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

Contents 1 Letters and Signs 2 Potions 3 Prank objects 3.1 Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes 3.2 Other 4 Transportation 4.1 Broomsticks 4.2 Floo powder 4.3 Flying carpets 4.4 Hogwarts Express 4.5 Knight Bus 4.6 Portkeys 4.7 Time-Turners 4.8 Vanishing Cabinet 5 Other magical objects 5.1 Acid Pops 5.2 Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans 5.3 Cockroach Cluster 5.4 Chocolate Frogs 5.5 Drooble's Best Blowing Gum 5.6 Fizzing Whizzbees 5.7 Ice Mice 5.8 Liquorice Wands 5.9 Pepper Imps 5.10 Peppermint Toads 5.11 Sugar Quills 5.12 Toothflossing Stringmints 5.13 Blood Quill 5.14 The Deathly Hallows 5.15 Deluminator (Put-Outer) 5.16 Foe-glass 5.17 The Goblet of Fire 5.18 Gobstones 5.19 Gryffindor's Sword 5.20 Gubraithian fire 5.21 Hand of Glory 5.22 Hermione's handbag 5.23 Horcruxes 5.24 Howler 5.25 Invisibility Cloaks 5.26 The Marauder's Map 5.26.1 The Marauders 5.26.2 Owners 5.26.3 History 5.27 The Mirror of Erised 5.28 Moody's Magical Trunk 5.29 Omnioculars 5.30 Pensieve 5.31 The Philosopher's Stone 5.32 Photographs 5.33 Playing cards 5.34 Portraits 5.35 Probity Probe 5.36 Quick Quotes Quill 5.37 Quidditch equipment 5.38 Remembrall 5.39 Revealer 5.40 Secrecy Sensor 5.41 Sneakoscope 5.42 The Sorting Hat 5.43 Spellotape 5.44 Tom Riddle's diary 5.45 Two-way mirrors 5.46 Weasley Clock 5.47 Wizard's Chess 6 Wands 6.1 Elder wand 7 Notes

[edit] Letters and Signs

Main article: Dark Mark

The Dark Mark is a way of in which Voldemort contacts his inside ring of Death Eaters, and vice versa. The tattoo-like mark, when pressed by one of the Death Eaters, burns those branded, notifying them of Voldemort's call for them or vice versa.

[edit] Potions

Main article: Potions in Harry Potter

[edit] Prank objects

[edit] Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

Main article: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

[edit] Other

Belch Powder^[1]

Dungbomb

Explodes, causing a large and extremely smelly mess.

Ever-bashing boomerangs

Presumably hit their target repeatedly after being thrown. They are banned at Hogwarts.

Fanged Frisbees

Literally frisbees with fangs. First mentioned in The Goblet of Fire, as one of Filch's newest restricted items at the beginning of term speech. First seen in Half Blood Prince. It whirled around the room changing course with a mind of its own, taking a bite out of a curtain, after Ron Weasley threw one in the Gryffindor common room. May be capable of causing damage.

Luminous Balloons

a diversionary balloon

Screaming yo-yos

Presumably screams loudly when worked.

Stink Pellets^[1]

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

Whizzing Worms^[1]

[edit] Transportation

It should be noted that a major form of transportation in the Harry Potter universe is apparation and disapparation, which is a spell/skill that does not involve artifacts of any kind.

[edit] Broomsticks

Broomsticks are used for transportation by wizards and witches of all ages, and for the game of Quidditch. Their use is similar to that of flying carpets, although the latter are banned in Britain.

Broomsticks are treated as a major consumer product in the Wizarding world. There are numerous brands and models of brooms, all of which vary in their capabilities. These range from expensive high-performance models that come out every year to toy broomsticks for young children that only fly a few feet off the ground. The cultural significance of broomsticks in the world of Harry Potter is similar to that of automobiles.

Since Harry Potter plays Quidditch, his brooms - a Nimbus 2000, and later a Firebolt - are prominent in the series. The Nimbus 2000 was given to him by special consent of Albus Dumbledore via Professor Minerva McGonagall, who had chosen him as Seeker.^[HP1] The Firebolt was given to him by Sirius Black as a Christmas gift.^[HP3] The Firebolt remains the fastest broom in the world, having surpassed the previous record holder, the Nimbus 2001.

[edit] Floo powder

Floo powder is a glittering powder used by wizards to travel and communicate using fireplaces. It was invented by Ignatia Wildsmith (1227-1320)^{[citation needed]} and named after the flue, which is the passageway that leads from a fireplace to the chimney so hot gases can escape (strangely, flues did not exist at the supposed time of floo powder's invention).^{[citation needed]}

Floo powder can be used with any fireplace connected to the Floo Network. To transport from one fireplace to another, the traveller throws a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, steps into the fireplace, and states the intended destination in a clear and purposeful voice. Floo Powder can also be used for communication; a wizard or witch can kneel in front of the fire and stick their head into the fire, which will appear in the fire at another fireplace, leaving the witch or wizard free to talk.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the Weasleys travelled to Diagon Alley by Floo powder. Harry did not say "Diagon Alley" clearly, so he was instead sent to Borgin and Burkes shop, in Knockturn Alley. In the fourth book, Arthur Weasley uses his position at the Ministry of Magic to have the Dursleys' fireplace temporarily connected to the Floo network, unaware that the fireplace had been blocked. Sirius Black uses the network to communicate with Harry in the same book. In the fifth book, Harry uses Dolores Umbridge's fireplace to communicate with Sirius Black; he is however forced to do so because Umbridge is monitoring all other lines of communication in and out of Hogwarts. The Floo Network is controlled by the Ministry of Magic.

[edit] Flying carpets

Flying carpets are an alternative wizarding type of transportation. Usually they are a thick rug, frequently highly patterned and often manufactured in the Middle East.^{[original research?]}

Flying Carpets were once an accepted form of travel for the British 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 British wizarding law to charm carpets or fly them, 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 carpet before flying carpets 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.^{[original research?]}

[edit] Hogwarts Express

Main article: Hogwarts Express

The Hogwarts Express is ridden by students between London and Hogsmeade. The train starts from King's Cross railway station platform 9¾, which is invisible to Muggle eyes and is reached through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. It is scarlet in colour and has a trolley loaded with sweets (Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing gum, Pumpkin Pastys, etc.), pastries and pumpkin juice sent through the corridor at lunchtime.

[edit] Knight Bus

The Knight Bus is a heavily enchanted, violently purple, triple-decker bus which transports wizards and witches.

