69-441: In the fictional universe of Harry Potter , magic is depicted as a supernatural force that overrides the laws of nature . In humans, magical ability is inborn and is usually inherited. Most children of magical parents are magical themselves. Some children of " Muggle " (non-magical) parents also display magical ability. Children who are born to wizard parents but are unable to perform magic are known as Squibs . J. K. Rowling ,
138-475: A Death Eater . If a wizard is unable to Apparate or is travelling with an underage companion, a Portkey can be used. A Portkey is usually an ordinary object that has been enchanted. The user touches the Portkey and uses the charm "Portus" to travel to the desired destination. A Portkey is often a mundane object such as an old boot or tin can, which allows the device to avoid scrutiny from Muggles. Characters in
207-494: A combination of Muggle-repelling charms, illusions, and other protections. Some magical locations, such as the prison Azkaban and the stadium used for the Quidditch World Cup, are rendered "unplottable", meaning they are impossible to locate on a map. The castle of Hogwarts appears as abandoned ruins to any Muggle close enough to see. Some extremist wizards oppose wizard-Muggle marriages, arguing that it dilutes
276-773: A few of the more notable creatures described in the series. The Ministry of Magic is the government of the British wizarding community. The Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, first appears in Chamber of Secrets . Young wizards in Britain usually attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Following completion of a Hogwarts education, there is no standard tertiary education, and there are no known wizard universities. Successful Hogwarts students are considered ready to function as adults, though some wizarding professions require special training programmes after Hogwarts. These include
345-407: A heartbroken Nymphadora Tonks temporarily loses her power as a Metamorphmagus when Remus Lupin starts distancing himself from her; the form of her Patronus changes to reflect her depression. Another example is Merope Gaunt , who only demonstrated any magical ability when removed from her father's oppression, but then lost it again when her husband abandoned her. Several magical spells require
414-555: A life-sized game of Wizard's Chess, which Harry wins thanks to Ron's skill at the game. Ghosts (Harry Potter) A variety of magical creatures are depicted in the fictional universe of Harry Potter , which is drawn from various types of media. Magical creatures appear in the Harry Potter novels and their film adaptations , in the Fantastic Beasts film series, in other books by J. K. Rowling , and on
483-444: A quarter Veela ; Rubeus Hagrid , who is half- giant ; and Filius Flitwick , who has goblin ancestry. Prejudiced wizards sometimes use the derogatory term "half-breed" to refer to mixed-species individuals. The Harry Potter universe is home to many magical creatures. Some are derived from real-world folklore and mythology, while others were created by Rowling. Some are modified versions of creatures from real-world lore. Below are
552-565: A recipient. A Patronus is conjured with the Patronus Charm and is primarily used to repel Dementors . It can also be used for communication by a talented wizard. Albus Dumbledore devised a method of using Patronuses to deliver vocal messages, which he used in the service of Order of the Phoenix . Minerva McGonagall is the only character in the series who demonstrates the ability to project multiple message-carrying Patronuses. While
621-523: A side effect of splitting his soul into Horcruxes. In the wizarding world, use of the Dark Arts is strongly stigmatised and certain spells are illegal. Hogwarts and other schools instruct students in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Some schools, such as Durmstrang , teach Dark magic. A Dark Arts class is also taught at Hogwarts while it is under Death Eater control. The Unforgivable Curses are
690-529: A single series by a living author. Wizards must learn how to control their magic. In young and untrained children, magical effects will occur spontaneously during moments of strong emotion. For example, Harry Potter liberates a boa constrictor at the London Zoo and inflates his Aunt Marge to an enormous size. Although young children usually cannot control their magic, the young Voldemort could intentionally cause magical things to happen to other people. In
759-402: A tight rubber tube. A wizard must be at least 17 years old to Apparate, and students at Hogwarts may take Apparition lessons during their sixth year. Wizards without an Apparition license can use "side-along apparition" to travel with someone who does. Learning to Apparate is difficult, and students run the risk of splinching —being physically split between the origin and destination. Splinching
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#1732793281241828-469: Is Occlumency, which is practised by an Occlumens. It can be used to prevent a Legilimens from discovering the practitioner's thoughts or memories. Voldemort, Severus Snape , and Albus Dumbledore are all skilled in Legilimency and Occlumency. A metamorphmagus is a wizard who can change their appearance at will. Nymphadora Tonks and her son, Teddy Lupin , are the only living metamorphmagi mentioned in
