AN ANTHOLOGY OF EIGHTEENTH CENTURY CHARMS

BY MIRANDA GOSHAWK
While this book should be in possession of every first year and second year at Hogwarts, the library also offers a few copies in the Magical Textbook Section.

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Ancient Charms

There is a popular muggle quote that says "don't judge a book by its cover". However, in this case you can! This enormous ancient intriguing grimoire is packed with a treasure trove of secret charms as valuable as the gold trimmed pages that grasp the words themselves. Luckily this book is in your possession, so you can fully enjoy the once lost treasures that were at one time common practice in the eighteenth century. You might be asking yourself "who could possibly use a book filled with these ancient outdated charms"? Ancient, yes. Outdated, surprisingly enough, no! These charms will quickly prove themselves as extremely useful and practical. Soon you will be the envy of all as you will have magical abilities and spells that no one has heard of before! These cherished charms were simply lost in time, and we have dug through the deepest dungeons, long forgotten or vanished libraries, dust ridden attics, and even a few crumbly closed crypts to find an extremely rare compilation of some of the finest magic ever produced! Think about it. This book has hundreds of years' worth of research, and magical expertise passed down by some of the finest witches and wizards that ever lived. We've simply bound all this work together into a book that you will be sure to pass down to future generations. Some of the most effective charms produced were once horded and kept secret, therefore giving the maker or owner the solitary power to use that magic. Now we are practically giving that carefully guarded magic to you! While some of the wording may seem confusing, since our language has changed considerably since the eighteenth century, we have provided translation where necessary. There is also an alternate ingredients list available in the index. While some of the words and ingredients may be altered you'll be sure to find this book completely and utterly charming.

Chapter 2 Synostrix Charm

This chapter is dedicated to the fine art of charming the warts off an Ebenezer - in other words, a nose. Such a charm has been overused and dreadfully misinterpreted in many cases relating to Muggle short stories and such. However, in 18th century wizarding times there seemed to be a plague of some sort that caused unsightly boils and wart-like protrusions to sprout across the entirety of ones face and sometimes arms. It is said that this charm, Synostrix, had dramatically varied results. It was not uncommon that a witch or wizard would find that they were missing more than a wart or two after completion. Nevertheless, the Synostrix Charm was one of the more popular means by which medieval wizards would resort to in order to charm off these growths. One should keep in mind that in these times, hexes were thought to be one of the more ultimate evils and so most resorted to the more pure art of charms. Venustas Synostrix Ut venustus wrent de synos greengrass incendia quod infuseth of amoria radix shehld exsisto instituo. Illa duos ingredients sehld exsisto madidus in a lebes insquequo characteristic phasmatis quod viridis stomachata res ut emit ex superficies of venenum. Locus caput capitis supremus brew parumper discretionable tractus of vicis , usitas discrepo ex severitas of theca. Tunc veneficus vel veneficus should take virga quod revolvo Synostrix " insquequo verus praecessi es perficio. Is est suadeo ut a planta of juniper bacca should exsisto added iuxta carmen. Translation: When charming the warts off a nose, greengrass fire and infusion of amoria root should be found. These two ingredients should be boiled in a cauldron until characteristic spirals and green fumes being to emit from the surface of the potion. Place the head above the brew for a specific length of time, usually varying from the severity of the case. Then the witch or wizard should take the wand and repeat "Synostrix" until the proper results are achieved. It is recommended that a sprig of juniper berry should be added just before incantation.

