Crystal ball

"Crystal-gazing is a particularly refined art."

—Professor Trelawney describing the art of reading crystal balls^[src]

A crystal ball (or, as Seers prefer to call it, the Orb) is a crystal sphere which Seers gaze into for the purpose of Divination.

Because of their condensed thickness, they can serve as makeshift blunt weapons, as Trelawney managed to knock out the werewolf Fenrir Greyback by throwing one at his head, and then used her wand to launch more as projectiles.

History

Sybill Trelawney introduced all third year students to this device and its proper use in 1994. However, most students, Harry Potter and his friends in general, saw nothing more than the white blank swirl in it, and Ron joked about how that night would be very foggy. In their end of year exam, the third years had to look into a crystal ball and predict the future. Harry lied and said that he saw Buckbeak getting off his trial that night. Professor Trelawney then made a prediction, one of the two proper ones she had ever made.

Later that same year, Trelawney claimed during one class to have seen death while crystal-gazing the night before, having received an overpowering urge to consult the Orb while knitting. Harry Potter, however, long used to such predictions, simply yawned "widely and obviously" in response.^[1]

In 1996, crystal gazing was part of the Divination O.W.L. exams, and while Harry failed to see anything in his, Ron embarrassed himself by describing at length the ugly man with a wart on his nose that he saw in his crystal ball, before realising that he was describing his examiner's reflection.^[2]

"And with a move like a tennis serve, she heaved another enormous crystal sphere from her bag, waved her wand through the air, and caused the ball to speed across the hall and smash through a window."

—Trelawney weaponising crystal balls during the Battle of Hogwarts.^[src]

These objects were used by Professor Sybill Trelawney in the Battle of Hogwarts, against the Death Eaters; she threw one at Fenrir Greyback as he attempted to fiercely maul Lavender Brown, knocking the werewolf out. She then used her wand to launch more crystal balls as projectiles.

There was a Healer in Diagon Alley that kept what appeared to be a crystal ball on her desk.

Behind the scenes

In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, as Hermione stormed out of Divination, she kicked a crystal ball down the stairs, therefore making Harry have to carry it all the way back up to the classroom and this is where Trelawney made the prediction, not in the exam hall like it is in the book.
At least two of Dolores Umbridge's ornamental plates in the film of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix depict a kitten with a crystal ball.^[3]

Appearances

The crystal balls as used by the students in Divination class

Notes and references

↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 21 (The House-Elf Liberation Front)
↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 31 (O.W.L.s)
↑ See this image

Divination
Professors: Sybill Trelawney · Firenze
Known Seers: Calchas · Cassandra Vablatsky · Cassandra Trelawney · Gellert Grindelwald · Inigo Imago · Mopsus · Professor Mopsus · Unidentified Canadian Seer · Unidentified female Seer · Unidentified male Seer
Textbooks: The Dream Oracle · Unfogging the Future
Methods: Astrology · Cartomancy · Catoptromancy · Crystal-gazing · Crystal ball · Dream interpretation · Fire-omens · Heptomology · Ichthyomancy · Palmistry · Ornithomancy · Tarot cards · Tessomancy
Divination at Hogwarts: Divination (class) · Divination Classroom · Divination staircase · Sybill Trelawney's office · Classroom 11

[GF17-0] Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 21 (The House-Elf Liberation Front)

[OP31-1] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 31 (O.W.L.s)

[kittenplates-2] See this image

[1]

[2]

[3]

FANDOM

History

Behind the scenes

Appearances

Notes and references