Skip to main content

harry potter - Can this inconsistency in the ability of the Summoning Charm (Accio) to summon animals be explained?


J.K. Rowling has wrote on her website that the Summoning Charm only works on inanimate objects, explaining that creatures and humans can only be summoned by summoning objects they are holding or wearing.



‘Accio’ only works on inanimate objects. While people or creatures may be indirectly moved by ‘Accio-ing’ objects that they are wearing or holding, this carries all kinds of risks because of the likelihood of injury to the person or beast attached to an object travelling at close to the speed of light.
Welcome to my new website! - J.K. Rowling



Wonderbook: Book of Spells, a PS3 game generally considered to be canon, contains this quote supporting Rowling's statement.



Once you have mastered this charm, you have the ability to Summon any object of which you have need (Providing, of course, that you respect the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy since no object should be Summoned if it is likely to whizz under the nose of a Muggle). The Summoning Charm is ineffective on most living creatures, and those that can be Summoned are rarely worth Summoning (such as Flobberworms).
Book of Spells (ellipses replaced with spaces), see source video




However, a story told earlier in the game seemingly contradicts this, stating that Gideon Flatworthy, a man who was apparently rather skilled in the Summoning Charm, managed to summon the cows that crushed him to death.



Experts still debate what precisely led to his final, foolish act. Most agree that he had probably become delirious through lack of food although some think that he was determined to die as he had lived. All we know is that, on the eighteenth of September, 1743 Flatworthy attempted to Summon himself an entire farm complete with livestock, cosy cottage and well-stocked larder. Naturally, the buildings would not shift, but the furious farmer followed his flying cows to the cave on the hill and discovered Flatworthy, still lying on his cushions, but crushed to death beneath a pile of hay bales and cattle.
Book of Spells (ellipses replaced with spaces), see source video



While it's possible that the story was exaggerated or fictional, it is billed by fact, and was apparently the subject of dissenting opinions between experts. It's also possible that cows are one of the few animals that can be summoned (though this seems unlikely as they are non-magical and not particularly uncommon) or the cows in question were wearing clothes at the time. However, this is not the only example of the Summoning Charm being used on animate objects, both in likely-fictional stories and in reality. Examples of animals being directly summoned magically, in chronological order:



Inside one house the little girl's warts vanished as she slept; the lost donkey was Summoned from a distant briar patch and set down softly in its stable; the sick baby was doused in dittany and woke, well and rosy.
The Tales of Beedle The Bard - page 10 - The Wizard and the Hopping Pot







When the poor little Snidget flew my way I did a Summoning Charm. You know how good my Summoning Charms are, Pru – of course it was easier for me to aim properly, not being mounted on a broomstick at the time. The little bird came zooming into my hand. I stuffed it down the front of my robes and ran like fury. Well, they caught me, but not before I’d got out of the crowds and released the Snidget.
Quiddich Through The Ages, pages 12 & 13 (in the writing of Madam Modesty Rabnott)






NEWT: Accio Niffler!
The case bursts open and a Niffler jumps out.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay - scene 48 (reformatted slightly)






NEWT (of the Niffler): Where is he? Ah, Accio Niffler.
The Niffler is carried by the spell back into the case. NEWT takes the case and dashes off.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay - scene 48 (reformatted slightly)







Harry pointed his wand at the bullfrog that had been hopping hopefully towards the other side of the table – 'Accio!' – and it zoomed gloomily back into his hand.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - chapter 18






"Reckon there's salmon, or is it too early in the season? Accio Salmon!"
There were several distinct splashes and then the slapping sounds of fish against flesh. Somebody grunted appreciatively.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - chapter 15






There are a few other instances of animals being summoned indirectly or unsuccessfully, such as Newt summoning the Niffler by summoning the jewelry in its pouch, or Harry failing to summon Hagrid and Hedwig during the Battle of the Seven Potters (which I think we can put down to Harry's inexperience with the charm; even when he summoned his Firebolt, he had been practicing just before he managed it, and the charm gets harder with range). I'd also give an honorary mention to Ron for "Accio Brain!".


But, what gives? Is there any possible explanation for the inconsistency in the ability of this charm to summon animals?



Answer




Though it’s true that there’s an inconsistency in that JKR said that creatures can’t be summoned by Accio, instances of it happening are clearly seen in both the books and the Fantastic Beasts movies, which JKR’s statement was referring to. Since it’s actually seen as happening in both the books and Fantastic Beasts, it’s clearly shown as true that Accio works on creatures, and is safe for the creatures being Summoned, since Trevor is unharmed.



