Altering magic is the art of changing the physical appearance of an object to appear as something else. Note: this is not the changing of the internal object but just its appearance. There are different variations on altering magic, however as a whole, they do the same job.

Colour, Shape and Feel Altering is the most common of the altering field that is seen in the magical world. Most prominently found in the household, it is often used to spruce up objects such as dilapidated couches and tables and make them appear better than they actually are.

Here arises the main problem! Although the lean-to table may appear to be made out of gold, it is still just a lean-to table and therefore it cannot withstand great weight. It would be similar to coating a rock in pastry and baking it – at the end of the day, though it may look like food, it is still a rock!

Across generations, countless witches and wizards have been fooled by altering spells that have led them to purchase items which appear amazing but are in fact rubbish. In the modern era, there are new ways for spotting altered objects. The primary way is the colour; an altered object never has a ‘true’ colour, or in other words, the colour appears somewhat too perfect.

For other variations of altering, such as image altering, i.e. adding a beard or spurt of midnight shadow to your face, it can be found out by touch. Where you would expect to feel bristle, you will find only smooth. Additionally, although far simpler than a polyjuice potion, it is impossible to mirror a person with an altering spell, to every detail and facet. Altering charms are easily removable using Finite or special magical components to reveal concealing enchantments.