The greatest breach of The International of Statute of Wizarding Secrecy in Great Britain happened during the blitz of London in early 1941. It involved a single witch, one squib, three muggle children, and landing party of Nazis.
Eglantine Price was born on 16 October 1895 to a muggle father and a witch mother. In 1907 Eglantine began her education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was promptly sorted into Hufflepuff. She became a favorite student of transfiguration professor, Albus Dumbledore, not only for her hard work but her inability to remember the proper incantation for toad transfiguration (she could only manage to do rabbits). When Newton Scamander, a fellow Hufflepuff, was expelled Eglantine vigorously protested the Headmaster’s decision with Dumbledore’s support. Upon her graduation Eglantine Price returned to the village of Pepperigne Eye to care for her ailing parents.
Eglantine found life in Pepperigne Eye among the muggles very dull. She spent much of her time in her house with her parents. She kept up on wizarding news and became thoroughly disgusted with the growing pro-Pure Blood sentiment in Wizarding Britain. Eglantine never learned to apparate or fly broomstick (there was a nasty accident during flying class) and chose instead a muggle motorbike (for which she made her own fuel) for her transportation needs. She also became an avid listener of the muggle radio. After the death of her parents she inherited a large estate and was thought something of an oddball by her muggle neighbors. Eglantine, somewhat unworried about the muggle eye, at least kept her wand up her sleeve.
Eglantine Price circa 1941.
During her reading of a muggle newspaper an advertisement for a Correspondence College of Witchcraft caught Eglantine’s eye and she decided to enroll as a joke. She became very surprised when many of the spells worked for her. She was also sent a black cat, named Cosmic Creepers, which she instantly identified as part kneazle. Miss Price decided to continue the course in hopes of discovering more about the college’s headmaster, Professor Emelius Browne. She also wanted to learn more about the promised Substitutiary Locomotion incantation, a Greek spell thought lost for centuries.
At the onset of World War II, Eglantine started following the muggle news more closely than the wizarding. She knew of the rise of the dark wizard Grindelwald but thought the wizarding community should be just as worried about Hitler and Nazi invasion. Eglantine resolved to use her magic and when the spell arrived, Substitutiary Locomotion, to repel any Nazi invasion of Britain. Eglantine worried that her coastal village of Pepperinge Eye would be a prime target for landing an invasion force.
Eglantine decided that to practice flying once again when Professor Browne’s course offered a broomstick. While picking up her post from the muggles she was conscripted to open her home to three orphan muggle children evacuated from London. Miss Price insisted that a more suitable home be found for the children. Paul, Carrie, and Charlie were equally dismayed by having to stay with the strange woman. That night the children observed Miss Price flying (and crashing) on her broomstick. The next day the children tried to blackmail Eglantine. Price then transfigured Charlie into a rabbit as punishment. An uneasy peace was reached when Miss Price cast a flying spell on a bed and bedknob (knowing the children could never use it) in exchange for their silence. She planned to modify their memories at the earliest opportunity.
Carrie, Paul, and Charile Rawlins circa 1941.
A few days later a letter arrived from Professor Browne informing Miss Price that the Substitutiary Locomotion spell would not be coming and the correspondence college was closing down. Price used the enchanted bed, which she made invisible, to travel with the children to London. She was able to locate Emelius Browne and discovered that he was a squib. Browne sold several trinkets from Diagon Alley, including part-kneazle cats, to his students. Browne revealed his spells were taken from The Spells of Astaroth but the book was incomplete and missing the incantation for Substitutiary Locomotion. Browne located the missing section of the book revealing that incantation was inscribed on a metal star found on the Island of Naboombu.
Emelius Browne performing muggle “magic” circa 1941.
The little group traveled to the island and found it inhabited by a highly intelligent species of animals and a lion that could speak. The lion revealed himself to be Astaroth, an animagus who had his own philosopher’s stone, refused to surrender the spell for Substitutiary Locomotion. Browne bravely stole the spell and the group returned to Pepperinge Eye.
Miss Price and her companions on her infamous flying bed circa 1941.
That evening after practicing the spell for Substitutiary Locomotion (Treguna Mekoides and Trecorum Satis Dee) Browne opted to return to London. A landing party of Nazi soldiers then captured Miss Price and the children. Browne was able to rescue his friends and Price decided to enchant the local museum’s collection of medieval armor to attack the landing force. Price led the enchanted army on broomstick. The Nazis were repelled though many citizens saw Price in flight and the army in movement. The wizarding government of Grindelwald also filed a complaint with the British Ministry and the International Confederation of Wizards. Price, Browne, and the children were summoned to appear before the Wizengamot.
Eglantine Price was charged with over one hundred counts of breaking the International Statute of Secrecy. Price defended every one of her actions and accused the Ministry of been slow to act against the threat of both Grindelwald and the Nazis. Dumbledore spoke on behalf of Price and Browne stating that lives saved by Eglantine’s actions more than made up for any use of magic in front of muggles. Minister for Magic Leonard Spencer-Moon pardoned Price and awarded her with the Order of Merlin, First Class. Price gave Dumbledore the spell for Substitutiary Locomotion for safekeeping.
Eglantine and Browne were married and adopted Charlie, Paul, and Carrie. Price later became a member of the first Order of the Phoenix. Price died on 16 October 1995 surrounded by her children and many grandchildren. A portrait of Eglantine Price now hangs in the Hufflepuff corridor offering advice to any student that asks for it.
Eglantine Price (16 October 1895 - 16 October 1995)
Parentage: Muggle Father, Witch Mother
House: Hufflepuff
Wand: Dogwood and Dragon Heartstring, 9 and a half inches, Unyielding
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