Apparition

Apparition/Disapparition
Incantation	None
Hand movement	Turn on the spot
Light	None
Effect	Magically transports the caster

"Harry felt Dumbledore's arm twist away from him and re-doubled 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 ear-drums were being pushed deeper into his skull."

— Harry Potter's first experience with Apparation.

Apparition is a magical method of transportation and is basically the magical action of traveling by having the user focus on a desired location in their mind, then disappear from their current location and instantly reappear at the desired location. It is by far the fastest way to get to one's desired destination, but is tricky to pull off correctly and disastrous if botched up. Apparition is a very popular method of travel in the Wizarding world, though brooms or portkeys may be preferred as the feeling of Apparition can be unpleasant to some. Albus Dumbledore once noted that most people vomit the first time they successfully Apparate, and according to Harry Potter Apparition feels like being "forced through a very tight rubber tube."

Description

According to Wilkie Twycross, Ministry of Magic official and Apparition Instructor, one has but to recall The Three D's: Destination, Determination and Deliberation. One must be completely determined to reach one's destination, and move without haste, but with deliberation.

Harry and Hermione Disapparating

Apparition can cause an audible noise ranging from a small faint pop to a loud crack that may sound to Muggles like a car backfiring. House-elves may also Apparate but without some of the restrictions that wizards have. For example, they can Apparate inside of Hogwarts. Also, when they Apparate, the sound is mostly a loud crack.

Apparition is 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 emigration and immigration, or appear and disappear. So, in other words, when one Apparates, it looks to others as if the Apparitioner is actually disapparating, and vice versa.

Variations

As well as single-person apparation, there is a form of apparation called Side-Along Apparation where one Apparates alongside another person (or persons). There are also a debate about where it is necessary to use a wand to Apparate.

Side-Along Apparition

Harry Potter: "We just Apparated, didn't we sir?"

Albus Dumbledore: "Yes, and quite successfully too, I might add. Most people vomit the first time."

— Albus Dumbledore on Apparation

Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter in the "rubber tube" between Disapparition and Apparition.

A variant of Apparition used to transport two or more individuals at once is called Side-Along Apparition. This method may be used by adults seeking to transport underage wizards, or in some cases a licensed individual may use this method to transport an injured party. It is not yet sure if Side-Along Apparition is possible if the second wizard does not have his/her wand with them. To perform this version of Apparition, the more able party Apparates with the other party holding onto their arm. This method is recommended by the Ministry of Magic for parents with underage children to escape from danger quickly. House-elves can also do Side-Along Apparation.

Side-Along Apparition can 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 Disapparated to 12 Grimmauld Place and she was only able to escape by shaking his grip with a Revulsion Jinx and Disapparating again.

Use of a wand

It has not been directly stated whether or not a wizard needs a wand to Apparate. The requirement of a wand for Apparition remains open to debate.

There are some lines of argument to suggest that a wand is required. During the Infiltration of the Ministry of Magic by Harry, Ron, and Hermione and its disastrous after-effects, Harry thinks about asking Hermione if Mary Cattermole would be able to Side-Along Apparate with her husband Reginald Cattermole without a wand, implying that she cannot. And during the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor, while Harry and Ron are trapped in the Malfoy Manor's cellar and Hermione is being interrogated/tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange, it is directly said that "Ron was now trying to Disapparate without a wand", but was unsuccessful, which leads to the suggestion that Apparating is impossible to do without a wand. It is also noticeable that when escaping from Malfoy Manor, Harry made sure to throw a wand at Ron shouting "catch and GO!" before Ron Disapparated. Furthermore, Molly Weasley commented to Fred and George Weasley when they apparated behind her at Grimmauld Place, "Just because you are allowed to use magic now does not mean you have to whip your wands out for everything!", providing further evidence that wands are needed to Apparate. The most compelling argument for the requirement of a wand to Apparate is noted in Voldemort's recollection of the night he killed Harry's parents. In this most detailed account, moments after Harry and Hermione escape from Bathilda Bagshot's home, Voldemort recalls how neither James or Lily had a wand as they tried to protect Harry. He kills James first, as Lily rushes Harry upstairs and attempts to barricade herself in the nursery. Had she been able to Apparate without a wand, she could have simply disappeared with Harry.

However, there are equally valid counter-arguments that wands are not required for Apparition. At the end of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, after Sirius Black escapes, Cornelius Fudge suggests to Snape that Sirius might have Disapparated. Sirius was currently wandless, and while Apparation is impossible within Hogwarts' grounds, the fact that Fudge sees it as a possibility suggests that Apparition can be completed without a wand. Information about wands supplies further evidence: the channelling of magic to perform a spell or magical ability by holding it in one's hand (this is debatable, during the Dementor attack on Little Whinging in 1995 Harry uses Lumos when searching for his wand in the dark, the wand tip still ignites though he is not holding it. However, it is unclear as to if he was touching the wand at the time). Any other method of use -- including mere possession of a wand for Disapparition or Apparition -- is purely conjectural and unsupported by any firm evidence. When Harry wonders whether Mary Cattermole can Side-Along Apparate with her husband without a wand, this is merely a reflection of his lack of experience with Apparition.