“I’m almost certain of it,’ said Hermione grimly. ‘Watch your frog, it’s escaping.’


Harry pointed his wand at the bullfrog that had been hopping hopefully towards the other side of the table – ‘Accio!’ – and it zoomed gloomily back into his hand.”
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 18 (Dumbledore’s Army)




In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the sequel to the movie JKR is referring to when she says creatures can’t be summoned safely by Accio, Newt Summons his Niffler.



NEWT
Accio Niffler!


The case bursts open and a Niffler jumps out.


NEWT
Get looking.


NEWT climbs onto the case and inspects impressions of creatures revealed in the air, while the now-trained adult Niffler sniffs out clues.
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (The Original Screenplay)




Since it’s undeniably seen as happening in both the books and the Fantastic Beasts movies, it’s clearly incorrect to say Summoning creatures with Accio is impossible.



Within the books and the Fantastic Beasts movies themselves, there’s no contradiction - creatures are summoned with Accio, and at no point is this said to not be possible. Therefore, the more logical thing would be to simply consider the statement by JKR and the information in Wonderbook saying creatures can’t be summoned by Accio incorrect, as in-universe, it’s clearly shown as false.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

languages - Do we ever see written English in the Star Wars films?

In Empire Strikes Back , we see a transcription of what R2's beeps and bloops mean, but it's not English (sorry for the low quality, it's from the 2004 DVDs): I'd assume it's what Basic looks like when written, but is there some point in the the Star Wars films we see written English instead? (This sort of spun off from a discussion in How do people understand astromech droids? .) Answer At one point there was English but it has been phased out in subsequent versions of the films. Chris Gould at DVD Active did a comparison of all versions of each of the Star Wars films, and in his comparison of Episode 4 , there are a couple of screenshots showing how the power gauge for the Death Star tractor beam was changed. I imagine there are probably more to be found in his other comparisons but I haven't got around to reading those yet.

star wars - What "exactly" happens when someone turns to the Dark Side?

When I saw the original Star Wars saga as a kid, the concept of the Dark Side imprinted in me was quite simple. You did a bad thing, so you're a bad person so you go to the Dark Side and keep doing bad things. Now, obviously this doesn't hold true in reality. In my mind it is perfectly reasonable for Luke to kill the Emperor and Vader and then just flee the Death Star and rejoin the Alliance. After all they are at war, those are enemy officers that have captured him and are taunting him by threatening with death of all loved ones and the whole operation was intended to kill the Emperor anyway. The same would hold true for Anakin. He could have killed Mace Windu to save the Chancellor and Padme but that doesn't mean he's going to then go mad and kill all Jedis including children. It doesn't add up from a merely psychological point of view. He had a set of objectives and that made him want to keep the Chancellor alive (quite valid by the way, Mace Windu is quite clums...

Was the "pure soul" of Harry's what had really hurt Voldemort?

In the Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort possesses Harry, and it hurts. Greatly. I think that Dumbledore explained that it was because Voldemort's rotten soul was incapable of assimilating Harry's pure soul, that Voldemort didn't understand the love and friendship etc that Harry has in his heart. But, I think it was a lie. Remember that in Deathly Hallows, while looking for information regarding Horcruxes, it is discovered that it is in fact possible to merge a soul fragment back, but that the process was extremely painful. Now then, if Voldemort tried to possess Harry, and Harry had a fragment of Voldemort's soul, I think that it could have been the true cause of Voldemort's pain: the fact of having his soul so close of another fragment. I think that Dumbledore knew that fact, but had to lie to Harry because it was inappropriate to let him know that he had one of Voldemort's soul fragments at the moment. Is that right? Or was it truly the pure soul of Harry's...

star trek - Warning regarding forward saucer section in Nemesis?

In Star Trek: Nemesis , just before the Enterprise rams into the Scimitar, Picard sends a text message from his captain's chair arm pad to Troi — who is manning the helm in lieu of the crewman who was just blown out through what was once the view screen — indicating that she should put full impulse on standby. (Literally, if you watch the scene closely, Troi's console prefaces the order with "TXT MSG" !) My question is: Did Picard also somehow warn crew members in the forward saucer section about what was about to happen? The ramming of the Scimitar was a heat of the moment decision. Considering that he also resorted to calling the auto-destruct sequence shortly after (which ended up being offline), he probably was of the mindset that any losses would be acceptable in order to hault Shinzon's march to Earth. Still, I'm curious. Answer The original script indicates that he called for the crew to " brace for impact ". Whether that call (or the comma...