The bus functions as public transportation for the wizard or witch in need everywhere in England, Scotland and Wales, bringing passengers to the destinations of their choice with seemingly no set route. It bolts through the streets, entirely invisible to Muggles and causing other objects to dodge it (rather than dodging the objects) for travelling short distances. For longer distances, the Knight Bus makes 160 km (hundred-mile) leaps accompanied by a great bang and jolt, possibly similar to Apparating. The interior of the bus changes or is changed depending on the time of day, having chairs by day and beds by night. Its only limit in travelling is that it cannot enter water.

The Knight Bus is generally used only by those who can't or won't choose another means of transportation. While the bus is lightning-fast by Muggle standards, still faster are near-instananeous Floo powder and Apparating. It charges for the service; Harry was charged 11 Sickles to travel from Little Whinging to The Leaky Cauldron^[HP3].

The conductor of the Knight Bus is Stan Shunpike, and its driver is Ernie Prang in the third book of the series, the conductor and driver usually changes. The bus makes its début, along with its staff, in the third book as Harry Potter unwittingly "hails" the Knight Bus by holding his wand arm out in front of him as he is standing on Magnolia Crescent. Harry also rides on the Knight Bus with a number of his friends in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

In the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban film, Stan and Ernie are accompanied by a talking shrunken head voiced by Lenny Henry.

[edit] Portkeys

Portkeys are first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Once created by using the Portus spell, a Portkey can be set to transport anybody who touches it 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 of activation.

The user feels a pulling or jerking sensation behind the navel, and then suddenly appears at the destination.^[HP4] With enough practice, a graceful landing is possible: after the Portkeyed trip to the Quidditch World Cup in Goblet of Fire, Cedric Diggory, Arthur Weasley, and Amos Diggory landed on their feet, while the others (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins) fell onto the ground.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Barty Crouch Jr., who was impersonating Alastor Moody, made the Triwizard Tournament cup a Portkey so it would transport anybody who touched it straight to the hands of Lord Voldemort, expecting it would be Harry Potter. However, Harry took the cup together with Cedric Diggory, so Voldemort murdered Cedric.

It has been noted by some fans that the simplicity with which Portkeys are created in the beginning of the fourth book (as a method for transportation to the Quidditch World Cup) and in the fifth book causes a possible plot hole in the fourth book: Crouch, posing as Moody, could 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 entering Harry in the Triwizard tournament and guiding Harry through it, and the majority of the fourth book. However, several reasonable assumptions can explain this. Since Hogwarts has an anti-apparition enchantment, it would make sense for the creation of Portkeys on the grounds to be restricted. Moody would still be able to make the Triwizard Cup a Portkey, if it was supposed to be a Portkey anyway, to transport the winner out of the maze. This 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.

The creation of Portkeys may be highly restricted in general; although Dumbledore is able to set up an "unauthorised Portkey" in the fifth book, it is treated as a serious crime; Fudge is upset that Dumbledore would create one in front of him, and at one point Lupin says "...it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorised Portkey."

[edit] Time-Turners

A Time-Turner is a device in the magical world of Harry Potter, that may be used for time travel.

Hermione Granger received a Time-Turner from Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, so she could attend more classes than time would normally allow. Hermione is ordered to keep it a secret from everyone, including Harry and Ron, although they do notice the impossibility of her schedule, and several bizarre disappearances and reappearances. Hermione lets Harry and Ron in on the secret near the end of the book, where she and Harry use the Time-Turner to save Sirius Black and Buckbeak.

All Time-Turners resemble a hourglass pendant on a necklace. The hourglass pendant would be twisted to move through time, and the number of turns on the hourglass corresponded to the number of hours one travelled back in time. It would appear that traveller is transported back to the general area where he or she was at the moment in time at which they arrive.

A large supply of Time-Turners is kept at the Ministry of Magic, as seen in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; however, during the events of that book the entire supply of Time-Turners is destroyed. Due to their time-affecting properties, they are seen to smash and reassemble, over and over.

The possibility of time travel within the Harry Potter universe may seem to allow many plot holes, but characters appear to use them for trivial tasks that have no effect on existence as a whole. The one notable use of the Time-Turner within canon (to save Buckbeak and Sirius), obeys Novikov self-consistency principle. This fatalistic theory of time-travel (i.e. "Nothing can be changed because anything a traveler does merely produces the circumstances they had noted before traveling") is, incidentally, reminiscent of Rowling's employment of self fulfilling prophecy, but while prophecies within canon are relevant only to the degree that characters place relevance on them, (the books state Harry and Voldemort 'could' walk away and void the Prophecy if they chose), the same cannot be said for time-travel (there is no suggestion that one can change events by inaction). It has not been revealed in the series if any major events within the books or the Harry Potter universe as a whole have been related to time turners' misuse.

[edit] Vanishing Cabinet

At the end of the sixth book, Hogwarts is invaded despite its magical defences 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 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Malfoy is seen in Borgin and Burkes shop in Knockturn Alley purchasing an item, 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, which was likely the Vanishing Cabinet, because it was broken in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 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 (perhaps breaking 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 used 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. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince reveals that Montague's experience led Draco Malfoy to recognise that a pair of Vanishing Cabinets could be used as a magical passage. Malfoy later uses this artifact to smuggle Death Eaters into Hogwarts. The Vanishing Cabinets have yet to appear prominently in the films; in a deleted scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when Harry hides in a cupboard in Borgin and Burke's.

[edit] Other magical objects

A multitude of sweets are produced in the stories; many have a violent or bizarre side-effect, especially those created by Fred and George Weasley. Most sweets can be found in the sweetshop Honeydukes. There are also Chocoballs,^[2] Cauldron Cakes,^[2] Fudge Flies, Pumpkin Pasties and Chocolate Cauldrons.

[edit] Acid Pops

Acid Pops are lollipops that can burn a hole through one's tongue.

[edit] Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans

Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans are jelly beans that come in literally every flavour. The flavours described in the book as normal include caramel, chocolate, coffee, marmalade, peppermint, strawberry, lemon, and toffee. The "unusual" flavours include baked bean, curry, earwax, bogey, grass, liver, black pepper, sardine, spinach, sprout, tripe, and vomit. The Jelly Belly candy company produces real versions of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. They have produced odd flavours in and out of the market since (--). Apart from some "regular" flavours, the company also produces several "unusual" flavours mentioned in the books. Other flavours include bacon, dirt, earthworm, rotten egg, sausage, pickle, toast, and soap. They are also sold in real life (but not every flavor).

[edit] Cockroach Cluster

A very strange type of sweet, which Harry discovers accidentally to be one of the passwords to Professor Dumbledore's office. We can assume it to contain parts of or whole cockroaches, or to at least be shaped like cockroaches, as other sweets are shaped like frogs or mice. They are sold at Honeydukes shop in Hogsmeade. They also seem to resemble peanuts, since Ron once thought he could fool Fred into eating some if he told him that the cluster was peanuts.

