Magic in Harry Potter

In the Harry Potter series created by J. K. Rowling, magic is depicted as a natural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures sometimes exhibit new magical properties in the novels' world (owls, for instance, have been trained to deliver post). Objects, too, can be enhanced or imbued with magical property. The small percentage of humans that are able to perform magic are referred to as witches and wizards, in contrast to the non-magical Muggles.

In humans, magic or the lack thereof is an inborn attribute. It is inherited, carried on "dominant resilient genes."[1] Magic is the norm in the children of magical couples and less common in those of Muggles. Exceptions exist: those unable to do magic who are born to magical parents are known as Squibs, whereas a witch or wizard born to Muggle parents is known as a Muggle-born, or by the pejorative "Mudblood". While Muggle-borns are quite common, Squibs are extremely rare.

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Using magic

For a person's ability to perform magic to be of use, much training is needed. When "wild," typically with young and untrained children, magic will still manifest itself subconsciously in moments of strong apprehension, fear or anger.[2] For example, Harry Potter once made his hair grow back after a bad haircut, and, in anger, made his Aunt Marge inflate enormously. Whilst this reaction is usually uncontrollable, Tom Marvolo Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort, was able to "make things move without touching them...make animals do what he wanted without training them...make bad things happen to people who annoy him...or 'make them hurt if I [he] want[s] to'" when he was a young child, apparently intentionally. In addition, Lily Potter was able to guide and control the blades of a flower by wanting to.[3] Almost all magic is done with the use of a supporting tool or focus, typically a wand. On the subject of magic without the use of a wand, Rowling says:[4]

“ You can do unfocused and uncontrolled magic without a wand (for instance when Harry blows up Aunt Marge) but to do really good spells, yes, you need a wand. ”

A wizard or witch is only at their best when using their own wand. Throughout the series, it is evident that when using another's wand, one's spells are not as strong as they normally would be.[HP1]

Within the books, technical details of magic are obscure. Of Harry's lessons, only those involving magical creatures, potions or divination are given in any detail.

Severus Snape once told Harry Potter that "Time and space matter in magic..." during Harry's first Occlumency class in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Albus Dumbledore told Harry after finding the magically concealed boat to reach the locket Horcrux that "Magic always leaves traces... sometimes distinctive traces..."

The limits of magic

Before publishing the first Harry Potter novel, Rowling spent five years establishing the limitations of magic; determining what it could and could not do. "The most important thing to decide when you're creating a fantasy world," she said in 2000, "is what the characters CAN'T do." For instance, while it is possible to conjure things out of thin air, it is far more tricky to create something that fits an exact specification rather than a general one; moreover, any objects so conjured tend not to last.[5]

Harry's status as an orphan from the first book, quickly establishes that resurrection of the dead is impossible. While corpses can be transformed into obedient Inferi on a living wizard's command, they are little more than zombies with no soul or will of their own. It is also possible through the rare Priori Incantatem effect to converse with ghost-like "shadows" of magically murdered people. The Resurrection Stone also allows one to talk to the dead, but those brought back by the Stone are not corporeal, nor do they wish to be disturbed from their peaceful rest. Throughout the series, this limit is continually mentioned, and wizards try to transcend it at their own folly.

Likewise, it is not possible to make oneself immortal unless one makes use of a mystical object of great power to sustain life (such as the Philosopher's Stone created by Nicolas Flamel or a Horcrux, the latter having been used by Tom Riddle). If one were to possess the three Deathly Hallows, it is fabled that they would possess the tools to become the "master of death". However, being a true "master of death" is to be willing to accept that death is inevitable.

True love is almost impossible to create magically, though Amortentia, a love potion, can create a powerful sense of infatuation.

Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration

The Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration is a magical theory mentioned by Hermione in the final book. She explains that food is one of these: witches or wizards can cook and prepare food using magic, but not create it. Out of the five exceptions, only food is mentioned explicitly in the series — although speculation amongst fans has proposed many other possibilities.

Rowling herself has stated once in interview that money is something wizards cannot simply materialise out of thin air,[5] or the economic system of the Wizarding World would then be gravely flawed and disrupted. While the Philosopher's Stone does permit alchemy, this is portrayed as an extremely rare, even unique, object, whose owner does not exploit its powers.

There are numerous examples in the series of food appearing to have been conjured from nothing in the series, such as the sudden materialisation of ingredients in the pots of Molly Weasley's kitchen, alcoholic beverages during Aragog's wake, and "Madam Rosemerta's finest Oak matured mead", or bottles of gin apparently conjured by Dumbledore. Another is when Professor McGonagall creates a self-refilling plate of sandwiches for Harry and Ron in book 2. In all cases, these events can be reasonably explained as food either being multiplied — which seems to be allowable under Gamp's Law — or transported from elsewhere. One example of this is Banqueting in Hogwarts — the food is prepared by elves in the kitchens and laid onto four replica tables, directly below the actual house tables in the Great Hall. The food is then conjured to the tables by Albus Dumbledore.

Magic and emotion

A witch or wizard's emotional state can affect their inherent abilities. In Half-Blood Prince, Nymphadora Tonks temporarily lost her power as a Metamorphmagus after suffering sadness over her grief for the death of her cousin, Sirius Black, and for her love for Remus Lupin, who wanted to distance himself from her due to his being a werewolf. The form of her Patronus changed to reflect her depression. As related to Harry by Dumbledore, Merope Gaunt only demonstrated any magical ability when removed from her father's oppression, but then seemed to lose it again when her husband abandoned her. Many other examples of emotion-influenced magic appear throughout the series, with Ariana Dumbledore, and Harry's attack upon Aunt Marge in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, being prime examples.

Magic and death

Death is studied in detail in a room (called the Death Chamber) of the Department of Mysteries containing an enigmatic veil. Sirius Black falls through this veil after he is hit with a curse from Bellatrix Lestrange. Magical techniques have been used to extend life. The Philosopher's Stone can be used to prepare a potion that postpones death for the rest of eternity, so long as the potion is drunk on a regular basis. Voldemort has availed himself of other methods, being one of the few wizards ever to use Horcruxes in his long sought attempt to "conquer death", and is believed to be the only one to use multiple Horcruxes. In addition, the drinking of Unicorn blood will keep a person alive even if death is imminent, but at the terrible price of being cursed forever. Being magical can contribute to one's longevity, as there are several characters in the series who are quite long-lived (such as Griselda Marchbanks, who was an invigilator during Albus Dumbledore's O.W.L examinations).

