Greetings dear SOUP readers! It is I, the one and only, never to be replicated Tabitha Nightshade. Now I can already hear you wondering where on earth Nikita has got to, so I can assure you that she is perfectly safe. I just happened to hear her very disgruntled muttering over this month's theme and thought I would commandeer her Quick Quotes quill and give her a little assistance, seeing as I have a much more detailed knowledge of magical sports than she does and her charmwork is not nearly as good as mine. Being both a duellist and quidditch player myself, I told her quite confidently that her article would be in very safe hands this month. Thankfully her editors were smart enough to agree. But that might have something to do with the way my dear brother Eric seems to make some of them quite confounded when he visits their office. Who knows?
So, let us get down to business, shall we? Nikita was quite firm on the idea that I need to teach you all a spell that will help with the inevitable injuries that come with participating in such fun sports as quidditch, duelling and Hippogriff racing. Whether it is you, a family member or a friend taking part, you should always have a few easy first aid spells and potions on hand as not all events are attended by a team of competent Healers. Especially the smaller ones you find when you are just starting out.
Now I know most of you will have been taught the basics like Episkey and such while you are at school, but the spell I have chosen to show you today is not one you will find in a textbook. I only know it because it was one that my dearest Mummy passed down to me and my brothers some years ago once we were old enough to be able to control it. Daddy says it is quite commonly used at St Mungo's but getting there is not always easy if you are too injured to apparate now is it? So it is best if you can practice it on small wounds like scalds and paper cuts at first. With a bit of practice, you should be able to at least create a solid enough scab to protect a wound until you can get to a real healer if needed. It also saves you having to carry a dropper of Essence of Dittany around everywhere with you.
The spell itself is called the "Skin Replicating Charm" and if Mummy is correct, it was invented in Egypt way back in 597 AD by a very old wizard named Asif Farim. The story goes that the old man began to suffer from regular cuts and splits in his skin as he got older and his skin began to thin, and living out in the deserts alone, he had no access to a Healer of any kind. Essence of Dittany or a similar potion was impossible to acquire, so he invented this spell after a particularly nasty incident with his arm and a rock. It was only discovered a few months after his death at the age of 107, by a band of travelling merchants who found and shared his diary with the greater wizarding world.
That's the boring part over with though and now we can get onto the far more interesting topic of actually casting the spell. It is been refined a little over the years and can now be cast non-verbally and with or without the use of a wand. The incantation is Lisune Jadid and it is derived from the Arabic words for "To make new". The spell when cast correctly replicates the healthy skin cells around the wound and uses them to create a thick scab over an open wound that allows it to heal from underneath without germs getting in. You can think of it as a magical band-aid if you like. It should be pronounced li-SOON ja-DID as any mispronunciation will cause the wound to bleed more profusely and no one wants that now do they? When casting the spell, you need to wave your wand or the palm of your hand (If using wandless magic) back and forth over the wound in a zigzag pattern, travelling from left to right. If this is done correctly, the wound should glow with a soft yellow light for a moment and then a dark red scab should begin to form. It should only take a moment as long as you concentrate. A lack of focus just slows down the whole process and that's just a waste of time when minutes count, like in a duel or a quidditch match. I'm sure that you wouldn't be that silly now would you?
I believe that's all I have to say I think. I hope this spell comes in handy for you all the next time you feel like indulging in some adrenaline-packed fun! I promise that Nikita will be back next month with her normal ramblings. So bye for now darlings! - Tabitha