Study of Ancient Runes

Study of Ancient Runes
Class information
Professor	Bathsheda Babbling
Classroom	Classroom 6B Room of Runes (possibly)
Required textbooks	Ancient Runes Made Easy; Rune Dictionary; Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms; Spellman's Syllabary; Advanced Rune Translation

The Study of Ancient Runes, commonly shortened to Ancient Runes, is an elective course at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, that can be taken by students third year and above. It was taught by Professor Bathsheda Babbling during the 1990s at least, and is the study of magical runic scriptures. Hermione Granger is a student known to be taking this class, though it is possible that Luna Lovegood might also have taken this class as when Harry Potter first met her on the Hogwarts Express she was reading a section in The Quibbler that contained Ancient Runes which, if turned on their heads, supposedly revealed a spell that turns your enemy's ears into kumquats. Ancient Runes is a mostly theoretical subject that studies the ancient runic scripts of magic.

Class materials

Words learned in this class

Only two words and their English translations are known. Hermione mixed these two words up on her Study of Ancient Runes O.W.L. exam.

• Ehwaz means "Partnership"
• Eihwaz means "Defence"

Numbers

Ancient Runes Made Easy, showing the Ancient Rune numbers.

• Demiguise: the creature's invisibility abilities represents "0".
• Unicorn: the creature's single horn represents "1".
• Graphorn: the creature's dual horns represent "2".
• Runespoor: the triple-headed creature represents "3".
• Fwooper: the creature comprised of four different colours in feathers represents "4".
• Quintaped: the five legs of the creature represents "5".
• Salamander: the maximum hours of the creature's ability to survive out of fire represents "6".
• Unknown: due to the magically powerful number still being shrouded in mysteries, the unknown symbol represents "7".
• Acromantula: the eight-eyed creature represents "8".
• Hydra: the nine-headed creature represents "9".

Required reading

• Advanced Rune Translation
• Ancient Runes Made Easy
• Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms
• Rune Dictionary
• Spellman's Syllabary

Known O.W.L.s

• Barty Crouch Jr
• Bill Weasley
• Hermione Granger
• Percy Weasley

Behind the Scenes

• Throughout the entire Harry Potter books and film adaptions, not a single Ancient Runes class was seen taking place.
• In reality, the words mentioned by Hermione in the Order of the Phoenix are Proto-Germanic runes. Ehwaz literally means "horse", while eihwaz literally means "yew-tree."
• Both words also appear in the Futhark alphabet; Ehwaz representing process, advancement, and movement, and eihwaz representing defence, patience, waiting, and calmness.
• In Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4, one of the items is a rune book.