It is revealed by Nearly Headless Nick in the fifth book that all witches and wizards have the choice of becoming ghosts when they pass away. The alternative is "passing on". Nick says that he became a ghost because he was foolish, "afraid of death." All Hogwarts headmasters appear in a portrait when they die, allowing consultation by future generations.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore says that there is no spell that can truly bring the dead back to life, however several cases of dead people becoming half-alive are known. In the Goblet of Fire, because of a connection between Harry and Voldemort's wands, images of Voldemort's recent victims appear and help Harry escape. According to Harry, they seemed too solid to be ghosts.

In Deathly Hallows, a magical item known as the Resurrection Stone is said to have the power to raise the dead. According to the legend of the Deathly Hallows, however, the people do not feel as if they belong in the human world and prefer to stay in their resting place. They are mere spirits, imitations and shadows of who they used to be.

Magic and love

Arguably the most powerful form of magic is also the most mysterious and elusive: love. Voldemort, having never experienced love himself, underestimates its influence. It is also significant that Voldemort's parents did not love each other: Merope, his mother, slipped his father some love potion as he rode by one day without his attractive companion, Cecilia. He became infatuated with Merope and they eloped. Within three months of the marriage, Merope became pregnant. Merope decided to stop giving Tom the love potion; Dumbledore speculates she believed either that he had fallen in love with her on his own or he would at least stay for their unborn child. She was wrong, and Tom quickly left his pregnant wife and went home to his parents, claiming to have been "hoodwinked" and tricked into marrying Merope. It was through love that Lily Potter was able to save her son Harry from death by sacrificing her life so that he might live. Harry used very much the same mechanism to negate the power of Voldemort's spells against the students and teachers of Hogwarts and other companions. The exact nature of how "love-magic" works is unknown; it is studied in depth at the Department of Mysteries. Another example of love having a strong influence on Magic is when Snape's Patronus is revealed to be the same as Lily's, the only love of his life.

Even Amortentia, supposedly the strongest love potion in the world, cannot create real love, only a sort of powerful obsession or infatuation. True love is a magic beyond spellbooks and ingredients, something that can change the course of the world. Love cannot be bottled or canned — in order for the magic to work; for the sparks to fly, the love must be real in nature and true on both sides. Love is not only the most powerful form of magic, but the greatest form of power.

Spellcasting

Spells are the every-purpose tools of a wizard or witch; short bursts of magic used to accomplish single specialised tasks such as opening locks or creating fire. Typically casting requires an incantation, most often in a modified form of Latin (see Dog Latin), and gesturing with a wand. However, these seem to be aids to the will only; wands are in most cases required, but there are indications that sufficiently advanced witches and wizards can perform spells without them. Spells can also be cast non-verbally, but with a wand. This technique is taught in the sixth year of study at Hogwarts and requires the caster to concentrate on the incantation. Some spells (e.g. Levicorpus) are apparently designed to be used non-verbally. While most magic shown in the books requires the caster to use their voice, some do not (and this may depend on the witch or wizard). Dumbledore has been known to do good-sized feats of magic without speaking, such as conjuring enough squashy purple sleeping bags to accommodate the entire student population[HP3]. Also, during Voldemort and Dumbledore's duel towards the end of Order of the Phoenix, neither wizard speaks any of their spells aloud and the magic they perform is vastly more powerful than any performed by the Order of the Phoenix or the Death Eaters.

It is evidently also possible to use a wand without holding it. Harry himself performs Lumos to light his wand when it is lying on the ground somewhere near him[HP5]. This should not be confused with wandless magic, as the wand was still the source of light. It is unknown where the light would originate if one were to use Lumos without a wand present; the spell may require the presence of a wand. Additionally, Animagi and Metamorphmagi do not need wands to undergo their transformations.

Spells are divided into rough categories, such as "charms", "curses", "hexes", or "jinxes". Although offensive and potentially dangerous curses exist in number, three are considered usable only for great evil, which earns them the special classification of "Unforgivable Curses".

Magical abilities

The following is a list of special abilities that a wizard or witch in the Harry Potter universe may have.

Animagi transformation

An Animagus is a witch or wizard who can turn into a particular animal or magical creature at will. This ability is not innate: it must be acquired by magical means. All Animagi must register at a central authority; it is illegal to obtain this ability without registering, although out of the five Animagi described as such in the books (Minerva McGonagall, Rita Skeeter, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew), four either never registered before their death or are currently living and unregistered (McGonagall is the only mentioned registered Animagus).

Each Animagus has a specific animal form, and cannot transform into any other animal. The animal cannot be chosen: it is uniquely suited to that individual's personality, like the Patronus Charm, and in some cases the Animagus will change into the same animal used in the person's Patronus charm (as shown by McGonagall's spectacled cat Patronus in Deathly Hallows). Similarly, when an Animagus transforms it is always into the same animal (i.e. same markings, same colours, etc.). When an Animagus registers, they must record all the defining physical traits of their animal form so that the Ministry can identify them.

Explicit emphasis is made in the books on the differences between Animagi and werewolves. Animagi have full control over their transformations and retain their minds, whereas werewolves' transformations are involuntary and include severe changes in personality. After the person has transformed into a werewolf, he no longer remembers who he is; he would kill his best friend if he got anywhere near him. A werewolf only responds to the call of his own kind. The only way that a werewolf can retain his sanity, intelligence and memory while transformed is using the Wolfsbane Potion.

Rowling also makes it clear in The Tales of Beedle the Bard that an animagus is not the same as a wizard simply transfiguring themselves into an animal. The former ability, as mentioned above, allows the witch or wizard to maintain their own mind and human powers of reasoning and memory. The latter however would cause the person to gain the brain of the animal they have transfigured into. This would lead to the obvious problem that they would forget that they were a wizard and be trapped, unknowing, in this form for the rest of that creature's lifespan unless transformed back by another wizard.

