Post by Zeda on Apr 5, 2018 9:11:29 GMT -6
Transfiguration is incredibly tricky and must be done with great care and attention to detail. There are limitations and dangers of transfiguration of course. Let us look at those now.
Limitations
Whilst Transfiguration is an exceedingly useful branch of magic, it naturally has its own set of limitations.
The branch of Transfiguration known as transformation magic has the largest number of restrictions placed upon it (both natural and legal). Firstly, even before one becomes an Animagus (both a Trans-species transformation and Human transfiguration) one is monitored closely as attempting to become such a thing is highly dangerous and even if one succeeds one must then register oneself at the Ministry of Magic (or face trial), due to the many potential uses of this kind of transfiguration in criminal activity. An Animagus is also limited by the fact that they can only transfigure into one kind of animal this way. Conversely, general Human Transfiguration is more varied in that it allows one to transform another into a plethora of different animals but, on the other hand, the object of transfiguration will then possess the intelligence of the creature they become (unlike Animagi, who retain all their mental faculties in animal form). If this is an animal of lower intelligence (which is more likely than not) then one will, by extension, be entirely dependent on the caster to untransfigure them, which could potentially cause someone to be stuck in that form forever (which is why it is not recommended to cast this type of transfiguration on oneself).
Usually, a wizard or witch attempting to perform a Transfiguration spell would often find it easier to transfigure one thing into something else provided that the state it was originally in had something in common to what it would be coverted into (i.e. a statue of a dragon turning into an actual dragon, albeit of the similar size).
Transformation is also limited by the fact that the dead cannot be revived via magic and hence one cannot "transfigure" the dead back to life, no matter how recently the death occurred. The overall mass and size of the object or entity to be transfigured into something else must also be considered, since it was stated by Hermione Granger that it was extremely difficult to transfigure something as large as a dragon, even by a skilled transfiguration expert like McGonagall.
Conjuration is principally limited by the Five Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. The first (and only known) of these is the restriction that one cannot conjure food (though, pre-existing food can be charmed in certain ways — such as by summoning & multiplication — and transfigured by the other branches). Similarly, Wizarding law sets legal limitations on what one is and isn't allowed to conjure. Finally, even if it is both possible and legal to conjure something it will ultimately never last.[5]
Strangely, whilst there are a variety of limits placed on Conjuration, the branch referred to as Vanishment seems to be completely unrestricted (this also appears true of Untransfiguration).
Dangers
Due to the applied, precise nature of Transfiguration magic there is a large potential for it to go disastrously wrong, even for the experts. This is especially true if the practitioner is not taking things seriously and/or punching above their weight (with respect to the magic they are attempting to perform).
If it is done improperly, the Transfigured object can become half-Transfigured or permanently stuck in one state (whether fully or partially Transfigured); for example, Viktor Krum once half-Transfigured himself into a shark in the Second Task of The Triwizard Tournament in 1994 (although he was not stuck in that form, so it may have been intentional).
HOMEWORK
Why is Transfiguration so tricky to do you think and why does the Ministry regulate transfiguration so strongly?
Limitations
Whilst Transfiguration is an exceedingly useful branch of magic, it naturally has its own set of limitations.
The branch of Transfiguration known as transformation magic has the largest number of restrictions placed upon it (both natural and legal). Firstly, even before one becomes an Animagus (both a Trans-species transformation and Human transfiguration) one is monitored closely as attempting to become such a thing is highly dangerous and even if one succeeds one must then register oneself at the Ministry of Magic (or face trial), due to the many potential uses of this kind of transfiguration in criminal activity. An Animagus is also limited by the fact that they can only transfigure into one kind of animal this way. Conversely, general Human Transfiguration is more varied in that it allows one to transform another into a plethora of different animals but, on the other hand, the object of transfiguration will then possess the intelligence of the creature they become (unlike Animagi, who retain all their mental faculties in animal form). If this is an animal of lower intelligence (which is more likely than not) then one will, by extension, be entirely dependent on the caster to untransfigure them, which could potentially cause someone to be stuck in that form forever (which is why it is not recommended to cast this type of transfiguration on oneself).
Usually, a wizard or witch attempting to perform a Transfiguration spell would often find it easier to transfigure one thing into something else provided that the state it was originally in had something in common to what it would be coverted into (i.e. a statue of a dragon turning into an actual dragon, albeit of the similar size).
Transformation is also limited by the fact that the dead cannot be revived via magic and hence one cannot "transfigure" the dead back to life, no matter how recently the death occurred. The overall mass and size of the object or entity to be transfigured into something else must also be considered, since it was stated by Hermione Granger that it was extremely difficult to transfigure something as large as a dragon, even by a skilled transfiguration expert like McGonagall.
Conjuration is principally limited by the Five Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. The first (and only known) of these is the restriction that one cannot conjure food (though, pre-existing food can be charmed in certain ways — such as by summoning & multiplication — and transfigured by the other branches). Similarly, Wizarding law sets legal limitations on what one is and isn't allowed to conjure. Finally, even if it is both possible and legal to conjure something it will ultimately never last.[5]
Strangely, whilst there are a variety of limits placed on Conjuration, the branch referred to as Vanishment seems to be completely unrestricted (this also appears true of Untransfiguration).
Dangers
Due to the applied, precise nature of Transfiguration magic there is a large potential for it to go disastrously wrong, even for the experts. This is especially true if the practitioner is not taking things seriously and/or punching above their weight (with respect to the magic they are attempting to perform).
If it is done improperly, the Transfigured object can become half-Transfigured or permanently stuck in one state (whether fully or partially Transfigured); for example, Viktor Krum once half-Transfigured himself into a shark in the Second Task of The Triwizard Tournament in 1994 (although he was not stuck in that form, so it may have been intentional).
HOMEWORK
Why is Transfiguration so tricky to do you think and why does the Ministry regulate transfiguration so strongly?