Cockroach Cluster also happens to be one of the chocolates found in the Whizzo Quality Assortment in Monty Python's Crunchy Frog sketch.

Since the book's publication, actual Cockroach Clusters---which look like very large roaches---can be found.

[edit] Chocolate Frogs

Chocolate Frogs are frogs made of chocolate, which have been enchanted to move about like real frogs. They are each packaged with a collectible card displaying a magical picture and brief biography of a famous witch or wizard. The cards named by the Harry Potter books include:

• Agrippa
• Ptolemy
• Albus Dumbledore
• Nicolas Flamel
• Morgana
• Hengist of Woodcroft
• Alberic Grunnion
• Circe
• Paracelsus
• Merlin
• Druidess Cliodna
• Crospin Conk
• Bertie Bott
• Felix Summerbee
• Cassandra Vablatskey
• Ignatia Wildsmith

Additionally, J. K. Rowling designed^{[citation needed]} four Wizard Cards for the four Hogwarts founders.

Chocolate Frogs first appear 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 large amount of food and sweets, including Chocolate Frogs, for the two of them to share. Harry opens a package to discover that the card inside depicts Albus Dumbledore. Said card is fundamental in the plot, because while they are trying to discover who Nicholas Flamel is, the card gives Harry the clue that he is related to alchemy. The films depict these frogs as capable of movement, though this does not appear to be canonically supported.

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.

According to a webchat with the author, Harry and his friends are eventually featured on a series of Chocolate Frog cards, Ron calling it "his finest hour".^[3]

[edit] Drooble's Best Blowing Gum

Drooble's Best Blowing Gum is a bubble gum that fills a room with bluebell bubbles that refuse to pop for days. In Order of the Phoenix, Alice Longbottom — whose mind had been permanently damaged by the Cruciatus Curse — gave her son Neville a Drooble's Bubblegum wrapper for Christmas.

[edit] Fizzing Whizzbees

Fizzing Whizbees are massive sherbet balls^[4] that make the eater levitate "a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them", according to Ron Weasley.^[2] They are rumoured to contain dried Billywig stings. Fizzing Whizzbees are also made by Cap Candy, and come with three packets (one Raspberry, one Strawberry and one Orange). They actually resemble Pop Rocks.

[edit] Ice Mice

Ice Mice are mouse-shaped sweets that make one's teeth squeak and chatter.

[edit] Liquorice Wands

It is not known whether Liquorice Wands contain any magical qualities. They appear in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on the sweets cart on the train, and in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when Ron requests them, again on the train.

[edit] Pepper Imps

Pepper Imps are tiny and black; they "make you smoke at the mouth", according to Ron Weasley.^[2]

[edit] Peppermint Toads

Peppermint Toads are peppermint creams in the shape of a toad. Once eaten, they give the sensation that they hop in the stomach.

[edit] Sugar Quills

Sugar Quills are popular among students, as they can be eaten during class, "and they just look like you're thinking what to write next", according to Ron Weasley.^[2] Deluxe sugar quills, a longer lasting version of sugar quills, are also available.

[edit] Toothflossing Stringmints

Toothflossing Stringmints are odd splintery mints that presumably clean and floss one's teeth.

[edit] Blood Quill

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry has detention with Professor Umbridge on several occasions. During these detentions, he is required to write lines (I must not tell lies), and is not released from this until Umbridge believes "the message has sunk in." Rather than using a regular quill, Umbridge makes Harry use a blood quill, which is described as unusually sharp with a black nib. As the user writes, the quill magically (and painfully) cuts into the back of the user's hand and uses their blood for ink. When carried out repeatedly over a period of time, this can lead to permanent scarring, as shown by Harry to Rufus Scrimgeour in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Other victims of this form of detention include Lee Jordan. In the film interpretation, all members of Dumbledore's Army were punished using this method. In fandom, most people refer to this as a "Blood Quill."

[edit] The Deathly Hallows

Main article: Deathly Hallows (objects)

The Deathly Hallows are three magical objects featured in the last of the Harry Potter books Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

They are part of a traditional magical children's story ("The Tale of the Three Brothers", from the set of stories The Tales of Beedle The Bard, which Albus Dumbledore left to Hermione in his will); Dumbledore suggested that the story was created after the fact as an explanation for the origin of the objects, as well as a morality tale.^[HP7]

The Deathly Hallows are the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility. Possessing all three of the Hallows is said to make the bearer the master of death.^[HP7]

All three Hallows appear in the books before the main characters discover the story behind the Hallows. Harry's Invisiblity Cloak and Dumbledore's wand (the Elder Wand) appear as early as the first book in the series, while the Resurrection Stone (Marvolo Gaunt's Ring) appears in Book 6.

[edit] Deluminator (Put-Outer)

The Deluminator (solely called the Put-Outer until book 7) is a device used and invented by Albus Dumbledore that can remove and absorb (and later return) the light from a light source. It looks like a standard cigarette lighter. It makes four appearances:

• In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore uses the Deluminator to darken Privet Drive, where the Dursley household is located. Dumbledore is expecting Rubeus Hagrid to transport the infant Harry to Privet Drive, where Dumbledore will leave him at the Dursley household. Dumbledore's Deluminator allows Hagrid to arrive with added secrecy, which is necessary because Harry's parents had been murdered the night before. This makes the deluminator the first magical object to be shown in the novels.
• In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore loans the Deluminator 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. Again the deluminator provides secrecy to keep Harry and the headquarters safe.
• In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Dumbledore uses the Deluminator again to darken Privet Drive before collecting Harry.
• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is first referred to as the Deluminator. It is bequeathed to Ron Weasley by Dumbledore. After Ron had left his friends in anger, the Deluminator demonstrated the additional capability of a homing device. Ron hears the voices of Harry and Hermione through the device when they say his name and, when he clicks it, the emitted light enters his body and allows him to locate and Apparate to the vicinity of their camp. Ron speculates that Dumbledore had foreseen that he would abandon his friends and regret it later. Harry said that Dumbledore knew Ron would always want to return to his friends. Rowling later stated that Dumbledore left it to Ron because he believed he might have needed a little more guidance than Harry and Hermione.^[5]

[edit] Foe-glass

A Foe-glass is a mirror that shows its owner's enemies in or out of focus, depending on how close they are, though, like all Dark detectors, they can be fooled, as mentioned by Harry in the fifth book at the beginning of the first D.A. meeting. Alastor Moody, actually Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise, claimed that when the figures are most focused, they are very near. Until the debate over Severus Snape's allegiance was resolved in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a key argument for those who believed that Snape was still in league with the Order of the Phoenix was the fact that Snape appeared as an enemy in the Foe-glass of Barty Crouch, Jr. in the fourth book (an event that would not have occurred were Snape working for the Death Eaters).