Metamorphmagi

A Metamorphmagus (a portmanteau of metamorph and magus) is a witch or wizard born with the innate ability to change some or all of their appearance at will. The talent cannot be acquired; a witch or wizard who has it must be born with it.

Nymphadora Tonks and her son, Teddy Lupin, are currently the only known Metamorphmagi in the series; it is a very rare ability, possibly hereditary. Tonks is known to change her hair color and style according to her mood. Indeed, she even appears as an old woman on occasion. Her son, Teddy Lupin, also inherited this trait, as his hair is mentioned repeatedly changing colour.

The extent of these appearance-altering abilities and the limits thereof are not entirely clear. According to Rowling, a Metamorphmagus can alter his or her appearance completely, for instance, from black to white, young to old, handsome to plain and so on.[6] But there is no canonical indication in her books or interviews that Metamorphmagi can completely change their bodily appearance into non-human forms. In one example, Tonks changes her facial appearance by reshaping her nose into "a beaklike protuberance like Snape's", to "something resembling a button mushroom", and "one like a pig snout" which reminded Harry of his cousin Dudley's.[7]

Parselmouths

Parseltongue is the language of snakes. It is, in the common mind, associated with Dark Magic (although Dumbledore has stated that it is not necessarily an evil quality), and those possessing the ability to speak it ("Parselmouths") are very rare. It appears to be a skill acquired through both learning or via a method of xenoglossia, such as through genetic inheritance (or by use of Dark or dangerous Magic). Harry was a Parselmouth: it was revealed in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to be due to Voldemort's passing on some of his abilities to Harry the night he tried to kill him. In Deathly Hallows it is revealed that it is a part of Voldemort's soul within Harry that grants him this ability, which is later destroyed leaving Harry stripped of the ability.[8]

Other known Parselmouths include: Herpo the Foul; Salazar Slytherin and his descendants, including the Gaunts and Voldemort. Dumbledore can also understand Parseltongue, however he learnt it; he did not already possess the ability.[9] In Half-Blood Prince he repeats Morfin Gaunt's words "the big house over the way", which were spoken in Parseltongue.

Ginny Weasley is not a Parselmouth, although at points in Chamber of Secrets she appeared to speak in Parseltongue: she was at the time being possessed by the spirit of Tom Marvolo Riddle, who was himself Voldemort, a Parselmouth. Ron uses Parseltongue in the final book to reopen the Chamber of Secrets, but only through persistently trying to mimic the sounds that Harry made.

Rowling borrowed the term from "an old word for someone who has a problem with the mouth, like a hare lip."[10]

An earlier analogue of Parseltongue can be found in the character Hown Serpent-tamer, in Michael Moorcock’s Multiverse novels.

Flying

Flight without aid of a broomstick or other object is a relatively rare ability. Voldemort can do this without the aid of a broom or carpet, as can Snape. Rubeus Hagrid reveals to Harry that he "flew" to reach the island where Uncle Vernon had taken his family to escape the letters coming from Hogwarts, in the fourth chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; the means of flying is a flying motorcycle previously owned by Sirius Black. It is stated that flying unsupported defies the laws of magic, as only objects are known to float with a flying charm.

Objects are also known to be enchanted so they fly. Sirius had a flying motorbike that he lent to Hagrid to bring Harry to the Dursleys, and Arthur Weasley enchanted a Ford Anglia to fly. However, because of a loophole in the law (it is illegal to enchant certain Muggle Artifacts) that Mr. Weasley himself made, he was not technically in the wrong.[HP2] The enchantments cast on these machines do not affect their normal functions and purposes, except the ability of flight.

Seers

A Seer is a witch or wizard with the clairvoyant ability to predict future events. The predictions given through this ability can sometimes be self-fulfilling prophecies, and Dumbledore states in Order of the Phoenix that not all of them come true, depending on the choices made by those mentioned. This would seem to indicate that a Seer predicts possible or likely events, at least in some cases. Sybil Trelawney is noted to never remember that she has made a prophecy when it is a true one. She speaks in a hoarse voice and only if a wizard is present will anyone know about it.

Each prophecy made by a Seer is recorded in a glass sphere and stored in the Hall of Prophecy of the Department of Mysteries within the Ministry of Magic. Only a person mentioned in a prophecy can safely retrieve it; anyone else who tries to do so will be driven insane.

According to McGonagall, true Seers are extremely rare. Sybill Trelawney is the only Seer shown in the books, although it is mentioned that Sybill's great-great-grandmother, Cassandra Trelawney, was a renowned Seer in her day. Trelawney is considered an "old fraud" by her students, and is sacked by Dolores Umbridge in the fifth book for it. However, she has twice made true prophecies (not counting 'minor' predictions such as Neville's breaking a teacup, the death of Lavender Brown's rabbit Binky and Hermione's quitting Divination. It is unclear whether Trelawney's visions of the Grim 'following' Harry in his third year are Sirius Black in Animagus form or just Trelawney being melodramatic and predicting the death of a student as she has done every year).

Legilimency and Occlumency

Legilimency is the magical skill of extracting feelings and memories from another person's mind — a form of magical "telepathy" (although Snape, an able practitioner of the art, dismisses the colloquial term, "mind-reading", as a drastic oversimplification). It also allows one to convey visions or memories to another person, whether real or imaginary. A witch or wizard possessing this skill is called a Legilimens, and can, for example, detect lies and deceit in another person, witness memories in another person's past, or "plant" false visions in another's mind.

The counter-skill to Legilimency is Occlumency (and its user, known as an Occlumens), by which one can compartmentalise one's emotions, or prevent a Legilimens from discovering thoughts or memories which contradict one's spoken words or actions.

Voldemort, Snape, and Dumbledore are all known to be skilled in Legilimency and Occlumency. Throughout the books, Snape is repeatedly said to be highly skilled in Occlumency. Voldemort is said to be the master of Legilimency by Snape, as he, in almost all cases, immediately knows during conversations if someone lies to him.

