Animorphus Accidents
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Overview
Animorphus accidents are quite serious injuries that result from the improper completion of the transformation into an animorphus. Typically resulting in hospitalisation, animorphus accidents can leave victims partially transformed into whichever animal they were attempting to become. As a result of the dangers associated with these transformations, a registry of animorphi is kept, and any unregistered transformations are done so illegally.
MedicWitch Monthly Article
Increase in Animorphus Accidents
Written by Amelia Davenfort
In the early hours of Monday the 5th of June, 2023, Auralocks found the unconscious body of a young man in the Thames. Fortunately, he was still alive and was urgently taken to Merlin’s Magical Hospital. That man, whom we will call Tom, had been missing for a few weeks. His parents believed that he had joined a cult. Sources within the hospital told healers of some disturbing details about his arrival. The victim was covered in scales and feathers, indicating a Transfiguration incident, although another source raised the concern of the other Animorphus accidents.
The number of accidents linked to Animorphus transformations have increased exponentially in the last decade, and even more so in the last few years. Avoiding The Ministry’s guidance and warnings towards the ritual, many wizards and witches in the United Kingdom and Europe are trying to transform themselves into animals. Maybe Tom’s parents were not too far from the truth.
Animorphi have been present in magical communities for millennia. In Africa, it has become a common practice, where a majority of the magical population learns very early how to transform. Having such prevention and knowledge of it, they do not have as many accidents associated with the Animorphi as other parts of the world. A rumour, supported by the many incidents involving failed Animorphus transformations, indicates that a shadow organisation is trying to teach many wizards and witches about the Animorphus ritual.
Becoming an Animorphus takes a lot of patience and skills. The ritual is mentioned in Transfiguration class in the third year at Hogsworth School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but never in much detail. The Ministry does not want unsanctioned Animorphi in the streets and skies of the United Kingdom.
An anonymous source, who happens to be a registered Animorphus, mentions to us the risks of the ritual. Every step needs to be perfectly timed, almost to the second, and the potions and spells involved need to be prepared and trained meticulously by the person wanting to transform. No one can do the ritual or prepare the steps in your place; it has to be a very personal and “intimate communion between your exterior self and your interior self”. If those steps are not followed to the letter and to the second, catastrophes may occur. They discreetly pointed to all of the accidents that have been happening around Europe: the scales, the feathers, the gills, the hooves and sometimes wounds of failed attempts at becoming Animorphus.
Our contact at Merlin’s Magical Hospital said: “These accidents can be fatal. But in the case of [Tom], he was found right on time. Our best Transfiguration experts have saved his life and his limbs. I urge parents and friends to talk to those in their entourage that have expressed the wish to become an Animorphus and to let them know that it is very dangerous.”
From what we could gather from our investigation, the accidents leave victims with partial transformations. A lady in Wales was found with a fishtail and gills, leading her husband to believe that a mermaid had ended up in the bathtub. The problem was that the lady could not breathe through the gills anymore as she was not small enough to fit in the bathtub. Her husband was quick enough to conjure a ball of water around his wife before the healers got there.
A young man in Switzerland was found injured at the bottom of a cliff, with feathers sticking out of his back. He had tried to transform while jumping, thinking it would enhance the experience and speed up the ritual. He unfortunately passed away from his injuries the day after, as the potion that he had made was counteracting anything the healers were trying to do to save him.
This morning, the Ministry of Magicians issued a new regulation regarding Animorphus accidents. In the case of an accident, whether it was an accident in the ritual, an incident involving an Animorphus as the cause, or just an Animorphus getting hurt and being found to be unregistered, the person found guilty would need to pay a fine of 1500 Gold and a three-week stay at The Dark Prison. They hope that by making this a law, it will decrease the number of mishaps.
Trivia
- You can attend a Medical Magic class hosted by the Academics team to learn about Animorphus Accidents, as well as various other magical diseases and remedies.
