Notice-Me-Not is just a fanon thing? Noooo :-O

[birdsofshore]

I was just searching for info on the Notice-Me-Not charm, and there isn't any, because it's a FANON INVENTION. NOOO! Really? The first webpage I found where someone was asking about it, had some smartarse saying "I think you'll find that's just a sad FAN FICTION thing, you poor deluded fool", I was smirking away: "heh, that's what you think, I have seen it in LOADS OF.....er.... loads of fics. Err. Ahem."

Did you all know this? Who made it up? What other fanon things have become so widespread that they can fool us like this? I know about Tempus, but can you tell me any others?

Comments

[gamma-x-orionis.livejournal.com]

*Confused eyes* I'm not familiar with a Notice-Me-Not charm - I suppose it's never made its way over to my corners of the fandom.

Sex-related spells are very widespread of course, but I don't think anyone thinks stretching/lubeing/orgasm-inducing spells are canon ;P

Erm. And if the incantation is a literal Latin word (like one you can plug through Google translate and get the exact meaning of the spell), that's usually a good indication that it's made-up.

Certain characterization tropes are this way too, I suppose - I've run across plenty of people trying to make arguments that leatherpants!Draco in particular is canon :P

[birdsofshore]

:-O Are you telling me that Draco DOESN'T wear leather under his robes? Are you sure you read the same books as me? ;-)

I never thought the sex spells were real, but I honestly thought Notice-Me-Not was a thing. It has really amused me. It's interesting it's not something you've come across, either.

[oakstone730.livejournal.com]

Tempis isn't canon? That one I didn't know.

Snape being Draco's godfather is fanon, I believe. Or is it one of those post-publication reveals by JKR? Can't remember.

[birdsofshore]

Yes, I think you're right! Snape being his godfather is just a fanon thing, I don't think JKR has ever mentioned it.

[vaysh]

Snape being Draco's godfather is fanon, I believe.
Total fanon, I'm afraid. A Malfoy would never have a half-blood with no connections in the Muggle world be the godfather of his only son and heir.

[vaysh]

Alas, Notice-me-not is not a canon spell. I still like it. It feels like it could be a canon spell as its magic fits right into Rowling's universe. There are stealth sensoring charms, so it doesn't seem a far stretch that there could be charms with the opposite effect. And there is the Disillusionment Spell and the spell to make things unplottable.

[birdsofshore]

Yes, it fitted so well I was really convinced it was a JKR invention. The name is perfect, and as gamma points out upthread, the fact it's not a perfect latin translation makes it more believable.

Someone somewhere must remember themselves inventing it. How funny these things get lost in the mists of time.

[torino10154]

I think it's just the Disillusionment Charm but yeah, fanon-ified. I think Glamours the way fandom uses them is certainly not canon but then again I don't think anyone thinks they are.

[birdsofshore]

Oh, Glamours! That's a really good topic. I don't know much about canon use of Glamours, but they certainly do pop up a lot in fic.

[capitu]

I can only think of that charm to correct someone's vision.

I think that's completely fanon and I always thought it was canon; that somewhere in the books someone said this was possible to correct Harry's? Or maybe someone else's eyesight with a spell, but discussing it back in a post I made about fun facts, turns out that's just made up.

[birdsofshore]

Oh yes! That's a great one. You would think there would be a spell like that, absolutely.

We don't know everything about how magic is developed through the years, really. I presume new spells are devised and that the wizarding world could discover a cure for shortsightedness, just as the Muggle world has done.

[hollys_tree]

There's also the way people use "silencing charms" like Silencio and Muffliato in fic, for example to hide what the characters are doing behind the curtains of their beds. This doesn't work that way.

Silencio is used on someone to make them mute, and Muffliato creates a buzzing sound in someone's ear, so they can't eavesdrop. (personally I would be super suspicious if suddenly there was that sound in my ear... just saying)

I don't think a canon charm to sound-proof yourself against surroundings exist.

