Underage Real Magic

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**Underage magic** was any magic used by a wizard or witch who was under seventeen years of age outside of school. While children were permitted to use magic as part of their education, it had been banned from use outside of such under the ***Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery*** since ***1875***. Compliance with the Decree was monitored and enforced by the ***Improper Use of Magic Office*** at the ***British Ministry of Magic*** using the ***Trace*** Charm. Children under the age of eleven, who had little control over their abilities and no wands, were exempt from the law. Though in wizarding families their parents were expected to keep them under control. The British Ministry of Magic could only detect where magic was used, but not who used it. Most experts believed that if a child had magical ability, they would exhibit it by the age of ***seven***.

## Accidental wandless magic

Magical children were prone to using magic accidentally when feeling angry, scared, or confused, as a form of self-defence. They typically had no control over this magic.

### Known examples

* As a boy, Severus Snape made a branch of a tree snap and strike ***Petunia Evans*** in the shoulder when she made fun of him.
* Before Harry Potter went to Hogwarts, he did several things accidentally using his magical powers. He also magically spoke with a boa constrictor at the zoo in Parseltongue and unintentionally set it free by making the glass vanish. In 1993, he lost control of his magic when ***Marge Dursley*** insulted his late parents; his anger ***caused her to magically inflate***.

## Intentional wandless magic

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Some magical children exhibited mild degrees of control over their magic and were able to use it with intent, but not to cast specific spells. The ability to perform specific spells without a wand was an advanced ability that even some adult wizards and witches found difficult. According to Albus Dumbledore, it was unusual and even somewhat worrisome for a child to be able to control their magic before the age of eleven. When discussing Tom Riddle's exceptional degree of control over his magic as a child, Dumbledore remarked that his powers were "surprisingly-well developed for such a young wizard and — most interestingly and ominously of all — he had already discovered that he had some measure of control over them, and begun to use them consciously".

### Known examples

* As a child growing up in ***an orphanage***, Tom Marvolo Riddle developed remarkable control over his magic for his age, even before he consciously knew what the power was. He could manipulate the minds of animals and creatures (for the free will, thoughts, and minds of animals are quite weak), enchant objects to make them move or travel floating with his mind, inflict harm on those who annoyed him, and speak Parseltongue.
* As a baby, in the mid ***1930s***, Minerva McGonagall used to summon toys that had been left on upper shelves to her cot, made the ***family cat*** do her bidding, and made ***her father's*** bagpipes play themselves.
* Lily Evans displayed some control over her magical abilities as a girl. She floated off a swing set and manipulated the petals of a flower in front of her sister ***Petunia***.

## Underage magic with a wand

According to Albus Dumbledore, although the Ministry could detect the use of magic near an underage witch or wizard, they couldn't determine who performed it. This was why Harry was blamed for the Hover Charm used by Dobby at his aunt and uncle's house; since Harry was the only wizard who lived there, the Ministry assumed he was the only one who could have cast the spell. In the home of a wizarding family, it was up to the adults to enforce the rules for underage members of the household (also according to Dumbledore). This was consistent with the relatively numerous incidences of underage magic mentioned as having been performed at home by Fred and George Weasley.

### Known examples

* Harry Potter received a warning after a Hover Charm was detected in his ***home*** in ***Little Whinging***, though it was actually performed by Dobby the house-elf.
* Lily Evans occasionally used magic outside of school, despite living with her ***Muggle*** family, and received a few warning letters, but nothing “too serious”.

## Behind the scenes

* Harry's early uses of underage magic, such as turning his teacher's ***wig blue***, were cut from Template:PS, presumably for time reasons. The only visible incidents are his speaking Parseltongue with the ***Boa constrictor at the zoo*** (depicted as a ***Burmese*** ***Python*** in the film) and subsequently making the glass vanish. In another difference from the book, the glass then reappears, trapping ***Dudley*** inside the enclosure.

## See also

* Wandless magic
* Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery
* Trace

## Appearances

* Template:PS Template:1st
* Template:COS Template:Mention
* Template:POA
* Template:OOTP
* Template:HBP
* Template:DH
* Template:PM
* Template:WW
* Template:HPV
* Template:HM Template:Possible Template:Mention
* Template:MA

## Notes and references

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1. ↑ Template:DH
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:DH
3. ↑ Template:PS
4. ↑ Template:POA
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Template:HBP
6. ↑ Template:WW
7. ↑ Template:COS
8. ↑ F.A.Q at Template:JKRS