[edit] The Goblet of Fire

The Goblet of Fire is used solely to choose the school champions on the occasion of a Triwizard Tournament, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, serving as an "impartial judge". Alastor Moody (the impostor) stated once that the Goblet of Fire was "a very powerful magical object" and it is very difficult to be hoodwinked, unless someone uses an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm. This is the first clue that he is involved in the hoodwinking.

[edit] Gobstones

Gobstones is one of the many magical games played by young wizards in the Harry Potter books, along with Wizard's Chess and Exploding Snap. Gobstones is similar to the game of marbles and pétanque played by non-magical persons, except that in Gobstones the balls spit, or gob, a foul smelling liquid in the face of the opposing player when they lose a point. Hogwarts students are seen playing Gobstones throughout the books, and there is even a Gobstones Club at the school.

[edit] Gryffindor's Sword

Gryffindor's Sword is a goblin-made sword adorned with large rubies on the pommel, once owned by Godric Gryffindor, one of the medieval founders of Hogwarts. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter draws the Sword out of the Sorting Hat to kill a basilisk. It also plays a role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where it is revealed to have been imbued with basilisk venom, and is used to destroy three of Lord Voldemort's horcruxes. On several occasions, it is shown that only one who is truly a member of the Gryffindor House - one who shows courage in the face of danger - can use the Sword. Because the Sword was goblin-forged, it is indestructible, and will in fact absorb anything that is more powerful than it, making it even more powerful (thus explaining why the sword was imbued with basilisk venom). According to Griphook the goblin, the Sword was originally forged for the goblin Ragnuk the First. The Sword was stolen (or retrieved, as goblins would say) by Griphook when the Sword fell from Harry's grasp during the raid on Bellatrix Lestrange's vault in book seven. However, it again returned to human hands later in the book, when Neville Longbottom pulled it out of the Sorting Hat and used it to decapitate Nagini, Voldemort's snake. In both incidents when it was drawn from the hat, it was used to kill a snake, the symbol of Slytherin. This shows that apparently, no matter where the sword happened to be at the time, it would reappear in the hat when a true member of Gryffindor house is in need of it.

J.K. Rowling has confirmed in her webchat that Gryffindor did not steal the sword from Ragnuk and that this belief is merely part of Griphook's goblin mistrust and prejudice.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Gubraithian fire

Gubraithian fire is first mentioned in chapter twenty of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Hagrid and Madame Maxime gave a branch of Gubraithian fire to the giant leader (Gurg) during their journey. Gubraithian fire is everlasting, and it is said that only extremely skilled wizards and witches can conjure it.

The name of Gubraithian Fire is evidently taken from the Scottish Gaelic phrase "gu bràth" which means "forever" [1]. The phrase also appears in the Oil Thigh song of Queen's University (Kingston Ontario).

In addition, it is possible that Gubraithian Fire is a reference to greek fire, a type of flammable liquid used as a weapon by the Byzantine empire. Once lit, Greek fire would remain burning for long periods of time, even if doused in water (this actually made it hotter if not used sufficiently, as it would merely spread the liquid fire).

[edit] Hand of Glory

The Hand of Glory is an instrument used by Draco Malfoy in The Half-Blood Prince. It was seen previously in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, when Draco and his father, Lucius Malfoy, visited the Dark Arts store Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. (At that point, Lucius denied Draco's request to have it, saying that it was a tool for a common thief.) It is a large shrivelled hand displayed on a cushion in the shop. When a candle is placed in the hand, it gives light only to the user. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, it was used by Draco when leaving the Room of Requirement, allowing him to escape Ron and a few other members of the DA after using the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder.

[edit] Hermione's handbag

Hermione bewitched her small beaded handbag with an Undetectable Extension Charm. She was able to stuff it with books, their clothes, the Invisibility Cloak, their tent,^[6] and many other useful objects while she and the others are on the run. Later, it was bewitched to contain Phineas Nigellus Black's portrait^[7] from Grimmauld Place and the sword of Gryffindor.^[8]

[edit] Horcruxes

Main article: Horcrux

A Horcrux is a "receptacle in which a Dark wizard has hidden a part of his soul for the purposes of attaining immortality."^[9] With part of a wizard's soul thus stored, the wizard becomes immortal so long as the Horcrux remains intact, typically hidden away in a safe location. If the wizard's body is destroyed, part of the soul remains preserved within the Horcrux.^[10] However, the destruction of the creator's body leaves the wizard or witch in a state of half-life, without corporeal form.^[11] The Horcrux was the reason behind Lord Voldemort's immortality.

[edit] Howler

A Howler is a bright red letter sent to signify extreme anger. When it is opened, the sender's voice will bellow at the recipient, with the voice magically magnified to deafening volumes, before self-destructing. If it is not opened, it will explode violently and the message will be heard anyway, and will be even louder than if opened.^[HP2] In the film version, the Howler folds itself into an origami-stylised set of lips before dissolving into scraps of paper.

• In Chamber of Secrets, Ron receives a Howler from his mother, Mrs Weasley, after he steals his father's enchanted car and flies it to Hogwarts with Harry.

• Neville Longbottom received one from his grandmother after Sirius Black used his list of passwords to enter Gryffindor Common Room in Prisoner of Azkaban.

• Hermione Granger is sent one in Goblet of Fire after Rita Skeeter publishes an article in which she makes up a relationship between Hermione and Harry.

• Dumbledore sends Petunia Dursley a Howler in Order of the Phoenix, to remind her of the agreement to allow Harry to live at Privet Drive, when Harry's Uncle Vernon attempts to throw him out after the Dementor attack.

[edit] Invisibility Cloaks

• For information on Harry Potter's cloak, see Cloak of Invisibility.

An Invisibility Cloak makes its wearer invisible.

There are a number of different types of Invisibility Cloaks. All are very rare and expensive, and they may be spun from the pelts of Demiguises, magical herbivores that are found in the Far East, or are ordinary cloaks with a Disillusionment Charm or a Bedazzlement Hex placed on them. Over time, these will lose their invisibility ability, eventually becoming opaque.^[12]

The cloak of Ignotus Peverell, which was passed down the generations to Harry Potter is an extremely powerful cloak that seems to never lose its ability to render objects invisible. It also never gets worn out despite constant use and is not affected by spells. It was possibly made by Ignotus himself, using powerful but unknown magic, rather than from the methods mentioned above.

Invisibility cloaks have played a major part in the Harry Potter series, they have been used by many characters, not just one.

