Tracking spell

Tracking spell
Incantation	Appare Vestigium (ah-PAR-ay ves-TEE-jee-um)
Type	Charm
Hand movement
Light	Swirl of gold
Effect	Revealed traces of magic, including footprints and track marks

The tracking spell (Appare Vestigium) was a charm that revealed and illuminated traces of recent magical activity and showed magical footprints and track marks in an area.

History

In 1927, Newt Scamander cast this charm to help him in his investigative attempt to track the whereabouts of Tina Goldstein in the streets of Place Cachée, Paris.

During The Sorcerer's Olympiad in 1985–1986 school year, Penny Haywood used this spell by the Great Lake in order to see if the competition had been jinxed.

In the 1986–1987 school year Filius Flitwick taught the charm to Barnaby Lee and Jacob's sibling to help find Barnaby's uncle Cecil Lee, who had wandered off into the Forbidden Forest looking for werewolves, however they stumbled upon Barnaby's aunt Leah Lee instead.

In the 1988–1989 school year, Chiara Lobosca asked Flitwick to teach her the spell. Jacob's sibling later used it alongside her, who revealed a Niffler's trace using it. Later, Jacob's sibling used it to reveal the tracks of a supposed Moon Frog (actually Sir Ribbithe).

Known practitioners

Newton Scamander

Penny Haywood

Chiara Lobosca

Jacob's sibling

Filius Flitwick

Barnaby Lee

Etymology

The spell has two components, appare, a Latin word in the imperative form (present active, second-person, singular) meaning "you appear (now)", a conjugation of the verb appareo ("I appear, or come into sight"), and vestigium, Latin for "footprint or track", or in a broader sense, any form of "trace, vestige or mark". Together, the incantation Appare Vestigium can be interpreted as a command, "footprints, traces, you appear now".

Behind the scenes

• This spell, or a variation of it, might be used in the creation and/or maintenance of the MACUSA Real-Time Hex Indicator map.

Appearances

• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay (First appearance)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

See also

• Human-presence-revealing Spell
• Trace Charm