From Alterations to Altercations: The Transfigurative Guide
written by Katherine Lutz
Companion to a Beginners Guide to Transfiguration, for First, Second and Third Year Transfiguration Students.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
20
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3,869
Gamp's Laws to Elemental Transfiguration
Chapter 2
The origin of Gamp's Laws is long since forgotten, lost generations ago amidst the first of the wizarding wars, however recent studies would attribute the famed surname to Hesper Black (nee Gamp) in the early 19th century. For the purpose of assignment and or test material, students are given the option to attribute to Hesper Gamp or refer to Gamp as an unknown source.
So what are Gamp's Laws?
Gamp's Laws govern the entire world of magical conjuration, not just specifically within Transfiguration. It is a common misconception amongst children that their parents can make food appear from thin air, or clothing, or money, however this is in fact false. Through common misconception generated by muggle fairytales and magical folklore, it has become to standard norm of any student commencing studies in magical arts, to expect they can conjure anything they will out of thin air. For this reason, in 1906, after the death of the last 'relative' of Gamp (namely Hesper Black), it was acted upon to ensure that students were taught Gamp's Laws to Elemental Transfiguration at a far earlier level than was previously done.
For many witches and wizards, these laws are in fact the hardest struggle they endure in their lives. Although duplication, of food for instance, is entirely possible, it is first necessary to possess that which is being duplicated. The term "Mugglising" arose in the 12th century, long before the Laws of Gamp were drawn up. The term referred to the restrictions (named below) which 'mugglised' the magical community and caused them to have to strive and work for these commodities.
How do we examine them?
Law as stated in the muggle world would abide by:
"a statement of fact, deduced from observation, to the effect that a particular natural or scientific phenomenon always occurs if certain conditions are present."
and for the most part this also applies within the Magical World. Yet how does this relate to the laws of Gamp? As stated above, Gamp's Laws govern everything within the world of conjuration, and they are present both as Physical Law (Put in place by the Ministry of Magic) and as Natural Law that has existed since time immemorial.
The Five Laws of Gamp listed beneath are often cited as being exceptions, and often, students find that this negates them as being laws in their own right. However this is inaccurate. Gamp's Laws still maintain the status of Law whilst also operating as exceptions of each other.
For instance, The Law of Wealth.
-> Indicates that it is impossible to generate valuable materials, money or wealth from thin air
This IS a law. It provides a foundation which governs magic, therefore making it a force that regulates and administers rules.
However, it comes as an exception to the Law of Value Conjuration,
-> Governs conjuration of objects to achieve a degree of value
This also is a law. As with The Law of Wealth, it provides another foundation which governs magic. However this is also an exception to The Conjuration of Mental Materials, which governs how items are conjured from the mind and it keeps expanding from this.
Each law operates as a law on it's own, and as an exception to laws within the bracket of which it falls. For the purposes of first year study, Transfigurative Magic is only taught in the bracket of the first five laws, with development on their fields in later years.
So what are Gamp's Laws?
Gamp's Laws govern the entire world of magical conjuration, not just specifically within Transfiguration. It is a common misconception amongst children that their parents can make food appear from thin air, or clothing, or money, however this is in fact false. Through common misconception generated by muggle fairytales and magical folklore, it has become to standard norm of any student commencing studies in magical arts, to expect they can conjure anything they will out of thin air. For this reason, in 1906, after the death of the last 'relative' of Gamp (namely Hesper Black), it was acted upon to ensure that students were taught Gamp's Laws to Elemental Transfiguration at a far earlier level than was previously done.
For many witches and wizards, these laws are in fact the hardest struggle they endure in their lives. Although duplication, of food for instance, is entirely possible, it is first necessary to possess that which is being duplicated. The term "Mugglising" arose in the 12th century, long before the Laws of Gamp were drawn up. The term referred to the restrictions (named below) which 'mugglised' the magical community and caused them to have to strive and work for these commodities.
How do we examine them?
Law as stated in the muggle world would abide by:
"a statement of fact, deduced from observation, to the effect that a particular natural or scientific phenomenon always occurs if certain conditions are present."
and for the most part this also applies within the Magical World. Yet how does this relate to the laws of Gamp? As stated above, Gamp's Laws govern everything within the world of conjuration, and they are present both as Physical Law (Put in place by the Ministry of Magic) and as Natural Law that has existed since time immemorial.
The Five Laws of Gamp listed beneath are often cited as being exceptions, and often, students find that this negates them as being laws in their own right. However this is inaccurate. Gamp's Laws still maintain the status of Law whilst also operating as exceptions of each other.
For instance, The Law of Wealth.
-> Indicates that it is impossible to generate valuable materials, money or wealth from thin air
This IS a law. It provides a foundation which governs magic, therefore making it a force that regulates and administers rules.
However, it comes as an exception to the Law of Value Conjuration,
-> Governs conjuration of objects to achieve a degree of value
This also is a law. As with The Law of Wealth, it provides another foundation which governs magic. However this is also an exception to The Conjuration of Mental Materials, which governs how items are conjured from the mind and it keeps expanding from this.
Each law operates as a law on it's own, and as an exception to laws within the bracket of which it falls. For the purposes of first year study, Transfigurative Magic is only taught in the bracket of the first five laws, with development on their fields in later years.