897-599: Is Quidditch, which is a team sport played up in the air on broomsticks . Every House at Hogwarts has a Quidditch team and competes in the Quidditch Cup. Outside of Hogwarts, the Quidditch World Cup is a major international event that draws teams and spectators from countries around the world. Wizard's Chess is a version of chess played with pieces that are magically animated. In Philosopher's Stone , Harry, Ron and Hermione become human chess pieces in
966-443: Is Voldemort (having previously been Grindelwald until his defeat to Dumbledore in 1945), who has followers called Death Eaters . The type of spells characteristic of Dark Arts are known as curses , which usually cause harm to the target. 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. The Dark Arts also cause Voldemort to look deformed and inhuman,
1035-538: Is a magazine first mentioned in Order of the Phoenix . It is edited by Xenophilius Lovegood and often prints articles about conspiracy theories and cryptozoology . In Order of the Phoenix , Hermione blackmails Rita Skeeter into writing an article about Harry's encounter with Voldemort. The interview is published by Xenophilius, and he later sells it to the Daily Prophet . The most popular wizard radio station
1104-433: Is a spell-like effect used to reveal the spells cast by a wand. The spells emerge from the wand as ghost-like replicas in reverse order, with the latest spell cast emerging first. Forcing two wands that share the source of their cores to battle can unintentionally cause a potent form of priori incantatem. The loser's wand will regurgitate shadows of spells that it has cast, in time reverse order. This side-effect occurs during
1173-502: Is an object created using dark magic to attain a type of immortality. The concept is first introduced in the sixth novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , although Horcruxes are present in earlier novels without being explained or identified as such. To create a Horcrux, a witch or wizard must first prepare the chosen object in a ritual which Rowling described only as "too horrible to go into detail about". Following
1242-466: Is killed, the soul departs for the next world. If, however, the body of a Horcrux maker is killed, that portion of his soul which was still in his body will not pass on to the next world, but will rather exist in a non-corporeal form capable of being resurrected by another wizard. If all of someone's Horcruxes are destroyed, then his soul's only anchor in the material world would be his body, the destruction of which would then cause his final death. To destroy
1311-735: Is not holding it. Before publishing the first Harry Potter novel, Rowling spent five years establishing the limitations of magic – determining what it can and cannot 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." In the novels, the character Hermione Granger explains that food cannot be conjured out of thin air. Wizards can prepare it using magic and even multiply it, but they cannot create it. According to Rowling, money also cannot be conjured from nothing. In Goblet of Fire , Albus Dumbledore tells Harry that magic cannot truly and permanently bring dead individuals back to life. However, there are methods of communicating with
1380-455: Is often a mouthpiece for the Ministry of Magic; as described by Rita Skeeter , " The Prophet exists to sell itself!" The Prophet remains respectable for the first three books, but by Goblet of Fire , it has hired Rita Skeeter, an unscrupulous journalist who supplies several thrilling and blatantly false articles. When Minister Fudge takes the stance of firmly denying Voldemort's return,
1449-478: Is protected by anti-Apparition spells, which prevent most humans from Apparating on the school grounds. Magical devices such as the Floo Network , Portkeys and Vanishing Cabinets also provide forms of teleportation. Gubraithian Fire is an everlasting magical fire that can only be created by extremely skilled wizards. Hagrid and Madame Maxime gave a bundle of Gubraithian fire, conjured by Dumbledore, to
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#17327932812411518-527: Is quite common during lessons, and can be uncomfortable or very painful, but is ultimately harmless if properly reversed. To remedy a splinch requires the assistance of the Ministry's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad or essence of dittany . Apparition is considered unreliable over long distances, and even experienced practitioners sometimes prefer other means of transport. Rowling has stated that cross-continental Apparition "would almost certainly result in severe injury or death." For reasons of security, Hogwarts
1587-421: Is quite difficult to Apparate; therefore underage wizards and witches are forbidden to do it. There are many examples of failed Apparition attempts made by people who have not passed their "Apparition test", which is like a Muggle driving test. If not Apparating correctly, a person may lose a body part in the process, referred to as "splinching". In Deathly Hallows , Ron gets splinched after being grabbed by Yaxley,
