Beetle into Button

Beetle into Button
Type	Transfiguration
Hand movement
Light	White
Effect	Turned beetles to buttons

"He was supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, but all he managed to do was give his beetle a lot of exercise as it scuttled over the desk top avoiding his wand."

— Description

Beetle into Button or Beetle Buttons (incantation unknown) was a transforming spell that transfigured a beetle into a coat button.

History

During the 1987–1988 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Minerva McGonagall taught fourth-year students in Transfiguration class how to perform this spell.

Hermione and Ron practising this spell in class

On 3 September 1992, the second-year students at Hogwarts practised this spell in Transfiguration, although very few were successful. Harry Potter was unable to perform the spell because it kept running away from his wand, whereas Ronald Weasley could not cast it because his broken wand continuously engulfed him in foul-smelling grey smoke that obscured his vision and caused him to accidentally crush his beetle; He consequently had to ask Professor McGonagall for a replacement, a fact that she was not too happy about. Indeed, it seemed that only Hermione Granger knew how to cast it, and displayed her handful of perfect coat buttons at lunchtime, much to her classmates' chagrin.

Behind the scenes

• As right before the spell is introduced it is mentioned that Harry forgot everything he had learned the previous year, it is possible that this is taught in the first year rather than the second.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game (First identified as Beetle Buttons)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (First identified as Beetle into Button)