• Gubraithian Fire, the spell Dumbeldore used to make a branch that burns forever as gift to the Giants, which is a really difficult according to Hagrid
• I also assume the advanced animation spell that truly imbues objects with a lifelike behaviour would have at least one book devoted for it. I dont mean the kind of charms that make your quill dance or something but things that make stuff like your chess pieces capable of arguing back to you.
  
• In Chamber of Secrets Harry notes several books in Molly's poossession, two of which are general spells like "Enchantment in Baking" or "One Minute Feasts - It's Magic!", but one was named "Charm Your Own Cheese", so I am inclined to believe that this is a book enetirely devoted to a cheese making charm
• Vanishing is a pretty versatille spell students learn all year in year 5 with increasingly large and complex targrts which is tested during their Transfiguration O.W.L exam.
• Maybe some of the N.E.W.T level spells they practise in class for several weeks like Aguamenti, the spell that turns vinegar into wine, or the generalized Human Transfiguration spell that allows you to manipulate the features of someone.
  
• I assume there'd also be individual books on things like Apparition, Occlumency, Legilimency, the Patronus charm or the Animagus transformation. Though they're clearly not actually needed to learn it, just thigns elaborating the principles and limits behind it and their historic context.
• I wouldn't be surprised if there were also books about decently difficult ministry regulated spells like the Portkey Creation spell or the Extension Charm.

 

I imagine every single spell there is has many books written about just that spell.

 

I'm 100% here on magical cookbooks to be honest. I'd devour a spellbook on the seasoning charm, a spell that automates the perfect level of seasoning and summons the herbs and salt that resonates with the chef's soul.

True masters of the charm are held in even higher renown than the most cleverly bred kitchen elf.

They have such mastery of the charm that they can apply it based on the soul of the eater, plus a subtle bit of necromancy that forces the dead meat to cook itself perfectly. The highest of honors. Only a master chef can truly touch the soul of another.

the pyrogrillardians. Subsects include the pyrofrituriers and the pyrorotissieurs, but those have little traction outside of the magical french aristocracy.

warning: do not attempt the charm on dragon steaks. St. Mungos' cafeteria has a wall dedicated to arrogant witches and wizards who have tried.

research continues in spite of.

 

Not an HP question per se, but if I leave a not logged in comment on an AO3 story, can the story author see the emoji address that I leave? Thanks.

 

So, why do you guys think we don't see more body transformation/transfigurations in the HP world.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that the Harry Potter world could easily be a sort of CYberpunk world. Just replace the cyber with magic I guess.

For example, I'm pretty sure that there are potions, charms, spells and rituals that could make you more beautiful, taller, graceful, give you your desired body type, out there.

So it doesn't quite make sense that Hogwarts isn't full of teenagers who've modified their bodies in one way or another. Like there's no reason why anyone who comes from a pureblood family doesn't come to school with the magic equivalent of super makeup or something.

Hell, why doesn't the Herbology teacher have like more than Four arms or whatever, to help assist in gardening and doing herbology stuff.

There's no reason for Harry to use glassess. There's no reason to be short, unless that's your thing.

So my question is, why don't they do this??

 

I’ve heard JKR is not a big fan of body modification stuff.

 

Magic transhumanism as the norm doesn't fit the book's aesthetic. At best they'll have the occasional quirky weirdo who's decided to turn themselves blue or give themselves a prehensile nose.

For Watsonian reasoning: we know there are side effects to transfiguring yourself, like non-animagus transformations giving you an animals mind. We know that permanent body modification is possible since Hermione thought Hagrid's size was caused by an engorgement charm going wrong before learning he was a half giant and Hermione probably wouldn't have stopped being a furry if madam Pomfrey hadn't turned her back.

Body mods are probably just bad for you in some unspecified way or seen as culturally undesirable. Wizards do have their big Master Race thing going on.

We know that magical beauty products exist like Sleekezy's hair potion and bubotuber pus can cure acne, so I'd assume the more affluent students do use them. Hermione just considers it not worth it.

Nevertheless, I'm sure there's always a yearly spate of students getting admitted to the hospital wing when they learn the engorgement charm or the swelling solution.

 

Well, Herms got her buck teeth shrunk. Admittedly, that's a rather inorganic part of the body.

 

Ah, so its more of authorial fiat, rather than an in-universe explanation. Makes sense

Would love to see a fic that incorporates it though.

 

Also, human transfiguration is a difficult area of magic, and I'd imagine potions of that sort aren't any easier.

 

It's a culture thing. Mainstream British wizarding culture prizes 'purity' and looks down on magical creatures. There's likely a magical or two out there that have dabbled in body modification, but for the majority, if they were to suddenly find themselves with an extra limb or eye or whatever, their first thought would be St Mungos, even if the modification was beneficial.

 

Like the little girl in OotP with fully functional wings.

 

Which is weird because they literally hand out licenses to allow you to turn into animals.
So what is the benefit of becoming an animagus to them??



Another question is, Who pays for Hermoine's School Fees/ School supplies and needs? Or the other Muggleborn children?

We know Harry pays it off from his inheritance. But how does Hermoine afford Hogwarts? Her family doesn't know she goes to a magic school, do they?

 

Vanishingly few people pursue that skill, so I think it fits with my presumption. There's also a difference between semi-permanently modifying yourself and gaining a skill that allows you to change back and forth between forms.

Her parents pay for it. They're seen exchanging money at Gringotts in one of the books, I believe.

As for someone like Riddle, presumably there's a fund, because he or his orphanage weren't paying the fees on their own bat.

 

Which raises an interesting question.

I always assumed Dumbledore pulled some strings to give him some kind of scholarship.

Which begs the question, what happens to the regular, non-genius muggleborns who get called up but can't afford it.

Surely not all of them get scholarships, right?

 

JKR confirmed that the Ministry pays Hogwarts Tuition. Students are expected to provide the yearly supplies stated on the yearly letter.

There's a fund for poor students who cannot afford the supplies. Remember, a wand at 7 Galleons is going to be 40 Pounds Sterling (as per JKR's 5:1 exchange rate). In 1999, the minimum wage in the UK was 3.60 Pounds Sterling.

Also, being poor or in poverty as a wizard is 100% a choice, likely made due to the hilarious amount of inbreeding destroying IQ's in the Wizarding World.

 

Do we see any poor wizards other than the Weasleys in the books? My favorite crack-canon is that Molly spends all their money on ingredients for love potions and Arthur is too stoned to get a better job.

 

Weasleys are not truly poor poor. They own their own home with a good amount of land. They eat well. Their children have a good education and obtain good jobs. Their bread winner has a decent job. Their main problem is loads of kids and no second income.

We do see true wizarding poverty in the form of the Gaunts, however. Who seem barely able to do magic.

 

Always got the feeling the cost of living in the wizarding word is low, but what is expensive is enchanted items, potions, books, robes etc etc. The Weasley’s aren’t starving or lack a home because food and a house are easily affordable, but the cost of those other things spread over 7 children is reeeeally expensive.

 

I like the idea of wizarding poverty being about lack of magic like the Gaunts. It feels too mundane to be worried about the mortgage in a world where a confundus charm could net wizards a muggle mansion.

That implies that true poverty is being unable to educate your children/send them to Hogwarts. It justifies why there’s so many political battles over Hogwarts in the books. To bar a wizard from Hogwarts is to deny them their heritage and place in society.