Chapter 11.2- Doom Days

“If that is all then, I trust we can move back to animation charms” The professor delivered the Coup de grace, and everyone returned to the mode of concentration that advanced charms demanded.

“Animation charms, well you can do just about anything with them. There is one that we haven’t practiced yet. The general purpose animation charm. It is rarer to seeing use because the magic does not guide any of the actions the animated object takes. For example, the Priertotem Locomotor charm works because it uses the caster’s idea of what a structure was built for or created for to animate it. A powerful user could vary this purpose of course, but never too far. For example, using the spell on the suits of armour that adorn the walls would work to make said suits fight to defend the castle, but I would swallow my own wand if anyone managed to animate one of those statutes to make it mop the floors with that spell. Do we understand so far?” I nodded, enraptured as my thoughts turned to using the animation spell on the trees in the forbidden forest.. I’d used them to bind and constrict the spiders. I guess tree branches did do some binding and constricting normally, but wasn’t that different from their initial purpose.

“Yes, Mr. Potter” Flitwick called and only then did I realize that I’d instinctively put my hand up once I had the question I could not sus out on my own.

“What about using the spell on trees to make them bind a target. Would that work?”

“It depends on the species of trees, to be honest. One would find it nearly impossible with an apple tree in a Muggle’s backyard, but with magical trees, especially the ones found in the forbidden forest, it would be quite a great deal easier. Can someone tell me why that is?” He turned to the class. I tossed the question in my head for a few seconds before another hand went up.

“Yes, Miss Rosier?” The professor called.

“It says in Hogwarts: A History that the Founders planted the trees along the border to the Forbidden Forest to defend the castle from threats both within the forest and outside of it” She said it all in one breath like a certain bushy haired girl that I had once known.

“Correct, Miss Rosier. Ten Points to Ravenclaw.” He said, beaming and showing dagger like fangs, instantly reminding me of what he was. Flitwick was not just a short man. He was half-goblin.

“So you see, Mr. Potter. Even with living things like trees, their reason for creation can still affect their use when it comes to that spell. Now this spell we will be exploring next is a logical step up from Priertotem locomotor. Simply call it the all-purpose animation charm if you will. It works by the caster imposing their own will on the object being manipulated. There is no help from the spell itself so very action must be determined by the caster. That means it takes more concentration. A lot more concentration than every other animation spell out there, but it offers much more flexibility in return. Let us begin.” He said, drawing his wand with a flourish.