| Frostbite Hex | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Incantation |
Glacies Transeo |
|
Wand Movement |
Flick wand three times in triangular motion |
|
Effect |
Causes item to freeze through |
Introduced during Defense Against the Dark Arts by Professor Cassandra Rae during Term 10, this spell can be quite dangerous and requires supervision while being initially taught and practiced. First developed as a refrigeration charm by the Ministry, this challenging little spell proved a bit too powerful - freezing food right through rather than merely keeping them cool. Although it failed for household usage, the Defense community opted to take the spell on for exploration.
There are obvious limitations to this spell, even in defense scenarios. Freezing an opponent, specifically in a vital place, could seriously damage them, even with medical treatment available to prevent the damage from being permanent. As in many things, timing is everything with this hex. In normal duelling, it isn't prudent to hit someone with a spell that needs a counterspell, normally, because it takes up valuable time. That's why Stupefy isn't often used in normal duels. The hex would prove useful in less formal scenarios.
The Frostbite Hex gets its name from the fact that most people hit with this spell outside of a controlled environment suffer from a minor case of frostbite or hypothermia. In order to emerge unscathed, the opponent will need to be thawed within about 25 to 30 seconds, and even that is pushing it. For practice, no longer than 10 seconds after freezing is preferred. In addition, the spell is best used on small parts of the body - the arm to prevent casting or the leg to prevent escape. Castings that prevent bodily functions such as breathing or organ function should be avoided. Extended exposure could result in broken limbs, severe hypothermia and frostbite, and possibly death.
The incantation for the Frostbite Hex is Glacies Transeo (Glay-cees trans-ee-o). To cast, flick the wand three times in a triangular shape, starting at the left hand corner.