Chapter 3 Tersus unda iucunditas Water Purification Charm

This charm was an extremely important charm to have had in any witch or wizards arsenal in the eighteenth century. Back then, the usage of many purifying charms, spells, and potions were unknown to most and as a result, many diseases and plagues ravaged the wizarding populations, decimating people by the thousands. It is important to note that the more commonplace fatal disease came from the contaminated water from wells and rivers. It was the practice in that age to wash oneself, ones clothes, and ones cattle in the same water source for drinking. One of the more potent water-borne illnesses is cholera, afflicting witches, wizards, and Muggles alike. Cholera is an infectious stomach infection that manifests itself as an extreme case of diarrhea. In the later stages, cholera becomes exponentially more severe and causes a rapid drop in blood pressure along with bodily shock. Left untreated, many died in less than three hours. The bacteria that contribute to this fatal disease thrive in water sources contaminated with human and animal feces. In an age where personal hygiene was of low priority for most, the onset of this disease was a sure mark of the beginning of dark days to come. During the Golden Wand age, or the Enlightenment in Muggle terms, there was an explosion of creativity through the exploration of reason. Thus, many different charms of purification were discovered and quickly put into usage, effectively saving the wizarding population from sure extinction. Many historians agree that the discovery of such purifying spells and charms helped to burgeon the historical events that were to take place in later times. Tersus unda iucunditas Expio unda radix ex varius buquateris quod alius talis unvotum materia un secui of crusta ex mos nemus est necessarius. Quondam sumo secui de crusta quod perfusus in a fomentum of thrashed ferrumwood , frendo redberries , quod lubricus cadaver. Quondam penitus mansuetas, licet suscipio ut carve prosapia typicus onto superficies. Is est vicis ut unus must lepor lepos talisman in vitualamen gero tutela. Refer Tersus Unda utique ten vicis tunc sino pro lepor lepos talisman sicco. Partum lectulus foramen primoris of talisman quod thread per per a ligamen of ile of tabula. Gero inter gutter quod operor non aufero pro ullus causa insquequo totus threat of vomica has evanui. To purify water sources from various bacteria and other such unwanted materials, a piece of bark from the willow tree is needed. Once obtained, take this piece of bark and soak in a poultice of thrashed ironwood, crushed redberries, and sliced cadavas. Once thoroughly softened, one can begin to carve the family symbol onto the surface. This is the time when one must charm the talisman into offering the wearer protection. Recite Tersus Unda at least ten times and then allow for the charmed talisman to dry. Create a small hole at the top of the talisman and thread through with a string of intestine of boar. Wear around the neck and do not remove for any reason until all threat of plague has disappeared.

Chapter 4 Dexus Moines

The Dexus Moines charm was used to disenchant charmed objects. The problem of unwanted charms was rampant through the Middle Ages; it was too often a birthday joke gone sour when a son of cousin lost an ear to a nibbling top hat. To offset this problem, the clever wizards of the day created a series of charms in which one set was named Dexus Moines. This term is not in itself a single charm. Instead it is an eclectic arrangement of various other charms that work together in mysterious magical ways. These charms do not have their own specific names. Lengthy incantations were popular in those days, serving to combine would-be separate charms into a more convenient set. Thus the incantation for the Dexus Moines was extremely long and quite inconveniently unwieldy; forgetting a word here or there had a wide range of consequences, from uncontrolled explosions and unwanted aftereffects to absolutely nothing at all, if one was lucky. St. Mungo's applies the Dexus Moins charm in a more modern way. The specifics can be referred to in St. Mungo's: A Clinic throughout History by Antinous Grout. There are detailed accounts of the uncharming process. No pun intended, for the preliminary preparation was arduous and back-breaking difficult. Dexus Moines - a non venustus lepor lepos Paratus vicis non validus an hora ut ingredients mos vado acidus valde velociter. Radix amortentia quod fossilized humus of Sinus nemus exsisto combined valde velociter per an infusion de wormwood. Tantum a pluo of rose tendo should exsisto added si praecessi colo colui cultum of venenum est a acidus puteulanus. votum colo colui cultum est a perspicuus crocus ut plumbeus viridis fretus potency of lepus ago induco. Contraho stomachata super venenum quod solio insum angustus. Smoke lepor lepos res per gases ex is insum quod sono is incantion: Venus vot verum des torgio yetigh ghat serumatte des moinix curre crus crusta. Translation: Preparation time should not exceed an hour as the said ingredients will go sour very quickly. Root amortentia and fossilized grout of the Bendrix tree should be combined very quickly with an infusion of wormwood. Only a sprinkle of rose tendril should be added if the resulting color of the potion is a sour blue. The desired color is a bright yellow to dull green depending on the potency of the rabbit liver introduced. Collect the fumes over the potion and cap the container tightly. Smoke the charmed object with the gases from this container and utter this incantion: Venus vot verum des torgio yetigh ghat serumatte des moinix curre shinte shelle. *Note: The true translation of this charm has been lost through the ages. Thus there is a discrepancy between the translated charm here and the original above.

Chapter 5 Obliviation in the 18th Century

Oblivate What we perceive as one of the most useful of memory charms was in fact, in the 18th century, a very daring, not to mention risky, endeavor. There was no limit to the possibilities of the spell going wrong. In the century in question, witches and wizards only used this charm as a last result if all else proved faulty. It just so happened that the Wizard Enforcement agencies of the time were unorganized and sadly, corruption was rampant among the wizarding community. For a time, the viler of our ancestors would sell to unsuspecting Muggles this memory modifier as a trinket. Once the Muggle touched it, they would fall into a listless coma. Then the wizard would go and steal all of their valuable possessions. It was a terrible exchange, for many innocent Muggles were often blamed for the actions of these terrible witches and wizards. Many Muggle children stories, like the child-preying Baba Yaga, were used as warnings against the supposedly wicked wizards that lived amongst Muggles. Remember that in these times, sorcery and witchcraft were looked upon as workings of the devil. Still, Oblivate was a difficult thing to master. Sometimes the charm would backfire on the owner and result in a complete memory wipe, reducing the aforementioned witch or wizard to a blubbering mass, a baby trapped in an adults body. This unfortunate circumstance was all too common in the darker ages of wizarding history. But for the few that had the skills to master this charm, they were hired in masses to the Wizarding Enforcement Agency of their towns. It was then that the wizarding government, the Ministry of Magic, realized the value of having skilled workers in a law enforcement agency. Therefore, it can be logically deduced that the many departments of the Ministry of Magic that we know today stemmed from the lack of useful departments in the 18th century and our tricky little charm: Obliviate.