Evidence confirms that one does not need a wand to Side-Along Apparate (Harry is Side-Along Apparated by Hermione from Bathilda Bagshot's house without a working wand, and Dean Thomas either Apparates or Side-Along Apparates without a wand at all). At Malfoy Manor, the context of Ron's attempt to Disapparate without a wand merely points to his panicked state of mind, since he would not have been able to rescue Hermione, even if he managed to Disapparate without a wand. Malfoy Manor may also have been protected with anti-Apparition spells. An alternate interpretation of the scene, in which Harry and Hermione leave Bathilda Bagshot's house, may be an example of Apparition without a wand. The text is not clear as to who initiates the Apparition, but it is Harry, who grabs Hermione and leaps out of the window meaning it is quite possible that Harry initiated the Apparition without even realising his wand had been damaged. So it seems that Apparition can be done without a wand, but it is harder to do than it would be with a wand. Likely the case is the same as wandless magic in general, with most individuals needing wands and only particularly skillful wizards being able to do so wandlessly.

House Elf Apparition

As well as wizards and witches being able to apparate, house elves can too. House elves, though, are able to disapparate in and out of places even if the place has a non-apparate charm on it meaning house elves can become very useful. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1 Harry, Ron, Luna and Ollivander were stuck in the Malfoy Manor cellar whilst Hermione was being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry wants to get Luna and Ollivander to safety as well as save Hermione but does not know how as it is not possible to apparate in the cellar. He and Ron try everything, but unfortunately there is no escape until Harry catches a glimpse of a peircing bright blue eye in the cracked mirror he had been given. Soon after Dobby the 'free elf' comes to rescue them. He first takes Luna and Ollivander to safety, as he is able to apparate anywhere, then comes back to help Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Licence to Apparate

"Oh, she was perfect, obviously. Perfect deliberation, divination, and desperation or whatever the hell it is — we all went for a quick drink in the Three Broomsticks after and you should’ve heard Twycross going on about her — I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t pop the question soon —"

— Ron Weasley on Hermione Granger’s Appariting abilities

Harry Potter in Apparition class.

A Licence to Apparate is required to practise Apparition legally. One must be at least seventeen (17) years old to obtain such a licence. Lessons in Apparition are available, for an additional charge, to students who are or will be of legal age when the next test is administered. This is similar to Muggle schools where road instruction for driving licences is available, but at an additional charge.

While it is physically possible to Apparate without a licence, it is not advisable, because injury could result. Splinching can occur when one has 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 lost a leg when she Splinched herself during an Apparition lesson, though it was successfully reattached. Splinching also occurred in 1997 to Ron Weasley after Disapparating from 12 Grimmauld Place. Ron Weasley also failed his first Apparation test because his examainer saw he had lost half of his eyebrow at the last minute. In cases of unlicenced Apparition, when injury results, the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad can level heavy fines. However, Harry Potter successfully Apparated many, many times without a licence between June 1997 when he brought Albus Dumbledore back to Hogsmeade village by Side-Along Apparition and the end of the Second Wizarding War.

"Splinching, or the separation of random body parts, occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continually upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation…"

— Wilkie Twycross

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, students in their sixth year can sign up for Ministry of Magic Apparition lessons. Those who turn seventeen before the first Apparition Test date have the opportunity to take additional practice sessions in Hogsmeade.

Range

Remus Lupin Apparating.

Apparation may have a certain range. In 1998, Lord Voldemort was seen by Harry Potter as flying towards Malfoy Manor, thinking to himself that he would soon be near enough to Apparate. This could explain Voldemort's need to fly to locations to check on his Horcruxes, as he may have been out of his range to Apparate. However it is more likely that there are anti-Apparation spells protecting those area, such as Nurmengard, which would have these spells because it is a prison.

Apparation becomes increasingly difficult with the distance to be travelled. Inter-continental Apparation should only be attempted by the most highly skilled of wizards.

Anti-Disapparition Jinx

Bellatrix Lestrange Apparating during the Burning of the Burrow.

An Anti-Disapparition Jinx can be used to prevent a wizard from Disapparating from a location. Hogwarts has 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, an Anti-Disapparation Jinx was placed on the wizarding village by the Death Eaters to keep the trio trapped there.

There is a method of teleportation used by house-elves which is not influenced by the jinx, as they are bound by more powerful magic requiring them to appear whenever their master calls. However, it may be the case that all known Anti-Disapparition Jinxes work only on humans, for it has been bypassed by creatures such as house-elves and phoenixes. Portkeys can also be used to access or depart from locations bound by an Anti-Disapparition Jinx.

