Transfiguration 2:6

Lesson Six: Animare & Wizarding Chess

As the students sat down,Trina withdrew a large box from under the desk. After removing the top, and on closer inspection, it was revealed to actually be a chess set. The marble pieces stood still, staring blankly out at the class.

"Morning!" SHe greeted the students with a smile. "Anyone ever played wizard chess before?" He questioned, not too surprised when only a few hands were raised. It wasn't like twelve year olds were generally enthusiastic about chess. Still, it was good some of them had some experience with the game. "For anyone who has never played wizarding chess: it's quite like regular chess, except the pieces come to life to attack each other on your orders." SHe explained easily. "Before these pieces have minds on their own, they start out as normal, boring, chess pieces that resemble those used by muggles."

"The pieces are transfigured, by a special team of wizarding toymakers, to come to life. Each set generally has its own distinct personality, depending on the preference of the witch or wizard who brought them to life. This type of transfiguration falls under the Inanimate to Animate type of spell."

"This," Trina pointed at the chess set, "Is a muggle chess set. The pieces remain stationary, having no animation or personality of their own, until we grant them that."

Taking out her wand, he waved the mahogany wood toward the marble queen. "Animare!" SHe incanted, and at once the piece's facial features changed. Her mouth contorted and melted, shifting from a solid line to something more mobile. The piece remained in the clothing that had been carved onto it, but it seemed to come to life, the marble cloth separating from its body somewhat to resemble a more living and free-flowing appearance. The queen loomed over its subjects with an impassive expression, until she seemed to notice the classroom of students beyond her board. "Hmph." She tutted, her brow creasing.

Trina's eyes moved from the queen to the class with a smile. "As you can see, the incantation 'Animare' brings things to life. Naturally, other inanimate objects are brought to life to amuse children. Chocolate frogs are an excellent example that comes to mind. After the chocolate is mixed and set, candy makers use a sort of mild variant of the spell. The result is that they really only get one good jump before -"

"Why are there children on my battlefield, peasant?" The queen cut in, causing her to laugh. She then quickly tapped her with her wand again and the queen froze back to her inanimate state.

"Anyway, the wand movement," She continued with a grin. "You should tap the object that you are going to animate once squarely in it's center and then aim the wand at the object, speaking aloud the incantation. With the proper visualization and concentration, the correct wand movement, and a firmly spoken incantation, you should find yourself able to cast most inanimate to animate spells. In your cases, you aren't likely to flesh out any sort of faux-personality, but you should give it life. Now one by one come to the front, pick a chess piece, and try to bring it to life in front of the class. Starting with you." Trina pointed at a student sitting on the first bench of the first row.

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Roleplay the lesson, including trying to bring a chess piece to life, for full marks. Extra points might be given for creativity.

 

[Helios Obasi]

Helios could not wait to get home, he was so looking forward to just being home, to just being able to relax properly, actually be able to switch his brain off and just concentrate on things which were not the school and how dangerous it was. He knew he was perhaps the only one to see it, but that didn’t stop it being true. The hufflepuff was getting the last few things together for the day and then headed out of the dorm room and to class.

Helios walked into the transfiguration classroom and took his usual spot in the room. His gaze moved to the professor at the front of the classroom as things got started. He didn’t raise his hand to the question because wizard chess was something he had avoided, it was a very dangerous game, with broken pieces flying around. He hoped they wouldn’t be doing that in this lesson. As it turned out, they’d be animating the pieces, which he was less bothered by. He watched as the professor demonstrated what they were to do, and then handed it over. When it came to be Helios’ turn he took one of the pawn pieces and cast the spell. It took a few tries but he was eventually able to do it. The piece came to life, scream and was immediately cowering. Helios watched as other people went and then eventually the lesson was wrapped up and he was able to leave the room.

 

[Makaria Styx]

Makaria Styx sat down at her desk. The sight of the large chess set piqued her interest slightly, although she maintained her usual cool demeanor. When Professor Adelia greeted the class and introduced the lesson, Makaria leaned back in her chair, listening with mild disinterest. Makaria watched as Professor Adelia performed the spell. The marble queen came to life, her facial features changing, her expression becoming more animated. The transformation was fascinating, and Makaria couldn't help but smirk when the queen haughtily addressed the class. And soon, they all had to line up to cast the spell on one of the chess pieces. Makaria stood up, her icy demeanor never wavering. She walked to the front of the class with measured steps, eyes fixed on the chess set. She selected a marble knight, its stoic face and sturdy stance appealing to her.

Holding her wand with confidence, she tapped the center of the knight and pointed her wand at it to cast the spell. The knight's marble surface rippled, its eyes blinking as it came to life. It turned its head, looking around before focusing on Makaria. Makaria allowed herself a small, satisfied smile before nodding to the knight. The lesson continued, with each student taking their turn to animate a chess piece. Makaria watched with mild interest, noting the different levels of success among her classmates. As the lesson drew to a close, Makaria felt a renewed sense of respect for the art of transfiguration. It was more than just changing the shape of objects; it was about bringing them to life, imbuing them with a semblance of personality and purpose. She made a mental note to practice the spell further, intrigued by the possibilities it held.​

 

[Marcellus Vetrov]

Marcellus Vetrov entered the Transfiguration classroom. As he took his seat, he noticed the large box that Professor Adelia withdrew from under her desk. His interest piqued when she revealed it to be a chess set. Marcel loved challenges, and the idea of learning to bring something to life was thrilling. Professor Adelia explained the differences between regular and wizard chess, and Marcel listened attentively. The concept of transfiguring inanimate objects into animated ones fascinated him. He watched closely as she demonstrated the spell on the marble queen. The transformation was impressive, and Marcel couldn't wait to try it himself. When Professor Adelia invited the students to come forward one by one, Marcel hoped that he would do well with this spell. He was determined to do well. When she pointed at a student sitting on the first bench of the first row, Marcel watched intently, taking mental notes.

When it was his turn, Marcel stood up, feeling the eyes of his classmates on him. He approached the chess set and selected a knight. Taking a deep breath, he tapped the pawn once in the center and aimed his wand at it and used the spell. To his delight, the pawn's features shifted, and the piece straightened up, looking around with a stern expression. It even gave a little bow to Marcel, which made him grin. He had done it! Marcel returned to his seat, feeling proud of his success. The lesson continued with more students trying their hand at the spell, and by the end of the class, there were several animated chess pieces moving around the board. Marcel left the classroom quite proud of himself.​