Magical objects in Harry Potter

In the Harry Potter series, many magical objects exist for the use of the characters.

Transportation

Broomsticks

Broomsticks are used for transportation by wizards and witches of all ages and for the game of Quidditch. Portkeys and Floo Powder also provide transportation. Licensed wizards of age will sometimes apparate. Eastern magic-wielders are usually the only ones to use flying carpets, and their use is banned in England at least, for being too conspicuous.

A complete culture exists for broomsticks as exists for cars in the real world, see the list of Broomsticks in Harry Potter.

Floo Powder

Floo powder is a glittering powder used by wizards to travel and communicate using fireplaces. A fire to which Floo powder has been added will appear green. It was invented by Ignatia Wildsmith (1227-1320) and named after the passageway which leads from a fireplace to the chimney so hot gases can escape, or flue.

To use a fireplace for transport or communication the fireplace must be connected to the Floo Network. To transport from one fireplace to another, the traveller stands in the fireplace with a handful of Floo powder, states their intended destination in a clear voice, then throws the powder at their feet. Alternatively, floo powder can be thrown into a fireplace (with or without a fire already burning) and then the traveller can step into it. As for communication, one puts ones head in the fire, and speaks the destination. This allows people to communicate without having to travel to the location.

In the second book the Weasleys traveled to Diagon Alley by Floo powder. Harry did not say "Diagon Alley" clearly (the fire thought he said "diagonally", so he came out diagonally) and was deposited in a dingy and sinister shop in nearby Knockturn Alley. In the fourth book, Arthur Weasley used his position at the Ministry of Magic to have the Dursleys' fireplace temporarily connected to the Floo network, unaware that the fireplace had been bricked up. Sirius Black used the network to communicate with Harry in the same book. In the fifth book, Dolores Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad inspected the incoming and outgoing Owl Post, and every fireplace in Hogwarts, except for Dolores Umbridge's own fire, so Harry had to put himself in considerable risk and use Umbridge's fireplace whenever he wanted to communicate with Sirius at headquarters, a method which was quite uncomfortable to begin with.

Flying Carpets

Flying carpets are an alternative wizarding type of transportation, possibly around the world, but illegal in Europe (or at least in England). Usually they are a thick rug, frequently highly patterned and often manufactured in the Middle East. The obvious advantage of the carpet over the broomstick is that they can seat a number of people, and are no doubt more comfortable to ride.

Flying Carpets were once an accepted form of travel for the magical community, but they are now banned due to being defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects. It is therefore now against wizarding law to charm carpets or fly them in Britain, although they are still legal in other countries. Arthur Weasley was very much involved in the introduction of this legislation due to his position in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. It is known that the ban was relatively recent, not only from Arthur's involvement, but also from the fact that Barty Crouch Senior's grandfather owned a 12-seater Axminster back in the days before they were prohibited.

A merchant by the name of Ali Bashir is very keen to export Flying Carpets to Britain and is very upset that local laws are preventing him from doing so. He regularly berates Arthur about the subject but it is very unlikely that the law will be changed.

Portkey

Portkeys are first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Once created, they can be set to transport anybody who touches them to a designated location, or to become active at a pre-determined time and transport to that location anybody who happens to be touching it at the moment.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Barty Crouch Jr., who was masquerading as Alastor Moody, made the Triwizard Tournament cup into a portkey so it would transport anybody who touched it straight to the hands of Voldemort, expecting it would be Harry Potter. However, Harry took the cup together with Cedric Diggory, so Voldemort had Cedric unceremoniously murdered with Avada Kedavra.

It has been noted by some fans that it is interesting that the simplicity with which portkeys are created in the beginning of the fourth book (as a method for transportation to the Quidditch tournament) and in the fifth book calls into question the need for the fourth book: Crouch, posing as Moody, could easily have turned, say, a book, into a portkey, called Harry into his office, and said, "Here, take this." This would have eliminated the need for Moody's laboriously guiding Harry through the tournament tasks, turning the trophy in the labyrinth into a portkey, and for 600-plus pages of dense (albeit interesting) reading. It has been argued by others, though, that due to the protection of Hogwarts, which also makes apparating impossible, the creation of portkeys on Hogwarts must have the permission of the Headmaster. This is why Moody cast the portkey spell on the Tri-Wizard Cup since, it was originally intended as a portkey all along by the tournament officials for the winner of the cup to exit the maze without having to fight past the other champions and challenges of the maze again. It would explain why the portkey took Harry back to Hogwarts and out of the maze when he touched the Cup the second time instead of back into the maze at Hogwarts (or not functioned at all like regular one time portkeys). Other evidence to support this theory may be found in the fifth Harry Potter book, including Fudge's anger at Dumbledore setting up an "Unauthorised Portkey", and the quote from Lupin: "...it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorised Portkey."