[birdsofshore]

You're right - I've used Muffliato like that (er, I mean in fic, I'm sadly not actually a wizard in RL) but I did look it up and remember that it made a buzzing noise. It would sort of alert you to the fact that someone was shagging 3 foot away, wouldn't it? Like a sex alarm going off, in fact :D

[talithan.livejournal.com]

Oooh, yes, silencing charms are definitely used very differently in fanon, haha. It's so widespread that it doesn't bother me in fic, but I do appreciate when the characters have to figure out a private place to have sex/secret conversations and the chance of being overheard is a real inconvenience. Silencing charms are too easy, I want them to have to deal with these practicalities!

[isinuyasha.livejournal.com]

I think fandom has influenced me so much that I sometimes can't distinguish between the books and fanfiction anymore...but I'm not sad about that, I feel fandom has extended the Harry Potter world for me a lot :D

Isn't the Tracking Charm/Spell invented as well? I'm not sure...I know that there's the Trace but I read on HPwiki that Remus says it cannot be placed on an adult? Maybe I'm imagining that :D

And I've often read about the Stasis Charm (on food, potions, a person etc.) but can't remember reading it in the books...not sure :D

[birdsofshore]

I think when fandom is at its best, it is definitely like a fabulous extension of the series.

I think you are right about the Trace, I think it's illegal to put a Trace on an adult, is that right?

There definitely should be all of these Charms. I can't imagine someone inventing a spell to (for example) move trees around, but not to keep food warm.

[kedavranox.livejournal.com]

Wards are fanon.

In the books they talk about protective enchantments, or something, but wards (the word, and the way we use it) is totally fanon :)

[birdsofshore]

Yikes! there's another one I didn't know.

sometimes when I read fic it makes me feel really ignorant about canon. I think "blimey this writer obviously knows all about how wards work. Why don't I remember this from canon? I am rubbish."

And now you're telling me they all just MAKE IT ALL UP :-o

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

There's a charm to repel Muggles so that if they approach a place they don't want to be approaching, like the Quidditch World Cup or Hogwarts, they suddenly remember an urgent appointment elsewhere and leave. Maybe Notice-me-not generated from that.

Personally, I have no problem with and rather enjoy fan-invented magic as long as it feels as if it could be part of the world JKR invented. Inventing HP spells, thinking about how JKR created her magic and trying to elaborate on that, is one of my favourite parts of writing fanfiction.

I do think some fan-invented ideas are more believable than others, though. Notice-me-not spells feel like they could be canon. They fit right in. Apparation Points make no sense to me at all, though, as they don't exist in the books and you can Disapparate anywhere. You don't need a "point". And magical signatures seem like a cheat to me. Canon has Priori Incantatem, but if magical signatures existed no one would ever be able to cast a spell without everyone knowing they'd done it.

[birdsofshore]

I agree that inventing spells and magic is a really fun part of writing. It bothers me when I have no idea what is canon and what isn't, though!

Sometimes it works the other way and I have thought something was completely the writer's invention, like Stanley having a willow pattern in the fantabulous Smoochfest fic that's posting. Then I reread POA and the willow-patterned tortoise was in there, hee!

[kedavranox.livejournal.com]

Apparition points make sense to me, especially in Muggle neighbourhoods. You can't Apparate in front of Muggles, so it make sense to me that there are particular places witches/wizards go to Disapparate with some privacy.

[drarryisgreen]

I looked for it a long time ago and realized it was a fanon thing then I made up my own Latin spell name.

[birdsofshore]

Yay, it's fun to make your own spells. I do like Notice-me-Not, though - I like when JKR gives something magical a not-terribly-magical name, like Extendable Ears, or a Sneakoscope.

[kedavranox.livejournal.com]

You know what else is fanon?!
Pansy's bob. (grrr)

:P

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

I couldn't link to it, but I vaguely remember reading somewhere that JKR always envisioned Pansy with curly, blonde hair.

[icmezzo.livejournal.com]

Fascinating discussion. Bookmarking for future reference! I want to dive into this when I have some time! :)

[birdsofshore]

Yes do, I would love to hear your thoughts!

[dracogotgame.livejournal.com]

This...this cant be! I have SEEN it in... *frantically skims through HP Book set*

Oh.

Right then.

Damn it.