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"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[src]

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 and most convenient way to get to a desired destination, but was tricky to pull off correctly and disastrous if botched.

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, Phoenixes 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".[1]

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[src]
Yaxley attacking Ron mid Apparition

A moment caught of mid-Apparition

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.[2] A witch or wizard ordinarily required a wand in order to Apparate,[3] 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; the more skilful they are, the quieter they are able to Apparate. Very skilled and powerful wizards, such as Albus Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort, and Narcissa Malfoy, could Apparate completely silently.[4][5] House-elves could also Apparate, but without any 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.

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.[6]

Range[]

Apparition had a range limit,[7] 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,[8] otherwise risking splinching,[9] 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.[10] 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 the 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.[3] 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.[9]

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[src]

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 successfully 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[11] 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.[1]

Seeing a destination through a photograph or other image was usually not enough to let the user Apparate there safely: Dumbledore had seen a picture of The Cave in which he suspected Voldemort to have hidden a Horcrux seen in Tom Riddle's room at Wool's Orphanage. However, as Dumbledore said to Harry in his sixth year at Hogwarts, he had been trying to locate the cave for a very long time.[12] This suggests that a witch or wizard trying to Apparate needed to have some idea of where their desired destination was. It was not enough to only have seen it or know about it.

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).[13] 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 student regarding how Sirius Black got into Hogwarts[src]

In 1890, George Osric accidentally Apparated to the West End instead of where Eleazar Fig had requested. He frightened the theatre-goers before realising his mistake and Apparating to the correct location. Eleazar had given him a very vague description of it, though George told him had received even vaguer descriptions than that.[14]

In 1979, Kreacher managed to escape the Horcrux cave via Disapparition, following Regulus Black's order to "come home when he finished his task". Later, in 1997, he brought Mundungus Fletcher into Grimmauld Place via side-along Apparition.[15]

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",[16] and appear and disappear inside Hogwarts.

In 1993, an unnamed Ravenclaw student suggested that Sirius Black may have entered Hogwarts via Apparition.[17] Harry Potter learned more details about Apparition in a conversation with the Weasleys, regarding travelling to the 1994 Quidditch World Cup.[18]

Cornelius Fudge appeared out of thin air in the cabinet room to inform the Prime Minister of the goings-on at the Quidditch World Cup.[19]

Percy Weasley Apparated downstairs every morning, while living at The Burrow, just to prove he could. Charlie Weasley failed his Apparition test the first time because he landed on top of a woman who was shopping, five miles south of where he meant to appear.[18] Fred and George Weasley passed their Apparition test with distinction and enjoyed popping into other people's bedrooms at Grimmauld Place with a loud cracking noise, just to annoy people.[20]

In 1995, Mundungus Fletcher went AWOL and Apparated out of Privet Drive to buy some stolen cauldrons. His Apparition sounded like a car backfiring and caused a racket that disturbed the neighbours. When Mundungus got back, Arabella Figg shouted him down and hit him with her purse and her shopping bag which was loaded with cat food to rebuke him for deserting his post. Mundungus then Disapparated back to Grimmauld Place to report to Dumbledore why he deserted Harry the night that Harry and Dudley got attacked.[21][22]

Dumbledore-apparate

Dumbledore Side-Along Apparating Harry after visiting Horace Slughorn

Albus Dumbledore took Harry along by Side-Along Apparition for the first time in 1996. Harry stated that the sensation was uncomfortable, like "being forced through a very tight rubber tube."[1]

In 1996, a notice for the 12-week Apparition course appeared on the Gryffindor common room wall, along with a sign-up sheet. These lessons began on the first Saturday in February, which would be in the Great Hall, led by Ministry Apparition Instructor Wilkie Twycross. During these lessons the first student to Apparate was Susan Bones, but unfortunately she got splinched and left her leg behind. The Heads of House surrounded her and fixed the problem. By the third class, student nicknames for the Apparition instructor included Dog-breath and Dung-head.[2]

In October 1996, Harry caught Mundungus selling his loot to Aberforth. Realising that he was caught red-handed, Mundungus cast a jinx on Harry and Disapparated before Harry and Tonks could catch him.[23]

The Apparition Test took place in Hogsmeade on 21 April for those who had already turned 17, including Ron Weasley, who was struggling with the subject. He and Hermione signed up for extra practice lessons in Hogsmeade. Hermione passed the Apparition Test on her first try, but Ron left half an eyebrow behind and failed. It is unknown when and where Ron took the test a second time, or if he ever passed. Harry, Ernie Macmillan, and Draco Malfoy were too young to take the test in April 1997.[24] That would presumably include Neville Longbottom as well, since his birthday was a day before Harry's.