Time-Turner

As the name suggests, a Time-Turner is a device capable of time travel. Hermione received one from Professor McGonagall in the third book so she could attend more classes than time would allow. Since McGonagall made her swear to not tell anyone about it, she didn't mention it to Harry or Ron until the end of the book, where she and Harry used her Time-Turner to travel back in time and save Sirius Black (and Buckbeak) from certain doom.

The confusions of time travel were such that Hermione chose to drop a few subjects at the end of the book, so she could have a normal schedule again. Though Time-Turners were briefly seen in the Department of Mysteries in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, time travel has not had a major role in any other book.

Hermione's Time-Turner resembled an hourglass on a necklace. The number of times one turns the hourglass corresponds to the number of hours one travels back in time. It is presumed there are probably other Time-Turners that allow one to travel by different intervals and/or into the future. Harry Potter seems to be a type 1 universe, as Harry and Hermione's experience in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban features a predestination paradox.

It was revealed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that the entire supply of Time Turners had been destroyed. It is unknown when or if the Ministry of Magic will replace them, or if it is even possible to.

Vanishing Cabinet

At the end of the sixth book, Hogwarts is invaded despite its magical defenses against transportation spells by means of a vanishing cabinet. This transfers objects which go into one cabinet to a second paired cabinet where they emerge. One broken cabinet was already in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. This was repaired by Draco Malfoy. At the start of book 6 he is seen in Borgin and Burkes shop in Diagon Alley purchasing the twin of some object, but Harry, Ron and Hermione are unable to see what it is, because he is standing behind a cabinet. He also requests Borgin's help to repair some object. It is likely that the vanishing cabinet was broken in the second book, when Peeves drops it over Filch's office as a diversion.

The vanishing cabinet is mentioned several times in the earlier books, such as when Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington convinces Peeves to drop it over Argus Filch's office in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in order to help Harry escape detention for "befouling of the castle" (tracking in mud). It was also utilized in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Fred and George Weasley, when they forced Montague, the Slytherin Quidditch captain and member of the Inquisitorial Squad into it when he tried to take house points from Gryffindor, presumably for no reason. In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Malfoy discovers that a pair of Vanishing Cabinets could be used as a magical passage, and uses this object to smuggle Death Eaters into Hogwarts.

Letters and signs

The Dark Mark

The Dark Mark is Lord Voldemort's symbol, and at the height of his power, it was sent up in the air when any one of his followers murdered someone. The Mark is also magically imprinted onto the Death Eaters' left forearms. It consists of a skull with a serpent in its mouth. According to Snape, the Dark Mark can be triggered by Voldemort to glow and burn; this is intended to serve as a summons for the Death Eaters. It is cast by placing the tip of one's staff or wand against the target's forearm or the air, and incanting the word "morsmordre."

Letters

Witches and wizards can write words in the air with their wands.

Dumbledore writes the lyrics to the Hogwarts school song in the air in the first novel. Tom Riddle, at the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, does this to show that I am Lord Voldemort is an anagram of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Potions

Main article: Potions in Harry Potter

Prank Objects

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

Headless Hat

Creates a limited field of invisibility. Specifically, the wearer's head.

Extendable Ears

Placing one end of one of these long, flesh-colored strings in one's ear allows one to hear anything at the other end. Used for spying in many instances.

Skiving Snackbox

These hold a variety of sweets that, when eaten, cause the subject to show symptoms of some sort of illness, such as vomiting or nosebleed. Used for getting out of classes. The sweets have two differently colored halves. The first half causes the malady, and the second half is the antidote.

Includes:

1. Fainting Fancy
2. Fever Fudge
3. Nosebleed Nougat
4. Puking Pastilles

Ton Tongue Toffees

Toffee that, when eaten, cause the user's tongue to increase in length.

Canary Creams

Transfigures the user into a canary

Wildfire Whiz-Bangs

Fireworks.

Includes:

1. Basic Blaze Box
2. Deflagration Deluxe

Portable Swamp

Creates a swamp when used.

Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder

When sprinkled into the air, creates an area of impenetrable darkness.

Shield Hats

Automatically cast a Shield Charm on the wearer, causing minor to moderate curses and jinxes to be reflected back at the caster. Come in other shapes as well, such as Shield Cloaks and Shield Gloves.

Decoy Detonators

Small horn-type object that, when dropped on the ground, will scurry away a distance and make a loud distracting noise.

Punching Telescopes

Discovered by Hermione Granger in Fred and George's bedroom. You squeeze it and it gives you a black eye. Has a thick yellow paste as an antidote, possibly used for other things as well.

Edible Dark Marks

Makes whoever eats it sick

U-No-Poo

"The Constipation Sensation That's Gripping The Nation"

Other

Dungbomb

Explodes into a large and extremely smelly mess.

Stink Pellets

Used to distract prefects and teachers, and gives an unpleasant smell.

Fanged Frisbee

Frisbee that, when thrown, flies about on its own power and will bite at things it comes across.

Other Magical Objects

Chocolate Frog

Chocolate frogs are found in the Harry Potter universe. They are frogs made of chocolate and, because they are magical, they hop around. Chocolate frogs are each packaged with a magical collectible card giving a brief biography of a famous (in the Harry Potter universe and sometimes in other magical worlds) witch or wizard. The cards named by the Harry Potter books include:

• Agrippa
• Ptolemy (although this might possibly refer to some other Ptolemy)
• Albus Dumbledore
• Morgana
• Hengist of Woodcroft
• Alberic Grunnion
• Circe
• Paracelsus
• Merlin
• Cliodna (said in the books to be a druidess)

We are first introduced to chocolate frogs in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone when Harry is on the Hogwarts Express heading to Hogwarts. Having just met Ron Weasley, Harry buys a cart load of candy for the two of them to split. Some of the pieces of candy are chocolate frogs. Harry opens one and the frog jumps out the window. Harry then sees that that frog's card was Albus Dumbledore.

Chocolate Frogs appear throughout the series. Some fans had speculated that members of the Order of the Phoenix used the cards found with the frogs to communicate. J.K. Rowling has denied this. Chocolate Frogs of a sort are also available through the Cap Candy Company, though availability is limited in summer months due to the risk of them melting in transport. They each come with one holographic lenticular collector card. Unfortunately, these frogs do not move by themselves.

James' and Sirius' Detention Mirrors

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius gives Harry a mirror he originally used to communicate with James in detention. Harry does not open it until Sirius's death, only to find that it no longer works.

Horcruxes

See Horcrux.

Howler

A Howler is a bright red letter usually signifying displeasure and/or anger from the sender directed at the recipient. When opened, the Howler begins to yell in the sender's voice at the recipient, eventually dissolving into scraps of paper. If not opened, it will explode and scream even louder. In Chamber of Secrets, Mrs. Weasley sends Ron a Howler after he steals his dad's enchanted car and flies it to Hogwarts with Harry. In Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore sends Petunia Dursley a howler to remind her of her agreement to let Harry live at Privet Drive after the dementor attack, when Harry's Uncle Vernon is ready to throw him out. Neville Longbottom also receives them in a regular basis.

Invisibility Cloak

The invisibility cloak makes its wearer invisible. Harry Potter inherited one from his father and uses it throughout the books in order to sneak around the school. The cloak is large enough for Ron and Hermione to accompany him underneath it, although this becomes more difficult as they approach full growth.

Invisibility cloaks are very rare and expensive, and they are made from the pelts of Demiguises, magical herbivore beasts that are found in the Far East.

The Marauder's Map

The Marauder's Map was created by Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter as an aid in mischief-making. They gained extensive knowledge of the Hogwarts grounds from their frequent night-time adventures while transformed as animals (Black, Pettigrew and Potter being Animagi and Lupin a werewolf). They used this knowledge to create the Marauder's Map. The map bears the names of its creators as they knew each other — by their nicknames (which are derived from the animal they transform into): Moony (Lupin, a werewolf), Wormtail (Pettigrew, a rat), Padfoot (Black, a dog), and Prongs (Potter, a stag).

At first glance, the map is simply a piece of blank parchment; but when the user says, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," ink lines stretch across it, revealing a map of Hogwarts (including secret passageways) and the location of everyone within the grounds. The map also gives information on how to open secret passageways. The words "Mischief managed!" return the map to its original blank state, to prevent someone who does not know the secret of the map from using it.

