Apparition (Harry Potter)

> Harry felt Dumbledore's arm twist away from him and redoubled his grip: the next thing he knew everything went black; he was pressed very hard from all directions; he could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around his chest; his eyeballs were being forced back into his head; his eardrums were being pushed deeper into his skull, and then—
>
> Harry Potter's first experience with Apparition, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

**Apparition** was a form of ***magical*** ***transportation***, in which the user travelled instantly from one location to another, without traversing the space in-between. This was accomplished by having the user focus on a desired location in their mind and then purposely disappearing from where they were, to reappear at the desired location. Apparition was by far the fastest way to get to a desired destination, but was tricky to pull off correctly and ***disastrous if botched***.

## Apparition/Disapparition

### Effect

Instantly transports user

The ability to Apparate was a relatively advanced skill for wizards, but other magical ***creatures*** were capable of disappearing and reappearing of their own volition as well, such as house-elves and ***Diricawls***.
Apparition was a popular method of travel in the wizarding world, though it was stated that plenty of adult witches and wizards did not bother with it, preferring slower but safer methods of travelling such as broomsticks, the ***Floo Network***, or ***Portkeys***. Albus Dumbledore once noted that most people vomited the first time they Apparated. According to Harry Potter, Apparition felt like being "*forced through a very tight rubber tube*".

## Description

> Harry knew Apparating meant disappearing from one place and reappearing almost instantly in another, but he had never known any Hogwarts student to do it, and understood that it was very difficult.
>
> Harry Potter's knowledge of Apparition, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

 File:Yaxley attacking Ron mid Apparition.gif
According to ***Wilkie Twycross***, ***Ministry of Magic*** official and Apparition Instructor, one had to recall *The Three Ds*: *Destination*, *Determination* and *Deliberation*. One had to be completely *determined* to reach one's *destination*, and move without haste, but with *deliberation*. A witch or wizard ordinarily required a ***wand*** in order to Apparate, but like many other spells, it ***could be performed without one***.
This type of transportation could cause an audible noise, ranging from a small *pop*, to a loud *crack* that may sound to ***Muggles*** like a car backfiring, depending on their skill. House-elves could also Apparate, but without some of the restrictions that wizards had, due to their unique type of magic. For example, they could Apparate inside and outside of Hogwarts and even the ***Crystal Cave***, where powerful enchantments prevented all witches and wizards from doing so. Also, when they Apparated, the sound was most often a loud *crack*.<bt/>Apparition was called **Disapparition** from the point of view of someone at the place being left, and Apparition from the point of view of someone at the destination, much like the words "disappear" and "appear".
The ***British Ministry of Magic*** required all witches or wizards hoping to Apparate to have a licence. One of the reasons was so that they could not Apparate into a ***Muggle*** bank and steal all the money therein.

### Range

Apparition had a range limit, and became increasingly difficult with the distance to be travelled. It was very strongly advised that intercontinental Apparition is only to be attempted by the most highly skilled of wizards, otherwise risking ***splinching***, severe injury, and even death. Apparition also required a familiarity with the terrain of the place the wizard wanted to go to, as they needed to be able to visualise it clearly. In 1996, Harry Potter performed Apparition very impressively, to get himself and a weakened Albus Dumbledore over a long distance, most likely across the country.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione were trapped by Death Eaters in ***Malfoy Manor***, ***Bellatrix Lestrange*** alerted Voldemort, who was investigating ***Nurmengard Castle*** in the Austrian Alps. In order to get to Malfoy Manor, Voldemort had to fly most of the way. He had to fly over a "*dark and stormy sea*" to get within range of the manor. As such, even an extremely powerful wizard like Voldemort couldn't Apparate much further than the length of England. As such, wizards apparently could not Apparate somewhere outside of range by imagining that location and Apparating small stretches at a time, as doing so would possibly cause splinching.

### Destination

> The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D's! Destination, Determination, Deliberation!
>
> Wilkie Twycross teaching the rules of Apparition to sixth-year students in 1997, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Besides the user focusing in their mind on a desired place, the limitation of the choice of destination is unclear. It is most likely that the wizard or witch could only Apparate to somewhere they had seen or been to before. During Harry, Ron and Hermione's hunt for Horcruxes in late ***1997***, they Apparated to places familiar to Hermione, such as ***Tottenham Court Road*** and other holiday places, with Hermione noting the past significance and familiarity of each place that she Apparated to. The same principle applied during late ***1996*** when Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter Apparated to the residence of ***Horace Slughorn*** in ***Budleigh Babberton***, a place previously familiar to Dumbledore but not to Harry.