Harry never took the Apparition Test, although he impressively initiated side-along Disapparition with Dumbledore to get him back from the crystal cave to Hogwarts, when he was weak. Harry was still underage at the point, but he was holding Dumbledore's arm, and therefore the Ministry would not have Traced him. After Harry turned 17, he Apparated at least once alone to Grimmauld Place under his Invisibility Cloak,[11] and several times side-along with Hermione and Ron under the cloak. The Ministry never knew because by then they were no longer underage, so the Trace did not work.

Pius Thicknesse made it an imprisonable offence to connect 4 Privet Drive to the Floo Network, place a Portkey there, or Apparate in or out, in order to prevent Harry from getting out of there safely, so the Order used the so-called Seven Potters plot with Polyjuice Potion and broomsticks to get Harry to safety.[25]

During the Battle of the Seven Potters, Mundungus chickened out and Disapparated the moment he saw Voldemort coming, leaving Mad-Eye Moody open to attack from the Death Eaters, who finished him off with a Killing Curse.[26]

During Voldemort's reign over the Ministry of Magic, Apparition to and from the Ministry offices was restricted only to the senior members.[27]

Side-Along Apparition[]

Albus Dumbledore: "Are you all right? The sensation does take some getting used to."
Harry Potter: "I’m fine. But I think I might prefer brooms..."
Harry Potter after having experienced Side-Along Apparition for the first time with Albus Dumbledore[src]
Hermione and Harry apparating

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger Side-Along Apparating

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.[12]

Harry and Dumbledore Apparition HBPF

Harry Potter Side-Along Apparating a weakened Albus Dumbledore back to the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts

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.[28] 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.[29] 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.[3]

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.[10]

Creature Apparition[]

"With a crack like a whip, Dobby vanished."
— Dobby the house-elf Disapparating from 4 Privet Drive in 1992[src]
Tumblr n4b06pMvhJ1qdsqclo5 250

Dobby using his magic to Disapparate

House-elves could Apparate, including where wizards were prevented from doing so, such as Hogwarts, the crystal cave, and 12 Grimmauld Place. Dobby Apparated to and from the Hogwarts Hospital Wing to visit Harry in 1992. In 1998, when Harry, Ron, Luna, Dean, Griphook and Ollivander were imprisoned in the Malfoy Manor cellar while Hermione was being brutally tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange, Dobby arrived to rescue them. He first took Luna, Dean and Ollivander to safety by Apparating to Shell Cottage with them, then returned to rescue the others.[3]

Phoenixes were capable of a form of Apparition, disappearing and reappearing by a flash of flames. Like the variant demonstrated by house-elves, phoenixes were not hampered by any restrictions that normally prevented wizards from doing so, and they could bring other people along with them. In 1996, Dumbledore used phoenix Apparition to escape Kingsley Shacklebolt, Percy Weasley and Dolores Umbridge when Harry was caught training Dumbledore's Army. Fawkes flew over to Dumbledore, who caught his tail and disappeared in a burst of flame.[30]

The Diricawl was a magical species of bird that could disappear from one location and reappear in another, similar to how a wizard was able to Apparate.[31]

Licence to Apparate[]

Harry Potter: "You have to pass a test to Apparate?"
Arthur Weasley: "Oh, yes. The Department of Magical Transportation had to fine a couple of people the other day for Apparating without a licence."
— It was against the law to Apparate without a licence[src]

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[32] and were required since at least the 1920s.[33] 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. One reason why the British Ministry of Magic required all witches or wizards hoping to Apparate to have a licence was so that they could not Apparate into a Muggle bank and steal all the money therein.[6] Though it was physically possible to Apparate without a licence, it was strictly prohibited due to the dangers of unsuccessful Apparition and injury could result.

Ron Splinched in Deathly Hallows Part 1

Splinching

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.[2]

Splinching also occurred in 1997 to Ron Weasley after Disapparating from 12 Grimmauld Place.[29] Ron also failed his first Apparition test because his examiner saw he had lost half of his eyebrow at the last minute.[34] 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.[6] It is unknown when and where Ron retook the Apparition test, or if he ever passed or even retook it at all.

