Human Transfiguration

Human Transfiguration
Class information
Professor	Minerva McGonagall (formerly) Albus Dumbledore (formerly)
Required textbooks	A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration (sixth year)
Required equipment	Wand

"If only we'd done human Transfiguration already! But I don't think we start that until sixth year, and it can go badly wrong if you don't know what you're doing [...] "

— Hermione Granger to Harry Potter on human Transfiguration

Human Transfiguration is a sub-branch of Transfiguration and a form of transformation in which one transfigures human body parts or an entire human being into another form.

Human Transfiguration is more difficult than any other form of Transfiguration, including Cross-Species Transfiguration and is therefore N.E.W.T.-level, taught only to sixth years and above at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.

Nature

"They had just embarked upon the immensely difficult topic of human Transfiguration; working in front of mirrors, they were supposed to be changing the colour of their own eyebrows."

— Harry Potter

Ron Weasley disguised by the use of human Transfiguration

Human Transfiguration can be used to essentially replicate the natural abilities of Metamorphmagi, allowing the practitioner or the subject to take on an entirely different form or make various individual changes to their appearance, such as growing or changing the colour of one's hair or taking on individual animal body parts. However, while human Transfiguration can presumably be performed by any wizard who's skilled enough, on themselves as well as on others, a Metamorphmagus is born with the ability to make such changes to their own bodies with little to no effort and without the use of a wand.

Although it is possible to transfigure humans into inanimate objects, it is unknown how someone who had himself transfigured into an object would be able to untransfigure without the intervention of another witch or wizard.

Dangers

It has been stated many times that human Transfiguration can go badly wrong when performered poorly. The user has the risk of getting stuck in his or her's transfigured state.

Known instances of human Transfiguration

Prior to 1991

• During the Quidditch World Cup of 1473, all 700 fouls were committed, including one of the players transfiguring one of the Chasers on the opposite team into a polecat.
• During the 1600s, Thaddeus Thurkell had seven sons, all of whom were Squibs. Thurkell was so angry he transfigured them all into hedgehogs.
• During the 1800s, it is possible that Mirabella Plunkett transfigured herself into a haddock in order to live with her merman lover, although it may be possible that she was an Animagus.
• Circe, a witch who lived in ancient times, was famous for turning sailors into pigs.
• According to legend, after Quintius MacBoon, head of the MacBoon clan, killed the head of a the rival McClivert clan, Dugald McClivert, in a drunken duel, the MacBoons were attacked by the McCliverts and the entire family was teansfigured into Quintapeds.
• D.J. Prod stated that he was able to turn his wife into a yak after he took a Kwikspell course.

1991 to 1998

• In 1991, Rubeus Hagrid attempted to transfigure Dudley Dursley into a pig, but only succeeded in giving him a pig's tail.
• In 1992, a Hogwarts student accidentally changed his classmate into a badger.
• In 1994, Fred and George Weasley invented the Canary Cream, a prank item which, when eaten, automatically transfigures the eater into a large canary, which they used on Neville Longbottom.
• Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies, was particularly skilled at transfiguring anyone who disagreed with her into wood lice.
• In 1994, Barty Crouch Jr. transfigured Draco Malfoy into a ferret, and in 1995, transfigured his father into a bone.
• While competing in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament in 1995, Viktor Krum attempted to transfigure himself fully or partially into a shark; ultimately, only his head was transfigured, the shark's teeth were misplaced.
• According to Nymphadora Tonks, her Metamorphmagus abilities gave her an advantage in the Disguise and Concealment portion of Auror training, as Aurors have to transfigure and untransfigure themselves on a regular basis.
• In 1996, Horace Slughorn transfigured himself into an over-stuffed armchair in order to avoid detection from Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter.
• During a Transfiguration lesson in 1996, Ron Weasley accidentally transfigured a moustache on his face. In the same lesson, Harry Potter transfigured his eyebrow bright yellow.
• Hermione Granger used human Transfiguration to disguise Ron Weasley as "Dragomir Despard" before breaking in to the Lestrange Vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
• During the Battle of Hogwarts in 1997, Percy Weasley shot a Transfiguration-based jinx at Pius Thicknesse, transfiguring him into some sort of sea urchin.

Practitioners

• Alastor Moody
• Alice Longbottom
• Bartemius Crouch Jr.
• Circe
• D.J. Prod
• Frank Longbottom
• Fred Weasley
• Gawain Robards
• George Weasley
• Gwenog Jones
• Harry Potter
• Hermione Granger
• Horace Slughorn
• John Dawlish
• Kingsley Shacklebolt
• The McCliver clan
• Mirabella Plunkett (possibly)
• Neville Longbottom
• Percy Weasley
• Proudfoot
• Ronald Weasley
• Rubeus Hagrid
• Rufus Scrimgeour
• Savage
• Thaddeus Thurkell
• Viktor Krum
• Williamson

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World (Partial transfiguration)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

See also

• Metamorphmagus
• Animagus
• Transmogrification
• Untransfiguration
• Transfiguration
• Switching
• Vanishment