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"If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st of August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you woulds like to participate. Cost 12 Galleons."
— An advertisement for this class in the Gryffindor common room[src]

Apparition was an optional twelve-week course offered at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for learning how to Apparate, with the intention of receiving a licence from the age of seventeen.[2]

Class information[]

"Harry spun on the spot, lost his balance and nearly fell over. He was not the only one. The whole Hall was suddenly full of staggering people; Neville was flat on his back; Ernie Macmillan, on the other hand, had done a kind of pirouetting leap into his hoop and looked momentarily thrilled, until he caught sight of Dean Thomas roaring with laughter at him."
— An Apparition class in early 1997[src]

The class was offered shortly after the Christmas holidays for students who were seventeen, or who would turn seventeen during the school year. The course cost 12 Galleons.[2] The class took place in the Great Hall if the weather was unsuitable for it to be taught on the school grounds. The Anti-Apparition Charm would be removed for the hour on the section of the school where the class will be held. The class was for twelve weeks.[1]

In 1997, it was taught by British Ministry of Magic employee Wilkie Twycross on every Saturday morning. Twycross taught the "Three D's of Apparition": Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. The student needed to apparate into a hoop by focusing their mind on the hoop and then spin around with the intention of appearing in the hoop.[1]

At the end of the class, anyone who had turned seventeen by the day of the exam, could take the exam and if they passed, they received a licence to Apparate. Those who splinched themselves, even in a minor way, would be forced to retake the test. Anyone who was yet to turn seventeen would attend a class for the hour while the exam took place.[3]

In 1997, the exam took place on 21 April. The opportunity for extra practice classes were held in a heavily supervised Hogsmeade in the build up to the exam.[3] The children were provided a leaflet named Common Apparition Mistakes and How to Avoid Them before the afternoon of the exam, when they would gather in the Entrance Hall and wait for their turn.[4]

History[]

"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[src]

Charlie Weasley Apparated 5 miles south from where he was supposed to go and landed on an old lady doing her shopping the first time.[5] Fred and George Weasley were known to have passed their Apparition test "with distinction".[6]

In the 1997 class, Ron Weasley failed his initial test for splinching half of his eyebrow (which frustrated him greatly for the test's tremendous strictness), while Hermione Granger passed flawlessly. Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy and Ernie Macmillan were unable to take the exam on the same day of their entire year, because they were yet to turn seventeen.[4] However, Harry had successfully learned the skill and was later able to Apparate both himself and Albus Dumbledore back to Hogwarts when the Headmaster was too weak.[7]

Behind the scenes[]

  • Receiving an Apparition licence can be compared to receiving a driving licence in the Muggle world. Both are privileges reserved for those who are overage, and dangerous if done improperly or inattentively. The same can be said for the course, which is reminiscent of Driver's Ed.
  • Unlike the other Hogwarts classes, taking part in Apparition lessons costs money. It is probably because it is not a regular class, but a course offered by the Ministry of Magic.
  • In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, it is indicated that Apparition class takes place in the seventh year, instead of the sixth.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 18 (Birthday Surprises)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 17 (A Sluggish Memory)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 21 (The Unknowable Room)
  4. 4.0 4.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 22 (After the Burial)
  5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 6 (The Portkey)
  6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 4 (Number Twelve Grimmauld Place)
  7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 27 (The Lightning-Struck Tower)
Hogwarts subjects
Core classes Astronomy · Charms · Defence Against the Dark Arts · Herbology · History of Magic · Potions · Transfiguration
Hogwartscrest
Elective classes Alchemy · Arithmancy · Care of Magical Creatures · Divination · Muggle Studies · Study of Ancient Runes
Extracurricular classes Apparition · Advanced Arithmancy Studies · Ancient Studies · Art · Flying · Ghoul Studies · Magical Theory · Muggle Art · Muggle Music · Music · Xylomancy · Field Studies
Former classes Beasts · Dark Arts
Examinations
First year exams · Second year exams · Third year exams · Fourth year exams ·
Ordinary Wizarding Level · Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test
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