1656-624: Is the Wizarding Wireless Network . Harry learns about the wizarding band The Weird Sisters from his peers who listen to the WWN. In Deathly Hallows , Ron introduces Harry and Hermione to Potterwatch, an underground anti-Voldemort radio program. Butterbeer is a drink popular with young wizards. It can be served cold or hot, but either way it has a warming effect. Rowling said she imagines it tastes like "less-sickly" butterscotch . The Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed area at
1725-409: Is the only seer portrayed in the novel. She has twice made true prophecies – both significant to Harry Potter – but had no recollection of either prediction afterward. The unbreakable vow is a voluntary agreement made between two wizards. It must be performed with the assistance of a witness, known as a "bonder". The vow is not literally unbreakable, but breaking it will cause death. Priori incantatem
1794-522: Is the study of magical creatures. There are magizoologists who work in the Ministry of Magic , particularly in the department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. One notable magizoologist is Newt Scamander , who is the author of the in-universe book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them . He is the protagonist of the Fantastic Beasts series of films, which serve as prequels to
1863-501: Is the term applied to a person who is born to magical parents, but has no magical abilities. The only Squibs mentioned in the novels are Argus Filch , Arabella Figg , and a cousin of Molly Weasley . Unlike Muggles, Squibs are aware of the wizarding world and can see magical places (such as Hogwarts) and magical creatures (such as Dementors). Some wizards are the offspring of unions between humans and magical creatures. Examples include Fleur Delacour and her sister Gabrielle, who are both
1932-484: Is the term applied to a wizard whose parents are Muggles. Pure-blood supremacists often use the derogatory term "Mudblood" to refer to a Muggle-born wizard. When Voldemort returns to power, Muggle-borns are required by law to register with the Ministry of Magic. Under Voldemort's leadership, the Department of Mysteries claims that Muggle-borns acquire their magical ability by stealing magic from "real" wizards. "Squib"
2001-635: Is truly "pure", but those who wish to claim purity deny the existence of Muggles and Squibs in their ancestry. Some families inbreed to maintain blood purity, which can result in offspring with mental instability and violent natures. "Half-blood" is the term applied to wizards who have both magical and Muggle ancestors. Half-blood is the most common blood status, far outnumbering pure-bloods and Muggle-borns. Rowling has stated that fifty per cent of first-year Hogwarts students each year are half-bloods. Pure-blood supremacists view half-bloods as inferior to them but superior to Muggles and Muggle-borns. "Muggle-born"
2070-477: The Wizarding World brand. The plot of the Harry Potter series occurs between 1991 and 1998. The exceptions are the opening chapter of the first novel, which takes place in 1981, and the epilogue of the seventh novel, which takes place in 2017. At various points throughout the Harry Potter timeline, flashbacks and flash-forwards depict time periods ranging from the 1920s to the 2020s. The depiction of
2139-480: The Philosopher's Stone or a Horcrux . If one were to possess the three Deathly Hallows , it is fabled that they would possess the tools to become the "master of death". Other methods of extending life include drinking unicorn blood, which will keep a person alive even if death is imminent, but at the price of being cursed forever. Being magical can contribute to one's longevity, as there are several characters in
Magic in Harry Potter - Misplaced Pages Continue
2208-467: The Prophet initiates a smear campaign against Dumbledore and Harry, the most influential proponents of the opposing view. After Fudge is forced to admit that Voldemort has returned, the Prophet changes its stance overnight, calling Harry "a lone voice of truth". According to Rowling, Ginny Weasley becomes Senior Quidditch correspondent at the Prophet after the events of the novels. The Quibbler
2277-715: The Universal Orlando resort sells a line of food and beverages inspired by Butterbeer, and the Jelly Belly candy company has produced Butterbeer-inspired sweets. The celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal created a version of the drink for his show "Heston's Tudor Feast". Many types of magical sweets are mentioned in the series. Some have bizarre side effects, particularly those created by Fred and George Weasley . Chocolate Frogs are packaged with collectible cards depicting famous wizards. According to Rowling, Harry and his friends are featured on Chocolate Frog cards after
2346-502: The "purity" of wizard blood. These extremists use the term "pure-blood" to refer to a wizard who has very little Muggle blood in their ancestry, or who claims to have none at all. Pure-blood supremacists believe that blood purity is a measure of a wizard's magical ability, although Ron Weasley refutes this idea by pointing to the existence of so-called pure-blood wizards with low magical skills. He also claims that "most wizards these days are half-blood". J. K. Rowling stated that no bloodline
2415-494: The Death Eaters and Voldemort to summon each other. An inferius (plural: inferi ) is a corpse that is animated and manipulated by a dark wizard. An inferius is not alive, but has been bewitched to perform a specific duty. An inferius carries out its assigned task mindlessly and cannot think for itself. In the novels, the Ministry of Magic fears that Voldemort is killing enough people to make an army of inferi . A Horcrux