Known owners of Invisibility Cloaks

• Ignotus Peverell, youngest of the three brothers, and the first owner of the Cloak of Invisibility.
• James Potter - Harry's father, inherited the Cloak of Invisibility as a descendant of the Peverell family.
• Harry Potter - inherited from his father, presented by Albus Dumbledore, who had possession of it at the time of the death of Harry's parents.
• Mad-Eye Moody (who is known to possess two; one of these is borrowed by Sturgis Podmore in the course of work for the Order of the Phoenix); he can see through them with his magical eye.
• Barty Crouch Senior, who used one to hide his son.

Invisibility Cloaks hide the presence of the wearer by visual detection only. Alastor Moody's magically-charmed eye was able to penetrate them. Creatures such as cats (Mrs Norris) and snakes (Nagini) rely more heavily on other senses unaffected by visibility (smell, hearing), so the cloaks are less effective in hiding from them. Dementors have no sense of sight and instead sense human despair, a sense unhindered by the use of an invisibility cloak.

[edit] The Marauder's Map

[edit] The Marauders

• James Potter - "Prongs"
• Sirius Black - "Padfoot"
• Remus Lupin - "Moony"
• Peter Pettigrew - "Wormtail"

[edit] Owners

• The Marauders (c. 1971)
• Argus Filch
• Fred and George Weasley (c. 1989 - c. December 1993)
• Harry Potter (c. December 1993 - c. 2015??)
• James Potter (c. 2015 - ???)"^[13]

[edit] History

The Marauder's Map was created by the four students known collectively as "The Marauders" at Hogwarts during their time there (c. 1971), in which they gained extensive knowledge about the school grounds, such as its various hidden passages, from their frequent night-time adventures together.

At first glance, the Map is simply a blank piece of parchment; but when the user points their wand to the Map and says, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good", it reveals the message, "Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, purveyors of aids to magical mischief-makers, are proud to present the Marauders Map", and Hogwarts' layout (including secret passageways) is shown.[HP3] Saying, "Mischief managed!" returns the map to its original blank state.[HP3] The Map gives information on how to open secret passageways, though several locations (such as the Room of Requirement and the Chamber of Secrets) do not appear on the map. It would seem that the four friends either did not have any knowledge of them, or—in the case of the former—they are unplottable.

The Marauder's Map is covered in tiny ink dots accompanied by minuscule names, indicating every person's location in Hogwarts. This, according to Harry, is the map's most remarkable feature, and is helpful in evading teachers and other people whom one wishes to avoid while "managing mischief." The Marauder's Map cannot be fooled by Animagus disguises or Invisibility Cloaks. Not even Polyjuice Potion can outwit the Marauder's Map: Crabbe and Goyle liberally use Polyjuice Potion in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but the map continues to display their true identities. For this reason, Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Mad-Eye Moody, considered it a threat and asks to 'borrow' the map from a trusting Harry.

The Map was given to Harry by Fred and George Weasley, who found it in Filch's office. It makes its first appearance in Prisoner of Azkaban, and has been 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 he will investigate, and takes it with him. He returns the map to Harry after resigning his post at Hogwarts. 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.

In the book the Map is a piece of parchment; in the films, the Map appears with a cover that unfolds in two with many other folds inside each other. All the lines in the Map are made up of what at first glance are just random letters, but upon closer inspection are Latin words.

In the books, there is no mention of Harry recovering the Map from the office of the Professor Moody imposter; when asked, Rowling answered that Harry had indeed sneaked into the office and recovered it in the days following the Third Task. She also commented that she had intended to include a scene or mention it.

When asked during an online question session, "What child did Harry give the Marauders Map to if any?" Rowling responded "I’ve got a feeling he didn’t give it to any of them, but that James sneaked it out of his father’s desk one day."^[14]

[edit] The Mirror of Erised

The Mirror of Erised is a mystical mirror discovered by Harry in a back corridor 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 — which, when reversed and correctly spaced, reads I show not your face but your heart's desire. Erised is "desire" spelled backwards. According to Dumbledore, the Mirror "shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts"; Harry, upon encountering the Mirror, can see his parents, as well as what appears to be a crowd of relatives; Ron sees himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain holding the Quidditch Cup (thus revealing his wish to be acknowledged in the shadow of his highly successful older brothers, as well as his more popular friend, Harry). Dumbledore, one of the only other characters to face the Mirror in the novel, claims to see himself holding a pair of socks, telling Harry that "one can never have enough socks", and lamenting that he did not receive any for Christmas, since people will insist on giving him books. However, what he really sees is his entire family alive and well and happy together again. Hermione sees herself, Ron and Harry leaving unscathed and victorious after the Voldemort crisis during the war, but otherwise would see her embraced in a romantic hug with Ron. ^[15]

The Mirror of Erised was the final protection given to the Philosopher's Stone. Dumbledore hid the Mirror and hid the Stone inside it, knowing that 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 finding the Stone. Dumbledore tells Harry, "It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something."

The mirror has not been seen since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

[edit] Moody's Magical Trunk

Alastor Moody owns a specially bewitched magical trunk. It has seven locks on it, and the trunk opens to a different assortment of objects for each lock. Most notably, though, the seventh compartment is about 10 feet deep (possibly because of the use of an Undetectable Extension Charm), and is where Barty Crouch Jr. imprisoned the real Moody. Other compartments contain spellbooks, Dark Detectors, and Moody's Invisibility Cloak.

[edit] Omnioculars

Omnioculars are magical brass binoculars used by Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the fourth book during the Quidditch World Cup. Omnioculars, besides having magnified lenses, have many other features. Among them, the ones mentioned are the ability to replay or slow down something seen through the lenses, although a side-effect being that the view in the lenses is not accurate of what is currently happening, since it's going slower than real life. They also have a play-by-play feature, where the names of moves performed by Quidditch players is shown in bright purple letters across the Omnioculars' lenses.^[HP4]

[edit] Pensieve

A Pensieve is a stone receptacle in which to store memories. Covered in mystic runes, it contains a type of matter that is described as neither liquid nor gas. A witch or wizard can extract their own memories or another person's and store them in the Pensieve and review them later. It also relieves the mind when it becomes cluttered 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 a third person view, providing a near-omniscient perspective of the events preserved. This of course, raises questions of how they are able to see things beyond what they have remembered. Rowling answered this question in an interview, confirming that memories in the pensieve 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 Pensieve, what brings it alive" [2]. The "memories" contained in the Pensieve have the appearance of silver threads. Memories that have been heavily manipulated or tampered with to alter perspectives (such as Horace Slughorn's) may appear thick and jelly-like and offer obscured viewing. Memories are not limited to just those of humans, since at least one house-elf (Hokey) provided Dumbledore with a memory as well.

