In the Harry Potter movies/books, we have witnessed flights in several forms. Whether it be Harry and Ron going Hogwarts in Flying Ford Anglia or playing quidditch in the flying broom.
Even we have witnessed the black smoke generating in the sky like that of a rocket when Death Eaters are traveling to several places. Were they flying?
Well, you will know about it as you read till the end. Firstly lets us know something about them.
Who are Death Eaters?
The Wizards and Witches in Harry Potter were fragmented based on Voldemort’s followers and the haters.
Death eaters are the enthusiastic and passionate followers of Voldemort who took part in the first and second wizarding wars on the side of Voldemort.
They are pure-blooded witches or wizards. They are shown often recklessly involved in the Dark magic without the fear of wizarding law.
They share a common goal as Voldemort to establish pure-blood supremacy in the wizarding community.
All the Death eaters have a dark mark on their shoulders. It depicts the picture of a snake coming out of the skull. It is the identity of being a death eater and a symbol of their loyalty. Dark Lord can signal his followers by touching his mark to apparate to his side.
Death eaters were formed around the 1950s and disintegrated after 1998, when the physical body of the Dark Lord was annihilated. Again, they were united after Voldemort got back his body in Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire.
Besides the pure-blood supremacies, Dark Eaters also consisted of the criminals from Askaban who were behind bars. However, they had managed to escape and hide.
Some well-known Death Eaters
Bellatrix Lestrange
Escaped from Azkaban to rejoin Voldemort, she is the most devoted servant of Voldemort. She has tortured everyone who came along the way of the Dark Lord. Be it Hermione or Griphook, she hasn’t left anyone. She has even killed Sirius Black, Molly Weasely, and Dobby in her loyalty to Voldemort.
Severus Snape
From giving Voldemort information about Sybill Trelawney’s prophecy to killing Dumbledore at the Astronomical tower, Snape had repeatedly proved his loyalty to Voldemort. Later, it was revealed that he played double agents after Voldemort killed his teenage crush, Lily Evans Potter, whom he loved till his last breath.
Peter Pettigrew
He was one of the causes of James and Lily’s death. He had betrayed Potters as a secret keeper and revealed their hiding place to Voldemort. He even framed Severus Black for his misdeed. He aided Voldemort in procuring a new body.
Lucius Malfoy
Lucius is the most influential Death Eater with the supremacy of pure blood. He was present during the re-birth of Voldemort. He secretly put Voldemort’s enchanted diary in Ginny Weasley’s bag. He even placed Department of Mysteries employee, BroderickBode and Order of Phoniex member Sturgis Podmoreunder the Imperius Curse to capture the prophecy for Voldemort.
Draco Malfoy
His father was a bigot toward Voldemort, and he was ultimately forced to be a Death Eater. Although he carried out various tasks for Voldemort.
He tried to assassinate Dumbledore two times on orders of Voldemort. He was the one who had unarmed Dumbledore before his death. He provided Death Eater with a means to enter Hogwarts. He also participated in the Battle of Hogwarts from Voldemort’s side.
Some other notable Death eaters were Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Barty Crouch Jr., Antonin Dolohov, Fenrir Greyback, Igor Karkaroff, Avery, Regulus Black, Crabbe, Gibbon, Goyle, Jugson, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Walden Macnair, Corban Yaxley, Travers, Selwyn, Thorfinn Rowle, Evan Rosier, Augustus Rookwood, Nott Sr., Mulciber, and Walden Macnair.
All right! We knew about the Death Eaters. Now let’s come to the main point.
Can Death Eaters Actually fly?
Of course, they can fly with the help of a broomstick, flying vehicle, or by some flying creatures.
Talking about unaided flight, Death Eaters are traveling around, spreading the black smoke. Are they really flying then?
Well, the answer is no. The movie has confused us by showing them flying, but the reality is they are not flying. Instead, they are apparating.
The book has not mentioned the Death Eaters’ unaided flight.
There are exceptions in this case, and you must stick to the article to know about those exceptions.
What is Apparition?
In a wizarding world, an Apparition is a technique of magic that allows witches and wizards to disappear from one place and appear in another.
It is simply the technique used for traveling. They use non-verbal spells to transport them.
“The important things to remember when Apparating are the three Ds! Destination, Determination, Deliberation!“
— Wilkie Twycross teaching the rules of Apparition to sixth-year students
At Hogwarts, Apparition was trained as an optional 12-week course that students could learn only after they got their license of being 17 years old. It was illegal to use this magic by students below 17 years.