However, Harry Potter successfully Apparated multiple times without a licence between June 1997 when he brought Albus Dumbledore back to Hogsmeade village by Side-Along Apparition,[12] and many times during the Second Wizarding War.

Apparition lessons in the Great Hall

Sixth-year Apparition class

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, students in their sixth year could sign up for Ministry of Magic Apparition lessons. Those who turned seventeen before the first Apparition Test date had the opportunity to take additional practice sessions in Hogsmeade.[6] Those whose birthday was not before the original date had the option of taking the test later. To earn the licence, one had to prove ability to Apparate flawlessly, and even the slightest mistake (whether splinching even the slightest or missing the target location) would result in failure of the test.

Anti-Apparition Charm/Anti-Disapparition Jinx[]

An Anti-Apparition Charm and/or 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 the Anti-Disapparition Jinx preventing people inside the places from being able to leave by means of Disapparition. The Anti-Apparition Charm was typically used to keep out unwanted visitors from a certain location. Hogwarts had an Anti-Apparition Charm and Anti-Disapparition Jinx cast upon it for most occasions. The Anti-Disapparition Jinx could also be used to entrap particularly targeted people from any means of escape within that location for certain purposes, as seen 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 charm or jinx, as they were bound by more powerful magic which required them to appear whenever their master called. However, it was possible that all known Anti-Apparition Charms and Anti-Disapparition Jinxes worked only on humans, for they had been bypassed by creatures such as house-elves and phoenixes.[3]

The Floo Network and Portkeys could also be used to access or depart from locations bound by an Anti-Apparition Charm or Anti-Disapparition Jinx. House-elves could also take humans along with them when Disapparating regardless of whether or not there was a charm or jinx on the area, as Dobby did during the skirmish at Malfoy Manor.

Notable practitioners[]

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.
  • In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Harry is given the ability to Apparate, yet he never passed his tests. But, as explained above, given the events of him being the most wanted wizard, it would not be the worst of his troubles.
  • In some translations The Three Ds have been translated to non-canonical words (meaning it's not the correct translation), e.g. 'Deliberation' has been translated to 'Dimension' for the Danish version, despite meaning a whole other thing. This is done to keep The Three Ds.
  • The ability of Corban 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 used in Portkeys, as the only requirement for travel via a Portkey is to touch the Key. This may be wrong however, as Portkeys are not affected by Anti-Apparition 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 the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 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.[68] 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 until the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
  • 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 and his followers can Apparate into Hogwarts Castle during the Battle of Hogwarts but it can be explained showing that he broke all the protections, because Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn't Apparate into the castle earlier.
    • Draco Malfoy also 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 and Anti-Disapparition Jinxes have been broken.
  • While Apparition is mentioned by Ron in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets before making its first appearance later in the series, the concept of Side-Along Apparition is never mentioned before it is introduced in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. 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 Apparators.
  • 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 or allowed to do so yet, much like with Seamus Finnigan 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 plumes of black smoke, shooting off into the sky, and being able to go wherever they want to, while doing this. Even though many people may think this is Apparition, it is actually 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. This shows that flying (black smoke) and Apparating are different things in the films. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, they are also capable of partially turning into long pillars of black smoke, 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 is cast and use it as a portal. Death Eaters can also take others with them while dematerialising into smoke form, causing the person they are in physical contact with to dematerialise with them.
  • Seen only in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, members of the Order are seen transforming into thick pillars of white smoke during the Battle at the Department of Mysteries just like the Death Eaters did with black smoke, so this either proves or hints at the likelihood that unsupported flight was duplicated. Both the Order of the Phoenix members and Death Eaters were able to grab, hold and otherwise physically interact with the world while in gaseous form, especially while only partially transformed into smoke. In fact, they where shown to physically fight while in their cloud-like form, being able to collide with each other hard enough to launch other humans several yards or even break through wooden or stone walls. However, they are only shown to become partially smoke-like in the Order of the Phoenix film, though Voldemort himself could perform this feat in every film.
  • 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 into 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, near the beginning of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 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 the film inspired by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. 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.