Pensieve is a portmanteau of 'sieve' (a device used for sifting) and 'pensive' (thoughtful or full of thoughts). It is also a word play on the latter word.

Dumbledore's Pensieve first appears in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, again in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and plays a pivotal role in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It makes a last appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when Harry uses it to decipher the memories of Severus Snape.

[edit] The Philosopher's Stone

The Philosopher's Stone is a stone, invented by Nicholas Flamel, that changes all metals to gold, and when brewed into an elixir can make the drinker immortal. The Philosopher's Stone is seen only in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and is the object that Lord Voldemort is pursuing to return himself to power.

[edit] Photographs

Main article: Magical portrait (Harry Potter) #Photographs

[edit] Playing cards

In Chamber of Secrets, a pack of Self-Shuffling cards is mentioned as one of the objects littering the floor of Ron's room.^[16]

In Goblet of Fire, Ron was trying to build a card castle out of his Exploding Snap pack, playing cards that have the ability to explode at random. It is mentioned that this made building card castles more exciting, as they were likely to explode at any given time, and indeed his did so as he placed the last two cards on the top of the castle.^[17]

[edit] Portraits

Main article: Magical portrait (Harry Potter)

The halls of Hogwarts are lined with portraits, and some hide something (i.e House Commonrooms, Secret passageways) which often lead somewhere important or have some importance. The statues also have some importance as well. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the Weasley twins told Harry as they were giving him the Marauder's Map, a map created by the Marauders (James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew), which showed all the passages of the castle. It also showed where every person in the castle was, with their names beside their dot on the map.

There are seven secret passageways out of Hogwarts

This included the one eyed witch passageway (which lead beneath Honeyduke's Sweet Shop) and the Whomping Willow passageway (which lead to the Shrieking Shack) in Hogsmeade.

[edit] Probity Probe

Probity Probes detect spells of concealment and hidden magical objects. They are thin and golden in colour. After Lord Voldemort's return, they are used as part of the increased security at Gringotts.^[18]

[edit] Quick Quotes Quill

A quill that is a stenographic tool employed by Rita Skeeter which spins the words of her subjects into a more salacious or melodramatic form more to Skeeter's liking. It is said she needs to suck on the quill first, supposedly so the quill writes in Rita's flavour. So if Harry sucked on the quill, it would write like he would.

Rita Skeeter uses the quill to interview Harry (inside a Hogwarts broomstick cupboard) about his participation in the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire for her column "Me, Myself, and I" in the newspaper, The Daily Prophet. Harry continually tries to correct the inaccuracy of the quill to Rita.

Additionally, Rita Skeeter mentions in her interview concerning Albus Dumbledore's posthumous biography that the Quick Quotes Quill helped her to write the book so quickly after Dumbledore's death.

[edit] Quidditch equipment

There are several enchanted objects needed to play the wizarding game Quidditch. All the balls in the game are enchanted in some way. The Golden Snitch is enchanted to fly around, mimicking 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 and two magically reinforced bats are used to repel and redirect them. 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 to fall more slowly than normal.

[edit] Remembrall

A Remembrall is a small, clear orb, containing smoke 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 loses it by his sixth year. Their use is forbidden during OWL exams, because students could tell if they wrote a wrong answer. The DVD of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone contains a software approximation of a remembrall.

[edit] Revealer

Used in Chamber of Secrets when Hermione Granger tries to make something appear in Tom Riddle's diary. It is described as a bright red eraser, and can make invisible ink appear.

[edit] Secrecy Sensor

In Goblet of Fire, this magical object was mentioned when Harry went into Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody's office. It is described as "an object that looked something like an extra-squiggly, golden television aerial." It vibrates when it detects concealment and lies. Moody mentions that it is, "No use here of course, too much interference--students in every direction lying about why they haven't done their homework." However, it may be that this was due to the sinister intentions of Moody (Actually Barty Crouch Jr.). Eric (the Atrium desk wizard) also uses a Secrecy Sensor on visitors to the Ministry of Magic. Secrecy Sensors, like all other Dark Detectors, can be fooled, as mentioned by Harry in the fifth book at the beginning of the first D.A. meeting. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due to Hogwarts' new stringent security measures, Argus Filch is assigned to run every student entering the entrance hall of the castle with Secrecy Sensors and all the owls flying into Hogwarts, too, to detect any Dark object within the castle. Later, Hermione explains that though Secrecy Sensors detect jinxes, curses, and concealment charms, they cannot detect love potions.

[edit] Sneakoscope

A Sneakoscope is a magical device which serves as a Dark Arts detector, and is described as a miniature glass spinning top that emits shrill noises in the presence of deception: for instance, when an untrustworthy person is near or when a 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 appears again on the Hogwarts Express, and again up in Harry and Ron's dormitory. Harry later discovers that Scabbers, Ron's rat, who was present each time the Sneakoscope was spinning, 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 that he somehow disabled (possibly related to a crack it was described as having), claiming, "It wouldn't stop whistling." However, it was later revealed that Mad-Eye was really Barty Crouch Jr under the effects of the Polyjuice Potion, thus explaining the constant alerts in his presence.

In book seven, Hermione gives Harry a Sneakoscope for his 17th birthday which they later use to help as a lookout while in hiding.

[edit] 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 — each new student is to be assigned. During the opening banquet at the beginning of the school year, the First-Year students are lined up and their names read aloud alphabetically; each then takes a seat on a stool and the hat is placed on their head. After a moment of consideration, the hat announces its choice aloud for all to hear, and the student joins the selected house. The moment of consideration varies in length, from nearly a minute to less than a second. Judging from Harry's own account of his Sorting, and a brief comment made by Hermione, the hat speaks to the student while they're being Sorted and is willing to take the student's preferences into account when it makes its decision

The Sorting Hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts.

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. The Sorting Hat's songs vary in length and content, but always include a brief description of each house. It is implied that the hat probably spends each school year thinking up the song it will sing at the next start-of-term banquet.

The Sorting Hat has shown the ability to conjure the sword of Godric Gryffindor from under its brim on two instances; in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, it provides the sword to Harry Potter, and in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it delivers the sword to Neville Longbottom. Dumbledore makes it clear in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets that only a true Gryffindor can summon the sword in this fashion. The sword and hat together make up the two known relics of Godric Gryffindor.

The Sorting Hat had a difficult time placing Harry, almost placing him into Slytherin house before he requested specifically and emphatically not to be. The Hat instead placed him into Gryffindor, after both his parents.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the Sorting Hat is set on fire by Lord Voldemort, although it appears the hat was not destroyed, as Neville was able to draw the Sword of Gryffindor from it immediately after and references to the sorting were used during the epilogue 19 years later.

