this motion, no matter how hard you try. You can, however, create a song bird.  Birds have a mechanism in their throat called the syrinx, which allows them to vocalize.  They do this to find a mate, to claim territory, to indicate recognition, and to warn others of a threat in the area.  Some can even operate either side of the syrinx independently, allowing them to sing two different songs at the same time.

The Transformation
As I’m sure you all noted as you entered the room, I have stations set up in the corners, one for each of the four elements.  I’ll let you all pick which one you want to work with, but please disperse yourself about the room somewhat evenly and try not to burn anything, including your peers, if you choose to work with fire. The details for the transformation are on the board.

 This spell has quite a few interesting intricacies.  As mentioned, it is the easiest spell with which to practice control, but it also has the ability to create birds with the characteristics of that from which it was transfigured.  This means that it is possible to transfigure a bird made of water, or air, or earth, or fire.  I’m sure you can imagine the multitude of applications any one of these transformations could have.  In fact, that is exactly what your essay for this week will be!  Speaking of fire birds, however, you all know that there are many species of magical birds, from the blaring Fwooper to the majestic phoenix, however unfortunately, none of these birds may be created using this spell.  You can, of course, make something that looks like a phoenix, but its feathers and tears will not contain the magical properties of the actual thing.

There are a few things that may also go wrong when casting Avifors.  The most common is that you end up with an egg rather than a bird.  Other times, you may find you have no control over the bird you have created and it will either immediately fly away or just stand and stare at you.  On rare occasions it may also result in a small explosion of sorts, a result of the inherent power of the elements.

Where did this come from? Why do I care?
Avifors was invented in 1853 by Miss Lidia Lincoln.  Lidia studied Elemental Magic at the Ministry and spent a year of her research focusing on transfiguring the elements to be used in duelling situations.  As it is, this spell is often used in conjunction with the Oppugno Jinx, a spell that causes creatures to attack and will be taught in your Fifth Year of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Aside from combat situations, this spell is immensely useful in many day-to-day activities.  If you can master control over your bird, it can aid you in retrieving objects from high places and even delivering mail, although our post owls are much more reliable for the latter.  You can also use it as a home security system of sorts. No one pays any attention to the bird in the tree in the front yard, but you could make it so that the bird sings a certain melody when a stranger approaches.

Conclusion
On your way out, please be sure to grab a quiz and the essay prompt for your homework.  I’d also like you all to practice today’s transformation, but please do so carefully, as always.  Until next week!

*Bird image credit: http://weneedfun.com/types-of-birds/*