2484-554: The Deathly Hallows , Harry uses a shard of his broken mirror to call for help from the Malfoys' cellar, and later finds out that Aberforth Dumbledore had been watching over Harry using Sirius' mirror, which he obtained from Mundungus Fletcher. Apparating is disappearing from a place and appearing almost instantly in another. Wizards and witches often Apparate to their destinations, which is quite similar to teleportation. It
2553-575: The Floo Network is intended for use as a method of transport, it also occasionally serves as a method of communication. A wizard can throw a pinch of Floo Powder into a lit fireplace connected to the Network and put their head into the flames, causing it to appear in the fireplace of the wizard with whom they intend to speak. This use of the Network is first seen in Goblet of Fire when Harry observes
2622-597: The Goblet of Fire , a discussion is held around the politics of importing flying carpets . Thestrals are winged horses which can only be seen by those who have experienced loss through death. They pull the Hogwarts school carriages and can also be tamed and ridden. The Daily Prophet is the most widely read daily newspaper in Britain's wizard community. Its journalistic integrity is lacking; it has been known to be more concerned about sales than about factual accuracy and
2691-459: The Horcrux, the destroyer must destroy it in such a way that it is put beyond magical repair. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry , students must study certain core subjects for the first two years. These compulsory subjects are Astronomy , Charms , Defence Against the Dark Arts , Herbology , History of Magic , Potions and Transfiguration . Flying lessons are also required during
2760-507: The West Country. Many wizarding homes in Harry Potter are depicted as being on the outskirts of a Muggle town. Only one settlement in Britain, the village of Hogsmeade , is home to an entirely magical population. The wizarding high street Diagon Alley lies in central London, just off Charing Cross Road . The Hogwarts Express train departs from King's Cross station using the fictional Platform 9¾ . Magical locations are hidden by
2829-801: The creation of laws designed to keep the wizarding world hidden, such as the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy of 1692. Enchantment of Muggle artefacts is forbidden, underage wizards are restricted from using magic outside of school, and any deliberate revelation of magical ability to the Muggle community is punishable. These laws are enforced by the British Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards. There are some exceptions: Muggle relatives of British wizards are allowed to know about
Magic in Harry Potter - Misplaced Pages Continue
2898-495: The creator of Harry Potter , based many magical elements in her fictional universe on real-world mythology and folklore . She has described this derivation as "a way of giving texture to the world". The magic of Harry Potter was the subject of a 2017 British Library exhibition and an accompanying documentary. The exhibition, entitled Harry Potter: A History of Magic , was the first at the British Library to be based on
2967-496: The current headmaster. Individuals depicted in wizarding photographs cannot speak, but they can move around and leave the frame if they choose. Fictional universe of Harry Potter The fictional universe of the Harry Potter series of novels contains two distinct societies: the "wizarding world" and the " Muggle world". The term "Muggle world" refers to a society inhabited by non-magical people ("Muggles"), while
3036-504: The dead in a limited way. For example, all Hogwarts headmasters appear in a magical portrait when they die, which allows future generations to consult with them. However, the portrait is a reflection of who the wizard was, and is not a link to their spirit. The Resurrection Stone allows the bearer to speak with the dead, but it cannot bring the dead back into the living world. Likewise, it is not possible to make oneself immortal unless one uses an object of great power to sustain life, such as
3105-458: The duel between Harry and Voldemort at the end of Goblet of Fire . Their simultaneous, contrary spells trigger the threads, and as Voldemort loses the battle of wills, his wand regurgitates, in reverse order, echoes of the people his wand had most recently murdered. The Dark Arts are magical spells and practices that are usually used for malicious purposes. Practitioners of the Dark Arts are referred to as Dark wizards. The most prominent Dark wizard
3174-408: The events of the novels. Both Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans have been manufactured in the real world. The Bertie Bott's Beans produced by Jelly Belly include flavours such as black pepper, dirt, earwax, grass, sausage, soap, and vomit. The Hershey company has also produced various candy items based on Harry Potter. The most prominent sport in the Harry Potter universe
