When working with dangerous plants, more often than not fire is a great line of defense. So far, you have heard of fire spells in four classes: Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Herbology, and Alchemy. In Charms class you learned that the effect of the spell would mature with you… the fire would be stronger and more visible as your competency as a Wizard grew. In DADA the shape of the spell was quite aptly described “A flame shape that starts on the lower left and ends on the lower right.” In Alchemy, if you took the class, you were reminded to be cautious with fire.

In Herbology, we discussed how the primary fire spell, Incendio may be used against an adult Bouncing Bulb (Possibly with slashing motions), as well as against Devil’s Snare. Because plants are weak to fire (with the exception of Fire plants, for example) Incendio is very necessary to master in order to handle practical situations with plants. Some plants, like Tobacco, may release chemicals into the air when burning, so do watch the WHIPIS classification when deciding how to respond to the plant!

In some cases Incendio is not powerful enough. In these cases you may use Incendio Duo, which is a second year level fire-making spell. The flames of Incendio Duo differ from the original spell in two main ways. First of all, the heat is more intense, weakening plants further than Incendio would. Secondly, the spell lasts longer where it is cast. If you are attempting to build a campfire, for example, you may want to light the spark with Incendio Duo because it will not go out as quickly in the wind. Is this difference clear? Good. You can apply that same principle to plants. If you are dealing with an ice plant or water plant, in order for Incendio to have any effect you must cast the duo version.

Incendio Tria is the most powerful version of Incendio. It has blue flames, and is capable of turning plants to ashes. This is used to harvest the Spiky Bush. If you are ever in a life and death situation and a plant is about to kill you or someone else, a well-directed Incendio Tria may save a life. I must advise all of you, although the plant may be rare, valuable, or whatever, if you need to use the spell, use it. I personally would rather you live to regret the experience, than to not live at all. I know all of you are quite capable of making major contributions to the Wizarding World. Your lives are all important to me… each of you, with your individual personalities, talents… you are all very important.