Welcome, welcome my dear SOUP readers. I'm so glad you could join me for this month's trip into the world of spells and charms! I have something very, very exciting to share with you all, and the information I have found is just the thing to make you and my dear Editors shiver with dark delight!
However, before I get down to the nitty-gritty of my story, I must share how this information came into my possession. It all began while I was visiting an old friend of mine at the Ministry of Magic. He works as a trainer for new Aurors in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and was very excited to show me all the new spells that have been developed over the last few decades since the Second Wizarding War. So much work and time has been put into the detection of dark magic during this time, and the research that has been done is now finding its way into the training of new Aurors. He is very lucky to be at the forefront of these developments, and as his friend, I am also lucky enough to hear of them, so I can now officially share them with all of you.
While I have been sworn not to give you all the specifics of these new spells, due to their official use and sensitive nature, I can at least give you some information on them. Which is very exciting if you ask me.
The main driving force behind these spells has been none other than Gawain Robards. For those of you who are not familiar with him, he was the man who succeeded Rufus Scrimgeour as Head of the Auror Office in 1996 when Mr. Scrimgeour was promoted to Minister temporarily. We believe that he was born sometime during the 1960's and attended Hogwarts. The other information on his background is still under lock and key as he is still serving the Ministry at this time as an Educator. His specialty is well-known to be defensive and detective magic, though. Something that I am sure that Harry Potter himself is grateful for.
This leads me neatly onto the topic of this article. Detection spells which can be used to find traces of evidence at crime scenes. Which is then utilised to solve the said crimes. The first I want to tell you all about is the Fingerprinting Spell, "Ad Digitos Facere Visibilis". It is quite a mouthful, is it not? This particular spell takes its inspiration from the muggle use of fingerprinting dust in crime detection. Once the caster's wand is circled over a particular surface, a fine layer of metallic dust trickles from the wand tip and adheres to the surface it is cast on. However, it will only stick if a hidden fingerprint is there. Otherwise, it easily blows away with a flick of the caster's wrist. The newly revealed fingerprint can then be lifted using a variation of Spellotape. As we all no doubt know, fingerprints are unique to each person, no matter if they are muggle or magic. So it is a great tool to have available, I think.
The other spell I will tell you of is possibly the cleverest I have ever had the joy to discover. Its name is somewhat innocuous as it is simply known as the Luminol Spell, after the muggle chemical that makes certain bodily fluids glow in UV light. Its use, however, is something that will make an Auror's life infinitely more pleasant. I can't imagine anyone wanting to carry around potentially harmful chemicals in their bags. And before you say what I think you are going to say, carrying around potions is equally problematic; at least with potions, you are assured of their stability as it is likely that you have either bought them from a reputable source or brewed them yourself. But I digress. The incantation for the Luminol Spell is a fairly simple one. "Ut Clara" is from the Latin term "To make bright". So I am sure you can imagine its use. I am told that if you wave your wand in a series of upside-down "L" shapes over your target area, any bodily fluids, whether blood or otherwise, that might be present, will glow a rather striking shade of neon blue. I am also told that it is an incredibly powerful spell that can detect anything, even if it is a minuscule amount that someone has attempted to hide by other means. Which I believe would be infinitely useful, don't you?
So there you have it, folks; that's just a small taste of the fantastic developments coming to our Auror Office. I wish I had time and permission to tell you more, but unfortunately, that would probably land me in hot water. So instead, I am on my way to solve a little murder mystery of my own involving Tabitha, Eric, and the tray of Bannock Bread that I brought back from my latest visit to Momma Fox's. If I find out which one of them stole, there may or may not be a need for one of you, my darling readers, to post bail. But I never told you that...
Until next time, happy casting! - Nikita