3243-513: The first year. At the start of their third year, students are required to add at least two elective subjects. The five choices are Ancient Runes , Arithmancy , Care of Magical Creatures , Divination and Muggle Studies . In the Harry Potter series, characters depicted in painted portraits can move, interact with living observers, speak and demonstrate emotion and personality. Some can travel to other portraits. The headmaster's office at Hogwarts contains portraits of past headmasters, which advise
3312-613: The former Hogwarts headmaster Phineas Nigellus travels between Dumbledore's office and his other portrait in Grimmauld Place. Another form of closed communication used in the books and films is a set of mirrors that belonged to Sirius Black. Sirius gives Harry one mirror in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix , with a note explaining to Harry that Sirius and James Potter used to use the mirrors to talk to each other when they were put in separate detentions. In Harry Potter and
3381-476: The gold Galleon, the silver Sickle, and the bronze Knut. The wizarding world does have at least one train, the Hogwarts Express , which is pulled by a steam locomotive. The novels depict wizards using radio but not television. The wizarding world of the Harry Potter universe is embedded within the Muggle world. Wizards often live in magical enclaves within Muggle villages, such as Godric's Hollow in
3450-671: The head of Amos Diggory in the Weasleys' fireplace. Harry uses this method to communicate with Sirius Black on several occasions during the series. Voldemort uses a method of communication called the Dark Mark, which is like a brand on the inner forearms of the Death Eaters. When the mark is pressed, contact is made with other Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. Pressing one's Dark Mark causes every other Death Eater's mark to burn, signalling them to Disapparate from wherever they were and immediately Apparate to Voldemort's side. Hermione uses
3519-540: The leader of the giants . The gift was part of an attempt to sway the giants to Dumbledore's side in the struggle against Voldemort. Legilimency is the practice of extracting feelings and memories from another person's mind – a form of magical telepathy . It also allows the practitioner to convey visions or memories to another person. A wizard possessing this skill is called a Legilimens, and can, for example, detect deceit in another person, witness their memories, or plant visions in their mind. The counter-skill to Legilimency
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#17327932812413588-442: The novels almost always use a wand for casting spells, Rowling has used the Wizarding World website to describe certain wizarding cultures that practise magic without a wand. While most spells depicted in the books require the caster to use their voice, some do not. For example, Albus Dumbledore has been known to do impressive feats of magic without speaking. In Order of the Phoenix , Harry performs lumos to light his wand when he
3657-455: The novels, almost all intentional magic is performed with a wand . Spells are the every-purpose tools of a wizard. They are generally short bursts of magic used to accomplish a specialised task, such as creating fire or unlocking a door. Casting a spell usually requires the movement of a wand and the uttering of an incantation. The language of the incantations in the Harry Potter novels has been described as modified Latin . Although wizards in
3726-439: The novels. At various points, Tonks changes her hair colour and style according to her mood. She is a relatively young woman, but she occasionally chooses to appear elderly. Parseltongue is the language of snakes. Those who can speak parseltongue are called parselmouths. The ability is rare, and the only parselmouths mentioned in the novels are Harry, Voldemort, Salazar Slytherin and Slytherin's descendants. Rowling said she derived
3795-450: The preparation of the object, the witch or wizard must then take a life, an act which splits the soul. Following that, further dark rituals are required in order to remove the soul shard from the maker and place it into the prepared object. Once this is done, the Horcrux becomes magically protected from almost all forms of destruction, requiring extremely powerful magic or especially destructive substances to do so. Ordinarily, when one's body
3864-537: The principle of the Dark Mark in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix . Instead of burning/engraving the message into the members of Dumbledore's Army's skin, she uses fake Galleons which all mimic each other and have messages on the rim. Later Malfoy and Madam Rosmerta, who was under the Imperius Curse, used Galleons to contact each other. Characters painted into magical portraits can carry messages between locations where their portraits hang. For example,
3933-739: The professions of the Auror and the Healer. In addition to Hogwarts, the novels mention the French wizarding school Beauxbatons and the Northern European school Durmstrang . In 2016, Rowling created four additional schools and described them on the Wizarding World website. These four schools are Ilvermorny (United States), Castelobruxo (Brazil), Mahoutokoro (Japan) and Uagadou (Africa). Wizards use owls to deliver mail, newspapers, and parcels. The novels do not explain how an owl locates