The map is given to Harry by Fred and George Weasley, who find it while unattended in Filch's office. It makes its first appearance in Prisoner of Azkaban, and has featured in all subsequent novels.

In Prisoner of Azkaban, Professor Snape finds the map in Harry's possession and tries to force it to reveal its secrets; the map responds by insulting him. Professor Lupin arrives, says that he will investigate, and takes it with him. He later gives it back to Harry. The Map retains an echo of its creators' personalities, much like the Sorting Hat remembers the thoughts and opinions of the school founders. Snape, however, continues to insist that the map contains dark magic, most likely because he recognised the nicknames of his old schooltime rivals on the heading.

The Mirror of Erised

The Mirror of Erised is a mystical mirror that Harry discovers in one of the back corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. On it is inscribed, erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi — I show not your face but your heart's desire, written backwards. According to Dumbledore, the Mirror "shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts". It is really the mirror of Desire (Erised spelled backwards). Harry sees his parents, and an entire family of Potters, standing beside him (since he wishes to have a family). Ron sees himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain holding the Quidditch Cup (he wishes to be acknowledged). Dumbledore says he sees himself holding a pair of socks, on the grounds that he did not receive any for Christmas. He may be telling the truth (in which case he already has everything that he desires, except for the warm socks), but he is more likely making a joke in order to hide the truth from Harry (after all, it is none of Harry's business).

The Mirror of Erised was the final protection given to the Philosopher's stone. Dumbledore hid the mirror and hid the stone inside it. He cast a spell that made it so only a person who wanted to find the stone, but not to use it, would be able to obtain the stone. Anyone else would see himself making an Elixir of Life or turning things to gold, rather than actually see himself find the stone.

Pensieve

A Pensieve is a stone basin, covered in mystic runes, with a liquid or gas within. A witch or wizard can extract his or her own memories and place them in the Pensieve, especially to relieve the mind when it becomes too flooded with information. Anyone can examine the memories in the Pensieve, which also allows viewers to fully immerse themselves in the memories stored within, much like a magical form of virtual reality. Tom Riddle's diary seems to have this same form of virtual reality. Oddly, users of these devices view the memories from an omniscient, third person view, rather than a first-person view - which raises the question of how, for instance, one could record images of things behind oneself. Rowling answered this question in an interview, confirming that memories in the pensive allow one to view details of things that happened even if they did not notice or remember them, and stated that "that's the magic of the Pensive, what brings it alive" [1]

Like many names in these books, pensieve is a pun: it is a sieve in that it is a device used for sifting out thoughts, and in using it one becomes pensive or thoughtful.

A Pensieve first appears in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, again in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Photographs

Wizarding photographs are like muggle photographs, but the figures within move or even, sometimes, leave. In order for photographs to be Wizarding photographs; that is, in order for them to move, the film from a fairly ordinary camera must be developed in a certain potion. Witches and wizards also like to keep their photos in attractive albums or scrapbooks, like the one Hagrid made for Harry with photos of the Potters. Photo subjects can leave the photographs, but it's unclear whether they can travel to other photos and communicate with their surroundings as portrait subjects can. For that reason, people in photographs seem more confined to the moment than those in paintings, and like the paintings the people in the photograph do not age. The people in the photographs seems to have a connection to their alter ego in the real world, as shown in the OotP when Percy Weasley disowned himself from his family, his counterpart in Arthur Weasley's photograph walked out also, so the persons in the photo must some how know the moods of the real person.

The kittens painted on the china plates that Dolores Umbridge decorated the Defence Against The Dark Arts office with also had some ability to move around.

Put-Outer

The Put-Outer is a device used by Albus Dumbledore to turn off the streetlights along a street at night. It looks like a standard cigarette lighter. The Put-Outer makes three appearances:

• In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore uses the Put-Outer to darken Privet Drive, where the Dursley household is located. Dumbledore is expecting Rubeus Hagrid to transport the infant Harry Potter to Privet Drive, where Dumbledore will leave him at the Dursley household. Dumbledore's Put-Outer allows Hagrid to arrive with added security, which is necessary because Harry Potter's parents had just been murdered the night before.
• In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore loans the Put-Outer to Mad-Eye Moody, who uses it when transporting Harry from the Dursleys' home to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix at #12 Grimmauld Place. The Order is a highly secret society which aims to thwart the evil Lord Voldemort. The Put-Outer again provides added security to (a) keep Harry Potter safe, as he is a highly valued target among Lord Voldemort's supporters, and (b) keep the Order's headquarters secret, because these headquarters are also a highly valued target.
• In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore uses it again to darken Privet Drive before coming to collect Harry.

