Changes: Spectacles

Revision as of 19:46, 13 November 2012

Spectacles (also called eyeglasses or glasses) are composed of two lenses set inside of a frame. They are worn in front of the eyes in order to correct vision disorders.

Glasses in the wizarding world

Albus Dumbledore HBP — Albus Dumbledore, who wore half-moon spectacles

Many wizards and witches wear glasses, so it seems that magic is unable to cure myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or astigmatism in the same way that Muggle laser surgery can. However, a lost eye can be replaced with a magical prosthesis like that of "Mad-Eye" Moody, which not only restored vision, but had advantages over a normal eye.
There are spells which can mend broken glasses. Hermione Granger used the Oculus Reparo spell to mend Harry Potter's glasses when they first met on the Hogwarts Express in 1991. Arthur Weasley probably used a nonverbal version of this spell to fix Harry's glasses in 1992.
Animagi who wear glasses may have distinctive markings in the same shape as the glasses they wear in human form. The physical location of these markings seems to depend on the type of animal one's Animagus form takes: Minerva McGonagall, a cat Animagus, had markings around the eyes,^[1] and Rita Skeeter, a beetle Animagus, had markings around the antennae.^[2]
Wearing glasses will not protect a person from the fatal effect of the basilisk's stare, because glasses still allow one's line of vision to connect directly and clearly with the serpent's eyes, unlike looking in a mirror or through a camera.^[3]
Spectrespecs were a magical type of spectacles that allowed the wearer to see wrackspurts and may also carry an effect similar to Muggle 3D glasses.

Known wearers

Amelia Bones (monocle)
Aberforth Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore (half-moon)
Mafalda Hopkirk
Minerva McGonagall (square)
Moaning Myrtle (thick lenses)
Bob Ogden (thick lenses)
James Potter (round)
Harry Potter (round)
Ernie Prang (thick lenses)
Rufus Scrimgeour (wire-rimmed)
Rita Skeeter (rhinestone)
Tofty (pince-nez)
Sybill Trelawney (thick lenses)
Arthur Weasley (horn-rimmed)
Percy Weasley (horn-rimmed)
Eldred Worple

Behind the scenes

Harry Potter's glasses in the films were designed specially by William Luff, who has designed eyewear for many major British films and television properties.^[4]
Hermione Granger fixes Harry Potter's damaged glasses with the spell Oculus Reparo in the film versions of both Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
J. K. Rowling stated in an interview that the reason she gave Harry glasses was that she wore them herself as a child and was fed up with reading books in which the bespectacled character was the "brainy one." She said she wished to read about a hero who wore glasses.^[3]
In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Peter Pettigrew uses Harry's glasses instead of his blood to revive Voldemort. Once revived, Voldemort humourously returns the glasses to Harry.
In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, during Harry's disciplinary hearing, Cornelius Fudge wore what seemed to be reading glasses, despite not wearing glasses at all in the books.

Appearances

The Harry Potter Wiki has 1,381 images related to Spectacles.

Notes and references

↑ Philosopher's Stone, Ch. 1
↑ Goblet of Fire, Ch. 37
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 16 July, 2005 press conference at Accio Quote!
↑ My Glasses and Me - "Who is the Guy Behind Harry Potter's Glasses?"

[1] Philosopher's Stone, Ch. 1

[2] Goblet of Fire, Ch. 37

[itv-3] 3.0 ^3.1 16 July, 2005 press conference at Accio Quote!

[luff-4] My Glasses and Me - "Who is the Guy Behind Harry Potter's Glasses?"

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 ==Behind the scenes==
-*Harry Potter's glasses in the [[Harry Potter (film series)|films]] were designed specially by [[William Luff]], who has designed eyewear for many major British films and television properties.<ref name="luff">[http://www.myglassesandme.co.uk/2012/10/who-is-the-guy-behind-harry-potters-glasses/ My Glasses and Me - "Who is the Guy Behind Harry Potter's Glasses?"]</ref>
+*Harry Potter's glasses in the [[Harry Potter (film series)|films]] were designed specially by William Luff, who has designed eyewear for many major British films and television properties.<ref name="luff">[http://www.myglassesandme.co.uk/2012/10/who-is-the-guy-behind-harry-potters-glasses/ My Glasses and Me - "Who is the Guy Behind Harry Potter's Glasses?"]</ref>
 *[[Hermione Granger]] fixes [[Harry Potter]]'s damaged glasses with the spell ''[[Oculus Reparo]]'' in the film versions of both ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]''.
 *[[J. K. Rowling]] stated in an interview that the reason she gave Harry glasses was that she wore them herself as a child and was fed up with reading books in which the bespectacled character was the "brainy one." She said she wished to read about a hero who wore glasses.<ref name="itv" />