Changes: Colour Change Charm

Revision as of 15:32, 18 July 2014

"Point me!"
This article is about the charm that makes an object change colour. You may be looking for the charm that makes an object flash different colours.

" [...] he wished he had not mixed up the incantations for Colour Change and Growth Charms, so that the rat he was supposed to be turning orange swelled shockingly and was the size of a badger before Harry could rectify his mistake."

— Harry mistakes the Growth Charm for this spell^[src]

The Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) is a charm that causes an object or animal to change its colour; a witch or wizard can use it to change the colour of walls and banners, for instance.

Uses

"Sunshine, daisies,
butter mellow,
turn this stupid,
fat rat yellow."

— Ron Weasley^[src]

File:BlueWig.jpg

The teacher's blue wig

Harry Potter used this charm to change the wig of his teacher at St. Grogory's Primary School a vivid blue colour.
When Ron Weasley was eleven years old, his brothers Fred and George convinced him to believe that a nonsense poem was this particular charm. The incantation was supposed to turn Ron's rat Scabbers yellow, but being a fake incantation, it caused no change whatsoever. ^[1] It could also be because Scabbers was an an animagus, not an actual rat.
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore used this charm to change the banners in the Great Hall at the End-of-Term Feast from the green and silver of Slytherin House to the crimson and gold of Gryffindor.
During Harry Potter's Charms O.W.L. in 1996, he accidentally switched the incantations for this and the Growth Charm, so that instead of turning the rat orange it grew to the size of a badger before he could reverse his mistake.^[2] Harry Potter used this charm when he came of age to change the robes of the Chudley Cannons posters in Ron's bedroom to bright blue.^[3]

Etymology

The incantation for this charm comes from the English words colour (the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, blue, yellow, green and others) and vary (to make or cause changes in the characteristics or attributes of; modify or alter).

Behind the scenes

As Harry Potter confused the Growth Charm with this spell, it is probable that the two incantations are similar.

Appearances

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

Notes and references

↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Chapter 6 (The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters)
↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 31 (O.W.L.s)
↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 7 (The Will of Albus Dumbledore)

Charms (class)

Charm-book writers and developers
Blagdon Blay · Daisy Pennifold · Delfina Crimp · Miranda Goshawk · Jarleth Hobart · Basil Horton · Helixa Hyslop · Syna Hyslop · Randolph Keitch · Levina Monkstanley · Orabella Nuttley · Mnemone Radford · Scarpin · Elliot Smethwyck · Felix Summerbee · Violeta Stitch
Professors	Fortinbras · Filius Flitwick · Abraham Ronen · Unidentified male professor · Unidentified medieval professor
Textbooks	Achievements in Charming · Extreme Incantations · Quintessence: A Quest · The Standard Book of Spells
Charms studied at Hogwarts
Anti-Alohomora Charm · Ascension Charm (Ascendio) · Banishing Charm (Depulso) · Blackboard Writing Spell · Blue sparks · Bombardment Spell (Bombarda) · Box Blasting Charm (Cistem Aperio) · Bubble-Head Charm · Cheering Charm · Cleaning Charm · Colour Change Charm (Colovaria) · Confundus Charm (Confundo) · Counter-charm for hiccoughs · Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · Descendo · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Disillusionment Charm · Drought Charm · Entrancing Enchantments (theoretically) · Eradication Spell (Deletrius) · Engorgement Charm (Engorgio) · Extinguishing Spell · Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Freezing Charm (Immobulus) · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · General Counter-Spell (Finite Incantatem) · Gouging Spell (Defodio) · Growth Charm · Ice Jinx · Impervius Charm (Impervius) · Knitting Charm · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Leg-Locker Curse (Locomotor Mortis) · Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locking Spell (Colloportus) · Locomotion Charm (Locomotor) · Lumos Solem Spell (Lumos Solem) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Muffliato Charm (Muffliato) · Nonverbal spells · Pack Charm (Pack) · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Scouring Charm (Scourgify) · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Severing Charm (Diffindo) · Shrinking Charm (Reducio) · Silencing Charm (Silencio) · Slowing Charm (Arresto Momentum) · Skurge Charm (Skurge) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Spell for growing legs · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm (Accio) · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Unlocking Charm (Alohomora) · Vinegar to wine spell · Wand-Extinguishing Charm (Nox) · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos) · Lumos Maxima · Water-Making Spell (Aguamenti)

[PS6-1] Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Chapter 6 (The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters)

[OP31-2] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 31 (O.W.L.s)

[DH7-3] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 7 (The Will of Albus Dumbledore)