  • Starting with the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Disapparition is portrayed as the subject(s) being twisted and swirled into nothing within a swirling clear haze, accompanied with a loud rustling or rushing sound, while usually ending in a crack, as if the subject(s) is being sucked into a vortex. Apparition is portrayed in the same manner but in the reverse order, with the subject(s) twisting out of nothing with the same sound and crack. This could be because most viewers know how Apparition works, by being twisted about through a tiny tube, that it is portrayed at its beginning and end from that point forward. Inside the tube effect, the subjects are shown to be twisted, swirled and otherwise distorted, which is also shown in one instance of Voldemort collapsing into smoke with Harry in The Deathly Hallows: Part 2. This version of Apparition not only is loud, but also sometimes manifests with a gust of wind and thunderous force around the spot the user was. It appears that Apparition may affect electric lights, as Harry noticed a light flickering in the area that Dumbledore appeared. Also, Dumbledore could Apparate Harry to The Burrow without appearing there himself, similar to how Yaxley attempted to travel along with Harry, Ron and Hermione but was physically fought off while within the tube effect as the trio flew upward and ended up in the Forest of Dean. In the latter instance, it was revealed that their passage through the tube was not instantaneously allowing them to appear in a different place and the user could change destination mid-Apparition, which is shown as a space between the user's former location and destination. Interestingly, they seemingly Apparated by the Floo Network, as they used one of the chimney's in the Atrium, but without disappearing in green flame.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 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 and Kreacher, Apparate the same way as humans have done since the Half-Blood Prince film. However, they are able to do so with much less restrictions on distance, focus and are notably immune to the effects on Anti Apparition based magic.
  • Many of the Death Eaters during the film version of the Battle of the Seven Potters were using brooms, despite seemingly all of them demonstrating the ability of flying in smoke, as well as demonstrating being able to use magic while flying. This may suggest that they are only able to do so in the Order of the Phoenix film, as Voldemort can still perform the feat in every film.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Arthur Weasley and other members of the Ministry of Magic Disapparate quickly after the disturbance caused by the Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup match. There are are multiple large, but brief plumes of black smoke shown in the places of each of the Ministry members before they appear. The moment they do appear, they have their wands drawn on Harry, Ron and Hermione and are casting Stupefy at them all at once before Arthur intervenes.
  • 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.
  • In the film inspired by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Apparition and Disapparition are again portrayed as being distorted and twisted within a clear haze accompanied by a rustling or rushing sound, as well their usually being a cracking sound and sometimes faint smoke cloud in the place of the person, being accompanied by a bright flash of bluish-white light. Some people, like Percival Graves, in reality a disguised Gellert Grindelwald, and Newt Scamander, are shown to be able to walk and Disapparate/Apparate at the same time, instead of having to stop moving to do so.
  • Apparition in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them also had little limit on versatility in the use of the ability, allowing users to effortlessly change position and location, notably to travel across rooms and city blocks, similar to Fred and George Weasley's use of Apparition to travel rapidly around the 12 Grimmauld Place in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. At one point while evading the Obscurus, Credence Barebone, in the subway, Newt jumped down while Apparating, coming out of a nearby column as if having moved through it like a ghost, before hiding behind it.
  • Fantastic Beasts also acknowledges the limits and dangers of inter-continental Apparition, since Newt travels to America by boat.
  • What may be the Anti-Apparition Charm is shown when Aurors are seen trapping a man while he begins to Apparate, freezing him in the vortex briefly before forcing him to Apparate next to them and on the floor.
  • Interestingly, in Fantastic Beasts, there appears to be little to no side effects on those being Apparated by another wizard, allowing Jacob Kowalski to only be confused and disoriented by the experience when Newt first Apparated with him.
  • In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Apparition and Disapparition is still portrayed as twisting and distorting in a clear haze for the majority of the film, with the exception of during Grindelwald’s rally in the Lestrange Mausoleum, where it instead appears to blend the effects of normal Disapparition with the plumes of smoke from previous films. This unique form of Apparition appears to work for longer distance travelled, as Grindelwald and Queenie, who have Apparated throughout the film normally, also used this method to Disapparate to an unknown location, but Newt, Porpentina, and Yusuf Disapparated in the more conventional manner to just outside the tomb.

