Flight (Harry Potter)

> He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him — and in a rush of fierce joy he realised he'd found something he could do without being taught — this was easy, this was wonderful.
>
> Harry Potter's first time on a broomstick, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

**Flight** was one of the primary methods of wizarding transportation, along with Floo powder, Portkeys and Apparition. It involved a person or persons using an object that had been bewitched to fly through the air to another location. Magical objects used for this purposes included broomsticks and flying carpets.

## Description

### Broomstick

Main article: Broomstick
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Compared to other methods, flying was the slowest method of transportation available. However, some bewitched objects could fly much faster than others and it was the most common method of transportation, as witches and wizards who couldn't or did not want to Apparate or use Floo powder used it.

Flying itself was a class taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Madam Hooch, for first-year students. Flying was also used in magical sporting events, such as the popular game of Quidditch.

### Other vehicles

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Though broomsticks were the primary method of magical transportation in Britain, other enchanted objects were used elsewhere in the wizarding world. In Asia and the Middle East, flying carpets were the primary form of wizarding transport, but were currently designated as Muggle artefacts in Britain and were therefore illegal to enchant. They also couldn't be imported despite at least one merchant's continued efforts to do so. This ban seemed to be relatively recent as Bartemius Crouch Senior's grandfather owned a flying Axminster before they were made illegal.

Vehicles such as cars and motorcycles could also be modified to be capable of flight, though this was also technically illegal under Misuse of Muggle Artefacts laws.

### Magical creatures

A range of flying creatures were also available for transport, such as Thestrals and Hippogriffs. When visiting Hogwarts for the 1994 Triwizard Tournament, the Beauxbatons students travelled in a carriage drawn by Abraxan winged horses.

### Unsupported flight

Main article: Unsupported flight
 File:Voldemort flying without support.gif
In defiance of magical law (that stated that a wizard could only fly using a vehicle, which itself could only have a flying charm) a few known wizards and witches had achieved this feat. The most infamous being Dark wizard Lord Voldemort who managed to achieve a way to fly without any form of magical vehicle (though some form of magical assistance was certainly required to do this).

Professor Quirrell, most likely by learning the skill from Voldemort, flies clear across a chamber towards Harry during their encounter for the Philosopher's Stone.

Voldemort's incident of unsupported flight was witnessed in battle with Order of the Phoenix operatives in 1997, and by Harry Potter during his connection with Voldemort's mind. This method could be duplicated, as Voldemort taught his (supposedly) most loyal Death Eater Severus Snape how to fly the same way.

### Animagi

Main article: Animagus
Animagi who possessed the forms of animals capable of flight might enjoy the sensation of flight. However, Animagi themselves were extremely rare, let alone those who possessed forms capable of flight (since the species was predetermined by the Animagi's traits). Known Animagi whose forms were capable of flight were Falco Aesalon (falcon), Cliodna (seabird), Morrigan (Crow), Morgan le Fay (bird), Mudiwa Onai (African fish eagle), Rita Skeeter (beetle), Talbott Winger's mother (White Swan) and Talbott Winger (eagle).

## Behind the scenes

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* In the film version of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Professor Quirrell, most likely by learning the skill from Voldemort, flies clear across a chamber towards Harry during their encounter for the Philosopher's Stone.
* When Hagrid is asked how he arrived to pick up Harry from the Dursleys in the first book he states that he "flew," but excluded what method he used to arrive. He later stated in the seventh book that brooms and Thestrals cannot take his weight. Sirius Black's Motorcycle is known to have been in Hagrid's possession at this time so it is the likely means.
* In the films, as early as *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, Voldemort's Death Eaters appear to be able to effectively fly by partially disapparating.
* In the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, the members of the Order of the Phoenix seemed to fly, their body partially becomes smoke and they leave a smoke trail behind them, and whilst Death Eaters' trail was black, theirs was white. It should be noted that in the beginning of the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, Death Eaters flew in London and severed a bridge's wires while they were flying around it. This instance is therefore contradictory to the laws that wizards can only fly using a vehicle.
* In the films, Dementors can fly freely without physical support. This is in contrast to their novel counterparts, who glide, rather than fly.

## Appearances

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## Notes and references

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1. ↑ Template:PS
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