Transformation

Transformation or Transubstantial Transfiguration^[1] is the name given to a branch of Transfiguration that focuses on altering the physical features of an object. It is not to be confused with Trans-species Transformation, though that is a type of transformation.

Nature

Transformation is the first branch of Transfiguration that students will learn at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, beginning with Match to needle in first year and progressing from there.

Transformation contains the following sub-groups all of which overlap with each other to varying degrees): human Transfiguration, defined by and named for the target being a human being; Switches, which simultaneously exchange features between organism; and the aforementioned Trans-Species Transformations, which refer to transformations that change organisms from one species to another.

Danger

Due to the applied, precise nature of Transfiguration magic there is a large potential for it to go disastrously wrong, even for the experts.

If transformation is done improperly, the Transfigured object can become half-Transfigured or permanently stuck in one state (whether fully or partially Transfigured); for example, Viktor Krum half-Transfigured himself once into a shark in the Second Task of The Triwizard Tournament in 1994 (although he was not stuck in that form, so it may have been intentional).

Methods

Transformation can be achieved in a number of different ways, namely: Transforming Spells^[2], Animagi, Metamorphmagi, and Lycanthropy.

Transforming spells

General

• Avifors Spell (Avifors): Transforms things into birds^[3]
• Cat into tea cosy: Transforms cats, and possibly Kneazles, into tea cozies
• Cauldron to Sieve: Transforms cauldrons into sieves^[4]
• Draconifors Spell (Draconifors): Transforms things into dragons^[5]
• Hardening Charm (Duro): Transforms things into stone
• Ears to kumquats: Transforms a person's ears into kumquats
• Vera Verto: Transforms animals into goblets^[6][7]
• Glass to sand shield: Transforms glass into sand.
• Incarcifors: Captures things^[4]
• Lapifors Spell (Lapifors): Transforms things into rabbits^[5]
• Match to needle: Transforms matches into needles
• Meddling Man to Monkey: Transforms a meddling man into a monkey^[8]
• Piscifors: Transforms things into fish
• Raven to Writing Desk^[4] Transforms ravens into writing desks.
• Rock to dog: Transforms rocks into dogs
• Scribblifors: Transforms things into quills^[4]
• Smoke to daggers: Transforms smoke into daggers
• Small Child to Rat^[8]
• Snufflifors Spell (Snufflifors): Transforms things into mice^[5]
• Steelclaw: Transforms claws into steel^[4]
• Tentaclifors: Turns a person's head into a tentacle
• Teapot to ferret: Turns a teapot into a ferret

Trans-Species Transforming spells

• Human to pig
• Human to ferret
• Animagus reversal spell: Untransfiguration that returns an Animagus back into its human form
• Pullus: Jinx used to transfigure the target into a chicken or a goose
• Vermiculus: Jinx used to transfigure things into worms
• Ducklifors: Spell that transforms an organism into a duck

Human Transfigurations

• Human to pig
• Human to ferret
• Human to armchair
• Animagus reversal spell

Known practitioners

Alice Longbottom

Barty Crouch Jr

Circe

Frank Longbottom

Fred Weasley I

George Weasley

Gwenog Jones

Harry Potter^[9]

Hermione Granger^[10]

Horace Slughorn

John Dawlish

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Mirabella Plunkett

Neville Longbottom^[11]

Percy Weasley

Ron Weasley^[9]

Rubeus Hagrid

Rufus Scrimgeour

Thaddeus Thurkell

Viktor Krum

James Potter (possibly)

Sirius Black (possibly)

Remus Lupin (possibly)

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• D.J. Prod
• Gawain Robards
• The McCliver
• Proudfoot
• Savage
• Williamson

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (PS1 version only) (Mistake)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only) (Transforming Spells and Cross-Species Switches)
• Quidditch Through the Ages (real) (Mentioned only) (Mentioned as Transubstantial Transfiguration)

Notes and references

Transfiguration (class)
Branches of Transfiguration	Transformation · Vanishment · Conjuration · Untransfiguration
Known practitioners	Circe · Emeric Switch · Falco Aesalon · Mirabella Plunkett · Thaddeus Thurkell
Professors	Albus Dumbledore · Minerva McGonagall
Textbooks	A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration · Intermediate Transfiguration · A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration
Transfiguration spells studied at Hogwarts
Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Change of hair colour and style (Crinus Muto) · Hardening Charm (Duro) · Reparifarge · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Switching Spell · Vanishing Spell (Evanesco)
Conjuring Spells	Bird-Conjuring Charm (Avis) · Inanimatus Conjurus Spell · Orchideous · Snake Summons Spell (Serpentsortia)
Transforming Spells	Animal to Water Goblet (Vera Verto) · Beetle Buttons · Cat to Cauldron (Felifors) · Chair to cat · Cross-Species Switches · Desk Into Pig · Dinner plate to mushroom · Guinea fowl to guinea pig · Hedgehog to pincushion · Match to needle · Meddling Man to Monkey · Mice to Snuffboxes · Owl to Opera Glasses (Strigiforma) · Porcupine to Pin Cushion (Hystrifors) · Small Child to Rat · Small Object to Dragon (Draconifors) · Snail to Teapot · Target to Bird (Avifors) · Target to matchbox (Flintifors) · Target to Rabbit (Lapifors) · Teacup to Rat · Teapot to tortoise · White Rabbits to Slippers