The skills are first mentioned in Order of the Phoenix, (though Harry gets the impression before that Snape can read minds) wherein Snape is instructed by Dumbledore to give Harry lessons in Occlumency. Whether as a result of negligence in Snape's instruction, or poor aptitude on Harry's part, Harry never made any progress in the skill, and as a result he was lured by Voldemort through a carefully calculated vision he falsely believed to be real. Only once has Harry managed to overcome Snape with the use of Occlumency, in Order of the Phoenix.[11] During the lesson, Harry notices that the Dementors become fainter and Snape becomes clearer. It seems that not everyone is able to master Occlumency (Harry is unable to do so due to his inability to detach himself from his emotions, as a result of years of neglect and even cruelty at the hands of his aunt and uncle). Also, although it appears to be an advanced form of magic, a young wizard can learn to be an Occlumens (Draco Malfoy was able to block Snape's attempt to use Legilimency on him in his 6th year, after being taught Occlumency by Bellatrix Lestrange). Near the end of Order of the Phoenix, Harry learns from Dumbledore that his love for Sirius is what caused Voldemort to release his possession of Harry. Revolting from the love in Harry, Voldemort feared the further use of Occlumency on Harry, drawing away from their connection. This allows Harry to freely see/feel Voldemort's thoughts/emotions in the next two books. In Deathly Hallows, Harry finally does master Occlumency - shutting his mind to Voldemort - when Dobby dies. He realizes that his grief - or what Dumbledore calls it, love - is what can block out the Dark Lord. Thus, that is also why Snape is an accomplished Occlumens. Snape's love for Lily Potter allowed him to prevent the Dark Lord from ever reading his mind, that he really was Dumbledore's spy the whole time.

Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy and Barty Crouch Jr also have skill in Occlumency, since Bellatrix was clearly said to have taught Draco to shield his thoughts from Snape.[HP6] It was never clearly said that Narcissa was an Occlumens, but since she successfully managed to prevent Voldemort (the master of Legilimency) from detecting her lie about Harry's death, she is very likely to be one.[HP7]

Legilimency and Occlumency are not part of the normal curriculum at Hogwarts, and most students would graduate without learning them. They seem to be considered a more advanced form of magic.

Apparition and Disapparition

Apparition is a magical form of teleportation, through which a witch or wizard can disappear ("Disapparate") from one location and reappear ("Apparate") in another. It is sometimes accompanied by a distinctive cracking or popping sound, though this is associated with ineptitude rather than success; the most skilled wizards can Apparate "so suddenly and silently" that they seem to have "popped out of the ground" (Dumbledore). The act is also accompanied by a very unpleasant squeezing sensation, as though being sent through a tight rubber tube, according to Harry.[HP6]

The Ministry licenses apparition, and a witch or wizard must be 17 years old or older and have a licence to use Apparition in the same way real-world governments require individuals to have a license to drive a motor vehicle. Students at Hogwarts may attend Ministry lessons in Apparition during their sixth year, and may take their examination once they turn seventeen.

The training is difficult, and students run the risk of splinching — being physically split between the origin and destination — which requires the assistance of the Ministry's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to undo. Splinching is quite common during lessons, and can be uncomfortable (and at times rather gruesome) depending on the body parts splinched, but is ultimately harmless if properly reversed. Ron left behind half of an eyebrow during his first Apparition exam, causing him to fail, and splinched himself twice in The Deathly Hallows.

For reasons of security, the grounds of Hogwarts are protected by ancient Anti-Apparition and Anti-Disapparition spells, which prevent humans from using Apparition in the school grounds. This does not extend to magical creatures such as house-elves and phoenixes, who can still use their own form of Apparition. It is also possible to prevent individuals from using Apparition, as Dumbledore did with the Death Eaters in Order of the Phoenix, whom he held until Ministry officials could take them into custody.

It is considered rude to Apparate directly into a private area, such as a home. Dumbledore stated in the 6th book that it would be "quite as rude as kicking down the front door". For this reason, and for reasons of security, many homes also have Anti-Apparition spells protecting them from uninvited intrusions. The accepted way to travel to a home is to Apparate near the destination, and continue to the final destination on foot. Apparition is considered unreliable over long distances, and even experienced users of the technique sometimes prefer other means of transport, such as broomsticks.

A wizard or witch can use Side-Along Apparition to take others with them during Apparition. Dumbledore uses this on Harry several times, and notably, Harry uses Side-Along Apparition to take the weakened Dumbledore back from the seaside cave containing Voldemort's locket Horcrux. This was also Harry's first real Apparition outside of lessons and although unlicensed and never before having even tried Side-Along, he does it extremely successfully and later he, Hermione and Ron sometimes Side-Apparate each other as well. In addition, Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, used Side-Along-Apparition to take Dumbledore with him when avoiding arrest from the Ministry. This suggests that phoenixes, like elves, can teleport anywhere, even in places with Anti-Apparition spells (this is also written in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"). However, this ability may require more skill than normal Apparition or more concentration at least, as Hermione Splinched Ron when she Side-Along Apparated him and Harry in a desperate moment. Dumbledore, who was much older and much more experienced, could Side-Along Apparate people with no problems as shown when he took Harry in this method multiple times. Harry and Hermione also possessed this skill, and both are extremely adept at it. Hermione was highly praised by the Apparition examiner for her skill in Apparating and Disapparating, and she seems also to have been very good at Side-Along Apparition. Harry, too, seems very good at it. Ron didn't seem to possess this skill, but he had trouble with Splinching with normal Apparition so he may have been unwilling to try it as a result or simply was unable to. He managed to Side-Along Hermione once, but had no choice but to try as she was unconscious and Harry was too busy rescuing Griphook to take her. Ron did seem to manage it with no problems, but never tried it again. It was indicated that people who were experienced with Apparition could probably do it without problems: in a Ministry brochure it was suggested that Side-Along Apparition be used when travelling with someone who could not Apparate for safety.

In the Order of the Phoenix film, Death Eaters and Order members Apparated and Disapparated in clouds of smoke. Death Eaters would appear and disappear in black smoke, Order members in white. In the movie, both sides also seemed to be able to "half-apparate" in which their bodies were made out of smoke, giving them the ability to fly. This is not canon to the books and probably just used for more cinematic, atmospheric purposes. Interestingly, both times Fred and George apparated and disapparated, they did it with a pop as in the books.