4002-469: The series describes Harry as having "power the Dark Lord knows not", referencing his capacity for love. True love is impossible to create magically, although love potions can create intense infatuation. An animagus is a wizard who can turn into a particular animal at will. This ability is acquired by magical means. By law, all British animagi must register with the Ministry of Magic. During the course of
4071-628: The series make use of several magical devices and artefacts to transport themselves within the Wizarding World and to the Muggle world. Among the most common of these objects are broomsticks , the Floo Network (a network of fireplaces magically connected to one another), the Knight Bus , and the Hogwarts Express . Some characters have been known to enchant Muggle vehicles to have magical features, such as Arthur Weasley's Ford Anglia or Sirius Black's Flying Motorbike . In Harry Potter and
4140-606: The series who are unusually long-lived. It is revealed by Nearly Headless Nick in the fifth novel that all wizards have the choice of becoming ghosts upon dying; however, it is described as "a pale imitation of life". Rowling has stated that death is the most important theme in the novels. As explained earlier, young untrained wizards can trigger uncontrolled magic when they are in a state of intense emotion. But emotions also affect trained witches and wizards and their magical abilities. For instance, in Half-Blood Prince ,
4209-498: The series, several unregistered animagi are depicted, including James Potter, Sirius Black , Peter Pettigrew , and Rita Skeeter . Minerva McGonagall is a registered animagus who takes the form of a domestic cat. A wizard's animagus form is determined by their personality. Apparition is a magical form of teleportation , by which a wizard can disappear ("Disapparate") from one location and reappear ("Apparate") in another. According to Harry, Apparition feels like being squeezed through
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#17327932812414278-485: The term "parselmouth" from "an old word for someone who has a problem with the mouth, like a hare lip ". A seer is a wizard with the clairvoyant ability to foresee 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 involved. According to Minerva McGonagall, true seers are extremely rare. Sybill Trelawney
4347-427: The term "wizarding world" refers to a society of wizards that live parallel to Muggles. The wizarding world is described as a veiled society wherein magic is commonly used and practised; the wizards live in self-enforced seclusion and hide their abilities from Muggles. The novels are set in 1990s Britain, which contains both Muggle and wizard communities. Any new works taking place in this universe are released under
4416-563: The three worst known spells of the Dark Arts. They are so-named because their use is legally forbidden and unpardonable in wizarding law, and is punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban . The Dark Mark is the symbol of Voldemort and the Death Eaters . It appears as a skull with a snake for a tongue, and is cast into the sky whenever Death Eaters commit a murder. Every Death Eater has the Dark Mark branded on their forearm. This brand allows
4485-434: The use of certain emotions when casting them. The Patronus charm, for example, requires the caster to concentrate on a happy memory. Love is depicted as a particularly powerful form of magic. Lily Potter's voluntary sacrifice on Harry's behalf grants him a magical protection that saves him from Voldemort as a baby, and Harry makes a similar sacrifice to save his friends at the end of Deathly Hallows . A certain key prophecy in
4554-490: The website of the Wizarding World media franchise. In 2001, Rowling released Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , which serves as a guidebook to the creatures described in the fictional universe. Some of these creatures were invented by Rowling. Others are derived from sources such as Greek mythology , English and Celtic folklore, and the works of Roman historians. In the Harry Potter universe, Magizoology
4623-426: The wizarding world are depicted as being less-than-modern compared to the Muggle world. Candles are used for illumination instead of electrical or gas lamps, and owls are used to send messages instead of phone calls or emails. Instead of using pens or computers to take notes and write essays, Hogwarts students use ink-dipped quills and parchment. Wizards do not use paper currency, but instead rely on three types of coins:
4692-451: The wizarding world is centred on magic , which not only imbues objects such as wands , but is also portrayed as an inborn ability of individuals. This organic ability can be honed and mastered through study and practice. Wizards expend a great deal of effort keeping Muggles unaware of magic and the wizarding world. The novels explain that in the past, the two worlds co-existed. Over the centuries, persecution of wizards by Muggles resulted in
4761-613: The wizarding world, as is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) depicts wizarding laws in the United States during the 1920s. These laws differ in some ways from those in 1990s Britain. For example, the film reveals that American wizards are forbidden from having any contact or relationships with Muggles. In the Harry Potter series, some aspects of
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