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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Snufflifors
Chapter 8
Snufflifors is one of four spells known as the mediatory spells, which are the foundation of all arts of transfiguration. The others are Avifors, Fera Verto and Draconifors; together they wield the basic technique and proper use of the transfiguration world.
Snufflifors is used to transfigure books into mice to serve a single purpose of the wizard’s/witch’s choosing. Once transfigured, the caster gains temporary control over the mouse in order to instruct it to carry out ONE particular order and one alone. Most commonly, wizards use this spell to retrieve something that is unreachable due to their human size and too risky to attempt reaching through an animal transfiguration. Generally speaking, mice are able to go unnoticed as well, meaning that it is possible for a mouse to venture into areas and retrieve something without much detection. The only risk is that if the mouse is detected, it will automatically reverse back into a book and the the caster could be tracked down. In reality, this is a very uncommon scenario.
As with all other transifgurative spells, Snufflifors has its own unique wand movement which is not shared by other Transfiguration spells. Avifors has the light loop above the objects head and then the sharp tap, and Draconifors which has the long upwards sweeping movement. Snufflifors has a short, sharp whiplash like movement above the head, with the spell annunciated at the whiplash end of the movement. This results in a pink beam-like light to be projected from the wand, leaving a trail of magic behind it. This spell, once cast upon the book, will entwine the book in its magic and trigger the transfiguration into a mouse.
As this spell is a "Life-Giving" transfiguration, it cannot influence or transfigure human beings or animals in any way possible. This is because Snufflifors is an "Inanimate to Animate" transfiguration, meaning that it is changing the object from one state of being to another by pouring life into an object that could not move or do anything without assistance. This spell molds the book into a mouse which can breathe, think, act and move of its own accord except when under the direction of the caster. As humans already have the capacity to do that and more without the direction of another, they are classed as animate beings. Therefore, if Snufflifors was to be cast upon a human, it could only cause a slight dizziness from the influx of magic attempting to pour "life" into an animate object.
When speaking of "Life-Giving" however, this is exempt from Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, which includes that Life is not something which can be transfigured or granted via magic. Gamp's Law states that "No Magic can reverse the dead, and in the same way, no magic can restore or grant life". This spell is not so much creating life as it is creating an object to serve the caster's purpose. This brand of spells however, are frequently debated by magical historians as they believe that the creation of life through these spells for whatever purpose is still a creation of life itself. Likewise, they argue that conjuring birds or other animate creatures is a form of life giving. Spells such as Avis, which conjure up to 5 bluebirds, are debated as life-giving. Yet the spell serves no purpose except to either amuse or obey the caster. The birds can be ordered to do whatever the caster chooses as long as they know how to do so. The ability to take choice away from these creatures and submit your will over theirs without the chance of them attempting to break it is what causes these spells to be exempt from Gamp's Law.
Snufflifors is used to transfigure books into mice to serve a single purpose of the wizard’s/witch’s choosing. Once transfigured, the caster gains temporary control over the mouse in order to instruct it to carry out ONE particular order and one alone. Most commonly, wizards use this spell to retrieve something that is unreachable due to their human size and too risky to attempt reaching through an animal transfiguration. Generally speaking, mice are able to go unnoticed as well, meaning that it is possible for a mouse to venture into areas and retrieve something without much detection. The only risk is that if the mouse is detected, it will automatically reverse back into a book and the the caster could be tracked down. In reality, this is a very uncommon scenario.
As with all other transifgurative spells, Snufflifors has its own unique wand movement which is not shared by other Transfiguration spells. Avifors has the light loop above the objects head and then the sharp tap, and Draconifors which has the long upwards sweeping movement. Snufflifors has a short, sharp whiplash like movement above the head, with the spell annunciated at the whiplash end of the movement. This results in a pink beam-like light to be projected from the wand, leaving a trail of magic behind it. This spell, once cast upon the book, will entwine the book in its magic and trigger the transfiguration into a mouse.
As this spell is a "Life-Giving" transfiguration, it cannot influence or transfigure human beings or animals in any way possible. This is because Snufflifors is an "Inanimate to Animate" transfiguration, meaning that it is changing the object from one state of being to another by pouring life into an object that could not move or do anything without assistance. This spell molds the book into a mouse which can breathe, think, act and move of its own accord except when under the direction of the caster. As humans already have the capacity to do that and more without the direction of another, they are classed as animate beings. Therefore, if Snufflifors was to be cast upon a human, it could only cause a slight dizziness from the influx of magic attempting to pour "life" into an animate object.
When speaking of "Life-Giving" however, this is exempt from Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, which includes that Life is not something which can be transfigured or granted via magic. Gamp's Law states that "No Magic can reverse the dead, and in the same way, no magic can restore or grant life". This spell is not so much creating life as it is creating an object to serve the caster's purpose. This brand of spells however, are frequently debated by magical historians as they believe that the creation of life through these spells for whatever purpose is still a creation of life itself. Likewise, they argue that conjuring birds or other animate creatures is a form of life giving. Spells such as Avis, which conjure up to 5 bluebirds, are debated as life-giving. Yet the spell serves no purpose except to either amuse or obey the caster. The birds can be ordered to do whatever the caster chooses as long as they know how to do so. The ability to take choice away from these creatures and submit your will over theirs without the chance of them attempting to break it is what causes these spells to be exempt from Gamp's Law.