Known practitioners

• Albus Dumbledore
• Elphias Doge
• Fred Weasley
• George Weasley
• Arthur Weasley
• Molly Weasley
• Nymphadora Tonks
• Bellatrix Lestrange
• Fenrir Greyback
• Narcissa Malfoy
• Lord Voldemort
• Avery Jr.
• Walden Macnair
• Lucius Malfoy
• Nott
• Crabbe
• Goyle
• Severus Snape
• Draco Malfoy
• Ron Weasley
• Hermione Granger
• Wilkie Twycross
• Harry Potter
• Mundungus Fletcher
• Kingsley Shacklebolt
• Susan Bones (Splinched herself)
• Percy Weasley
• Bill Weasley
• Charlie Weasley
• Ollivander
• Montague
• Fergus
• Bob Ogden
• Sirius Black III
• Barty Crouch Sr.
• Amos Diggory
• Ludo Bagman
• Dobby

Etymology

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

Behind the scenes

• Charlie Weasley took his Apparition test twice, having Apparated on top of an old lady doing her shopping five miles south of his intended destination the first time.
• Ron Weasley failed his first Apparition Licence Exam when he splinched half his eyebrow off.
• Albus Dumbledore took Harry Potter to Horace Slughorn's hideout by means of Side-Along Apparition. Harry later returned the favour by Apparating to escape a seaside cave with an injured Dumbledore on his arm.
• Harry technically broke the law during 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 wouldn't have been the worst of his troubles.
• The ability of Yaxley in Deathly Hallows being able to force Side-along Apparition by merely holding Hermione's arm, suggests that Apparition may use the same form of magic utilised in Portkeys, as the only requirement for travel via a Portkey is to touch the Key itself. This may be incorrect however, as Portkeys are not affected by Anti-Apparation Jinxes, though this could be because the jinx is set to only work on the specific spell used when Apparating, and is not attuned to the Portus spell.
• In the movie adaptation of Half-Blood Prince, Harry and Dumbledore Apparated at the Astronomy Tower making this a very good contradiction to the fact that no one can Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. Harry mentioned it to Dumbledore, to which Dumbledore replied, "Well, being me has its privileges", possibly meaning that Dumbledore had the ability to Apparate within Hogwarts, or that he had lowered the Anti-Apparition spell, as he did in the book when he lowered the spells that stopped people flying in, or even that the Headmaster can freely Apparate within Hogwarts.
• Although it is seen, the term "Apparition" is not mentioned in the films until the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. However, it is mentioned in the second book when Ron tells Harry not to worry about stealing the car because his mum and dad can Apparate.
• According to W.O.M.B.A.T., it is possible that Inter-country Apparition has been outlawed due to extreme Splinching.
• It may be possible there are different variations of Apparation, like flying or randomly appearing out of nowhere.
• In the films, it appears Death Eaters have a black smoke trail around them as they Apparate, and Order members having white instead. This may mean dark wizards have black trails instead of white.
• In the final film, Voldemort can Apparate during the Battle of Hogwarts but it can be explained showing the fact that he broke all the protections, because Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn't Apparate into the castle.

In the films

Hogwarts Astronomy tower in 1997.

In the film adaptations of the series, Apparition differs greatly in deployment from the book series. The appearance of Apparation is also inconsistent between characters and uses.

• Death Eaters are shown physically collapsing into thick black plumes of smoke, shooting off into the sky, and reforming at their desired location.
• Order members do the same, only in the form of shining white clouds of mist.
• Fred and George Weasley, near the beginning of the Order of the Phoenix film, 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.
• Albus Dumbledore Apparates to the Astronomy Tower with Harry Potter in the Half-Blood Prince movie by being sucked in by a silvery grey blob which then spits them out at the Tower.
• In the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, several members of the Order and Death Eaters were seen, with the same appearance as Apparating (as white and black gas, respectively), but flying while battling. It is very clear in the books that doing magic while Apparating is more or less impossible because you are being "ripped" to another location and the sensation is so powerful that you could not focus to aim your wand anyway.
• In the Chamber of Secrets film, Dobby the house-elf Apparates in the Dursleys' kitchen. There is a loud popping noise, and Dobby seems to fade away like a rush of slow wind.
• In the Goblet of Fire film, Arthur Weasley and other members of the Ministry of Magic Apparate quickly after the disturbance caused by the Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup match. There is a faint flash of violet light shown in the place of the Ministry members before they appear.

Somewhat deviating 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 be explained that the style differs by distance. Short range and less intense in the form Death Eaters use, they can fly/Apparate to their destination, long range and more intense the silvery grey blob used by Dumbledore, Harry Potter , ...

E.g. Snape, who escapes Hogwarts just to arrive somewhere further on the Grounds; Harry Potter, who travels from Hogwarts to the Horcrux Cave.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7