Magic

Magic is a supernatural force used by wizardkind, usually (but not always) by use of a wand, in order to override the natural forces of the world. In human beings, the ability to perform magic is determined genetically.

The basic concepts of magic are fairly simple -- even a two-year-old wizard can do some form of magic -- but the inherent power and potential for misuse are great indeed. It is for this reason that promising young witches and wizards are sent off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and other schools of magic to refine their craft and learn the art and responsibility of their power. At Hogwarts, students learn a variety of magical specialties as well as general theory and the history of magic in their world.

Magic is unable to be performed by Muggles, as they are not born with it, and Squibs, who do not possess any magical powers despite having parents with magical powers. It is what sets Muggles apart from the wizarding world, as such, as a substitue of magic, Muggle's use technology: in the same sense, many wizards are ignorant of the workings of most Muggle devices, including electricity. Both the Muggle and the wizard view their choice of tool as completely and utterly logical and ordinary, although each would find the other's tools fascinating and even mysterious.

As per the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, wizards and witches must constantly hide their magic abilities from the Muggle world, and thus most Muggles are unaware that magic exists. It is possible that magic could be treated as the fourth branch of science, along with Chemistry, Biology and Physics.

Overview
"Elf magic isn't like wizard's magic, is it?"

- Ron Weasley



In humans, the ability to perform magic or lack thereof is an inborn, genetic attribute. The former is the norm in the children of magical couples and rare in those of Muggles, this is because the wizarding gene (found in Wizards and Witches) is dominant, while the non-magical gene (found in Muggles and Squibs) is recessive. Those unable to do magic who are born to magical parents are known as Squibs, this is when the non-magical gene resurfaces causing the offspring to therefore be non-magical. A witch or wizard born to Muggle parents are known as Muggle-borns. This is when a Muggle family is descended from a Squib, and the wizarding gene resurfaces many generations later. Muggle-borns are far more common than Squibs, but this may be a feature of the disparate sizes of the Muggle and wizarding populations.

There are other magical beings in the Wizarding world which can also perform magic, such as house-elves and goblins. The house-elf Kreacher demonstrated the ability to disapparate from the kitchens of Hogwarts where humans cannot.

History
Not to be confused with History of Magic, a Hogwarts class.

The following chronology indicates broad eras in the history of the wizarding world and traces the development of the ever-widening gap between the Muggle and wizarding communities.

Ancient Egypt and Greece
Egyptian wizards put curses on tombs; nowadays curse-breakers for Gringotts Wizarding Bank try to regain the treasure locked in those tombs, one pyramid has mutant skeletons of Muggles who'd broken in and "grown extra heads and stuff." Magic is integrated into society and Wizards are held in high esteem. However, Dark Magic is already being practiced in ancient Greece. Herpo the Foul created the first basilisk well as the evil magic of Horcruxes during that time.

Around 1000 AD
Growing distrust on the part of Muggles for wizards and witches compels the four greatest witches and wizards of the age to found Hogwarts. Salazar Slytherin builds the Chamber of Secrets after his point of view that only pure-blood wizards should be allowed into Hogwarts was dismissed. This separation of the two cultures continues and grows over the next 700 years.

1000 to 1300
The Wizarding world is governed by the Wizard's Council (sometimes referred to as the Warlock's Council). While the relationship with the Muggle world becomes more distrustful, witches and wizards reach out to others of their own kind. The Triwizard Tournament and Quidditch become national and international events.

1300s
Witch burnings; Muggles were particularly afraid of magic but not very good at recognizing it, Wendelin the Weird allowed herself to be burned at the stake 47 times in various disguises using a Flame-Freezing Charm as she enjoyed the sensation. There is growing discrimination in the Wizarding world against other magical beings, such as House-elves and Goblins.

1400s
With the coming of the Renaissance and the increasing reliance among Muggles on scientific reasoning, the break between the Wizarding and Muggle worlds is becoming more and more complete. Each culture goes on to create their own civilization: social structures, economies, governments, etc. Each borrows a little from the other as the years go by but it becomes apparent that the Muggles must be kept ignorant of the existence of their magical kin for their own good.

Some Muggles persecute their magical neighbors, others try to exploit magical power for their own gain and for quick fixes to their problems. However, Britain still has court wizards (Nearly Headless Nick, for example, was a court wizard in 1492). Beedle the Bard writes his Tales to preach a message of tolerance toward Muggles, but his message is subverted or lost over the ensuing centuries as the division between Muggle and Wizard grew. With the intolerance of Muggles came a growing prejudice among some in Wizarding society in favor of the purity of blood. At the end of the 1400s, Daisy Dodderidge builds the Leaky Cauldron along a country path outside London as a portal between the Wizarding and Muggle worlds.

1600 - 1700s
Goblin Rebellions break out all over Britain, and (perhaps not coincidentally) St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries is established. Muggle persecution reaches an all-time high, and it is very dark times for the Magical Community. The governments of the Wizarding World meets to consider solutions to the crisis and create the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy of 1689 or 1692. This not only completes the separation of the two cultures but also lays the responsibility on the various Wizarding governments in each country for maintaining the secrecy of everything from Quidditch games to dragons.