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{Spell infobox
 |name=Colour Change Charm
-|image=[[File:Colovaria.png|250px]]
+|image=[[File:colour change.gif|250px]]
 |incantation=''Colovaria''<br/>(co-loh-VA-ree-ah)
 |type=[[Charm]]
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 }}
-{{Quote|...he wished he had not mixed up the [[incantation]]s for Colour Change and [[Growth Charm]]s, so that the [[rat]] he was supposed to be turning orange swelled shockingly and was the size of a badger before Harry could [[Shrinking Charm|rectify his mistake]].|[[Harry Potter|Harry]] mistakes the Growth Charm for this [[spell]]|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
+{{Quote| ''[...]'' he wished he had not mixed up the [[incantation]]s for Colour Change and [[Growth Charm]]s, so that the [[rat]] he was supposed to be turning orange swelled shockingly and was the size of a badger before Harry could [[Shrinking Charm|rectify his mistake]].|[[Harry Potter|Harry]] mistakes the Growth Charm for this [[spell]]|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
-The '''Colour Change Charm''' (''Colovaria'') is a [[charm]] that causes an object or animal to change its colour; a [[Wizardkind|witch or wizard]] can use it to change the colour of their hair, for instance.
+The '''Colour Change Charm''' (''Colovaria'') is a [[charm]] that causes an object or animal to change its colour; a [[Wizardkind|witch or wizard]] can use it to change the colour of walls and banners, for instance.
-==History==
+==Uses==
+{{Quote|Sunshine, daisies,<br />butter mellow,<br />turn this stupid,<br />fat rat yellow.|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}
-===Prior to 1991===
-[[File:BlueWig.jpg|thumb|The teacher's blue wig]]
-[[Harry Potter]] used this [[charm]] to change the wig of his [[Unidentified teacher at St. Grogory's Primary School|teacher]] at [[St. Grogory's Primary School]] a vivid blue colour.
-===1991===
-{{Quote|Sunshine, daisies,<br />butter mellow,<br />turn this stupid,<br />fat rat yellow.|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] trying to perform a Colour-Change Charm.|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone}}
+[[File:BlueWig.jpg|thumb|left|The teacher's blue wig]]
-When [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] was eleven years old, his brothers [[Fred and George Weasley|Fred and George]] convinced him to believe that a nonsense poem was this particular [[charm]]. The incantation was supposed to turn Ron's rat [[Peter Pettigrew|Scabbers]] yellow, but being a fake incantation, it caused no change whatsoever.<ref name="PS6">''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' - Chapter 6 (''The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters'')</ref>
-Later that year, [[Headmaster]] [[Albus Dumbledore]] used this [[charm]] to change the banners in the [[Great Hall]] at the [[End-of-Term Feast]] from the green and silver of [[Slytherin|Slytherin House]] to the crimson and gold of [[Gryffindor]].
+*[[Harry Potter]] used this [[charm]] to change the wig of his [[Unidentified teacher at St. Grogory's Primary School|teacher]] at [[St. Grogory's Primary School]] a vivid blue colour.
+*When [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] was eleven years old, his brothers [[Fred and George Weasley|Fred and George]] convinced him to believe that a nonsense poem was this particular [[charm]]. The incantation was supposed to turn Ron's rat [[Peter Pettigrew|Scabbers]] yellow, but being a fake incantation, it caused no change whatsoever. <ref name="PS6">''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' - Chapter 6 (''The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters'')</ref> It could also be because Scabbers was an an animagus, not an actual rat.
+* [[Headmaster]] [[Albus Dumbledore]] used this [[charm]] to change the banners in the [[Great Hall]] at the [[End-of-Term Feast]] from the green and silver of [[Slytherin|Slytherin House]] to the crimson and gold of [[Gryffindor]].
-===1996===
-During Harry Potter's [[Charms (class)|Charms]] [[Ordinary Wizarding Level|O.W.L.]] in [[1996]], he accidentally switched the incantations for this and the [[Growth Charm]] so that instead of turning the rat orange it grew to the size of a badger before he could reverse his mistake.<ref name="OP31">''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' - Chapter 31 (''O.W.L.s'')</ref>
+*During Harry Potter's [[Charms (class)|Charms]] [[Ordinary Wizarding Level|O.W.L.]] in [[1996]], he accidentally switched the incantations for this and the [[Growth Charm]], so that instead of turning the rat orange it grew to the size of a badger before he could reverse his mistake.<ref name="OP31">''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' - Chapter 31 (''O.W.L.s'')</ref>[[Harry Potter| Harry Potter]] used this charm when he came of age to change the robes of the [[Chudley Cannons]] posters in Ron's bedroom to bright blue.<ref name="DH7">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' - Chapter 7 (''The Will of Albus Dumbledore'')</ref>
-===1997===
-[[Harry Potter]] used this charm when he came of age to change the robes of the [[Chudley Cannons]] posters in Ron's bedroom to bright blue.<ref name="DH7">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' - Chapter 7 (''The Will of Albus Dumbledore'')</ref>
 ==Etymology==
-The incantation for this [[charm]] comes from the [[England|English]] word '''colour''' (the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, blue, yellow and those that can be made from mixtures of these colours) and '''vary''' (to make or cause changes in the characteristics or attributes of; modify or alter).
+The incantation for this [[charm]] comes from the [[England|English]] words '''colour''' (the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, blue, yellow, green and others) and '''vary''' (to make or cause changes in the characteristics or attributes of; modify or alter).
 ==Behind the scenes==
-*Since [[Harry Potter]] confused the [[Growth Charm]] with this [[spell]], it is probable that the two [[incantation]]s are similar.
+*As [[Harry Potter]] confused the [[Growth Charm]] with this [[spell]], it is probable that the two [[incantation]]s are similar.
-*It is possible that [[Harry Potter]] used this to turn his eyebrow yellow in ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''. However, the [[-fors suffix]] in the [[incantation]] ''[[Multicorfors]]'' seems to indicate that [[spell]] is a [[transfiguration]], and Harry was practicing [[Transfiguration (class)|transfigurations]] that day. Therefore, it seems likely he used "''Multicorfors''."
 ==See Also==