Quidditch equipment

There are several enchanted objects needed to play Quidditch, the most obvious being flying broomsticks. All the balls in the game are enchanted in some way. The Golden Snitch is enchanted to fly around, mimicing the flight patterns of the Golden Snidget, and also to not leave the playing field. The Bludger is enchanted to fly around and try to knock players off their broomsticks. A Bludger does not focus on one player unless it has been tampered with, as was the case in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The Quaffle may appear an exception, but it is also enchanted to make it easy to grip, and so it falls more slowly than normal.

Remembrall

A Remembrall is a small, clear orb that turns red if its user has forgotten something. Unfortunately, it does not tell the user what he/she has forgotten. The very forgetful Neville Longbottom is given a Remembrall in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but subsequently loses it soon after.

The DVD of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone contains a software approximation of a remembrall.

Revealer

Used in Chamber of Secrets when Hermione Granger tries to make something appear in Tom Riddle's diary, this object appears to be a bright red eraser but its purpose is to make invisible ink appear.

Self-Shuffling playing cards

In Chamber of Secrets, a pack of these cards is mentioned as one of the objects littering the floor of Ron's room. They are probably used to play Exploding Snap.

Sneakoscope

A Sneakoscope is a magical device which serves as a Dark Arts detector, and is described as a round object that emits shrill noises in the presence of deception: for instance, when an untrustworthy person is near or when an deceitful event takes place nearby.

Sneakoscopes are first introduced in the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, when Ron Weasley gives Harry Potter one of the devices as a present for his 13th birthday. The sneakoscope initially appears to be faulty, howling continuously for no apparent reason on the Hogwarts Express. Harry later discovers that Scabbers, Ron's rat familiar who was present during the train ride, is actually a traitorous animagus named Peter Pettigrew.

In book four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the somewhat paranoid Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody has several sneakoscopes. It is also mentioned that Bill Weasley's sneakoscope rang at dinner once because his brothers Fred and George had put beetles in Bill's soup.

The Sorting Hat

The Sorting Hat is a sentient artifact used at Hogwarts which magically determines to which of the four school houses — Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin — a new student is to be assigned. As the First-Year students' names are read aloud alphabetically at the year's opening banquet, the hat is placed on each student's head in turn. After a few moments of deliberation, it announces its choice. The choices of the Sorting Hat are a frequent topic of fan discussion, particularly concerning characters who do not seem to possess the attributes of their assigned house. Occasionally, the hat will allow a student's request to influence its decision, as when Harry requested not to be placed in Slytherin. The Sorting Hat was originally the hat of Godric Gryffindor.

Before sorting the students each year, the hat recites a new introductory song. These songs occasionally warn of danger to come, as in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the hat plays a critical role in the climax of the story by coming to Harry's aid in the Chamber and providing him with Godric Gryffindor's sword.

In the movie versions of the novels, the hat is voiced by Leslie Phillips.

Spellotape

Spellotape is magical adhesive tape; it is a spoof of the real life product sellotape.

Spellotape is referenced in all of the Harry Potter books, apart from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and features in the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Tom Riddle's diary

See: Tom Riddle's diary and horcrux.

Wand

To perform feats of magic a wand is usually used. Without a wand magic is possible, but this seems to be very difficult. A wand is personal for a wizard, although other wizards' wands can be used. When Harry Potter was selecting his wand, he had to try out a lot of wands until he found a wand that created sparks as he waved it. A wand is usually made of wood and has a core of an organic, magical object or substance. Such cores mentioned include phoenix tail feathers, unicorn tail hairs, dragon heartstrings and veela hair. Wands with cores from the same source give strange effects (Priori Incantatem) when forced to fight each other, as is the case with Harry Potter's and Lord Voldemort's wands in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Each of their wands contains a tail feather from Fawkes, the phoenix belonging to Albus Dumbledore.

See also: List of Harry Potter Wands.

Wizard's Chess

Wizard's Chess is a version of chess played with small pieces and a board like real chess, except that the pieces are animated. During the climactic chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Harry, Ron and Hermione are involved in a life size game of wizard's chess.