Magic in Harry Potter

Template:Book-in-universe Template:Spoiler In the Harry Potter series created by J.K. Rowling, magic is depicted as a natural force, one that can be used to override the usual laws of nature while still being approached entirely scientifically. Many magical creatures exist in the series, as do ordinary creatures which exhibit some magical properties (such as owls, which are used to deliver post). Objects, too, can be enhanced or imbued with magical power. 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." 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, which might be reflected by the contrasting sizes of muggle and wizarding populations.

Using magic

For a person's ability to perform magic to be useful, a good deal of training is required. When 'wild,' typically with young and untrained children, it will still manifest itself subconsciously in moments of strong apprehension, fear or anger. ^[1] 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 almost always 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 want to" (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, pg. 271) when he was a young child – apparently intentionally.

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:^[2]

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. (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, pg. 66)

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. In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them a creature called a Chizpurfle is said to consume both magic and electricity, which may imply that magic is an electromagnetic force. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hermione Granger tells Harry and Ron that electricity does not work near Hogwarts as there is too much magic in the air, which would tend to support this idea. (see Electromagnetic Interference and Electromagnetic Pulse)

The limits of magic

Regardless of how powerful a witch or wizard is, they are by no means without limits. 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.

It is also impossible to resurrect the dead. Dead bodies can be enchanted to do a living wizard's bidding, but these bodies remain mere puppets and have no souls (see Inferius). It is also possible via 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.

Likewise, it is impossible 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 Lord Voldemort). If one were to possess the three Deathly Hallows, it is fabled that they would posess the tools to become the "master of death".

Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration

The Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration are five magical objects, that are an exception to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, objects that cannot be created by magic. Out of the five exceptions, only four are mentioned in the series: food, love, life, and information.

Love, the second of the five exceptions, is first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by Professor Slughorn. Food, the first of the five exceptions, is first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by Hermione Granger, and is later mentioned again by Ron Weasley.

While it is known that some cooks seemingly create sauces from their wand, it is possible that the sauces are temporary; this has the added benefit of creating something tasty without having additional fats. Another possible explanation is that the sauce is being transferred from a different location and pouring from the wand.

Magic and emotion

A witch or wizard's emotional state can affect their inherent abilities. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Nymphadora Tonks temporarily lost her power as a Metamorphmagus after suffering severe emotional turmoil when Remus Lupin would not return her affections and the form of her Patronus changed to reflect her love for him. 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's sister, being a prime example.

Magic and death

Like love, death is studied in detail in a room of the Department of Mysteries containing an enigmatic veil (this suggests some sort of portal between the worlds of the dead and the living, but the exact significance of the veil is still unclear). Sirius Black fell through this veil in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Magical techniques have been used to prolong life. The Philosopher's Stone can be used to prepare a potion that postpones death indefinitely. Lord 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. Also, 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.

It is revealed by Nearly Headless Nick in Book 5 that wizards have the option of becoming ghosts when they die. The alternative is "passing on". All Hogwarts headmasters appear in a portrait when they die, allowing consultation by future generations.

Magic and love

Arguably the most powerful form of magic is also the most mysterious and elusive: love. Lord Voldemort, having never experienced love himself, underestimates its influence—to his detriment. 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. The exact nature of how "love-magic" works is unknown; it is studied in-depth at the Department of Mysteries.

The Dark Arts

See also: Dark Arts (Harry Potter)

The Dark Arts in the Harry Potter universe are those used for malicious purposes, and often for causing harm to another. While many minor spells can be used to impede or cause irritation (such as making skin come out in boils or jamming satsumas into nostrils), Dark Magic may be used to control, cause pain or kill. The most well known Dark spells are the Unforgivable Curses, which are as follows: the Imperius Curse (Imperio), where the victim is placed in a trance-like state, and can be either left powerless, or controlled by the caster; the Cruciatus Curse (Crucio), which inflicts excruciating physical pain in the victim (the pain varying according to the desire of the caster); and the Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra), which kills the victim immediately and painlessly, and which is impossible to magically block. Only Harry Potter is known to have naturally survived being struck by it, and that is only because of Lily Potter sacrificing herself to save him in the first and (by continuation of the sacrifice in Voldemort's body composed of Harry's blood) the second time and the fact that the Elder Wand refuses to kill its master the third time.

