Defense Against the Dark Arts 101 Textbook by taekwondofizz
written by Taekwondofizz
Need help in DADA 101? Don't worry. That's why this book is here.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
12
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Gnomes
Chapter 4
Gnomes
First, we will address gnomes. The best way to describe gnomes is that they look like little potatoes. They are small brown creatures that stand no taller than one foot. They love to make their home near wizarding homes, digging up gardens and living in gnome holes. They are rated harmless by the Ministry of Magic and are typically viewed as pests that are best to be removed from the home.
In order to remove the gnomes, there are two potential methods that can be used: the jarvey method and the spin and toss method. The jarvey, a creature you will learn more about if you take Care of Magical Creatures in Year Two, is the natural predator of the gnome and will actively hunt them. If you were to unleash a jarvey in a yard infested with gnomes, the jarvey would immediately run into the gnome holes and begin attacking the gnomes, bringing their bodies out of the hole and cluttering up your yard with them.
Many witches and wizards prefer not to use this option, though, since it causes such a mess in a yard and leaves a lot of gore that needs to be cleaned up. This is why most witches and wizards will choose to use the spin and toss method. It is a less reliable method, since gnomes can return to the garden, but it does make less of a mess and is more humane.
To complete the spin and toss method, you must first get ahold of a gnome. Usually this is simple since gnomes love to run around gardens. However, gnomes do not like to be picked up and will attempt to bite you. We will discuss the problems with these bites in just a moment. Once you have a gnome in hand, you will want to hold it by its legs. Once you have a solid grip, you will have to spin the gnome over your head until it is adequately dizzy. After that, you can simply drop the gnome over the fence of your yard; however, many people will decide to make it harder for the gnomes to come back by throwing them as far away as possible. Once you have sent the first gnome away, gathering the rest will be easy because they will have come out of their gnome holes to see what is going on.
One thing to note is that, when you are attempting to gather the gnomes, the first gnome will not be complacent. In fact, the gnome will attempt to defend itself in the only manner that it knows how - biting. It is rare for a gnome bite to become infected, since their teeth are fairly blunt and will rarely penetrate human skin; however, infection is a distinct possibility. If the bite becomes infected, there are several symptoms that you will be able to observe such as the following:
Swelling
Inflammation
A fever
Fatigue
Tenderness around the bite
Limpness of the area affected
If these symptoms occur, you will want to go get the affected area checked by a Healer. While it is likely that the infection will not be too life threatening, it is better to play it safe than sorry. Infections CAN become dangerous if not properly treated.
First, we will address gnomes. The best way to describe gnomes is that they look like little potatoes. They are small brown creatures that stand no taller than one foot. They love to make their home near wizarding homes, digging up gardens and living in gnome holes. They are rated harmless by the Ministry of Magic and are typically viewed as pests that are best to be removed from the home.
In order to remove the gnomes, there are two potential methods that can be used: the jarvey method and the spin and toss method. The jarvey, a creature you will learn more about if you take Care of Magical Creatures in Year Two, is the natural predator of the gnome and will actively hunt them. If you were to unleash a jarvey in a yard infested with gnomes, the jarvey would immediately run into the gnome holes and begin attacking the gnomes, bringing their bodies out of the hole and cluttering up your yard with them.
Many witches and wizards prefer not to use this option, though, since it causes such a mess in a yard and leaves a lot of gore that needs to be cleaned up. This is why most witches and wizards will choose to use the spin and toss method. It is a less reliable method, since gnomes can return to the garden, but it does make less of a mess and is more humane.
To complete the spin and toss method, you must first get ahold of a gnome. Usually this is simple since gnomes love to run around gardens. However, gnomes do not like to be picked up and will attempt to bite you. We will discuss the problems with these bites in just a moment. Once you have a gnome in hand, you will want to hold it by its legs. Once you have a solid grip, you will have to spin the gnome over your head until it is adequately dizzy. After that, you can simply drop the gnome over the fence of your yard; however, many people will decide to make it harder for the gnomes to come back by throwing them as far away as possible. Once you have sent the first gnome away, gathering the rest will be easy because they will have come out of their gnome holes to see what is going on.
One thing to note is that, when you are attempting to gather the gnomes, the first gnome will not be complacent. In fact, the gnome will attempt to defend itself in the only manner that it knows how - biting. It is rare for a gnome bite to become infected, since their teeth are fairly blunt and will rarely penetrate human skin; however, infection is a distinct possibility. If the bite becomes infected, there are several symptoms that you will be able to observe such as the following:
Swelling
Inflammation
A fever
Fatigue
Tenderness around the bite
Limpness of the area affected
If these symptoms occur, you will want to go get the affected area checked by a Healer. While it is likely that the infection will not be too life threatening, it is better to play it safe than sorry. Infections CAN become dangerous if not properly treated.