Over the years, for Muggles, magic becomes the stuff of fairy tales and legend. By 1750 the Ministries of Magic from each country assume responsibility for the control and secrecy of their local magical flora and fauna (example, the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain. Wizarding families begin to cluster around small towns all over Britain where they find relative safety and anonymity.

1800's
Giants warred amongst themselves, bringing their species to the brink of extinction. In 1811, Grogan Stump reforms the Ministry of Magic. In 1881, Albus Dumbledore is born.

1900s
Prejudice against Muggles and the ideas of Pure-blood supremacy is still very strong. These sentiments are manipulated by Tom Riddle as he becomes Lord Voldemort and makes two attempts to take over control of the Wizarding World in Britain. His first attempt, in the 1970s, is cut short in battle with James and Lily Potter and his defeat by Harry Potter (31 October 1981). The Giants, most of whom fought for Voldemort, retreat to northern Europe. Twenty years later, Voldemort rises again (1994), takes over the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts (1997), and is ultimately defeated by Harry Potter (2 May 1998).

Using magic
"I don't believe in witchcraft, though I've lost count of the number of times I've been told I'm a practicing witch. Ninety - let's say ninety five percent at least, of the magic in the books in entirely invented by me. And I've used things from folklore and I've used bits of what people used to believe worked magically just to add a certain flavor, but I've always twisted them to suit my own ends. I mean, I've taken liberties with folklore to suit my plot."

- J.K. Rowling on the magic in her books

For a person's ability to perform magic to be useful, a good deal of training is required to acquire the correct discipline. When 'wild', typically with young and untrained children, it will still manifest itself subconsciously in moments of strong apprehension, fear or anger. A powerful or intelligent wizard or witch can direct this force in less random ways, e.g. Tom Riddle, Lily Evans and possibly Ariana Dumbledore.

It should be noted that, whilst the ability to perform magic almost always reveals itself by age 11, there are some individuals who remain mundane until quite late in life when - in quite desperate circumstances - they suddenly reveal their magical capacity. However, such "late-bloomers" are rare, possibly more so than squibs.

Almost all human magic is done with the use of a supporting tool or focus, typically a wand. One can do unfocused and uncontrolled magic without a wand. A few advanced wizards could perform directed magic without a wand.

A wizard or witch is only at their best when using their own wand. When using another's wand, one's spells are not as strong as they normally would be, due to the laws of Wandlore.

Study of magic
As magic is what governs the wizarding world, there are many people who make it their business to study the magical arts, as well as magic being taught to young witches and wizards. Main fields of magical study taught at the magical school of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are Arithmancy, Charms, Dark Arts, Divination, Herbology, Legilimency/Occlumency, Potions, and Transfiguration. Types of wizards with special magical abilities include Animagi (wizards who can turn into animals), Arithmancer, a Legilimens (one who can penetrate other's mind), an Occlumens (one who can protect their mind from external penetration), Metamorphmagi (wizards who can change their physical appearance), a Parselmouth (one who can converse with snakes), and a Seer (one who can predict the future). There are also different forms of offensive/defensive magic, as well as the various types of spell: curse, hex, and jinx.

History of Magic
Many witches and wizards study the history of magic throughout time; they are known as magical historians, and History of Magic is also a class taught at Hogwarts. One of the most celebrated magical historians of all time is Bathilda Bagshot, author of A History of Magic, which chronicals the entire history of the magical world up till the end of the First Wizarding War. It remains a standard Hogwarts textbook for this study.

Limits
Regardless of how powerful a witch or wizard is, they are by no means without limits. For instance:

Rule of Conjuration: while it is possible to conjure things out of thin air, it is far more tricky to create something that fits an exact specification rather than a general one; moreover, any objects so conjured tend not to last.

Rule Against Resurrection: It is also impossible to resurrect the dead. Corpses can be transformed into obedient Inferi on a living wizard's command, though they are little more than zombies with no soul or will of their own. It is also possible via the rare Priori Incantatem effect to converse with ghost-like "shadows" of magically murdered people. The Resurrection Stone also allows one to talk to the dead, but those brought back by the Stone are not corporeal, nor do they wish to be disturbed from their peaceful rest.

Rule Against Immortality: Likewise, it is impossible to make oneself immortal unless one makes use of a mystical object of great power to sustain life (such as the Philosopher's Stone created by Nicolas Flamel or a Horcrux, the latter having been used by Lord Voldemort and Herpo the Foul). If one were to possess the three Deathly Hallows, it is fabled that they would possess the tools to become the "master of death". However, being a true "master of death" is to be willing to accept that death is inevitable.

The Five Exceptions
Transfigurative magic is governed by Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, to which there are five exceptions. The only known two are that one cannot conjure food nor money from thin air.