It is never clearly stated in the books whether human Apparition requires a wand. In Deathly Hallows, Ron attempts unsuccessfully to Disapparate from captivity at Malfoy's Manor while he does not have a wand, and some theorise that this is evidence a wizard needs a wand to Apparate. Moreover, the book does explicitly say that "Ron was trying to Apparate without a wand", implying he needed it to Apparate. However, it is likely that the cellar in which he was held was bound by an Anti-Apparition spell. In addition, in Deathly Hallows, Harry tells the Muggle-borns in the Ministry of Magic to "attach themselves to somebody who has got one [a wand] so they may use "Side-Along Apparition", although this may merely be for purposes of protection.

It is shown that it is possible to Apparate without a license; it's just not usually done unless in lessons and is illegal. In this way it seems to be similar to having a license to drive a car as well: one doesn't need a license to have the skill, but does need it to use the skill legally. In Deathly Hallows, Harry did not possess a license, while Hermione and probably Ron did, but he showed more skilled at Apparating than Ron as he has never Splinched himself or others and Ron has Splinched himself at least a few times. In the books, it was indicated that while Ron could Apparate, he wasn't very good or skilled at it. He Splinched himself at least twice (although both times it was extremely minor) and Harry and Hermione were able to Apparate before he could. When extra lessons were mentioned, Harry had been able to Apparate once in the previous lesson and Hermione had managed it twice and passed her test easily the first time. In contrast Hermione seemed to have no problems Apparating, except the one time when she tried Side-Along and Splinched Ron, but she was in a very difficult circumstance then, and managed it perfectly on all the numerous other occasions that she used Side-Along. In Harry's first official Apparition (and the first one of the trio to do it in more than lessons or the test) he not only did not Splinch himself, he managed to Side-Apparate Dumbledore and get them both over an unspecified distance on the first try with no problems.

In the books, the words "Apparate" and "Disapparate", like many other neologisms used by Rowling, are capitalised, whereas established English words such as "jinx" and "hex" are not. The words themselves are most likely derived from the French apparaître and disparaître meaning to appear and disappear, although before Charles Fort's invention of the term "teleportation" in the 1930s, it was known as "apportation". Another possible derivation is from the English word “Apparition” meaning to appear suddenly or dramatically, which comes from the Latin "apparitio" meaning attendance. "Disapparate" probably comes from the same word but with the prefix: “dis-” expressing negation or reversal.

Other teleportation

Some other forms of instantaneous movement occur in the books, such as a house elf's ability to teleport or Fawkes's ability to disappear in a burst of flame. (In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it is stated that all phoenixes have this ability.) In the novels, Harry refers to this as "Apparition" but this may be because of Harry's inexperience and not fact. This theory is further reinforced as neither Fawkes nor house-elves are restricted by anti-Apparition magic. Fawkes also vanishes silently and in a burst of flame, whereas a wizard Apparating is accompanied by a very loud "bang" (or a quiet "pop") with no visible effect.

Floo Powder is also used to teleport. the wizard/witch takes a small pinch of floo powder and throws it into a fire. The fire will change and emerald green and the wizard/witch will shout where they wished to go. Harry used Floo powder before and shouted 'diagonally', instead of 'Diagon Alley' and ended up in Knockturn Alley.

Another method of teleportation is by portkey. With ministry permission, an object can be turned into a portkey. A portkey will teleport itself and anyone touching it at a specified time to a pre-chosen destination. Harry, the Weasleys, and Amos and Cedric Diggory take a portkey to the Quidditch World Cup in Goblet of Fire. The Triwizard cup was a portkey that took Harry and Cedric to the cemetery where Voldemort's father was buried. In book five, Dumbledore creates an illegal portkey to take Harry and the Weasley children to Number 12, Grimmauld Place after Mister Weasley is injured.

Veela charm

An ability attributed to Veela and those of Veela heritage, such as Fleur Delacour. It is used to charm males, much like the Sirens in The Odyssey.

Harry seems more immune to this than Ron and most others, though the first time he was exposed to it his reaction was similar to Ron's. Men who are exposed to it over time become more resistant to it, although the Veela charm takes full effect if the Veela surprises the man, as noted by Ron in Deathly Hallows. It is possible that Victoire Weasley has inherited this ability from Fleur. As no men of Veela descent have been portrayed in the books (although Bill and Fleur have a son named Louis, as well as two daughters), it is unknown whether they would also have this ability.

As shown in Goblet of Fire, Veela hair can be used as cores to create wands. According to famed wandmaker Mr. Ollivander, these wands are a little "temperamental". Since Fleur's contains one of her grandmother's hairs, being a positive familial bond no inherent problem is seen within this particular wand.

Magical resistance

This refers to a certain degree of immunity against hexes and spells found in powerful creatures such as trolls, dragons, and giants. Hagrid is resistant to certain spells, like the Stunning Spell, due to his giant blood. This type of resistance is not insurmountable; if enough Stunning Spells, for example, are fired at a creature with magical resistance at once, the creature may still be rendered unconscious.

Spell-like effects

Unbreakable Vow

The Unbreakable Vow is a voluntary agreement made between two witches or wizards. It must be performed with a witness ("Bonder") on hand, holding their wand on the agreeing persons' linked hands to bind them with magic as a tongue of flame. The Vow is not literally "unbreakable" as the person taking it is still able to go back on his or her word, but doing so will cause instant death. The Unbreakable Vow was first introduced in Half-Blood Prince, in which Snape made a promise to Narcissa Malfoy to protect Draco, with Bellatrix as the "Bonder", as her son attempted to fulfill the Dark Lord's task, and to fulfill the task if something should prevent Draco from doing it. Another example in Half-Blood Prince occurs when Ron tells Harry how Fred and George tried to make him undertake an Unbreakable Vow, but because of their father's intervention, they did not succeed.