It's facial features bear a great resemblance to Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas

In the first two Harry Potter movies, the hat is voiced by actor Leslie Phillips.

[edit] Spellotape

Spellotape is magical adhesive tape. The name is a play on Sellotape, a popular brand which has become a generic name for transparent adhesive tape in the UK.^[19][20]

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

[edit] Tom Riddle's diary

Main article: Tom Riddle's diary

See also: Horcruxes.

[edit] Two-way mirrors

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius Black gives Harry a mirror he originally used to communicate with James Potter in detention. It is activated by holding one of them and saying the name of the other possessor, causing his or her face to appear on your mirror and in reverse. Harry receives this mirror from Sirius in a package after spending his Christmas holiday at Grimmauld Place. Harry, at first, chooses not to open the package, although he does discover the mirror after Sirius's death, by which point it is no longer functional. It makes its second appearance when Mundungus Fletcher loots Grimmauld Place and sells it to Albus Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth Dumbledore, who uses it to watch out for Harry. When Harry desperately cries for help at a shard of the magical mirror, a brilliant blue eye (which Harry mistakes for Albus Dumbledore's eye) which happens to be Aberforth Dumbledore's eye appears, and soon after Dobby, sent by Aberforth, arrives to help Harry escape from the Malfoy Manor to Bill and Fleur's Shell Cottage.

[edit] Weasley Clock

The Weasley family has a special clock in their home, the Burrow, with nine hands, one for every member of the family. Instead of telling the time, the clock reveals the location or status of each family member. The known locations are:

• Home
• School
• Work
• Travelling
• Lost
• Hospital
• Prison
• Mortal Peril

Only the location of "mortal peril" is known (it is situated where the numeral 12 would normally be). Throughout the first five books, the hands changed to reflect the varying statuses of the family members, but by Book Six, all nine hands had taken to pointing to "mortal peril" at all times, except when someone was travelling. Mrs Weasley took this to mean that, with Lord Voldemort having returned, everyone was always in mortal peril, but she could not verify this, because she did not know anyone else who has a clock like hers.^[HP6]

The Weasleys are the only family mentioned to own such a clock.

[edit] 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.[3] The players simply tell the pieces to move using algebraic chess notation, and the pieces obey. The pieces attack each other in cases where an opposing player's piece would be taken, usually by knocking the captured piece out and dragging it off the board (in the film version the captured piece is destroyed). Ron has a set left to him by his grandfather. Harry first plays with pieces borrowed from Seamus Finnigan, (it is said that the pieces kept shouting him advice because they did not trust him)^[HP1] and later gets a set in one of his wizard crackers during his first Christmas at Hogwarts. During the climactic chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Harry, Ron and Hermione become chess pieces in a life-size game of wizard's chess, thus risking their lives. It is unknown how wizards can play this game repeatedly, though using the spell Reparo to repare them is a possibility.

Recently, the company Deagostini have released a magazine series called Harry Potter Chess, which is based on the life-size game near the end of the film version of Philosopher's Stone and each piece is specially animated. The chess pieces that come with it are based on the life-size pieces in the film. Arco Toys and others also have a Wizards Chess Set.[4][5]

[edit] Wands

A wand is used to perform magical feats. Without it only limited magic is possible. A wand is usually made of wood and has a core of a magical object or substance. Such cores have been mentioned to 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, it is revealed that each of their wands contains a tail feather from Fawkes, the phoenix belonging to Albus Dumbledore. The magical effects of the brother wands when used against each other later allowed Harry to successfully ward off Voldemort due to Priori Incantatem.

A wand is generally considered to be personal for a wizard. However, wands belonging to other wizards can be used to a comparatively less potent effect. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry had to try out many wands before he found one that "chose him". It was an 11 inch, holly and phoenix feather wand. Mr. Ollivander only uses phoenix feathers, dragon heartstrings and unicorn hair as the cores of his wands. Therefore, Harry, Ron (unicorn hair and willow, 14 inches), and Hermione (dragon heartstring and vine-wood) unite all three Ollivander wand cores.

The only named wand shop is Ollivander's, owned by Ollivander - a master wand maker. This is where Hagrid takes Harry to buy his first wand. However, in the "Weighing of the Wands" chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ollivander is seen to evaluate two foreign wands: Viktor Krum's wand: a Gregorovitch creation thats unusually thick; and Fleur Delacour's wand, whose core (a hair from her veela grandmother) he felt created "temperamental" wands, which is why he did not use it himself.

Other wands known to have been purchased here include:

• James Potter: Mahogany, 11". Mr Ollivander comments that it was pliable and excellent for Transfiguration.
• Lily Evans: Willow, 10 1/4". Mr Ollivander comments that it was swishy and nice wand for Charm work.
• Rubeus Hagrid: Oak, 16". Mr Ollivander comments that it was rather bendy.
• Tom Marvolo Riddle: Yew, 13 1/2", Phoenix Feather. Described by Mr. Ollivander as a very powerful wand.
• Cedric Diggory: Ash, 12 1/4", Single Unicorn Hair from the tail of what Mr Ollivander considered a particularly fine male unicorn, albeit almost getting himself gored.
• Draco Malfoy: Hawthorn, 10", Unicorn Hair. Mr. Ollivander describes it as reasonably springy.
• Bellatrix Lestrange: Walnut, 12 3/4", Dragon Heartstring. Mr. Ollivander describes it as unyielding.
• Peter Pettigrew: Chestnut, 9 1/4", Dragon Heartstring. Mr. Ollivander describes this as brittle. This may have been result of making this during his captivity in Malfoy Manor.

Wands are generally carried inside one's robes. However, they can also be put into other objects. For instance, Lucius Malfoy hiding his inside his cane while Moody seems to have his inside his walking staff in the Order of the Phoenix film. Harry also suspects that Hagrid has hidden the broken halves of his wand inside his umbrella, as he has used it to perform magic on many occasions, e.g. using the wand to perform Aguamenti when his cabin caught fire in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Wands are capable of changing masters. This is revealed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. When a wizard or witch is defeated, or if their wand is forcibly taken from them in a fight (a form of defeat), the wand will change its allegiance to the one who defeated its previous master and work perfectly well with its new master. It is unclear if the wand will continue to work properly for its original master if it is returned (not taken back in a fight).

[edit] Elder wand

Main article: Elder Wand

This is Albus Dumbledore's wand in the Harry Potter films. Assuming that the film versions are canon, this wand is the Elder Wand, known throughout history as the "Deathstick" and the "Wand of Destiny". This is an extremely powerful magic wand made of elder wood. It is the most powerful wand in existence wrongly said that it is unbeatable in a duel when used by its true master, although this is what it is known as. However Dumbledore defeated its true master Grindleward while the latter held it, causing people to believe it is in fact simply the most powerful-no more (as shown by Harry's reparo spell). It also appears that the wand is somewhat sentient, as are all wands, that it will not allow itself to cause real harm to its true Master. The wand's ownership, however, is a tricky matter. As stated by Mr. Ollivander, ownership can only be transferred properly. That is, the wand will only fully work for the new user if they disarm, stun, or kill the previous user. This can occur during a duel (although the Wand is very powerful, this scenario would be rare), or in non-magical ways (killing in Muggle fashion, etc).

After boasting of his unbeatable wand, Antioch Peverell met his end by being murdered in his sleep by a rival, wanting to claim the wand. Ever since, the wand has been sought by power-hungry wizards. Gregorovitch, another wand maker, boasted about how he possessed the elder wand. He faced competition from Ollivander and tried to reverse engineer its secrets because he felt it would boost his popularity. It subsequently fell to the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, who stole it from the famed wandmaker. It is not known if Gregorovitch mastered its secrets properly but he did have a reputation in Europe. Since full control of it passed to Dumbledore when he defeated Grindelwald, presumably the Stunning Spell Grindelwald sent at Gregorovitch stunned him causing possession of the Wand to switch to Grindelwald. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Rowling never explicitly states whether or not Grindelwald became the master of the Elder Wand, because it was narrated that Grindelwald stole the wand from Gregorovitch, so theoretically Grindelwald was never the master of the wand. This scenario is more probable considering the fact that Dumbledore was known for having defeated Grindelwald in a duel, a feat theoretically impossible if Grindelwald were in fact the master of the Elder Wand. (Although it may also be that although the wand cannot be defeated, the wizard wielding it can still be defeated if they make a mistake) Albus Dumbledore later defeated Grindelwald and became the wand's master.

With Dumbledore's agreement with Severus Snape for his death (as revealed in the King's Cross chapter of Deathly Hallows) he meant Snape to "end up with the Elder Wand" (as Rowling wrote; it is not known the real intention of Dumbledore, however, as Harry tells Voldemort afterwards that Dumbledore's plans with Snape were supposed to bury the Wand's power with Dumbledore's death), however, as Draco Malfoy disarmed him, the plan failed and Draco became the wand's new master. After Dumbledore's death, the wand was placed inside the White Tomb. Voldemort opened it and claimed the wand as his own. Only later did he learn that he never mastered the wand because he did not gain ownership from its previous owner, whom he mistakenly believed was Snape, since he had been the one to kill Dumbledore, when in fact Draco Malfoy became the wand's master after he disarmed Dumbledore. By then, the wand's allegiance had been won by Harry when he disarmed Draco, even though Draco never had the Elder Wand itself in his possession.

Voldemort casts four Killing Curses on Harry, but each lacked the desired effect. The first Killing Curse's failure, according to Dumbledore, is due to Lily Potter's self-sacrifice to protect Harry, at which point Harry became the unintentional Horcrux. The second killing curse was counteracted by the wand cores of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, which did not battle properly. Instead, the master of the wand with the greater courage forced the other wand to regurgitate via Priori Incantatem the latest spells it performed. Voldemort's Yew wand would not kill its rightful master, but would not kill the holder of the twin wand, who also was blood to Voldemort due to Voldemort's use of Harry's blood to reform his body. It is strongly implied the Yew wand was totally confused as it not only dealt with a twin core, but also was asked to kill its master (due to the blood connection of Voldemort to Potter).

The Elder Wand did destroy Voldemort's soul fragment inside Harry with the third killing curse (Voldemort could not kill Harry, but he could certainly destroy that part of himself). The Killing Curse knocked Harry into a death-like state for a few moments, in which in his mind he was given a choice to "move on" to the afterlife or return to the living world, and he chose the latter. Voldemort's Cruciatus Curse, used on Harry when Voldemort thought he was dead, caused no pain to Harry, as the wand refused to harm its master. In the final battle, the Elder Wand recognises its true master, and when confronted with Harry's Expelliarmus charm, the Wand causes Voldemort's Avada Kadavra curse to rebound and kill him. Presumably, the reason that the Wand's loyalty didn't change to Voldemort when Harry was apparently killed by him is due to the fact that Harry wasn't defeated and he wasn't killed.

Harry uses the Elder Wand to repair his damaged holly and phoenix feather wand (an act that the great wandmaker Mr. Ollivander believed improbable according to what he knew—he mentions that wandlore is very ancient and complicated). Harry shows wisdom by accepting the Tale of the Three Brothers as a moral lesson, leaving the Resurrection Stone where it fell and the Elder Wand in Dumbledore's tomb, but keeping his Invisibility Cloak, and eventually passing it on to his children, presumably after living to a grand age until he was ready to embrace death as an old friend.

Harry intended to return the wand to Dumbledore's tomb at the end of Deathly Hallows and determined that if he died of a natural death, the power of the wand will die out with him. However, it is not made clear whether he eventually returned the wand.

J.K. Rowling revealed in an interview that one of the working titles for Deathly Hallows was Harry Potter and the Elder Wand.

[edit] Notes

v • d • e The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Philosopher's Stone	book • film • game • soundtrack
Chamber of Secrets	book • film • game • soundtrack
Prisoner of Azkaban	book • film • game • soundtrack
Goblet of Fire	book • film • game • soundtrack
Order of the Phoenix	book • film • game • soundtrack
Half-Blood Prince	book • film
Deathly Hallows	book • film
Characters	Harry Potter • Ron Weasley • Hermione Granger • Lord Voldemort • Albus Dumbledore • Severus Snape • Sirius Black • Rubeus Hagrid • Minerva McGonagall • Draco Malfoy • Ginny Weasley • Neville Longbottom • Luna Lovegood • Weasley family • Dursley family • James and Lily Potter • Hogwarts staff • Dark Wizards • Ministry Officials
Universe	Locations • Magic • Spells • Quidditch • Hogwarts • Ministry of Magic • Magical creatures
Other	Harry Potter influences and analogues • Politics of Harry Potter • Religious debates over the Harry Potter series • Legal disputes over the Harry Potter series • Chronology of the Harry Potter stories • Harry Potter music • Harry Potter fandom • Parodies of Harry Potter • Harry Potter in translation • List of Harry Potter films cast members • The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (50% owned by Universal Pictures Islands of Adventure)
Other Literature	Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them • Quidditch Through the Ages  • The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Other Games	Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup • Lego Creator: Harry Potter • Harry Potter Trading Card Game