Chapter 6 Sir Twimming's Contribution to the Society

"Once upon a time there was a girl named Cecily Clearwater. She lived in a small wooden house with her older brother, Elysian Clearwater, and a divorced mother named Leah Marie. One day, despite her mothers warnings, Cecily decided to pick a beautiful red flower with large purple thorns. Its leaves seemed gilded with gold. Once she touched it however, a fine powder was left on her fingers that was impossible to wash off. Over the course of a week, the purple stain grew larger and larger, eventually covering her entire left side. The consequence was that Cecily could no longer move. Her mother and brother were entirely bamboozled." Unfortunately in the olden times, witches and wizards had simply no idea how to treat more major wounds and infections. The wizard medical field was, in all aspects, failing from a lack of organization and management. St. Mungos during this dark time in the 18th century was far behind the image of itself that we now see. The section for treatment from magical plant poisoning had not even been created. The future looked bleak for many until a brilliant man by the name of Sir Taylor Twimmings invented a simple charm for the curing of skin-based infections. It was a derivation of the Scourgio charm, and its curative power lay in inducing the skin to shed its outer-most layer. The charm was known as "Dermiosa Remova" and, with practice, proved its efficiency. From that moment on, there were no more Cecilys and grieving mothers like Leah Marie, at least, in the magical plant wards. It received a big reception in Europe but was less accepted in areas such as China and Russia. The cold weather proved a negative force; the charm was not delicate enough to remove the thinnest layer of skin possible for maximum efficiency at that time. What would happen in Russia was when the charm was performed, the patient would then succumb to pneumonia. They were more susceptible to cold and it compromised their immune systems.

Chapter 7 Inimicus Reperio: The Foe Finder

The Middle Ages were, considered by many, to be the bloodiest time in history. Famine, war and general uncleanliness caused witches and wizards of the time to be prone to dangerous downward mood swings. Foul temperament paired with a wand held disastrous consequences. Setting off an angry party could be as simple as accidentally running into them at the market, or angering your neighbor by playing too loudly of a jig. If lucky, the injured party could escape with something as simple as receiving a curse causing an itch in unmentionable places but more probable was mortal danger. In bad times it was hard to trust even a good person. A favorite aunt, for example, could be likely to use an unforgivable curse if pestered by fleas or a smelly house guest. Witches and wizards of the age found it therefore necessary to conjure a way to identify these ill wishers. A simple charm was devised that, when produced correctly, would warn of danger within the intended area. This charm was known as Inimicus Reperio, the foe finder. The Latin texts for conjuring this charm reads: Sub a plenus luna , cruor moss quod oculus of newt erant promiscuus in unda haud magis quod haud minor quam 77 inhonestus. A incendia tunc exsisto lit sub lebes quod quondam is coepi ferveo a planta of alveus would exsisto added. quod vel veneficus tunc chant lepor lepos Inimicus ut quinque vicis , insquequo liquidus volvit a splendens umbra of argentum. Under a full moon, blood moss would be mixed in water no more and no less than 77 degrees. Then, after chanting Inimicus The witch or wizard should then chant the charm Inimicus three to five times, until the liquid turned a dull gray. A sprig of holly would then be added and the gray would then be added. If all was done correctly, the liquid would become a brilliant shade of silver. The charmed liquid would then be poured into a vase or jar and usually kept beside the main entrance of the witch or wizard's home. When danger was not present the liquid would remain it's silver shade, but if an illintending wizard were to enter the property the liquid would immediately turn a bright shade of red and begin to whistle. Therefore, the wizard or witch would be able to defend him or her herself before the villainous guest could speak his/her first spell or wiggle his/her wand. However, if not brewed correctly the charm was known to become too touchy. Rather than only indicating witches and wizards who intended to cause harm, a badly produced charm would indicate those who were just in grumpy moods. This would add to accidents, such as a brother or a cousin being hexed simply because he'd been dumped by his fair maiden. While useful during it's time, Inimicus Reperio was eventually replaced with simpler items such as Foe Glass and Sneakoscopes. These items not only accomplish the same feat with less effort are known to be less prone to accident. Still, when entering the home of an elderly witch or wizard it is not uncommon to notice a vase, of brilliant silver liquid at each entry.