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"A jet of steam had hissed out of the camera. Harry, three beds away, caught the acrid smell of burnt plastic."
— The film of this camera having burnt up due to exposure from a Basilisk's stare[src]

This camera was an old-fashioned Muggle camera that Muggle-born student Colin Creevey used to take pictures of his life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to show his father.[1] Although most devices powered by electricity did not function in the presence of magic, the camera still worked at Hogwarts, since it was able to "[run] off the magical atmosphere" instead of its batteries.[2]

History[]

Camera2

Colin's camera in 1995

When Colin started his first year at Hogwarts in 1992, he took his Muggle camera around with him, in order to take photographs of various people and things that impressed him, like Harry Potter.[1] Colin also tried to take photographs of Ron Weasley after he accidentally cursed himself with the Slug-vomiting Charm at the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch.[3]

When Colin looked at Salazar Slytherin's basilisk through the camera's viewfinder, he was left petrified, and the film inside was burnt and melted.[4]

Colin lost the camera on the Hogwarts grounds during the 1995–1996 school year. However, it was eventually found by Harry Potter on an offset in The Quad near the battlements, and returned to its rightful owner.[5]

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 6 (Gilderoy Lockhart)
  2. J. K. Rowling's official site - F.A.Q. questions (archived here via the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine)
  3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 7 (Mudbloods And Murmurs)
  4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 10 (The Rogue Bludger)
  5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
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