However, in ***1997***, Hermione and Harry were able to Apparate to Godric's Hollow without remembering the place, thus surely not being able to visualise it (Hermione had never been there, and Harry had been there only as a one-year-old child). Hence, probably wizards and witches *could* Apparate to places they haven’t seen or been to before—as long as they clearly think about the name of the place and know the approximate location (Probably Apparition was not completely accurate in this case, e.g. they Apparated to Godric’s Hollow but apparently they weren’t able to choose *where exactly* in Godric‘s Hollow they would appear).

## History

> Maybe he knows how to Apparate... Just appear out of thin air, you know.
>
> A Ravenclaw regarding how Sirius Black got into Hogwarts, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In 1992, the house-elf Dobby was able to get into Harry's bedroom in ***4 Privet Drive*** then Disapparate "with a crack like a whip", and appear and disappear inside Hogwarts.

## Side-Along Apparition

Template:Dialogue a-b

 File:Hermione and Harry apparating.gif
A variant of Apparition used to transport two or more individuals at once was called Side-Along Apparition. This method could be used by adults seeking to transport underage wizards, or licenced individuals could use this method to transport an injured party. To perform this version of Apparition, the more able party would Apparate with the other party holding onto an arm.

This method was recommended by the ***British Ministry of Magic*** for parents with underage children to escape from danger quickly. The party who could not Apparate had to hold onto the other as tightly as possible. House-elves could perform Side-Along Apparition as well. If both parties knew how to Apparate, they didn't need to grip so tightly, as the Apparator would simply be guiding their passenger.

 File:Harry and Dumbledore Apparition HBPF.gif
Side-Along Apparition could also be forced, as when ***Death Eater*** ***Yaxley*** grabbed onto Hermione Granger's arm when she, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley escaped from the ***Ministry of Magic*** in ***1997***. He was transported with her when she Apparated to ***12 Grimmauld Place***, and she was only able to escape by shaking his grip with a ***Revulsion Jinx*** and Disapparating again. In ***1998***, ***Fenrir Greyback*** captured Harry and forcefully dragged him along when Apparating to the ***Malfoy Manor***. Harry found it impossible to break free of this forced Side-Along Apparition.

When hoping to Apparate with creatures, it would depend on the nature of them. Many of them had a magical nature which would not enable them to travel by Apparition.

## Creature Apparition

> With a crack like a whip, Dobby vanished.
>
> Dobby the house-elf Disapparating from 4 Privet Drive in 1992, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

 File:Tumblr n4b06pMvhJ1qdsqclo5 250.gif
House-elves could Apparate, including where wizards were prevented from doing so, such as Hogwarts and ***12 Grimmauld Place***. Dobby Apparated to and from the Hogwarts ***Hospital Wing*** to visit Harry in 1992.

## Licence to Apparate

Template:Dialogue a-b
A ***licence to Apparate*** was required to practise Apparition legally, at least in ***Great Britain***; these could be gained from the ***Department of Magical Transportation*** and were required since at least the ***1920s***. In ***Great Britain*** at least, one had to be at least seventeen years old to obtain such a licence, though other countries such as ***Denmark*** made underage Apparition legal. Lessons in Apparition were available, for an extra charge, to students who were or would be of legal age when the next test was administered. This was similar to ***Muggle*** schools where road instruction for driving licences were available, but at an extra charge.

 File:Ron Splinched in Deathly Hallows Part 1.jpg
Though it was physically possible to Apparate without a licence, it was strictly prohibited, because injury could result. ***Splinching*** could occur when one had insufficient determination to reach one's goal, causing certain body parts to fail to arrive at the destination with the wizard. For example, Susan Bones left behind her leg when she accidentally splinched herself during an Apparition lesson; although her leg was successfully reattached, she was left shaken by the incident.

Splinching also occurred in 1997 to Ron Weasley after Disapparating from ***12 Grimmauld Place***. Ron also failed his first Apparition test because his examiner saw he had lost half of his eyebrow at the last minute. In cases of unlicensed Apparition when injury resulted, the ***Accidental Magic Reversal Squad*** could level heavy fines. In cases where splinching occurred, if the victim had not been treated properly, the injury could be much more serious, such as when Ron suffered severe blood loss after splinching away part of his upper arm while escaping from 12 Grimmauld Place in 1997. It is unknown when and where Ron retook the Apparition test, or if he ever passed or even retook it at all.

