Abilities

Abilities are special skills that are either inherited through families or can be studied and learned. If you would like one of your characters to have an ability you must apply in the Claims & Sign-Ups board on the forum. Don't forget to read the rules.

Animagus
An animagus is a person trained in the art of shape-shifting. Unlike with metamorphmagi, this ability is not hereditary and must be learned. Hogwarts holds an elective class for those interested in the practice, though it is only taught to students thirteen and older and who have a particular proclivity for transfiguration (i.e. it's one of their best classes). A wizard's animagus form is always the same as their patronus. A cat animagus has a cat patronus and so on.

Known Animagi

 * Brandon Carnegie (butterfly)
 * Rowland Burke (kestral)
 * Julian Snape (borzoi dog)

Legilimens
Legilimency is a learned skill that allows a witch or wizard to navigate another's mind and interpret memories and thoughts. Individuals may learn the ability at fifteen years or older, though it is a grueling ability to master. Those who do master legilimency are known as legilimens. The skill is often used by the verbal spell "legilimens", though more skilled witches and wizards can use the spell non-verbally. While legilimency can be considered invasive and dangerous, one can learn its counter-skill occlumency to block out the spell.

Known Legilimens

 * Denzel Greengrass

Metamorphmagus
A metamorphmagus is the term for a witch or wizard with the rare hereditary ability to morph their body into virtually anything. Unlike with animagi or polyjuice potions, metamorphmagi do not require vigorous training or the consumption of magical potions in order to use their ability. They can shift into anything whether it be the form of another person, an animal, or even just change certain parts of their body (duck's beak for a mouth, turning their skin into steel, turning their hair into serpents, changing the colors of their hair/eyes/skin). Of course, more complex shifting such as shifting into an animal or another person takes much more concentration and energy than say, changing one's hair color.

Known Metamorphmagi

 * Winifred Lovegood

Occlumens
The counter-skill to legilimency, occlumency is the learned ability to shield one's mind from invasion by legilimency. Unlike the offensive spell, occlumency is not a spell, but more of a state of mind. It is still a very difficult skill to master despite not being an active ability, and one would be surprised how hard it really is to blank out all thought and keep a legilimens from breaking through. This skill, like legilimency, is taught at Hogwarts as an elective class for students fifteen and older.

Known Occlumens

 * Violetta Luttire

Parselmouth
Parseltongue is the language of serpents and those with the inherited ability to understand and speak the language are known as parselmouths. While some phrases in Parseltongue can be learned, it is impossible to master the language as whole. Almost all born parselmouths come from prestigious pure blood families in wizarding Great Britain. No one is quite sure why or how this inherited ability came about, but it is thought that it originated in Hogwarts' Slytherin house many many years ago.

Known Parselmouths

 * Orion Malfoy

Seer
A witch or wizard with the inherited ability to predict prophecies and other fortunes is known as having "The Sight". Seers, as they are apt to be called, generally discover their abilities at a young age, correctly predicting small and usually mundane events. They are also known to have prophetic dreams in their youth and usually predict their first prophecy in their teenage years. Prophecies are slightly different than other humdrum predictions in that the seer goes into a sort of trance, reciting the prophecy in a low and melodic voice before snapping out of their state and never having a clue as to what just happened. These prophecies are automatically recorded by the ministry's "hall of prophecies" in the Department of Mysteries.

Known Seers

 * Adrien Cyrill