Priori Incantatem

Priori Incantatem, or the Reverse Spell Effect, is used to detect the spells cast by a wand. The spells cast by the wand will emerge in smoky or ghost-like replicas in reverse order, with the latest spell emerging first. It is first encountered in Goblet of Fire when the house elf Winky is found holding Harry's wand. This spell is used to reveal that it was indeed Harry's wand that cast the Dark Mark. In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, it is revealed that the teenage Voldemort murdered his father and grandparents using his uncle Morfin's wand, knowing that, when examined, the wand would incriminate Morfin as the murderer. In Deathly Hallows, Harry feared that a Priori Incantatem spell would be used on Hermione's wand after the Death Eaters had a hold of it. This would reveal that she had accidentally broken his holly and-phoenix-feather wand (with her wand) when a curse misfired and they both narrowly escaped Voldemort earlier. As a result, the protection of the shared cores was lost and, worse still, this would now be made known to Voldemort. During the final duel between Harry and Voldemort, the latter mentions that he knows that the holly and phoenix wand is destroyed, implying that the Prior Incantato had indeed been performed on Hermione's wand, as they had feared.

Forcing two wands that share the source of their cores to do battle can also cause a more potent form of Priori Incantatem. The tips of the two wands will connect, forming a thick golden "thread" of energy, and the two wands' masters fight a battle of wills. The loser's wand will regurgitate shadows of spells that it has cast in reverse order. This phenomenon occurred during the duel between Harry and Voldemort at the end of Goblet of Fire. Their simultaneous spells (Harry and Voldemort cast "Expelliarmus" and "Avada Kedavra" respectively) triggered the threads, and as Voldemort lost the battle of wills, his wand regurgitated, in reverse order, shades of the spells he had cast with it – screams of pain from torturing various victims, echoes of the people his wand had murdered: Cedric Diggory; Frank Bryce; Bertha Jorkins; as well as Harry's parents. Harry was previously informed by Mr Ollivander that the holly wand that "chose" Harry was the "brother" of the yew wand that gave him the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, although the significance of this was not discussed then. Dumbledore later revealed to Harry that his and Voldemort's wands both shared a tail feather given by Dumbledore's pet phoenix, Fawkes.

Dark Arts

The Dark Arts are those magical spells and practices that are usually used for malicious purposes. Practitioners of Dark Arts are referred to as Dark witches or wizards. The most prominent of these is Voldemort, known to them as the Dark Lord. His followers, known as Death Eaters, practice the Dark Arts while doing his bidding.

The type of spells characteristic of Dark Arts are known as curses,[12] which usually cause harm to the target. All, to a certain degree, are in some circumstances justifiable. The motivation of the caster affects a curse's result. This is most notable in the case of Cruciatus: when cast by Harry, angered by the death of his godfather and desiring to punish the murderer, it causes a short moment of pain; as the murderer herself comments, righteous anger does not allow the spell to work for long. When cast by figures such as Voldemort, who desire to inflict pain for its own sake, it causes intense agony that can last as long as the Dark witch or wizard desires. Use of Dark Magic can corrupt the soul and body; Voldemort has used such magic in his quest to prolong his life and obtain great power. Dark Arts also caused Voldemort to look deformed and inhuman, a side effect of splitting his soul into Horcruxes.

According to Snape, the Dark Arts "are many, varied, ever-changing and eternal... unfixed, mutating, indestructible."[13] They also appear to be the most common form of magic used by criminals, while dangerous spells used by others in the books are frequently labelled Dark. In magical dueling, for example, there are any number of spells that may be used to attack, immobilise, or disarm an opponent without causing pain or lasting harm; however, spells such as the Cruciatus Curse or Sectumsempra, judged to be Dark by reliable authorities, wound or seriously distress a victim in some way.

In the Wizarding world, use of the Dark Arts is strongly stigmatised and even illegal; however, these spells are prevalent enough that even before the rise of Voldemort, many schools, (including Hogwarts), taught Defence Against the Dark Arts as a standard subject. Techniques include anti-curses and simple spells to disable or disarm attackers or fight off certain creatures. Some schools, such as Durmstrang, teach Dark Magic. A Dark Arts class was also taught at Hogwarts while it was under Death Eater control.

Unforgivable Curses

The Unforgivable Curses are some of the most powerful known Dark Arts spells. They were first classified as unforgivable in 1717. Used by the books' villains, such as Voldemort and the Death Eaters and in some cases the Ministry of Magic, their use inspires horror and great fear amongst others. The curses are so named because their use is — except by Ministry authorisation — forbidden and unforgivable in the Wizarding world when used on another human or probably any sentient being. The use of any of these spells on another human being is punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban. These curses are thus very rarely used openly. However, in Deathly Hallows, the Unforgivable Curses are used liberally by good characters, ranging from Professor McGonagall with the Imperius Curse, to Harry effectively using the Cruciatus Curse. He also uses the Imperius curse on a goblin and a suspicious Death Eater during their disguised attack upon Gringotts Bank. However, at the time the Unforgivable curses had been made legal. Since the spells are very powerful, their use requires a strong desire to cause the effects, a directed will, and great skill.

It is noted that to perform the Unforgivable Curses, the caster must "mean it". This means that they need to want the effects a fair amount for the effects to last. In Order of the Phoenix, Harry attempts to use the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix, but he is drawing only from righteous anger and does not truly 'mean it'. Bellatrix explains that a caster must truly want their victim to suffer, and thus Harry's spell causes her to feel pain for only a moment.

The use of the Unforgivable Curses was authorized against Voldemort and his followers by Bartemius Crouch Sr, during the First Wizarding War. Although not stated, it is possible that this was limited to the Imperius Curse (to force a Death Eater to submit to questioning or surrender) and to the Killing Curse. Shortly after his resurrection, Voldemort names two Death Eaters "killed by Aurors".

The Unforgivable Curses:

Dark Mark

The Dark Mark as produced in film.
The Dark Mark as seen on the back cover of the American Edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

The Dark Mark is the symbol of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. It looks like a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth in place of the tongue. As a spell it is cast by a Death Eater whenever he or she has murdered someone. The spell used by Death Eaters to conjure the Mark is Morsmordre. It first appears in Goblet of Fire and is described as a "colossal skull, composed of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue." Once in the sky it was "blazing in a haze of greenish smoke."