## Anti-Disapparition Jinx

Main article: Anti-Disapparition Jinx
An Anti-Disapparition Jinx could be used to prevent a witch or wizard from Apparating or Disapparating to or from a location. Many magical places, such as ***British Ministry of Magic Headquarters***, ***French Ministry of Magic Headquarters***, ***Woolworth Building*** (headquarters of the ***MACUSA***), ***the Crystal Cave***, ***Nurmengard Castle***, Hogwarts Castle, ***Azkaban***, and the cellar in ***Malfoy Manor*** were ***warded off against*** Apparition, which prevented people from simply appearing inside those places, forcing them to have to physically venture to them or Apparate near them, as well as preventing people inside the places from being able to leave by means of Disapparition. Hogwarts had an Anti-Disapparition Jinx cast upon it for most occasions, and when Harry, Ron, and Hermione Apparated into ***Hogsmeade*** shortly before the ***Battle of Hogwarts***, the ***Death Eaters*** had already placed an Anti-Disapparition Jinx on Hogsmeade in order to keep the three trapped there.

There was a method of teleportation used by house-elves which was not influenced by the jinx, as they were bound by more powerful magic requiring them to appear whenever their master called. However, it was possible that all known Anti-Disapparition Jinxes worked only on humans, for it had been bypassed by creatures such as house-elves and phoenixes.

## Notable practitioners

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.jpgAlbus Dumbledore †Fawkes WB F2 FawkesIllustration V2 Illust.jpgFawkesArthur Weasley profile.jpgArthur WeasleyMolly Weasley Deathly Hallows.jpgMolly WeasleySeverus Snape.jpgSeverus Snape †Lucius Malfoy Profile.jpgLucius MalfoyLockhart CoS.pngGilderoy LockhartHarry Potter.jpgHarry PotterRon Weasley.jpgRon WeasleyHermione Granger.jpgHermione GrangerPercy-weasley.jpgPercy WeasleyDobby.jpgDobby †
## Etymology

Apparition is derived from the word "Appareo" which is Latin for "appear" or "I become visible".

## Behind the scenes

* Harry technically broke the law during the *Deathly Hallows* since he had not taken the test. However the nature of the situation means he likely would not have faced charges. At the same time, he was the most wanted wizard in Britain after the Ministry of Magic fell to Voldemort and his Death Eaters, so if he had been caught Apparating, it wouldn't have been the worst of his troubles.
* Harry and Dumbledore Apparated at the Astronomy Tower, although it is said that no one can Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. Harry mentioned it to Dumbledore, to which Dumbledore replied, "Well, being me has its privileges". The original script explains this further, having Dumbledore perform a spell upon re-arrival at Hogwarts, explaining to Harry that he is "closing the window" that allowed them to Apparate. Furthermore it is also said that the Headmaster was able to lift and put back the Anti-Apparition Charm and the Anti-Disapparition Jinx.
* Although it is seen, the term "Apparition" is not mentioned in the films.
* According to ***W.O.M.B.A.T.***, it is possible that Inter-country Apparition has been outlawed due to extreme ***Splinching***.
* There may be different variations of Apparition, like flying or randomly appearing out of nowhere.
* The instance of some variations of Apparition appearing to effectively be flying (***Death Eaters*** and Order of the Phoenix members) contradicts the magical law that a wizard cannot fly without a charmed vehicle such as a Broomstick.
* In the ***final film***, Voldemort can Apparate during the ***Battle of Hogwarts*** but it can be explained showing that he and his Death Eaters broke all the protections, because Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn't Apparate into the castle earlier.
	+ Draco Malfoy appeared to have been able to Apparate inside Hogwarts, as he apparently Apparated in one of the corridors, grabbed ***Gregory Goyle*** and ***Blaise Zabini***, then Disapparated again. Again, this could be because the Anti-Apparition Jinx had been broken.
* While Apparition is mentioned by Ron in Template:COS before making its first appearance later in the series, the concept of Side-Along Apparition is never mentioned before it is introduced. It is possible that it is not normally allowed, as the Ministry's pamphlets describe it as an emergency measure that is in place in light of the dark events of the time.
* According to Albus Dumbledore, Apparating directly into somebody's home is "as rude as kicking down the front door", implying that there is a society code of conduct regarding Apparition. It is, however, unknown whether this is Dumbledore's personal opinion or the collective view of the wizarding society. Furthermore, the point is generally moot as most wizarding dwellings have magical protection against unwanted Apparitions.
* An Apparition licence in the wizarding world seems to be analogous to a driving licence in the Muggle world, with many young wizards and witches deriding their younger relatives for not being able to do so yet, much like with Seamus Finnegan and his cousin, or with Ron and his brothers Fred and George.

