Welcome, welcome, my dear SOUP readers! Isn't the current weather glorious? I do hope you are enjoying the sunshine as much as I am? It certainly is just how I like it. Cheerfully bright without that burning heat that makes us all stickier than melted toffee. It is so perfect that as I write to you all, I am merrily sitting under a tree in the park. The only thing that would make it better would be a cup of Florean Fortescue's sweetest strawberry ice cream. But alas, I am several hundred miles from that delicious treat.
I do, however, have a very curious tale to tell you all. It fits perfectly with the theme of this month's Frozen Treats issue. Well, at least, in my humble opinion, it does. Others may not agree with my playful twist, but they need to shuffle off back to their own miserable holes if you ask me. I believe that it may inspire you all to bring some frosty delight to your world once the normal summer inferno bursts into life.
The story of the spell I'm going to share with you begins long ago in the home of a prominent Roman military officer, who was ironically named at birth for having a valiant spirit. A trait he later used well to further the honour and glory of Rome. Alcimus Bursio was born in a small, insignificant village in Tuscany around 90AD and joined the Roman army as soon as he was proficient with a blade. His wit, natural athleticism and intelligence allowed him to rise quickly through the ranks. So much so, that he was one of the first to be chosen to lead a troop of Legionnaires across the sea to follow Emperor Hadrian to England in 122AD.
On arrival, they were confronted by the harsh reality of the island. It was much colder than he expected, and he quickly devised many charms behind the other commander's backs to make the conditions for his soldiers more bearable. His skill in Charms was noticed by a fellow wizard officer of higher rank, and he was unfortunately sent home to save him from possible discovery. On the pretence of needing to warn and prepare the soldiers still in Rome for the task ahead of them when they themselves were shipped out to serve on the Wall.
What Alcimus did next was the most surprising, however. Snow, as he had experienced in England, was unheard of in the balmy climate of ancient Italy, and many of the young men he had to train had never experienced such cold. So in order to teach them more effectively, the kind-hearted man created the Soft Snow Spell and cast it on a small courtyard within their camp. Swearing each soldier in turn to secrecy, he then brought them into the area one by one to let them experience the bitter cold and the knee-deep snow that flurried around them in the wind. His training methods turned out to be a great success, and he single-handedly lowered the death rate for new soldiers in England significantly in the first year of his work. He received a commendation from the Emperor himself for his mysterious method and retired a few years with his hidden magical identity still unknown.
So by now, I am sure all of you eager spell casters are dying to know about the spell he created, so I will tell you what I discovered. The incantation for the spell is Nix Mollis Cadit. Which is pronounced NIX moh-lis Ka-deet and loosely translates to "softly falling snow". That's quite sweet really, considering what the spell was used for, is it not? I think so. The wand movement, however, is not sweet or easy. It shows Alcimus' skill as a caster for sure. From what I understand, you need to point your wand vertically at the sky and trace the shape of a 5-pointed star above you while chanting the incantation. The sharper the lines are, the more potent the spell will be. If you manage to cast it correctly, you will be rewarded with a pulsing flash of bright cerulean blue light. if not, then your wand tip will fail to light, and there will not be a downfall of light, fluttery flakes.
That sounds quite wonderful to me, my dears. While none of us will need the spell for its original purpose, it could most certainly come in handy this month. According to my friends in the Office of Magical Meteorology, this summer is going to be hotter than Satan's armpit in a volcano bath. So please, I implore you to practice hard and share this with all your friends. It just might well be the delicate, frosty treat we all need in our swimming pools and gardens!
So until next time, lovely readers, Happy Spellcasting! - Nikita