Introduction to

Charms
 Hello!
I am Autumn Lesley
I will be your charms professor.
You can call me professor Autumn

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 1.
Grading
~ Professor Autumn
Grading
My grading would
be like this →

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 2.
Introduction
~ Professor Autumn
 Think of Charms as an introduction to spellcasting in general. Even the most
accomplished of witches and wizards had to start somewhere. This year we
will cover the basics of spellcasting including the importance of pronouncing a
spell correctly and practicing wand movements as well as casting basic
charms. Today we will be discussing the origin of modern-day spellcasting
practices as well as the laws you need to be aware of when using magic. I'll be
leaving all the juicy historical bits for your History of Magic classes, but it is
important for you to understand how modern magic came about and what laws
you need to follow at all times, lest you find yourself being interrogated by the
Ministry of Magic.

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 3.
Brief History and Essential
Laws
~ Professor Autumn
In ancient times, magic was practiced much more openly
and freely than it is today. In ancient Greece and Egypt,
witches and wizards were held in high regard. They used
magic to protect many ancient tombs, and even today
curse-breakers working for Gringotts attempt to retrieve
the treasures from within, though not necessarily without
loss of limb.

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 The first instances of dedicated wand making lies with
the Ollivander family, who have been making wands
since 382 B.C.E. While wands of various design had been
crafted before this, the Ollivander family is one of the
first, and certainly the longest, to have practiced the
craft. Before there was a standard practice and process
for wand-crafting, there was always a fear that a wand
might fail at a critical moment, or worse, explode.

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 Beginning around 1000 C.E., the Wizarding World began
separating from Muggles, and for approximately 400 years
(from 1000 C.E. to around 1400 C.E.) was ruled by the
Council of Warlocks. In the 1400s, various magical
governments were established based on ethnic and cultural
values as well as location. We see this even today with a
separate Ministry of Magic in most countries.

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Witches and Wizards were persecuted throughout the 1600s with such instances as the witch burnings,
though these proved ineffective thanks to Flame-Freezing Charms. What is a Flame-Freezing Charm
you may ask? Well these handy little charms could be cast on the flames burning a witch to make them
do nothing more than tickle the witch in question. She would then writhe in agony, pretending to burn,
and voila! She was safe. These problems culminated in the introduction of the International Statute of
Secrecy in 1689. This international law completed the separation of the two worlds. The law was
created to protect the magical and non-magical communities from each other, for when the witch trials
began to wane, witches and wizards were seeking revenge on the Muggles who tried to oppress them.
Magic was being used willy nilly to hurt, trick, and confuse Muggles and something had to be done.
Each government became responsible for hiding all evidence of magical activity within their borders,
including the magical flora and fauna (plants and animals) of the Wizarding World. It's important to
note that, while the law was signed in 1689, it took a further three years before it was officially
established by all governments internationally. However, many governments did recognize it in the
interim.

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 Over the centuries, magic has become the stuff of legend for Muggles.
Documented now only in fairy tale and stories, many of the Muggles’
contemporary literature is full of encounters with witches and wizards,
dragons, pixies, and many other kinds of magic that they dismiss as wild
dreams or hallucination. You must remember though that the majority of
Muggle stories are rooted in fact. Most are eyewitness accounts of Muggles
seeing magic done that have been changed over time. Of course, whenever
an incident is too big to ignore or there is too much evidence it is true magic
and not trickery, the Ministry will send in the Accidental Magic Reversal
Squad to sort things out, usually through memory modification.

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There is another important law that all of you should remember.
Anyone under the age of 17 falls within the guidelines of the
Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery
established in 1875. Basically, no student is allowed to practice
magic outside of school. Now, there are a few exceptions, such as
the case when your life, or the life of a fellow Witch, Wizard or
Muggle, is at stake. An example of this would be Harry Potter
casting a Patronus in front of his cousin in order to save them
from Dementors!

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 However, I caution you to practice prudence.
Attempts to circumvent the law and lie will only
result in a greater punishment handed down by the
Ministry of Magic. Remember, you are all under the
effects of the Trace until you turn 17, and any magic
you perform while not at Hogwarts or Hogsmeade,
or in an exception zone, will be immediately
detected.
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 Now the Ministry is able to distinguish between Muggle and magical
homes where the Trace is concerned. In a Magical home, adults will be
casting magic, so casting underage magic will not be detected as easily.
The Ministry also relies on the parents of these children to discipline
them. However in a Muggle home, no one except the underage party
would be using magic. But wait! Why was Harry Potter charged when
Dobby cast the Hover Charm? This is because the Ministry can
determine where the magic is coming from, but not necessarily who cast
it. Therefore, all magic used in this home is considered to be cast by the
underage witch or wizard and must be illegal.

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 4.
The Discovery
of Wands
~ Professor Autumn
As you can imagine, magic was not always formally taught or controlled. The sort of
uncontrolled bursts of magic that young magical folk are prone to were the norm
several millennia ago before wizards and witches were able to focus and control
their powers. Those with only a weak affinity for magic were able to lead relatively
normal lives, but others caused great destruction. Some of their actions were
noticeable enough to become Muggle mythology.

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Primitive tools like crystals, crude wands made of little more
than a hippogriff wing feather wrapped around a stick, and
metal rods all allowed some to exert a level of control over
their magic. Instead of randomly causing something to
vanish when they were angry, they could instead make it
happen by using their focusing item. Eventually, the most
effective of foci, the modern wand, was created.

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 A wooden shaft containing a core from a powerful
magical creature, the wand allows us to focus and
channel our power to achieve the desired result. These
wands are much more advanced and focus than their
predecessors. Now, witches and wizards can spend less
time worrying that their wand will explode and more
time experimenting with different spells and gestures.

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 You will be learning the culmination of centuries of
knowledge and experimentation in this class: the
ability to turn your will, your desire, into reality, and
to shape your magic and send it into the world. Over
the next few weeks, I’d like you to think about our
history and what led us to where we are today and
how it relates to what we are learning here in class.

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 5.
The Wand-Lighting and
Wand-Extinguishing
Charms
~ Professor Autumn
Now, the first known use of the Wand-Lighting Charm
was in the 18th century, despite how easy it is to use.
Magical historians credit Levina Monkstanley, a
Ministry of Magic employee, for its invention. It was
first demonstrated in 1772 when Ms. Monkstanley had
dropped her quill on the ground and used the spell to
find it.

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 Its uses far exceed simply lighting the tip of your wand. It
can provide an easy and endless source of amusement for
young witches and wizards who usually enjoy watching the
color change. In the Ministry of Magic, it makes for a safe
and easy method for casting a vote. It can even be used to
repel incorporeal threats such as the Gytrash (a vicious
spectral hound) and other malevolent spirits.

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Now! Onto the casting!

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 The Wand-Lighting Charm
Incantation: Lumos (pronounced
‘LOO-mos’)
Wand Movement: Single
counter-clockwise loop
Willpower: Low; determines the
color of the light
Concentration: Low; lighting up
the top of your wand
The Wand-Extinguishing Charm
Incantation: Nox (pronounced
‘NOCK-ss’)
Wand Movement: Flick of the
wand
Willpower: None
Concentration: None
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More on Hogwarts is Here!

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Thank you!
~ Professor Autumn