The efficacy of a Dark spell varies according to the intentions of the caster: in one instance, Harry's use of Cruciatus Curse while influenced by anger and a righteous desire to punish produces less pain than the curse when influenced by sadism. In another instance, 'Professor Moody' notes that for the Avada Kedavra curse to be effective, the caster must actively desire the death of the subject.

Also important in Dark Magic is blood-magic, or the use of blood in Dark Spells. Lily Potter, Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort have made use of blood-magic: Lily's protection of Harry runs in his blood; Dumbledore tied Harry's safety to his being in the wardship of those of his mother's blood; blood of the foe was an integral part to Voldemort's resurrection; Voldemort hides his Horcrux behind a wall which only gives passage to someone who provides it with fresh blood, so as to symbolically weaken intruders.

Spellcasting

See the list of spells for those witnessed in books, the list of non-canonical spells for those outside them.

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). Albus 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 populationTemplate:HP3.

It is evidently also possible to use your wand without holding it. Harry himself performs Lumos to light his wand when it is lying on the ground somewhere near himTemplate: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. 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 to be usable only for great evil, which earns them the special classification of "Unforgivable Curses". The use of these spells on another human being earns a "one-way ticket to Azkaban" unless you have ministry authorization to use these curses, such as aurors or teachers that demonstrate in order to explain.

The Wizarding World

Main article: Wizarding world

The wizarding society exists as a shadow society to the Muggle world and works as hard as it can to keep its existence a secret, save for all but a few Muggles, such as those who are related to witches and wizards, or important Muggles such as the Prime Minister. To most magical people the Muggle world is unknown, and their attempts to disguise themselves as Muggles often have mostly humorous results. Muggle Studies at Hogwarts is considered a soft option. Most things of magical nature are hidden or otherwise obscured from Muggles; others (such as Dementors) simply cannot be seen by them, but Muggles do feel the effects of them. There is also an office in the Ministry of Magic, for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, that deals with people charming objects typically found in a Muggle society, such as the Ford Anglia which Mr. Weasley charmed, or Caractacus Burke's opal necklace that killed eleven people.

The Muggle Prime Minister is always first alerted to the existence of the magical 'underworld' on the evening after his election, when the Minister for Magic uses the Floo network to appear in his (or her) fireplace. Thereafter, he (or she) is only visited by what the Prime Minister in book 6 called the Other Minister in the event of danger to Muggles, such as the occasion when Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. On occasions like this, the Prime Minister is given advance notice of the visit by a portrait of an ugly wizard, who tells him. The portrait can never be removed from the wall, at least not by non-magical means.

The terms "wizard" and "witch" are used in magical society more or less the same way the terms "man" and "woman" are used in the Muggle world.

Magical abilities

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

Animagi transformation

Main article: Animagus

An Animagus is a witch or wizard who can turn into a particular animal 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, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Rita Skeeter), 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. Similarly, when an Animagus transforms it is always into the exact same animal (i.e. same markings, same colors, etc.). When an Animagus registers, they must record all the defining physical traits of their animal form so that the Ministry can identify them.

Animagi are explicitly differentiated from werewolves, in that Animagi have full control over their transformations and retain their minds, whereas werewolves' transformations are involuntary and include severe changes in personality. (It is debatable whether or not transformed werewolves possess human intellect.)

Metamorphmagi transformation

Main article: Metamorphmagus

A Metamorphmagus 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.

Metamorphmagi differ from Animagi in three ways:

• They have more control over partial transformations, being able to change any portion of their appearance independently, and to the extent desired. Animagi are limited to full transformation, appearing either fully human or fully transformed.
• They can take on all forms, whereas Animagi are restricted to animal forms.
• They can take any human form they desire; according to J.K. Rowling, Metamorphmagi can change their sex, race or age with ease. Animagi are limited to a single animal, and, indeed, cannot even choose what species they become, taking the form of whatever animal fits their personality best.

Nymphadora Tonks and her son are currently the only known Metamorphmagi; it is a very rare ability. She has been known to change her hair colour and style in accordance with her mood. For entertainment, she also has been known to change the shape of her nose at the dinner table. Her son, Teddy Lupin, may also have inherited the trait, as his hair is mentioned repeatedly changing colour.

