Editing Magic in Harry Potter (section)

==Magical abilities==
=== Animagus ===
An animagus is a wizard who can turn into a particular animal at will. This ability is acquired by magical means. By law, all British animagi must register with the Ministry of Magic. During the course of the series, several unregistered animagi are depicted, including James Potter, [[Sirius Black]], [[Death Eater#Peter Pettigrew|Peter Pettigrew]], and [[Rita Skeeter]]. [[Minerva McGonagall]] is a registered animagus who takes the form of a domestic cat. A wizard's animagus form is determined by their personality.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rowling |first1=J.K. |date=6 September 2016 |title=Short stories from Hogwarts of heroism, hardship, and dangerous hobbies |series=Pottermore Presents |publisher=Pottermore |isbn=978-1-78110-628-0}}</ref>

===Apparition===
Apparition is a magical form of [[teleportation]], by which a wizard can disappear ("disapparate") from one location and reappear ("apparate") in another. According to Harry, Apparition feels like being squeezed through a tight rubber tube, and Dumbledore explains to him that most students vomit their first time apparating.<ref>{{HPref|book=6|chapter=4}}</ref> A wizard must be at least 17 years old to apparate, and students at Hogwarts may take Apparition lessons during their sixth year, akin to Muggles taking driving lessons around the same age. Wizards without an Apparition licence can use "side-along apparition" to travel with someone who does.

Learning to apparate is difficult, and students run the risk of ''splinching''—being physically split between the origin and destination. Splinching is quite common during lessons and can be uncomfortable or very painful, but is ultimately harmless if properly reversed. To remedy a splinch requires the assistance of the Ministry's [[Accidental Magic Reversal Squad]] or essence of [[origanum dictamnus|dittany]].

Apparition is considered unreliable over long distances, and even experienced practitioners sometimes prefer other means of transport. Rowling has stated that cross-continental apparition "would almost certainly result in severe injury or death."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rowling |first1=J.K. |date=20 December 2016 |title=Welcome to my new website! |url= https://www.jkrowling.com/welcome-to-my-new-website/ |access-date=5 May 2017 |website=jkrowling.com}}</ref> For reasons of security, Hogwarts is protected by anti-apparition spells, which prevent most humans from apparating on the school grounds. However, Dumbledore can apparate in and out of Hogwarts at his discretion, because as he tells Harry, being Headmaster "has its privileges."<ref>{{HPref|book=6}}</ref>

Magical devices such as the [[Magical objects in Harry Potter#Floo Powder|Floo Network]], [[Magical objects in Harry Potter#Portkeys|Portkeys]] and [[Magical objects in Harry Potter#Vanishing Cabinet|Vanishing Cabinets]] also provide forms of teleportation.

=== Gubraithian fire ===
Gubraithian Fire is an everlasting magical fire that can only be created by extremely skilled wizards. Hagrid and [[Madame Maxime]] gave a bundle of Gubraithian fire, conjured by Dumbledore, to the leader of the [[Magical creatures (Harry Potter)#Giants|giants]]. The gift was part of an attempt to sway the giants to Dumbledore's side in the struggle against Voldemort.<ref name="HP53">{{HPref|book=5}}</ref>

===Legilimency and Occlumency<span class="anchor" id="Legilimency and occlumency"></span>===
Legilimency is the practice of extracting feelings and memories from another person's mind – a form of magical [[telepathy]]. It also allows the practitioner to convey visions or memories to another person. A wizard possessing this skill is called a Legilimens, and can, for example, detect deceit in another person, witness their memories, or plant visions in their mind. The counter-skill to Legilimency is Occlumency, which is practised by an Occlumens. It can be used to prevent a Legilimens from discovering the practitioner's thoughts or memories. Voldemort, [[Severus Snape]], Albus Dumbledore, and Gellert Grindelwald are all skilled in Legilimency and Occlumency.

===Metamorphmagus===
A metamorphmagus is a wizard who can change their appearance at will.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rumour section |url= http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/rumours_view.cfm?id=41 |url-status=dead <!-- presumed --> |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110926035344/http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/rumours_view.cfm?id=41 |archive-date=2011-09-26 |website= jkrowling.com| publisher= J. K. Rowling}}</ref> [[Nymphadora Tonks]] and her son, [[Teddy Lupin]], are the only living metamorphmagi mentioned in the novels. At various points, Tonks changes her hair colour and style according to her mood. She is a relatively young woman, but she occasionally chooses to appear elderly.

===Parselmouth<span class="anchor" id="Parseltongue"></span>===
Parseltongue is the language of snakes. Those who can speak parseltongue are called parselmouths. The ability is rare, and the only parselmouths mentioned in the novels are Harry Potter, Salazar Slytherin, and Slytherin's descendants (which includes Voldemort). Rowling said she derived the term "parselmouth" from "an old word for someone who has a problem with the mouth, like a [[cleft lip and palate|hare lip]]".<ref>{{cite web |date=26 June 2003 |title=Harry Potter and the Magic of the Internet |url= http://www.msn.co.uk/liveevents/harrypotter/transcript/Default.asp?Ath=f |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061112072736/http://www.msn.co.uk/liveevents/harrypotter/transcript/Default.asp?Ath=f |archive-date= 12 November 2006 |access-date=12 May 2022 |publisher=MSN}}</ref>

===Seer===
A seer is a wizard with the [[clairvoyant]] ability to foresee future events. The predictions given through this ability can sometimes be [[self-fulfilling prophecies]], and Dumbledore states in ''Order of the Phoenix'' that not all of them come true, depending on the choices made by those involved. According to Minerva McGonagall, true seers are extremely rare. [[Sybill Trelawney]] is the only seer portrayed in the novel. She has twice made true prophecies – both significant to Harry Potter – but had no recollection of either prediction afterward. Another notable seer is [[Gellert Grindelwald]], an infamous dark wizard, who acquired the ability of [[precognition]] from an enchantment incorporating the sacrifice of a [[qilin]].