Dark Marks are also branded on the left forearm of the closest followers of Voldemort. The mark serves as a connection between Voldemort and each who bears it, he can summon them by touching his mark, causing it and those of his followers to burn and change colour. Death Eaters can summon Voldemort in the same fashion. Following Voldemort's ultimate defeat, the Dark Marks on his Death Eaters fade into a scar "similar" to Harry's.[8] In the books, the Dark mark is described as green, but in the films, it was only green in the Quidditch world cup, in all other appearances it has been grey.

Inferius

An Inferius (plural: Inferi) is a corpse controlled through a Dark wizard's spells. An Inferius is not alive, but a dead body that has been bewitched into acting like a puppet for the witch or wizard; this manifests itself as a white mist in the controlled corpse's eyes. They cannot think for themselves: they are created to perform a specific duty assigned by the Dark wizard who commands them, and as seen in the Inferi guarding Voldemort's Horcrux in a seaside cave, remain idle until their task can be performed. This task is then thoughtlessly carried out, whether or not it will produce any result. Inferi are difficult to harm by magic; however, they can be repelled by fire or any other forms of heat or light, as the Inferi in Voldemort's cave had never been exposed to either of these elements. When defeated, they return to their idle state.

Inferi are more or less modified versions of zombies (which have been mentioned as apparently separate creatures [HP1]), much closer to the zombies of Voodoo folklore than those usually portrayed in films. They are considered dangerous and frightening enough by the magical world that impersonating an Inferius (as Mundungus Fletcher does in Half-Blood Prince) is an offence worthy of imprisonment in Azkaban. The word Inferi is the Latin name for Hades, the Greek underworld where the dead reside, as inferus means "below" in Latin.

The Ministry of Magic fears that Voldemort is killing enough people to make an army of Inferi: as they are dead, they are very difficult to stop. When Voldemort was hiding one of his Horcruxes in the past, he filled a lake in a cave with many Inferi, which were to attack and drown anyone but Voldemort who came into the cavern and took the locket. When Harry and Dumbledore took the locket, the Inferi attacked Harry; Dumbledore repelled them with a rope of fire. It is also revealed that the Inferi almost killed Kreacher after he drank from the basin to help Voldemort hide his Horcruxes; it was, instead, Kreacher's master Regulus Black who drank and was drowned by the Inferi so that Kreacher could escape a second time.

Horcruxes

Main article: Horcrux

A Horcrux is a Dark Arts device created to attain immortality. The concept is first introduced in the sixth novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, though Horcruxes are present in earlier novels without being identified as such. The retrieval and destruction of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes forms the main focus of the final two books in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Portraits

In the Harry Potter series the subjects of magical portraits (even those of characters that are dead) can move (or simulate motion, at least within the two-dimensional plane of the picture), interact with living observers, speak, and demonstrate apparent emotion and personality. Some can even move to other portraits to visit each other, or to relay messages, or (if more than one painting of the subject exists) can move between separate locations by way of their portraits. Many such portraits are found on the walls of Hogwarts. It is unknown how magical portraits come into being: whether they are produced by a painter or brought into existence by other means. Magical photographs with similar properties can be created by developing normal film in a magic potion.

At least three portraits, those of The Fat Lady and Ariana Dumbledore, and the Hogwarts Kitchen Portrait, can perform at least one action with a direct effect on the world outside the frame of the painting. The Fat Lady's portrait is the door that covers the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, and she can swing the portrait open when given the correct password or close to prevent entry. Ariana's is able to swing open revealing the secret passage from the Hog's Head Inn to Hogwarts that was created by Neville Longbottom using the Room of Requirement. The Hogwarts Kitchen portrait, a painting of a large bowl filled with fruit, will swing open after the pear gets tickled and giggles, to reveal a hidden door that leads into the kitchens where the Hogwarts house-elves work.

Portraits can also move between paintings, going wherever they like in the same building. However, outside the building, portraits can only move to other paintings of themselves, for example, Phineas Nigellus Black who has a painting in The Headmaster's Office and at 12 Grimmauld Place. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Harry asks Phineas Nigellus to bring him Dumbledore's painting from Hogwarts through to the 12 Grimmauld Place copy; this is when Black explains that paintings can only move out of Hogwarts into other portraits of themselves.

In Deathly Hallows Snape takes instruction and advice from Dumbledore's portrait; suggesting that portraits retain memories and personality, or can be enchanted to retain memories. Dumbledore's portrait also cries when it finds that Harry was successful in defeating Voldemort, again suggesting that portraits keep the memories of those they are painted after.

Authorial statements regarding portraits have been vague. J. K. Rowling made a comment in an interview that a portrait is something like a faint imprint of the person in question, imitating the basic attitude and thought patterns of the person. It is therefore completely different from a ghost, which, as explained by Nearly Headless Nick, are the souls of wizards who are afraid to leave the world. Portraits exist completely separately from the person's soul, being just an impression of the person passed on.[14] Rowling may have found inspiration in short stories by the French novelist Théophile Gautier (1811–1872). In La Cafetière (The Coffee Pot, 1831) and in Omphale (1834) people in portraits and tapestries come alive, step out from the wall into the room, drink coffee, dance, talk with and kiss the story-teller.[15]

Portraits in the Headmaster's office

The portraits in the Headmaster's office depict all the former Heads of Hogwarts, with the exception of Dolores Umbridge. The portraits act to advise the Headmaster and are "honour-bound to give service to the present headmaster" (according to Armando Dippet). They include:

The Fat Lady

The portrait of the Fat Lady is the door to Gryffindor Tower, which is hidden behind her painting. She will open it (sometimes grudgingly) when the correct password is uttered. She is often upset after being awoken, and is often seen drunk with her best friend, Violet. The Fat Lady has no other known name, and it is unknown whether she is supposed to represent a real person. In Philosopher's Stone, she leaves her portrait in the middle of the night, locking Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville out of Gryffindor Tower, forcing them to run across the school. Luckily for them, when they return, she has returned to her portrait, allowing them to escape into Gryffindor Tower. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Sirius Black slashes the Fat Lady’s portrait when she won't let him in without a password and it is some time before she dares to guard Gryffindor Tower again. After her portrait was restored, she requested protection in case someone tried to attack her portrait again. Thus, two security trolls were hired. In Half Blood Prince, she gets so annoyed with Harry's late return that she pretends the password has changed and tries to call him back when he heads off to talk to Dumbledore. When Harry later confirms Dumbledore's death, she lets out a sob and for the first and only time in the series, she opens without the password for Harry in her grief.