Love magic/blood magic
At least one known loop-hole exists to prevent the immediate murder of a wizard. A witch or wizard who willingly sacrifices themselves to protect another will give the one they protected a measure of immunity from their would-be-murderer. For example, Voldemort could not even bear to touch Harry Potter, as he was protected by his mother's sacrifice. Voldemort attempted to overcome this obstacle by using Harry's blood in his resurrection; however, since Lily's magical protection was in Harry's blood and his blood now flowed through Voldemort's new body, this actually meant that Harry could not be killed by Voldemort while Voldemort himself was still alive. When Voldemort attempted to kill him in May of 1998, Harry was, however, sent to a sort of limbo, where he was given the option of returning to the living world or moving on.

Magic and emotions
A witch or wizard's emotional state can affect their inherent abilities.
 * Nymphadora Tonks temporarily lost her power as a Metamorphmagus after suffering severe emotional turmoil when Remus Lupin would not return her affections. In effect, the form of her Patronus changed to reflect her love for him. In 1995, when Mad-Eye called her by her first name, her hair temporarily turned red.
 * As related to Harry by Dumbledore, Merope Gaunt only demonstrated any magical ability when removed from her father's oppression, but then seemed to lose it again when her husband abandoned her.
 * Ariana Dumbledore (Dumbledore's sister), was emotionally scarred at a young age, and thus her magic was volatile and uncontrolled.
 * Harry Potter magically inflated his Aunt Marge, wandlessly and non-verbally, out of sheer anger when she disrespected his parents by calling his father a drunk.
 * Ron Weasley caused it to snow above him with his wand when he felt guilt over Lavender Brown without using any worded spells.

Magic and death

 * Like love, death is studied in detail in a room (called the Death Chamber) of the Department of Mysteries containing an enigmatic veil (this suggests some sort of portal between the worlds of the dead and the living, but the exact significance of the veil is unclear). Anybody that falls or goes through the Veil dies, such as when Sirius Black was blasted through by his Death Eater cousin.
 * Magical techniques have been used to prolong life. The Philosopher's Stone can be used to prepare a potion that postpones death indefinitely.
 * Lord Voldemort has availed himself of other methods, being one of the few wizards ever to use Horcruxes in his long sought attempt to "conquer death", and is believed to be the only one to use multiple Horcruxes.
 * Also, the drinking of Unicorn blood will keep a person alive even if death is imminent, but at the terrible price of being cursed forever.
 * Being magical can contribute to one's longevity, as there are several notable wizards and witches who were quite long-lived — Albus Dumbledore, Griselda Marchbanks, and Bathilda Bagshot, for example. This can mainly be attributed to the speed and effectiveness of magical healing, such as spells that can mend bones instantly, potions that can completely regrow them, further potions that can cure many sicknesses and ailments including the Common Cold, spells for instantaneous, scarless healing, and transportation to hospitals being a matter of a few seconds and a side-along apparator or a handful of Floo powder.
 * It is revealed by Nearly Headless Nick that wizards have the option of becoming ghosts when they die. The alternative is "passing on".
 * All Hogwarts headmasters appear in a portrait when they die, allowing consultation by future generations.
 * Horcruxes can be used to prevent death.
 * While wizards can linger as ghosts or animate dead bodies as Inferius servants, no magic is capable of bringing a dead person back to full and true life. The closest possible is the Resurrection Stone.

Magic and Love
Arguably the most powerful form of magic is also the most mysterious and elusive: love. Lord Voldemort, having never experienced love himself, underestimated its influence—to his detriment. It was through love that Lily Evans was able to save her son Harry from death by sacrificing her life so that he might live. Harry used very much the same mechanism to negate the power of Voldemort's spells against the students and teachers of Hogwarts. The exact nature of how "love-magic" works is unknown; it is studied in-depth at the Department of Mysteries where they have a giant cauldron of Amortentia.

The Wizarding world
The wizarding society exists as a shadow society to the Muggle world and works as hard as it can to keep its existence a secret, save for all but a few Muggles, such as those who are related to witches and wizards, or important Muggles such as the Prime Minister. To most magical people the Muggle world is unknown, and their attempts to disguise themselves as Muggles often have mostly humourous results. Muggle Studies at Hogwarts is considered a soft option. Most things of magical nature are hidden or otherwise obscured from Muggles; others (such as Dementors) simply cannot be seen by them, but Muggles do feel the effects of them. There is also an office in the Ministry of Magic, for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts, that deals with people charming objects typically found in a Muggle society.

Branchs of Magic and Magical Study

 * Spells
 * Charms
 * Transfiguration spells
 * Conjuration
 * Duelling spells
 * Offensive spells
 * Jinxes, Hexes and Curses
 * Defensive spells
 * Healing spells


 * Magical fauna and flora
 * Magizoology
 * Herbology


 * Magic creation
 * Alchemy
 * Potions
 * Wandlore


 * Type by branch
 * Transfiguration
 * Medical magic
 * Divination
 * Dark Arts
 * Pink Magic

Appearances

 * Harry Potter Prequel
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
 * Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup
 * Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Notes and References
Magie