Parselmouths

Parseltongue is the language of snakes. It is in the common mind associated with Dark Magic (although Albus Dumbledore has denied it to be in any way evil), and those possessing the ability to speak it ("Parselmouths") are very rare. It appears to be a skill acquired not through learning, but through genetic inheritance (or by use of Dark or dangerous Magic). Harry Potter is a Parselmouth: it is revealed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that this is due to part of Voldemort's soul residing within Harry. Upon the destruction of the fragment of Voldemort's soul residing in him, Harry loses the ability to speak and understand Parseltongue.

Other known Parselmouths include: Herpo the Foul; Salazar Slytherin and his descendants, including the Gaunts (Marvolo, Morfin, Merope); and Lord Voldemort. Albus Dumbledore can speak Parseltongue. [3] In Harry Potter and the 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, despite the fact that 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 a Parselmouth. Tom Marvolo Riddle would become Lord Voldemort.

Ron Weasley uses Parseltongue in the final book to reopen the Chamber of Secrets, but only through persistently trying to mimic the sounds Harry made. This, along with Dumbledore's comprehension of Parseltongue indicates that the language may not necessarily be a magical trait, but can be a learned art.

J.K. Rowling borrowed the term from "an old word for someone who has a problem with the mouth, like a hare lip." [4] It may have also been a reference to Paracelsus, who (in the Harry Potter universe) was a wizard.

Flying

Voldemort can do this without the aid of a broom, as could a young Lily Potter, though this use of magic was potentially unlearned after receiving official magical training at Hogwarts. Wingardium Leviosa can be cast onto people to make them levitate, but they have no control, and can only rise upwards.

Legilimency and Occlumency

See also: Legilimency and Occlumency

Legilimency is the magical skill of extracting feelings and memories from another person's mind — a form of magical "mind-reading" (although Severus Snape, an able practitioner of the art, dismisses the colloquial term 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, by which one can prevent a legilimens from discovering thoughts or memories which contradict one's spoken words or actions, or compartmentalise one's emotions.

Lord Voldemort, Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore are all known to be quite skilled in Legilimency. Throughout the books Snape is repeatly said to be a highly-skilled Occlumens.

The skills are first mentioned in Order of the Phoenix, 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.

Although, much later in Template:HP7, Harry has finally mastered to a proficient extent Occlumency, blocking out Voldemort's mind without even being conscious of it. He could willingly dispel the block later in the book to gain knowledge of Voldemort's happenings parallel to their own action in that time frame. This may indicate that Harry is able to employ legilimency against Voldemort, obtaining from him vital pieces of knowledge and the inner feelings of his adversary.

Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy, Barty Crouch Jr and Horace Slughorn may also have some skill in Occlumency, since Bellatrix was said to have taught Draco to shield his thoughts from SnapeTemplate:HP6, while Dumbledore could not use his Legilimency skills to extract a memory from SlughornTemplate:HP6.

Apparition and disapparition

Apparition is a magical form of teleportation, by 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, possibly caused by the abrupt movement of air as a result of the nearly instantaneous displacement of the body, though this is associated with ineptitude rather than success; the most skilled magicians can Apparate "so suddenly and silently" that they seem to have "popped out of the ground". The act is also accompanied by a very unpleasant squeezing sensation, as though being sent through a tight rubber tube, according to Harry.Template:HP6

Apparition is an activity licenced by the Ministry of Magic when a witch or wizard reaches seventeen years of age, similarly to the way real-world governments license individuals for their ability to drive a motor vehicle. Students attend Ministry lessons in Apparition during their sixth year, after the completion of which they have the opportunity to take their licencing examination, on or after their seventeenth birthday.

The training is difficult, and students run the risk of splinching — being physically split between the origin and destination — which during lessons requires the assistance of the Ministry's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to undo. Splinching is quite common during lessons, and can be uncomfortable depending on the body parts splinched, but is ultimately harmless if properly reversed. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ron Weasley was splinched twice, resulting in the loss of a large portion being cut out of his arm and leg, and the loss of his fingernails and once in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince where he lost half an eyebrow during his first apparation exam.

Apparition is considered unreliable over long distances, and even experienced users of the technique sometimes prefer other means of transport, such as broomsticks.

For reasons of security, the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are protected by ancient anti-Apparition and anti-Disapparation spells, which prevents anyone, except house-elves, from Apparating or Disapparating in the school grounds.

