In the Harry Potter series created by J.K. Rowling, magic is depicted as a natural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature while still being approached entirely scientifically. Many magical creatures exist in the series, as do ordinary creatures which exhibit some magical properties (such as owls, which are used to deliver post). Objects, too, can be enhanced or imbued with magical power. The small percentage of humans that are able to perform magic are referred to as witches and wizards, in contrast to the non-magical Muggles.In humans, magic or the lack thereof is an inborn attribute.<1> It is inherited, carried on "dominant resilient genes."<2> Magic is the norm in the children of magical couples and less common in those of muggles. Exceptions exist: those unable to do magic who are born to magical parents are known as squibs, whereas a witch or wizard born to Muggle parents is known as a Muggle-born, or by the pejorative "mudblood". While Muggle-borns are quite common, squibs are extremely rare, which might be reflected by the contrasting sizes of muggle and wizarding populations.For a person''s ability to perform magic to be useful, a good deal of training is required. When ''wild,'' typically with young and untrained children, it will still manifest itself subconsciously in moments of strong apprehension, fear, or anger. <1> For example, Harry Potter once made his hair grow back after a bad haircut, and, in anger, made his Aunt Marge inflate enormously. Whilst this reaction is almost always uncontrollable, Tom Marvolo Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort, was able to "make things move without touching them, ... Make animals do what he wanted without training them, ... make bad things happen to
people who annoy him, ...
them hurt if I want to" (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, pg. 271) when he was a young child, apparently intentionally.Almost all magic is done with the use of a supporting tool or focus, typically a wand. On the subject of magic without the use of a wand, Rowling says:<2>“ You can do unfocused and uncontrolled magic without a wand (for instance when Harry blows up Aunt Marge) but to do really good spells, yes, you need a wand. ”A wizard or witch is only at their best when using their own wand. Throughout the series, it is evident that when using another''s wand, one''s spells are not as strong as they normally would be. (Harry Potter and the Philosopher''s Stone, pg. 66)Within the books, technical details of magic are obscure. Of Harry''s lessons only those involving magical creatures, potions or divination are given in any detail.Severus Snape once told Harry Potter that "Time and space matter in magic..." during Harry''s first Occlumency class in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Albus Dumbledore told Harry after finding the magically concealed boat to reach the locket Horcrux that "Magic always leaves traces...sometimes distinctive traces..." The limits of magicRegardless of how powerful a witch or wizard is, they are by no means without limits. For instance, 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.It is also impossible to resurrect the dead. Dead bodies can be enchanted to do a living wizard''s bidding, but these bodies remain mere puppets and have no souls (see Inferius). 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.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 camel or a Horcrux, the latter having been used by Lord Voldemort). 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 true "master of death" is to be willing to accept that death is inevitable. Principal Exceptions to Gamp''s Law of Elemental TransfigurationThe Principal Exceptions to Gamp''s Law of Elemental Transfiguration are five magical objects that are an exception to Gamp''s Law of Elemental Transfiguration, objects that cannot be created by magic. Out of the five exceptions, only four are mentioned in the series: food, love, life, and information. The fifth and final exceptions of Gamp is probably money, as Rowling once remarked in an interview money is something wizards cannot simply materialize out of thin air, for the enonomic system of the Wizarding World would then be gravely flawed and disrupted.Love, the second of the five exceptions, is first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by Professor Slughorn.<3> Food, the first of the five exceptions, is first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by Hermione Granger and is later mentioned again by Ron Weasley.<4>While it is known that some cooks seemingly create sauces from their wand, it is possible that the sauces are temporary; this has the added benefit of creating something tasty without having additional fats. Another possible explanation is that the sauce is being transferred from a different location and pouring from the wand. Also, through the use of the Aguamenti spell, a wizard/witch can produce water, drinkable water, and Dolores Umbridge, in the twenty-eighth chapter (Snape''s Worst Memory) of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is able to conjure cups and glasses of tea, coffee and pumpkin juice, as part of her attempt to force the location of Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black from Harry Potter, though perhaps she merely transported them from elsewhere. Also in Chamber of Secrets, Professor McGonagall makes a plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets, and a jug of pumpkin juice appear out of thin air for Ron and Harry to eat. Magic and emotionA witch or wizard''s emotional state can affect their inherent abilities. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 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. 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. Many other examples of emotion-influenced magic appear throughout the series, with Ariana (Dumbledore''s sister), and Harry''s attack upon Aunt Marge in HP3, being prime examples. Magic and deathLike love, death is studied in detail in a room 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). Sirius Black fell through this veil in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.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 characters in the series who are quite long-lived.It is revealed by Nearly Headless Nick in Book 5 that wizards have the option of becoming ghosts when they die.
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