Today while riding in the car, Frinklin and I began discussing Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration which comes up in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He had mentioned earlier that an article had been written pointing out the terrible economics of the series. Rowling addressing this with a bit with an all encompassing set of laws that apparently covers food (Hermione reminds Ron that one cannot create food out of thin air, only multiply what one already has, according to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration). It is also mentioned earlier that wizards and witches cannot force others to fall in love with others without the use of potions which wear off over time.

Since there is also the use of Gringotts to store riches and wizarding world money, and because one never sees anyone able to do it, it's safe to assume that no one can create money. Thus, the third law under Gamp's appears set.

So the first three laws of Gamp's (assumed) are:

1. One cannot create food, only multiply it once you are in possession.
2. Once cannot force another to fall in love.
3. One cannot create or multiply money through the use of magic.

Now, what would the last two laws be? I have one thought - You cannot change your shape or assume the guise of another person without the use of Polyjuice potion, unless you are a metamorphmagus or animagus.

Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments.

Posted by: Ensie at 04:57 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 Please, save Harry Potter.

Posted by: Pedro Morgado at July 28, 2007 05:16 PM (9H+8H)

2 I would suggest that you can't "vanish" something that is alive... if that were the case, then Vanishing Charms would be as illegal as the killing curse! And... hm, number five... tricky... I'd say a wizard can't magically enhance himself. If that were possible, we'd be looking at a world with weak magic users, and magic users who had learned how to enhance themselves into near-godlike status.

Posted by: Mitschu at November 07, 2007 05:23 AM (SdpqA)

3 Re Gamp's Laws of Elemental Transfigurations. 3) Money. Perhaps one can’t transfigure stuff into Metal, so even having a Philosophers stone you need real metal to change it into gold. ??? (4) Vanishing: That is true the vanishing cupboard is merely a form of translocating an living being to somewhere else I guess in regarding to living matter. I suppose one could suggest that the (5) "Enhancement" though is good as lead me to think... "Altering oneself permanently” is probably the 5th law as it also covers the fact that one can not transfigure Dead matter into living matter, thusly once dead ya stay dead. In a permanent type of manner. What do you think?

Posted by: Silvros at October 30, 2008 11:09 PM (e3Ehr)

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