Flying
From Harry Potter Wiki
Flying is one of the primary methods of magical transportation, along with Floo Powder, Portkey and Apparition. It involves a person or persons using a magical object bewitched with a Flying Spell to journey through the air to another location. Magical objects used for this purposes are Broomsticks and Flying Carpets.
Compared to other methods, Flying is the slowest method of transportation available. However, it is the most common, as witches and wizards who cannot or do not want to Apparate or use Floo powder use it. Flying itself is a class taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Madam Hooch, for first year students.
Flying is also used in magical sporting events, such as the popular game of Quidditch.
In defiance of magical law (that states that a wizard can only fly using a vehicle, which itself can only have a flying charm), infamous Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort somehow discovered a way to fly without any form of magical vehicle (though some form of magical support is certainly required to do this). This was witnessed in battle with Order of the Phoenix operatives in 1997, and by Harry Potter during his connection with Voldemort's mind. This method can be duplicated, as Voldemort taught his (supposedly) most loyal Death Eater Severus Snape how to fly the same way.
[edit] Behind the scenes
- In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film), Professor Quirrell, most likely by learning the skill from Voldemort, flies clear across a chamber towards Harry during their encounter for the Philosopher's Stone.
- When Hagrid is asked how he arrived to pick up Harry from the Dursleys in the first book he states that he "flew", however he later stated in the seventh book that brooms and Thestrals cannot take his weight.
