Transfiguration

"With a charm you add properties to something. With a transfiguration you change its nature completely; the molecular structure alters..."

- J.K. Rowling on how a charm differs from a transfiguration.

Transfiguration is one of the four known spell types which focuses on the alteration of the form or appearance of an object. Transfiguration can be done to most (if not all) objects and as with most forms of magic it can be performed wandless and nonverbally by sufficiently skilled or talented witches and wizards. Sometimes - if it is done improperly - the transfigured object can become half-transfigured or permanently stuck in that 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. However, he was not stuck in this form.

Classification
Currently, transfiguration is divided into seven branches (though - whilst based on canonical information - the typology is largely conjectural) they are: Cross-species, Inanimate-inanimate, Animate-inanimate, Inanimate-animate, Human, Animagi and Conjuration. Only five of them are considered "true" transfigurations (conjuration is the exception). Another type of spell known as Untransfiguration also exists, though it is actually a type of counter-spell, as opposed to a strict transfiguration, included here for clarity only.

It should also be noted that werewolves do not transform at will and it is for this reason that they are not included as a kind of transfiguration. All the forms of transfiguration are described below, listed in ascending order of difficulty.

Inanimate-inanimate
The transfiguration of something inanimate into something else that is also inanimate, for example: Steelclaw, Incarcifors and Match to needle. Relatively speaking, it is the simplest of all kinds of transfiguration (with Match to needle being the first spell ever covered in Transfiguration at Hogwarts) but can contain some complex magic, such as Glass to sand shield.

Animate-inanimate Transfiguration


The transfiguration of a living thing into an inanimate object. It is one of the simpler branches of Transfiguration and taught to first years and above at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, using the textbook, "A Beginner's Guide To Transfiguration,' by Emeric Switch.

Inanimate-animate Transfiguration
The transfiguration of the inanimate target into a living thing. Whilst still one of the simpler branches of Transfiguration it appears to be more difficult than its close cousin (Animate to inanimate Transfiguration), being taught to Third years and above at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Cross-Species Transfiguration
The transfiguration of one species into another. It is a basic O.W.L. spell and is taught to fourth-years and above at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The spell seems to be easier if the animals in question have similar names, e.g. guinea fowl to guinea pigs.

Human Transfiguration
The transfiguration of human body parts or an entire human being into another form. Although there appear to be some overlap with Cross-Species Transfiguration, it is much more difficult than other forms of transfiguration and hence is N.E.W.T. level type of spell, taught only to sixth-years and above. One may think of Human Transfiguration as the replication of Metamorphmagi or Animagi abilities.

Conjuration
Conjuration is distinguished from "true" transfigurations by its ability to transfigure the desired object from thin-air. Although some are simpler and are taught to younger students, most conjurations are N.E.W.T.-level and are taught to Sixth years and above at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, such as Aguamenti.

Animagi
An Animagus is a wizard or witch that possesses the ability to transform themselves into an animal at will, while still retaining their mental faculties. This is considered a form of transfiguration, and a hard one at that, so much so that it is not even taught on the Hogwarts Curriculum; it takes years for one to master this skill but proves very useful. Minerva McGonagall was a registered Animagus, but stated herself that it was only for educational purposes. "Animagial" transfiguration is distinct from Human Transformation in two main ways (aside from difficulty): Firstly, no wand is required; Secondly, the animal form one is able to transfigure into is not chosen by the wizard, but determined by their inner traits and personality and it never changes (so if one's animagus is a cat, they will never be able to transfigure themselves into anything else but a cat in this way).

Limitations
"There is legislation about what you can conjure and what you can't. Something that you conjure out of thin air will not last."

- J.K. Rowling on some of the limitations of conjuration.

Transfiguration is an exceedingly useful branch of magic, however - like all spell types - it has its own set of limitations.

Firstly, it is 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 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.

Animagi are limited by the fact that they must register themselves at the Ministry of Magic (or face trial), due to the many potential uses of this kind of transfiguration in criminal activity. They are also limited by the fact that they can only transfigure into one kind of animal this way. Conversely, 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).

The Inanimate-animate branch of transfiguration 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.

Teachers
Albus Dumbledore was the Transfiguration teacher of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during Tom Marvolo Riddle's time. When he was promoted to headmaster, his successor was Minerva McGonagall, who taught the course during the Marauders' time, up to Harry Potter's seven years. In 1998, she was promoted to headmistress, and her successor is unknown. It is possible that she continued teaching Transfiguration although she was the headmistress.

Transfiguration Spells

 * Arrow-shooting spell - shoots arrows from the wand tip
 * Avifors — Used to turn a small statue into a bird
 * Avis - conjures birds from the wand tip
 * Beetle Buttons - Turns beetles into buttons
 * Cauldron to Sieve
 * Draconifors — Used to turn a dragon statue into a real dragon that will breathe fire
 * Ducklifors — Used to turn an opponent into a duck
 * Duro — Used to turn objects to stone
 * Fera Verto — Used to turn an animal into a water goblet
 * Glass to sand shield - transfigures glass back to sand within a certain radius
 * Glisseo — Used to make objects slippery
 * Incarcifors — Used to transfigure an object to capture an opponent
 * Lapifors — Used to turn a small object or creature into a rabbit
 * Match to needle - The simplest of all transfigurations that transfigures matches into needles
 * Melofors — Used to turn an opponent's head into a pumpkin
 * Mice to Snuffboxes
 * Pullus — Used to turn opponents into geese
 * Rock to dog
 * Scribblifors — Used to turn objects into quills
 * Smoke to daggers - Coalesces a horde of dagger from smoke
 * Snufflifors — Used to turn books into mice
 * Steelclaw — Used to make an animal's claws bigger and made of steel

Known Accomplished Transfigurers

 * Albus Dumbledore - Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. Later became Headmaster.
 * Minerva McGonagall - Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. Known Animagus (takes form of a cat).
 * Horace Slughorn - Successful at Human Transformation. Can take the form of an armchair.
 * James Potter - Successfully became an Animagus (unregistered). Took the form of a Stag.
 * Peter Pettigrew - Successfully became an Animagus (unregistered). Took the form of a rat.
 * Sirius Black - Successfully became an Animagus (unregistered). Took the form of a large black dog.
 * Hermione Granger - One of few students in Harry Potter's year who could perform McGonagall's tasks successfully on the first or with few attempts.
 * Harry Potter - Took the subject at N.E.W.T. level. Became an Auror.
 * Rita Skeeter - Succesfully became an Animagus (unregistered). Took the form of a beetle.
 * Nymphadora Tonks - A natural Metamorphmagus, along with her son, Teddy Lupin.
 * Teddy Lupin - A natural Metamorphmagus, along with his mother, Nymphadora Tonks.
 * Lily Evans - Succesfully transfigured a lily petal to become a fish when Slughorn found it.
 * Viktor Krum - Partially transfigured himself into a shark.

Notes and references
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