In the games[]

  • In the video games, Apparition appears like it does in most of the films; black and white clouds of smoke, and people appear like they are flying to their destination.
  • In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, when Dobby Apparates away from Privet Drive, neither the pop, the plop, the sucking-in, the fading away, or the smoke is used. He simply disappears.
  • In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, Apparition appears like in most of the films and the video games; white and black smoke.
  • In LEGO Dimensions, Apparition appears as it does from the sixth film onwards; being twisted into and out of nothing.

Appearances[]

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 75 images related to Apparition.

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 4 (Horace Slughorn)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 18 (Birthday Surprises)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 23 (Malfoy Manor)
  4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 1 (The Boy Who Lived)
  5. 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 36 (The Only One He Ever Feared)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Scholastic interview with J. K. Rowling
  7. JK Rowling's Twitter, 9:33 AM CET - 18 Nov 2016
  8. Quidditch Through the Ages, Chapter 9 (The Development of the Racing Broom)
  9. 9.0 9.1 JK Rowling's Twitter, 9:46 AM CET - 18 Nov 2016
  10. 10.0 10.1 JK Rowling's website - Welcome to my new website
  11. 11.0 11.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 9 (A Place to Hide)
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 26 (The Cave)
  13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 16 (Godric's Hollow)
  14. Hogwarts Legacy (The Path to Hogwarts)
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 11 (The Bribe)
  16. 16.0 16.1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 2 (Dobby's Warning)
  17. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 9 (Grim Defeat)
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 6 (The Portkey)
  19. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 1 (The Other Minister)
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 5 (The Order of the Phoenix)
  21. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 1 (Dudley Demented)
  22. 22.0 22.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 2 (A Peck of Owls)
  23. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 12 (Silver and Opals)
  24. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 22 (After the Burial)
  25. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 1 (The Dark Lord Ascending)
  26. 26.0 26.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 5 (Fallen Warrior)
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 12 (Magic is Might)
  28. 28.0 28.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 13 (The Muggle-Born Registration Commission)
  29. 29.0 29.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 14 (The Thief)
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 27 (The Centaur and the Sneak)
  31. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  32. Scholastic Glossary
  33. 33.0 33.1 LEGO Dimensions
  34. 34.0 34.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 21 (The Unknowable Room)
  35. 35.0 35.1 Hogwarts Legacy, Main Quest "The Path to Hogwarts"
  36. Hogwarts Legacy, Main Quest "Wand Mastery"
  37. Hogwarts Legacy, Main Quest "It's All Gobbledegook"
  38. Hogwarts Legacy, Side Quest "Minding Your Own Business"
  39. 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 Hogwarts Legacy, Main Quest "The Final Repository"
  40. 40.0 40.1 Hogwarts Legacy, Relationship Quest "In the Shadow of the Relic"
  41. Hogwarts Legacy, Relationship Quest "Harlow's Last Stand"
  42. 42.00 42.01 42.02 42.03 42.04 42.05 42.06 42.07 42.08 42.09 42.10 42.11 42.12 42.13 42.14 42.15 42.16 42.17 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
  43. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 8 (The Wedding)
  44. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Side Quest "A Whole Lotta Hodag, Ya Know?"
  45. 45.0 45.1 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 30 (Into the Vault)
  46. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 35 (Infiltrating 'R')
  47. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 45 (The Messenger)
  48. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 14 (The Search for Zenith Xeep)
  49. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 7, Chapter 29 (Mind of a Diva)
  50. 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 50.4 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Beyond Hogwarts, Volume 1, "APPARITION IS YOUR MISSION" Achievement
  51. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 5 (An Excess of Phlegm)
  52. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 7 (The Ministry of Magic)
  53. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 11 (Aboard the Hogwarts Express)
  54. 54.0 54.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 2 (Spinner's End)
  55. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28 (Flight of the Prince)
  56. 56.0 56.1 56.2 56.3 56.4 56.5 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33 (The Death Eaters)
  57. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 4, Side Quest "SQ"
  58. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 3 (The Dursleys Departing)
  59. Wonderbook: Book of Spells
  60. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 10 (Kreacher's Tale)
  61. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 9 (The Dark Mark)
  62. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 28 (Snape's Worst Memory)
  63. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10 (The House of Gaunt)
  64. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 29 (The Phoenix Lament)
  65. 65.0 65.1 Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
  66. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 2, Side Quest "HOGWARTS' MISSING PETS"
  67. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 17 (A Sluggish Memory)
  68. Half-Blood Prince script on the Internet Movie Script Database (archived here)
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