Furnishing

• Incantation: Typically performed non-verbally. Specific incantations, if any, are unknown.
• Pronunciation: Not applicable.
• Wand Movement: A flick of the wand has been observed.
• Light: None described.
• Effect: Magically provides an area with furniture and decorations, either by conjuring them from thin air or transfiguring existing objects and the environment.
• Type: Advanced Transfiguration (Conjuration).

This powerful and complex form of Transfiguration is most notably demonstrated by Horace Slughorn. It allows a skilled witch or wizard to instantly transform a space from bare or wrecked to comfortably and opulently furnished. In the summer of 1996, Horace Slughorn used this magic to create a comfortable, fully furnished room out of the ransacked Muggle house he was occupying in the village of Budleigh Babberton. When Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter arrived to persuade him to return to Hogwarts, Slughorn had disguised himself as an armchair in the otherwise wrecked living room. Upon being discovered, he gave his wand a “jaunty flick” and reversed his own human Transfiguration, causing the room to instantly furnish itself in a spectacular display of magical prowess. The transformation included:

• The thick dust on the floor vanished, replaced by a thick, opulent carpet.
• Cobwebs disappeared, and from the ceiling hung silken draperies and a gilded chandelier.
• The walls were covered in crimson and emerald silk hangings.
• A grand, four-poster bed, a wardrobe, and a bookshelf appeared.
• A roaring fire sprang to life in the fireplace.
• Slughorn also conjured a small table, a bottle of oaked-matured mead, and two crystal glasses.

This comprehensive and instantaneous transformation highlights an exceptional level of magical skill, particularly in non-verbal Transfiguration.

Furnishing is a highly advanced form of Transfiguration, likely requiring N.E.W.T.-level proficiency or greater. It involves complex Conjuration and the ability to transfigure multiple objects simultaneously and non-verbally, which is a hallmark of a very powerful wizard. The effects can be reversed by the original caster, as demonstrated by Horace Slughorn when he prepared to leave the Muggle house after his conversation with Harry Potter. It is also presumed that a powerful Vanishing Spell, such as Evanesco, could be used to remove the conjured items individually.

The term “furnishing” is a direct application of the English verb to furnish, which means “to provide a house or room with furniture and fittings.” The magical effect is a literal and instantaneous fulfillment of this action.

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the furnishing magic is depicted visually as objects rapidly fly into place and assemble themselves, creating a slightly more chaotic but equally impressive effect compared to the instantaneous transformation described in the novel (film).