So, it was not an aidless flight. Instead, it was an Apparation! Is this impossible to fly?
Can’t anyone in the wizarding world perform flight without broomstick, flying vehicles, or flying creatures?
The answer is “Yes”!
We have seen Voldemort fly without a broomstick or thestral several times. He has passed on his own like that of birds, leaving dark smoke behind him during his flight.
How can Voldemort fly?
Voldemort has been the exception in many cases. Comes into building Hocruxes for the shake of immortality or to fly without brooms or any other aid. He has been exceptionally good at magic.
How is he exceptional, and how can he simply be so good in the field of the wizarding world?
The answer is simple!
He was so profoundly driven to learn the magic that he mastered it. Despite his evilness, we cannot ignore that he is an avid learner of sorcery. Well, this is the only thing to envy about him!
Voldemort having more profound knowledge about wizardry is the main point behind Dark Lord is exceptionally good and can actually fly.
Besides this, at a very young age, Voldemort had learned about the spells and techniques to create the Horcruxes. This kind of magic was barely done and rarely known by the greatest witches and wizards.
Was Voldemort only the one who knew to fly?
The answer is simply no!
Of course, Voldemort was the one who had discovered the magic to have aidless flight first of all. But he was not alone who knew this technique.
He taught this magic to his highly loyal follower, Severus Snape (Well! that’s what the Dark Lord thought).
Thus, in Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows, Snape was seen flying like a bat with his bellowing cloak, part 1. He has used this magic to safely escape from Hogwarts before the Battle of Hogwarts.
This magic was even taught to Quirinus Quirell when Voldemort was forced to share his body. Voldemort taught Quirell that magic was for his own convenience so that he could fly even from Quirrell’s body.
Delphini, daughter of the Dark Lord, also somehow mastered the ability to use this magic. She had not even learned it from her father as Voldemort was already dead then.
It is unknown if she had biologically inherited it or was passed down through written or other magical forms.
Why do Death Eaters apparate with the black smoke?
Every time we see the Death Eaters coming out of the mouth of Dark smoky things when they apparate. This smoke allows them to use it as a kind of portal. They appear and disappear through the black smoke.
Also, in movies, we have witnessed several times the members of the Order of Phoniex apparating in white smoke and Death Eaters in black smoke. What might be the reason?
The reason is apparent. The black-colored smoke was to depict the evilness in them. It was designed by Death Eaters to make them look more distinctive from Order of Phoniex members.
Can Harry Apparate too?
Harry had never taken the Apparition test. Even though he had once Apparated alone to Grimmauld Place under his Invisibility Cloak.
Earlier, he had initiated the Disapparition technique with Dumbledore. Harry took him back to Hogwarts from the cave when he was weak, using this magic without a problem.
Besides this, he had apparated with Hermione and Ron several times on a journey to find and destroy the Horcruxes and for other purposes. After recovering the locket, he had once apparated them from the Ministry of Magic without splinting.
Does Hermione know to Apparate?
Hermione is a genius witch who is a fact that doesn’t need a second thought. She has proved it several times. She even took the Apparition Test and passed it on the first attempt.
The test took place on 21 April 1997 in Hogsmeade in her sixth year. She was eligible to take the test as she was already 17.
Hermione had used the Apparition magic several times during the hunt of the Horcruxes.
Also, she, along with Ron and Harry, had apparated to familiar places, such as Tottenham Court Road and other holiday places. She, along with Harry, has even apparated to not-so-known areas such as Godric’s Hollows
Okay! Hermione had taken the Apparation test; what about Harry and Ron? All of them are inseparable friends, and how come Harry had never taken the test when Hermione took it?
Well, we know that only the one who has reached 17 years could take the Apparation Test. Our hero, Harry, was young for that test. He had not been 17 in April 1997.
This is the reason behind him not taking this test. Also, Draco and Neville didn’t take that test for the same reason.
Now, talking about Ron Weasely, he had signed up for this extra lesson along with Hermione. He even took the test, but his magic got splinted. He left his eyebrow behind and failed the test. Well, we don’t know if he ever took the second test or ever passed the test.
At last,
Unaided flight is very tough. It could be performed only by very talented wizards. No wonder Voldemort was the most talented wizard of all that he learned about the magic to fly without any help.
Yet, it doesn’t mean that every Death eater could fly like the Dark Lord.
Besides all these things, the peculiar thing is that why did other wizards and witches not even try to learn to fly like Voldemort?
Not even the genius wizard like Dumbledore was not concerned about this magic.
Maybe there is no necessity for it as he could Apparate.