In the first film the Fat Lady is played by Elizabeth Spriggs, and by Dawn French in the third film.

Others

Photographs

Wizarding photographs of people have similar properties to magical painted portraits: the figures within move about or even sometimes leave the frame. As with the paintings, the images of people in the photographs do not appear to age. Photographs from ordinary Muggle cameras can be made to seem alive. Colin Creevey mentions in Chamber of Secrets that a boy in his dormitory said that if he develops the film 'in the right potion', the pictures will move.[17] However, figures in Wizarding pictures do not reflect the emotions or actions of their counterparts in the real world. Moving photos also appear in wizard newspapers and other print media, as well as on Chocolate Frog cards. This is exemplified in Prisoner of Azkaban when pictures of Sirius are printed in The Daily Prophet newspaper. [18] The magazine Witch Weekly also contains pictures of smiling and winking witches. The images of people in photographs display little sentience. The subjects of some photographs can leave the frame, but no indication has been given that they are able to visit or communicate with other photographs or with people in the world, as happens with their painted counterparts. However, it appears that they do have some knowledge of current events, as seen by Harry when he goes to Mr Weasley's office on Order of the Phoenix. The family photograph on Arthur's desk shows everyone except Percy "who appeared to have walked out of it".[19] It is also mentioned that in a photo (taken by Colin Creevey) of Gilderoy Lockhart and Harry, Harry's picture had walked out and was resisting all of Lockhart's efforts to pull him back in.

An exception to the above is communication with the limited group of dead who chose to remain in the world as ghosts. That is simple and straightforward, forms a part of daily life in Hogwarts, and needs no greater exercise of magic than what is needed for gaining entry to the magic school in the first place. As noted above, magical portraits also provide a way of communicating with the dead people depicted in them, who seem to have left part of their essence in the world when they "went on" – enough for both Snape and Harry to meaningfully communicate with and report to Dumbledore's portrait after he had died.

To the contrary, communicating with dead people who did "go on" is a far more rare and difficult business, and occurs only on very special occasions: In Harry's first battle with Voldemort in "Goblet of Fire", when the people killed by Voldemort's wand emerge for a moment; in "Deathly Hallows" when Harry, believing that he is going to his death, summons the shades of the dead people most dear to him by way of the Resurrection Stone; and, in the final chapters of "Deathly Hallows," when Harry had been hit by the Avada Kedavra curse but saved by his mother's protection that still resided in Voldemort's body (which protected the charm and kept it active), he becomes suspended in a limbo-like status and is able to meet and speak freely with the dead Dumbledore.

In principle, by gaining possession of the Resurrection Stone, Harry could have continued to summon any dead people he wanted. However, at the very first place where this Stone is mentioned it is made clear that such conduct is wrong, and that when its original possessor in the Tale of the Three Brothers used it to bring back his dead beloved, she was unhappy at having her peace disturbed until he finally chose to die himself and join her. Harry prefers to let the Stone lie where it had fallen in the forest, and Dumbledore's portrait praises this as "a wise and courageous decision". Rowling later revealed that it was pressed into the ground by a centaur's hoof, burying it forever.

It is never specified exactly where it is that the dead go who chose to "go on" rather than remain in the world as ghosts, except for noting that they find peace there. There is no mention in any of the books of an afterlife consisting of heaven or hell. However, when a person chooses to damage his own soul, as in the production of Horcruxes, he must face the result of having a tortured afterlife with a damaged soul and being denied the peace that other souls find. He has, so to speak, done it to himself.

See also


References

  1. ↑ "FAQ jkrowling.com". http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/extrastuff_view.cfm?id=19. Retrieved 19 July 2007. 
  2. ↑ "J.K Rowling Official Site". http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/rumours_view.cfm?id=41. Retrieved 27 February 2008. 
  3. ↑ [HP6], chapter 13
  4. ↑ "2001: Accio Quote!, the largest archive of J.K Rowling interviews on the web". http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2001/0301-comicrelief-staff.htm. Retrieved 27 February 2008. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "JKR quotes about "the rules" of Harry Potter's Wizarding World:". http://www.accio-quote.org/themes/therules.htm. Retrieved 27 February 2008. 
  6. ↑ "J.K. Rowling's Official Site, rumour section". http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/rumours_view.cfm?id=41. 
  7. ↑ Rowling, J.K.: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", page 85. Scholastic, 2003
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "J.K. Rowling Web Chat Transcript". http://hpbeyond.net/hpb/books/transcript-of-jk-rowling-web-chat/. 
  9. ↑ "Transcript of JK Rowling web chat — Harry Potter Beyond". http://hpbeyond.net/hpb/books/transcript-of-jk-rowling-web-chat/. Retrieved 27 February 2008. 
  10. ↑ "J.K Rowling at the Royal Albert Hall 26 June 2003". http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2003/0626-alberthall-fry.htm. Retrieved 27 February 2008. 
  11. ↑ [HP5], chapter 26
  12. ↑ J.K. Rowling's Official Site
  13. ↑ [HP6], chapter 9
  14. ↑ "JK Rowling at the Edinburgh Book Festival". J. K. Rowling Official Web Site. 15 August 2004. http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=80. 
  15. ↑ Théophile Gautier and others, Tales of the Fantastic, transl. Patricia Roseberry, Broadwater House, 2002 ISBN 1-903121-02-7
  16. ↑ "mugglenet.com". http://www.mugglenet.com/app/news/full_story/1156. 
  17. ↑ [HP2], chapter 6
  18. ↑ [HP3], chapter 3
  19. ↑ [HP5], chapter 7

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