As one might expect, it is considered quite rude to Apparate into a private area such as a residence. For this reason, as well as for reasons of security, many private residences also have anti-Apparition spells protecting them from uninvited intrusions. Therefore the most reliable (and most polite) way to travel to most locations is to apparate somewhere unseen nearby and proceed to the final destination on foot.

It is also possible to prevent individuals from Apparating, presumably through magic similar to that used to protect large areas, but on a smaller scale. In Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore restrained a group of Death Eaters using an anti-Disapparition ring, which held them until Ministry officials could take them into custody.

In the Order of the Phoenix film, when the Death Eaters Apparated or Disapparated they did it in black smoke. When Order members Apparated or Disapparated they did it in white smoke. Also in the film, this version of Apparition seems to give both sides the ability to seemingly half Apparate while the rest of their body is made of smoke; this state also seems to enable both Order Members and Death Eaters the ability to fly. Interestingly, both times when Fred and George Weasly Apparate in the movie they simply appear with a pop. This suggests that they have yet to develop the ability to produce smoke as older wizards do, or the white smoke may be another form of Apparation.

The books also suggest that Apparition is more difficult under circumstances where visibility in the destination is low. In Order of the Phoenix, Fred and George Weasley, fresh from their Apparition exams, Apparate from room to room in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. At one point they Apparate into the darkened room where Ron and Harry are sleeping, accidentally sitting painfully on Ron's knee rather than on the edge of his bed. They apologize by claiming that Apparition is harder in the dark. Presumably, the act requires knowledge of one's destination.

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.

Other teleportation

Some other forms of instantaneous movement occur in the book, 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 a cause of Harry's naivety and not actual 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. This method is not supported in the Harry Potter movies, in which Death Eaters and members of the Order are seen flying around, rapidly changing into clouds of black or white smoke, sometimes disappearing and reappearing.

Veela charm

An ability attributed to veelas and those of veela heritage, such as Fleur Delacour, now known as Fleur Weasley. It is used to charm males, much like the Sirens in The Odyssey. Harry seems more immune to this than Ron and most others. Men who are exposed to it over a period of time become more resistant to it, although the veela charm takes full effect if the veela surprises the man, as noted by Ron in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It is possible that Victoire Weasley has inherited this ability from Fleur.

Magic resistance

This refers to a certain degree of immunity against hexes and spells found in powerful creatures such as trolls, dragons, and giants. Hagrid, for example, is resistant to certain spells, like the Stunning spell, due to his giant blood. Yet such a resistance is not insurmountable; if six "Stunners" are fired at a dragon at once, the dragon may still be rendered unconscious.

Spell-like effects

Unbreakable Vow

Main article: Unbreakable Vow

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

Priori Incantatem

Further information: [[:The Subtle Laws of Wands]]

Priori Incantatem, or the Reverse Spell Effect, is caused by forcing two wands that share the source of their cores to compete. 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. These shadows generally appear as thick smoky replicas. A similar spell Prior Incantato can be cast on a wand to force it to recall the last spell it has cast.

The Priori Incantatem effect has only been encountered once, during the duel between Harry Potter and Lord 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, recall shades of the spells he had cast with it- screams of pain from torturing various victims, a shadowy form of the silver hand he had just created for Wormtail, and echoes of the people his wand had murdered: Cedric Diggory; Frank Bryce; Bertha Jorkins; and James and Lily Potter. Albus Dumbledore later revealed to Harry that his and Lord Voldemort's wands both shared a tail feather given by Dumbledore's pet Phoenix, Fawkes. Harry was previously informed by Mr. Ollivander that the wand that "chose" Harry was the "brother" of the one that gave him the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, although the significance of this was not discussed at that time.

Life Debts

Life debts are generated when one witch or wizard saves another's life. It is unclear if these debts are merely a wizarding cultural phenomenon or strictly magical, but they seem to exceed normal moral debts of gratitude. In the third book, Harry stops Sirius Black from killing Peter Pettigrew, thus putting Pettigrew in debt to Harry. This debt is repaid in the 7th and final book, where Pettigrew hesitates in killing Harry, thus allowing Harry to escape at the cost of forfeiting his own life through invocation of Voldemort's wrath.

See also

• List of spells in Harry Potter
• Magical objects in Harry Potter

External links

• Magic on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki