Post by Deputy Headmistress Borealis on Oct 5, 2022 9:46:33 GMT -6
The following is a list of special abilities that a wizard or witch in the Harry Potter universe may have.
Animagi
An Animagus (portmanteau of animal and magus) is a witch or wizard who can turn into a particular animal or magical creature at will. This ability is not innate: it must be acquired by magical means. All Animagi must register at a central authority by law, though a number of characters are revealed over the course of the series to have remained unregistered illegally: James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Rita Skeeter. Minerva McGonagall was a Ministry-registered Animagus taking the form of a tabby cat.
Animagi transformation can be performed wandlessly. Sirius and Peter are left wandless for over 10 years, but both retain the ability with no apparent ill effects. When Animagi transform they take on the appearance, not necessarily all traits, of a normal animal. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it is noted that Ron's pet rat Scabbers (later revealed as Peter Pettigrew's Animagus form) has lived over twelve years when only expected to live three. Also, an Animagus in animal form retains the ability to think like a human, which is the principal difference between being an Animagus and being transfigured into an animal. Otherwise, they would forget that they were a wizard and be trapped, unknowingly, in this form unless transformed back by another wizard. Characteristics of an Animagus' human form can manifest themselves in the animal transformation; McGonagall and Rita Skeeter have markings around their eyes that resemble their glasses, while Pettigrew has a missing toe on one of his front paws representing his missing finger. When an Animagus registers, they must record all the defining physical traits of their animal form so that the Ministry can identify them.
Each Animagus has a specific animal form, and cannot transform into any other animal. The animal cannot be chosen: it is uniquely suited to that individual's personality, and in most cases the Animagus will change into the same animal used in the person's Patronus Charm.
Explicit emphasis is placed in the books on the differences between Animagi and werewolves. Animagi have full control over their transformations and retain their minds, whereas werewolves' transformations are involuntary and include severe changes in personality. After the person has transformed into a werewolf "...he no longer remembers who he is. He'd kill his best friend. The werewolf only responds to the call of his own kind." The only way that a werewolf can retain his sanity, intelligence and memory while transformed is using the Wolfsbane Potion.
Metamorphmagi
A Metamorphmagus (a portmanteau of metamorph and magus) is a witch or wizard born with the innate ability to change some or all of their appearance at will. The talent cannot be learnt; a witch or wizard must be born with it.
Nymphadora Tonks and her son, Teddy Lupin are currently the only known Metamorphmagi in the series; it is a very rare ability, possibly hereditary. Tonks is known to change her hair colour and style according to her mood. She even appears as an old woman on occasion. She can also change her nose appearance, as she does when eating with the Weasley family to entertain Ginny and Hermione. Her son, Teddy Lupin, also inherited this trait, as his hair is mentioned to be repeatedly changing color.
The extent of these appearance-altering abilities and the limits thereof are not entirely clear. According to Rowling, a Metamorphmagus can alter his or her appearance completely, for instance, from black to white, young to old, handsome to plain and so on. In one example, Tonks changes her facial appearance by reshaping her nose into "a beaklike protuberance like Snape's", to "something resembling a button mushroom", and "one like a pig snout" which reminded Harry of his cousin Dudley. The emotional state of a Metamorphmagus can affect their abilities.
Parseltongue
Parseltongue is the language of snakes. It is often associated with Dark Magic, although Dumbledore stated that it is not necessarily an evil quality. Those possessing the ability to speak it (Parselmouths) occur very rarely. People apparently acquire the skill through learning or via a method of xenoglossia, such as through genetic inheritance or by use of Dark or dangerous magic. Harry was a Parselmouth until the age of 17. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets explains this was because of Voldemort's passing on some of his abilities to Harry the night he tried to kill him. Deathly Hallows reveals that a part of Voldemort's soul within Harry grants him this ability, which is later destroyed leaving Harry stripped of the ability.
Harry temporarily regains the ability in The Cursed Child, along with a pain in the scar.
Other known Parselmouths include Salazar Slytherin and his descendants, including the Gaunts and Voldemort. Dumbledore could also understand Parseltongue; he learned it and did not naturally possess the ability. In Half-Blood Prince, he repeats Morfin Gaunt's words "the big house over the way", which were spoken in Parseltongue.
Ron uses Parseltongue in the final book to reopen the Chamber of Secrets, but he is only imitating the sound of a phrase Harry used in the book Chamber of Secrets.
Rowling borrowed the term from "an old word for someone who has a problem with the mouth, like a hare lip".
Seers
A Seer is a witch or wizard with the clairvoyant ability to predict future events. The predictions given through this ability can sometimes be self-fulfilling prophecies, and Dumbledore states in Order of the Phoenix that not all of them come true, depending on the choices made by those mentioned. This would seem to indicate that a Seer predicts possible or likely events, at least in some cases.
In the Hall of Prophecy at the Department of Mysteries, thousands upon thousands of glass spheres are imbued with records of prophecies made by Seers. Only a person mentioned in a prophecy can safely retrieve it; anyone else who tries to do so will be driven insane.
According to McGonagall, true Seers are extremely rare. Sybill Trelawney is the only Seer portrayed in the books, and is considered an "old fraud" by her students -- although it is mentioned that Sybill's great-great-grandmother, Cassandra Trelawney, was a renowned Seer in her day. Trelawney is ultimately sacked by Dolores Umbridge in the fifth book for her lack of ability. She has twice made true prophecies -- both of significance to Harry Potter -- but had no recollection of either prediction afterward.
Legilimency and Occlumency
Legilimency is the magical skill of extracting feelings and memories from another person's mind—a form of magical "telepathy" (although Snape, an able practitioner of the art, dismisses the colloquial term "mind-reading", as a drastic oversimplification). It also allows one to convey visions or memories to another person, whether real or imaginary. A witch or wizard possessing this skill is called a Legilimens, and can, for example, detect lies and deceit in another person, witness memories in another person's past, or "plant" false visions in another's mind.
The counter-skill to Legilimency is Occlumency (and its user, known as an Occlumens), by which one can compartmentalize one's emotions, or prevent a Legilimens from discovering thoughts or memories which contradict one's spoken words or actions. An advanced form of Occlumency is planting false temporary memories inside an Occlumens' own head while blocking all other true memories, so if a Legilimens, even a highly skilled one, were to attempt to read the mind, he or she would find false memories only and believe everything was right.
The skills are first mentioned in Order of the Phoenix. Legilimency and Occlumency are not part of the normal curriculum at Hogwarts, and most students would graduate without learning them.
Voldemort, Snape, and Dumbledore are all skilled in Legilimency and Occlumency, albeit with the use of their wands. Voldemort is said to be the master of Legilimency by Snape, as he, in almost all cases, immediately knows if someone lied to him. In addition, in Deathly Hallows, Voldemort repeatedly uses Legilimency to interrogate his victims. Voldemort practices Occlumency throughout the period of Half-Blood Prince to deny Harry access to his thoughts and emotions. However, in Deathly Hallows, Voldemort repeatedly loses grip, resulting in occasional but very powerful burst of thoughts, visions and emotions to be sent to Harry.
Throughout the books, Snape is repeatedly said to be highly skilled in Occlumency, explaining how he was able to deceive Voldemort for years. Even before Order of the Phoenix, Harry has the impression that Snape can read minds.
During the Order of Phoenix Snape is instructed by Dumbledore to give Harry lessons in Occlumency. Due to the antagonism between the two, and Harry's secret desire to know Voldemort's thoughts, he makes poor progress, and only once manages to overcome Snape and enter his mind. In Deathly Hallows, Harry finally masters Occlumency—shutting his mind to Voldemort—when Dobby dies. He realises that his grief—or as Dumbledore calls it, love—is what can block out the Dark Lord.
Queenie Goldstein, in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is revealed to be a proficient Legilimens, born with the ability, as she is able to read the minds of Jacob Kowalski and others in the film, as well as sense and hear them from afar through their thoughts and emotions. Unlike Snape, Voldemort and Dumbledore she does not require a wand to cast the spells of Legilimency as the ability to read minds comes naturally to her.
Apparition and Disapparition
Apparition is a magical form of teleportation, through which a witch or wizard can disappear ("Disapparate") from one location and reappear ("Apparate") in another. It is usually accompanied by a loud cracking or popping sound, though the more skilled wizards such as Dumbledore can Apparate "so suddenly and silently" that they seem to have "popped out of the ground". According to Harry, apparition is also accompanied by a very unpleasant squeezing sensation, as though being sent through a tight rubber tube.
The Ministry of Magic licenses Apparition. A witch or wizard must be 17 years old or older and have a licence to Apparate as a means of transportation in much the same way real-world governments require individuals to have a licence to drive a motor vehicle. Students at Hogwarts may attend Ministry-administered Apparition lessons during their sixth year, and take their examination once they turn seventeen. It is shown that although it is possible to Apparate without a licence, it is not usually done (unless in lessons) and is illegal. In Deathly Hallows, Harry does not possess a licence, but since his Trace has been lifted, the Ministry is likely unaware that he does it.
Learning to Apparate is difficult, and students run the risk of splinching—being physically split between the origin and destination—which requires the assistance of the Ministry's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to undo properly, although essence of dittany can also mend certain wounds. Splinching is quite common during lessons, and can be uncomfortable (and at times rather gruesome) depending on the body parts splinched, but is ultimately harmless if properly reversed. Although Ron can Apparate, he isn't terribly skilled at it, and splinches himself at least three times (once losing half an eyebrow, two fingernails and part of his arm). Harry and Hermione both pick up the skill quickly in comparison. As explained in the Half-Blood Prince, there is no word spell to Apparate or Disapparate, but the caster has to concentrate on the location on which he has to apparate, needs to be fully focused on the spell, and also has to "feel" it through the whole body.
It has been indicated that it is considered rude to Apparate directly into a private area, such as a home. Dumbledore states in Half-Blood Prince that it would be "quite as rude as kicking down the front door". For this reason, and for reasons of security, many homes have Anti-Apparition spells protecting them from uninvited intrusions. The accepted way to travel to a home is to Apparate to a nearby location and continue to the final destination on foot. Apparition is considered unreliable over long distances, and even experienced users of the technique sometimes prefer other means of transport, such as broomsticks. Rowling has stated that Apparating over long distances depends on the skill of the wizard, and "Cross-continental Apparition would almost certainly result in severe injury or death." Indeed, even the prodigiously skilled Lord Voldemort elects to fly back to England after visiting the far-flung Nurmengard.
For reasons of security, the grounds and buildings of Hogwarts are protected by ancient Anti-Apparition and Anti-Disapparition spells, which prevent humans from Apparating on the school grounds. There is also a spell that prevents individuals from Disapparating, which Dumbledore places on the Death Eaters captured at the Ministry in Order of the Phoenix; a sister spell, which allows one to Apparate into a location but prevents them from Disapparating out of it, is cast by the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade in concordance with the Caterwauling Charm. Dumbledore is the only person who can both Apparate and Disapparate from the school grounds, since he is the headmaster.
A witch or wizard can use Side-Along Apparition to take others with them during Apparition. Dumbledore successfully transports Harry this way several times in Half-Blood Prince, and Harry's first non-lesson attempt at the skill is the Side-Along Apparition with the weakened Dumbledore when they return from the seaside cave.
In the Order of the Phoenix film, Death Eaters and Order members Apparate and Disapparate in clouds of black and white smoke respectively. In the film, both sides also appear to be able to "half-apparate" in which their bodies were made out of smoke, giving them the ability to fly. Both times Fred and George apparated and disapparated, they did it with a pop as in the books.
In the books, the words "Apparate" and "Disapparate", like many other neologisms used by Rowling, are capitalised, whereas established English words such as "jinx" and "hex" are not. The words themselves are most likely derived from the French apparaître and disparaître, meaning 'to appear' and 'to disappear'. Another possible derivation is from the English word "apparition", meaning "a supernatural appearance of a person or thing; anything that appears, especially something remarkable or startling; an act of appearing", which comes from the Latin "apparitio", meaning attendance. "Disapparate" probably comes from the same word but with the prefix "dis-" expressing negation or reversal.
Other teleportation
Some magical creatures have their own forms of instantaneous travel, such as a house elf's ability to teleport or a phoenix's ability to appear and disappear in a burst of flame. Unlike wizards, these creatures are not restricted by anti-Apparition magic. Dobby, Kreacher, and the rest of the house-elf population can Apparate within the Hogwarts grounds, as they demonstrate on multiple occasions, most notably when Dobby visits Harry in the hospital wing, and when Harry summons Dobby and Kreacher and assigns them to tail Draco Malfoy. Fawkes Disapparates from the headmaster's office at Hogwarts along with Dumbledore when the latter evades arrest at the hands of Ministry officials in Order of the Phoenix.
Some magical devices like the Floo Network, Portkeys and Vanishing Cabinets also provide forms of magical teleportation.
Veela charm
An ability attributed to Veela and those of Veela heritage, such as Fleur Delacour, Veela charm is used to charm males, much as the Sirens do in The Odyssey. Men who are exposed to it over time become more resistant to it, although the Veela charm takes full effect if the Veela surprises the man, as noted by Ron in Half-Blood Prince.
As shown in Goblet of Fire, one can use Veela hair as cores in magical wands. According to famed wandmaker Mr. Ollivander, these wands are a little "temperamental".
Veela are thought to have their own type of magic which does not require a wand. When Veela are angry, however, they transform into something more like Harpies — their faces turn into cruel-beaked bird heads while long scaly wings burst from their shoulders, and they can launch balls of fire from their hands. Veela seem to be quite an irascible race. Only full blooded and half blooded Veela are able to do this. The Veela magic changes in the descendants as they are not full or half. Especially when their other parents is magical. For example, in the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, they were easily wound up by the Leprechauns, resulting in a fight between both teams' mascots on the pitch. The Veela then got sent away.
Veela have been known to marry wizards, although it is unknown whether any have married Muggles. Children of these unions are half-Veela, and they will inherit magical ability from their fathers and beauty and charm from their mothers. Veela traits seem to persist for at least a few generations.
Apolline Delacour is a half-Veela, thus her children Fleur and Gabrielle are quarter-Veela,[1] and Fleur's children Victoire, Dominique and Louis are eighth-Veela; it is unknown if they have inherited any specific Veela characteristics from their great-grandmother.[2]
It is unknown whether half-blooded Veela can throw fire or transform into harpy-like creatures as their full-blooded relatives can. So refer to the above for this RPG.
Magical resistance
Powerful creatures such as trolls, dragons, and giants may exhibit magical resistance - a certain degree of immunity against hexes and spells. Hagrid is resistant to certain spells (like the Stunning Spell) due to his giant blood. This type of resistance is not insurmountable; if enough Stunning Spells, for example, are fired simultaneously at a creature with magical resistance, the creature may still be rendered unconscious. Also, wizards and witches can resist certain spells with the power of their own sheer will, as Harry does in Goblet of Fire, when Barty Crouch Jr. (disguised as Alastor Moody) tries to control Harry with the Imperius curse and Harry resists. The same book shows Barty Crouch Sr. throwing off the Imperius Curse after spending several months under it.
Taken from the Magic in Harry Potter page on Wikipedia.
Animagi
An Animagus (portmanteau of animal and magus) is a witch or wizard who can turn into a particular animal or magical creature at will. This ability is not innate: it must be acquired by magical means. All Animagi must register at a central authority by law, though a number of characters are revealed over the course of the series to have remained unregistered illegally: James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Rita Skeeter. Minerva McGonagall was a Ministry-registered Animagus taking the form of a tabby cat.
Animagi transformation can be performed wandlessly. Sirius and Peter are left wandless for over 10 years, but both retain the ability with no apparent ill effects. When Animagi transform they take on the appearance, not necessarily all traits, of a normal animal. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it is noted that Ron's pet rat Scabbers (later revealed as Peter Pettigrew's Animagus form) has lived over twelve years when only expected to live three. Also, an Animagus in animal form retains the ability to think like a human, which is the principal difference between being an Animagus and being transfigured into an animal. Otherwise, they would forget that they were a wizard and be trapped, unknowingly, in this form unless transformed back by another wizard. Characteristics of an Animagus' human form can manifest themselves in the animal transformation; McGonagall and Rita Skeeter have markings around their eyes that resemble their glasses, while Pettigrew has a missing toe on one of his front paws representing his missing finger. When an Animagus registers, they must record all the defining physical traits of their animal form so that the Ministry can identify them.
Each Animagus has a specific animal form, and cannot transform into any other animal. The animal cannot be chosen: it is uniquely suited to that individual's personality, and in most cases the Animagus will change into the same animal used in the person's Patronus Charm.
Explicit emphasis is placed in the books on the differences between Animagi and werewolves. Animagi have full control over their transformations and retain their minds, whereas werewolves' transformations are involuntary and include severe changes in personality. After the person has transformed into a werewolf "...he no longer remembers who he is. He'd kill his best friend. The werewolf only responds to the call of his own kind." The only way that a werewolf can retain his sanity, intelligence and memory while transformed is using the Wolfsbane Potion.
Metamorphmagi
A Metamorphmagus (a portmanteau of metamorph and magus) is a witch or wizard born with the innate ability to change some or all of their appearance at will. The talent cannot be learnt; a witch or wizard must be born with it.
Nymphadora Tonks and her son, Teddy Lupin are currently the only known Metamorphmagi in the series; it is a very rare ability, possibly hereditary. Tonks is known to change her hair colour and style according to her mood. She even appears as an old woman on occasion. She can also change her nose appearance, as she does when eating with the Weasley family to entertain Ginny and Hermione. Her son, Teddy Lupin, also inherited this trait, as his hair is mentioned to be repeatedly changing color.
The extent of these appearance-altering abilities and the limits thereof are not entirely clear. According to Rowling, a Metamorphmagus can alter his or her appearance completely, for instance, from black to white, young to old, handsome to plain and so on. In one example, Tonks changes her facial appearance by reshaping her nose into "a beaklike protuberance like Snape's", to "something resembling a button mushroom", and "one like a pig snout" which reminded Harry of his cousin Dudley. The emotional state of a Metamorphmagus can affect their abilities.
Parseltongue
Parseltongue is the language of snakes. It is often associated with Dark Magic, although Dumbledore stated that it is not necessarily an evil quality. Those possessing the ability to speak it (Parselmouths) occur very rarely. People apparently acquire the skill through learning or via a method of xenoglossia, such as through genetic inheritance or by use of Dark or dangerous magic. Harry was a Parselmouth until the age of 17. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets explains this was because of Voldemort's passing on some of his abilities to Harry the night he tried to kill him. Deathly Hallows reveals that a part of Voldemort's soul within Harry grants him this ability, which is later destroyed leaving Harry stripped of the ability.
Harry temporarily regains the ability in The Cursed Child, along with a pain in the scar.
Other known Parselmouths include Salazar Slytherin and his descendants, including the Gaunts and Voldemort. Dumbledore could also understand Parseltongue; he learned it and did not naturally possess the ability. In Half-Blood Prince, he repeats Morfin Gaunt's words "the big house over the way", which were spoken in Parseltongue.
Ron uses Parseltongue in the final book to reopen the Chamber of Secrets, but he is only imitating the sound of a phrase Harry used in the book Chamber of Secrets.
Rowling borrowed the term from "an old word for someone who has a problem with the mouth, like a hare lip".
Seers
A Seer is a witch or wizard with the clairvoyant ability to predict future events. The predictions given through this ability can sometimes be self-fulfilling prophecies, and Dumbledore states in Order of the Phoenix that not all of them come true, depending on the choices made by those mentioned. This would seem to indicate that a Seer predicts possible or likely events, at least in some cases.
In the Hall of Prophecy at the Department of Mysteries, thousands upon thousands of glass spheres are imbued with records of prophecies made by Seers. Only a person mentioned in a prophecy can safely retrieve it; anyone else who tries to do so will be driven insane.
According to McGonagall, true Seers are extremely rare. Sybill Trelawney is the only Seer portrayed in the books, and is considered an "old fraud" by her students -- although it is mentioned that Sybill's great-great-grandmother, Cassandra Trelawney, was a renowned Seer in her day. Trelawney is ultimately sacked by Dolores Umbridge in the fifth book for her lack of ability. She has twice made true prophecies -- both of significance to Harry Potter -- but had no recollection of either prediction afterward.
Legilimency and Occlumency
Legilimency is the magical skill of extracting feelings and memories from another person's mind—a form of magical "telepathy" (although Snape, an able practitioner of the art, dismisses the colloquial term "mind-reading", as a drastic oversimplification). It also allows one to convey visions or memories to another person, whether real or imaginary. A witch or wizard possessing this skill is called a Legilimens, and can, for example, detect lies and deceit in another person, witness memories in another person's past, or "plant" false visions in another's mind.
The counter-skill to Legilimency is Occlumency (and its user, known as an Occlumens), by which one can compartmentalize one's emotions, or prevent a Legilimens from discovering thoughts or memories which contradict one's spoken words or actions. An advanced form of Occlumency is planting false temporary memories inside an Occlumens' own head while blocking all other true memories, so if a Legilimens, even a highly skilled one, were to attempt to read the mind, he or she would find false memories only and believe everything was right.
The skills are first mentioned in Order of the Phoenix. Legilimency and Occlumency are not part of the normal curriculum at Hogwarts, and most students would graduate without learning them.
Voldemort, Snape, and Dumbledore are all skilled in Legilimency and Occlumency, albeit with the use of their wands. Voldemort is said to be the master of Legilimency by Snape, as he, in almost all cases, immediately knows if someone lied to him. In addition, in Deathly Hallows, Voldemort repeatedly uses Legilimency to interrogate his victims. Voldemort practices Occlumency throughout the period of Half-Blood Prince to deny Harry access to his thoughts and emotions. However, in Deathly Hallows, Voldemort repeatedly loses grip, resulting in occasional but very powerful burst of thoughts, visions and emotions to be sent to Harry.
Throughout the books, Snape is repeatedly said to be highly skilled in Occlumency, explaining how he was able to deceive Voldemort for years. Even before Order of the Phoenix, Harry has the impression that Snape can read minds.
During the Order of Phoenix Snape is instructed by Dumbledore to give Harry lessons in Occlumency. Due to the antagonism between the two, and Harry's secret desire to know Voldemort's thoughts, he makes poor progress, and only once manages to overcome Snape and enter his mind. In Deathly Hallows, Harry finally masters Occlumency—shutting his mind to Voldemort—when Dobby dies. He realises that his grief—or as Dumbledore calls it, love—is what can block out the Dark Lord.
Queenie Goldstein, in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is revealed to be a proficient Legilimens, born with the ability, as she is able to read the minds of Jacob Kowalski and others in the film, as well as sense and hear them from afar through their thoughts and emotions. Unlike Snape, Voldemort and Dumbledore she does not require a wand to cast the spells of Legilimency as the ability to read minds comes naturally to her.
Apparition and Disapparition
Apparition is a magical form of teleportation, through which a witch or wizard can disappear ("Disapparate") from one location and reappear ("Apparate") in another. It is usually accompanied by a loud cracking or popping sound, though the more skilled wizards such as Dumbledore can Apparate "so suddenly and silently" that they seem to have "popped out of the ground". According to Harry, apparition is also accompanied by a very unpleasant squeezing sensation, as though being sent through a tight rubber tube.
The Ministry of Magic licenses Apparition. A witch or wizard must be 17 years old or older and have a licence to Apparate as a means of transportation in much the same way real-world governments require individuals to have a licence to drive a motor vehicle. Students at Hogwarts may attend Ministry-administered Apparition lessons during their sixth year, and take their examination once they turn seventeen. It is shown that although it is possible to Apparate without a licence, it is not usually done (unless in lessons) and is illegal. In Deathly Hallows, Harry does not possess a licence, but since his Trace has been lifted, the Ministry is likely unaware that he does it.
Learning to Apparate is difficult, and students run the risk of splinching—being physically split between the origin and destination—which requires the assistance of the Ministry's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to undo properly, although essence of dittany can also mend certain wounds. Splinching is quite common during lessons, and can be uncomfortable (and at times rather gruesome) depending on the body parts splinched, but is ultimately harmless if properly reversed. Although Ron can Apparate, he isn't terribly skilled at it, and splinches himself at least three times (once losing half an eyebrow, two fingernails and part of his arm). Harry and Hermione both pick up the skill quickly in comparison. As explained in the Half-Blood Prince, there is no word spell to Apparate or Disapparate, but the caster has to concentrate on the location on which he has to apparate, needs to be fully focused on the spell, and also has to "feel" it through the whole body.
It has been indicated that it is considered rude to Apparate directly into a private area, such as a home. Dumbledore states in Half-Blood Prince that it would be "quite as rude as kicking down the front door". For this reason, and for reasons of security, many homes have Anti-Apparition spells protecting them from uninvited intrusions. The accepted way to travel to a home is to Apparate to a nearby location and continue to the final destination on foot. Apparition is considered unreliable over long distances, and even experienced users of the technique sometimes prefer other means of transport, such as broomsticks. Rowling has stated that Apparating over long distances depends on the skill of the wizard, and "Cross-continental Apparition would almost certainly result in severe injury or death." Indeed, even the prodigiously skilled Lord Voldemort elects to fly back to England after visiting the far-flung Nurmengard.
For reasons of security, the grounds and buildings of Hogwarts are protected by ancient Anti-Apparition and Anti-Disapparition spells, which prevent humans from Apparating on the school grounds. There is also a spell that prevents individuals from Disapparating, which Dumbledore places on the Death Eaters captured at the Ministry in Order of the Phoenix; a sister spell, which allows one to Apparate into a location but prevents them from Disapparating out of it, is cast by the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade in concordance with the Caterwauling Charm. Dumbledore is the only person who can both Apparate and Disapparate from the school grounds, since he is the headmaster.
A witch or wizard can use Side-Along Apparition to take others with them during Apparition. Dumbledore successfully transports Harry this way several times in Half-Blood Prince, and Harry's first non-lesson attempt at the skill is the Side-Along Apparition with the weakened Dumbledore when they return from the seaside cave.
In the Order of the Phoenix film, Death Eaters and Order members Apparate and Disapparate in clouds of black and white smoke respectively. In the film, both sides also appear to be able to "half-apparate" in which their bodies were made out of smoke, giving them the ability to fly. Both times Fred and George apparated and disapparated, they did it with a pop as in the books.
In the books, the words "Apparate" and "Disapparate", like many other neologisms used by Rowling, are capitalised, whereas established English words such as "jinx" and "hex" are not. The words themselves are most likely derived from the French apparaître and disparaître, meaning 'to appear' and 'to disappear'. Another possible derivation is from the English word "apparition", meaning "a supernatural appearance of a person or thing; anything that appears, especially something remarkable or startling; an act of appearing", which comes from the Latin "apparitio", meaning attendance. "Disapparate" probably comes from the same word but with the prefix "dis-" expressing negation or reversal.
Other teleportation
Some magical creatures have their own forms of instantaneous travel, such as a house elf's ability to teleport or a phoenix's ability to appear and disappear in a burst of flame. Unlike wizards, these creatures are not restricted by anti-Apparition magic. Dobby, Kreacher, and the rest of the house-elf population can Apparate within the Hogwarts grounds, as they demonstrate on multiple occasions, most notably when Dobby visits Harry in the hospital wing, and when Harry summons Dobby and Kreacher and assigns them to tail Draco Malfoy. Fawkes Disapparates from the headmaster's office at Hogwarts along with Dumbledore when the latter evades arrest at the hands of Ministry officials in Order of the Phoenix.
Some magical devices like the Floo Network, Portkeys and Vanishing Cabinets also provide forms of magical teleportation.
Veela charm
An ability attributed to Veela and those of Veela heritage, such as Fleur Delacour, Veela charm is used to charm males, much as the Sirens do in The Odyssey. Men who are exposed to it over time become more resistant to it, although the Veela charm takes full effect if the Veela surprises the man, as noted by Ron in Half-Blood Prince.
As shown in Goblet of Fire, one can use Veela hair as cores in magical wands. According to famed wandmaker Mr. Ollivander, these wands are a little "temperamental".
Veela are thought to have their own type of magic which does not require a wand. When Veela are angry, however, they transform into something more like Harpies — their faces turn into cruel-beaked bird heads while long scaly wings burst from their shoulders, and they can launch balls of fire from their hands. Veela seem to be quite an irascible race. Only full blooded and half blooded Veela are able to do this. The Veela magic changes in the descendants as they are not full or half. Especially when their other parents is magical. For example, in the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, they were easily wound up by the Leprechauns, resulting in a fight between both teams' mascots on the pitch. The Veela then got sent away.
Veela have been known to marry wizards, although it is unknown whether any have married Muggles. Children of these unions are half-Veela, and they will inherit magical ability from their fathers and beauty and charm from their mothers. Veela traits seem to persist for at least a few generations.
Apolline Delacour is a half-Veela, thus her children Fleur and Gabrielle are quarter-Veela,[1] and Fleur's children Victoire, Dominique and Louis are eighth-Veela; it is unknown if they have inherited any specific Veela characteristics from their great-grandmother.[2]
It is unknown whether half-blooded Veela can throw fire or transform into harpy-like creatures as their full-blooded relatives can. So refer to the above for this RPG.
Magical resistance
Powerful creatures such as trolls, dragons, and giants may exhibit magical resistance - a certain degree of immunity against hexes and spells. Hagrid is resistant to certain spells (like the Stunning Spell) due to his giant blood. This type of resistance is not insurmountable; if enough Stunning Spells, for example, are fired simultaneously at a creature with magical resistance, the creature may still be rendered unconscious. Also, wizards and witches can resist certain spells with the power of their own sheer will, as Harry does in Goblet of Fire, when Barty Crouch Jr. (disguised as Alastor Moody) tries to control Harry with the Imperius curse and Harry resists. The same book shows Barty Crouch Sr. throwing off the Imperius Curse after spending several months under it.
Taken from the Magic in Harry Potter page on Wikipedia.