### In the films

In the film adaptations of the series, Apparition differs greatly in deployment from the book series. The appearance of Apparition is also inconsistent between characters and uses. As it somewhat deviates from the books, the way Apparition is portrayed in the films is most likely a stylistic choice made to better suit the visual medium of a film. It could also be explained that the style differs by distance. Short range and/or without needing to change locations immediately, the less intense, black smoke form of the Death Eaters is used. Long range and/or needing to change locations immediately, the more intense twisting into and out of nothingness, the kind which was first used by Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter in the Half Blood Prince, is then used.

* Death Eaters are shown physically collapsing into thick black plumes of smoke, shooting off into the sky, and being able to go wherever they want to, while doing this. Even though many people think this is Apparition, it is not. It is just an ability that was given to the Death Eaters in the film series. Voldemort, for example, can fly this way, and also Apparate in the standard way. That shows that flying (black smoke) and Apparating are different things in the films. They are also capable of partially turning to black gas, allowing them to emanate it perpetually. Also, in every film with the ***Dark Mark*** in the sky, Death Eaters are shown to be able to use it as a means of fast travel by Apparating inside its mouth in smoke form and then shooting out of it. This allows them to appear wherever it appears and use it as a portal. Death Eaters can also take others with them while dematerialised into smoke form, causing the person they are in physical contact with to dematerialise with them.
* Voldemort performed a combination of this method and unsupported flight in the films. as he and Harry were falling off a cliff in *The Deathly Hallows: Part 2*, resulting in Harry being inside the smoke pillar with Voldemort. This caused the pillar to fly out of control and repeatedly crash through several structures, while inside, it was shown that Harry and Voldemort were in a tiny tube being repeatedly twisted and swirled and even briefly merged, similar to how the inside of Side Along Apparition has been portrayed since the *Half-Blood Prince film.* In the film version of Order of the Phoenix, Voldemort could teleport in a large whirlwind, which caused the sand on the ground left by Dumbledore's ***glass to sand*** spell to fly and circle around inside the whirlwind. He also seemed to feign doing so, both in the book and film, while in the film it is portrayed by him seemingly becoming like wind. This is shown when he vanished in the whirlwind only to possess Harry. He also appeared to do so by turning to black smoke, which he could thin himself out on to become like wind and be invisible, while he was shown talking to Harry telepathically while in this disembodied state. It was in this state that he possessed Harry by physically entering his body and then being forced out by Harry's happy memories. He also could float and levitate while emanating black gas, as he did during the *Deathly Hallows films*, while when he was seemingly still physical and tangible, as he could be trapped in electric wiring, as he did during the film portrayal of the ***Battle of the Seven Potters***.

Fred and George Weasley, show Apparition as it is shown in the books, by merely appearing out of thin air with a loud noise, usually startling the people around them, like Molly Weasley. Interestingly, they were the only wizards in the films to Apparate such short distances until. In the film version of the Duel in the Ministry Atrium, Voldemort demonstrated vanishing and reappearing short distances in a disembodied and invisible state, which allowed him to communicate telepathically with Harry, as well as physically possess him later on. In the film version of ***Voldemort's Last Stand***, Voldemort was able to pursue Harry through Hogwarts Castle by Apparating around the building, first appearing in the ***Seventh-floor corridor*** with ***Nagini*** in tow, and then at the ***Catwalks by the Quad battlements*** to try and ambush Harry. While first fighting Harry, he suddenly vanished from the bottom of the staircase below Harry and and reappeared at the top of the stairs behind Harry.

* In Template:COS, Dobby the house-elf Apparates in the Dursleys' kitchen. There is a loud popping noise (actually Dobby snapping, which also causes sparks), and Dobby seems to fade away like a rush of slow, glistening wind. However, as of the *The Deathly Hallows: Part 1*, even house-elves, such as Dobby.
* Similar to the previous instance, during the film portrayal of the ***Battle of the Department of Mysteries***, as Lucius takes the prophecy from Harry, a sudden white flash appears behind Lucius, surprising and confusing them both, while Sirius is suddenly behind Lucius and ***punches*** him in the face. The white light is similar to that of the glowing white smoke pillars that the Order of the Phoenix members turn into in the film, suggesting that Sirius Apparated there in a similar manner to the Ministry of Magic members did in the Goblet of Fire film.

## Appearances

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* Template:PS Template:Possible
* Template:COS Template:1st
* Template:GOF
* Template:OOTP
* Template:HBP
* Template:DH
* Template:DH

## Notes and references

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1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Scholastic interview with J. K. Rowling
2. ↑ JK Rowling's Twitter, 9:33 AM CET - 18 Nov 2016
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 JK Rowling's Twitter, 9:46 AM CET - 18 Nov 2016
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 JK Rowling's website - Welcome to my new website
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Template:COS
6. ↑ Scholastic Glossary
7. ↑ *Half-Blood Prince* script on the Internet Movie Script Database (archived here)