Crystal ball

Crystal ball
Object information
Location	Divination Classroom, Hogwarts Castle Flamel House, Paris Hepzibah Smith's house
Usage	Divination Blunt weapons
Owners	Seers Sybill Trelawney Merlin Nicolas Flamel Hepzibah Smith Jacob's sibling

"Crystal-gazing is a particularly refined art. I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths."

— Professor Trelawney describing the art of reading crystal balls

A crystal ball (or, as Seers preferred to call it, the Orb) was a magical crystal sphere which Seers gazed into for the purpose of divination.

Because of their condensed thickness, they could serve as makeshift blunt weapons, as Sybill Trelawney managed to knock out the werewolf Fenrir Greyback by throwing one at his head during the Battle of Hogwarts, and then used her wand to launch more as projectiles. Likewise, their round shapes made them have little traction, which would cause anyone who stepped on them to lose their balance and slip, something Eulalie Hicks took advantage of.

History

Middle Ages

The legendary wizard Merlin owned a crystal ball, which he could view a green dragon within.

1920s

The Sunday edition of The New York Ghost published on 28 November 1926 reported a dispute by warlocks due to the Crystal Ball Regulation at the time.

Jacob and Flamel watching crystal ball

In 1927, Nicolas Flamel looked over at his crystal ball, which showed, among other things, that Grindelwald was about to host a rally for his followers at the Lestrange Mausoleum at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. They also saw Credence Barebone and Nagini heading there, along with Queenie Goldstein.

Eulalie Hicks attacks Grindelwald's supporters with crystal balls

In 1932, during combat between Grindelwald's supporters and Eulalie Hicks and Theseus Scamander in Bhutan, Hicks threw crystal balls at Grindelwald's supporters with her wand that were contained in street stands which caused Grindelwald's supporters to slip up on them.

Hepzibah Smith kept several brightly-coloured crystal balls in her home.

1980s

"I myself have seen many visions in the Orb's crystalline depths. [...] Allow yourself to see past the Mundane and into the mysteries of the future."

— Professor Trelawney on this art of Divination

In the 1985–1986 school year, Lenny Pindlebrook presented Jacob's sibling with their very own crystal ball as thanks for their help with deciphering a prophecy.

During the 1989–1990 school year at Hogwarts, Professor Trelawney taught sixth-years the art of crystal-gazing in Divination.

1990s

"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 weaponizing crystal balls during the Battle of Hogwarts.

In 1992, there was a Healer in Diagon Alley that kept what appeared to be a crystal ball on her desk.

The crystal balls as used by the students in Divination class

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 genuinely accurate predictions she had ever made in her lifetime.

Harry and Ron stare into a crystal ball during class

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.

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.

Crystal balls 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. Lavender unfortunately succumbed to her wounds from Greyback's attack and died shortly after. Trelawney then used her wand to launch more crystal balls as projectiles.

21st century

A crystal ball Foundable

During the Calamity which affected the wizarding world in the late 2010s and early 2020s, crystal balls were among the various magical items which threatened the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. Volunteer wizards and witches employed by the Statute of Secrecy Task Force were tasked to overpowering crystal balls trapped as Foundables to their original place in the world.

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. This was where Trelawney made the prediction instead of the exam hall, where it happened in the book.
• At least two of Dolores Umbridge's ornamental plates in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix depict a kitten with a crystal ball.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film) (Seen in promotional poster)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card) (GBC version only)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
• 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) (NDS version only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Appears in flashback(s))
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) (Mentioned in a newspaper)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter (Mentioned only)
• LEGO Harry Potter
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened
• Hogwarts Legacy