Welcome readers, to an amazing new addition to Hogwarts Monthly News! This new column, called Magical Artefacts, will discuss all the amazing artefacts we see in the Wizarding World. Magical objects are a big part of our lives; some simple ones we may use daily, but others can be dark and complicated things. Nevertheless, due to the combining of issues, I’m very excited to have the opportunity to discuss two with you today, and more in the future!



In celebration of October, one of the objects I’m focusing on will be pretty well-known to all my fellow Marauders fans. I’m sure you know what it is already: the Marauder’s Map!

Introduction & Creation:
If you’re unfamiliar with it, the Marauder’s Map was an enchanted map created by Remus Lupin, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew (the Marauders) during their time at Hogwarts. The map allowed the user to see every passageway, room, and even secret tunnels throughout all of Hogwarts, as well as track everyone in the castle. The creation of the map began in 1974, and it was believed to have been finished during 1975-1976.

How It Works:
You may be thinking: “This is an amazing creation! But how in the world does it work?” Don’t worry, I’ll tell you! The Marauder’s Map was made with the use of the Homonculous Charm. It is a very powerful and advanced spell! When cast on the map, it would allow the quartet to track the movements of everyone in the castle. There was also another charm cast on the map, which would insult Severus Snape, had he ever gotten a hold of it. It only makes sense; he was the nemesis of James Potter after all!

Alongside this, the Marauders came up with the idea of “locking” the map, so that only those who know a secret phrase would have access to it. To those who didn’t, the map would only look like blank parchment. Brilliant! Since the Marauders had a reputation for being pranksters, to view the map, one would have to tap it with a wand and recite, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” This would reveal the contents of the map. To make it turn blank again, one would have to tap it again and recite “mischief managed.” Very fitting for their group, don’t you think?

Features:
Now that you’re aware of how this object works, we can get into the many useful features it has! As mentioned before, the map would allow the user to see all passageways, rooms, and tunnels found at Hogwarts. With the use of the Homonculous Charm, it would also allow the user to see the whereabouts of everyone.

However, there are a couple of things I should mention! As we know from the books, there are a few exceptions to the map. For example, the Room of Requirement and the Chamber of Secrets don’t show up on the map. This means that the Marauders most likely didn’t find those places during their time at Hogwarts, or that they were Unplottable using a map. Using the secret tunnel from the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack would also make someone disappear from the map. Additionally, the map does not differentiate between two people with the same name (e.g. Bartemius Crouch Jr. and Bartemius Crouch Sn.)

Speaking of, there was nothing else that could be hidden from the map. Using disguises, such as an Invisibility Cloak, Polyjuice Potion, or even transforming into an Animagus wouldn’t keep your name off or change it!

Fun Facts:
Before we move on to the next artefact, I thought it would be fun to include a couple of fun facts about the Marauder’s Map!
- When someone approached a password-protected passage, the password would show on the map, usually in the form of a small speech bubble beside the location.
- In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Hagrid’s footprints are noticeably larger. This is a reference to him being a half-giant.
- The order of nicknames on the map (Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs) are in the reverse order of when the Marauders died– with James first, and Remus last.
- The map was also able to track the locations of ghosts and animals, such as Ms. Norris.
- Harry never passed down the map to any of his children, but it is believed that James Sirius Potter stole it from his desk on a couple of occasions. It was used by both Harry and McGonagall in The Cursed Child.

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Now, I wanted to discuss an object that appears at the very beginning of the Harry Potter series but also comes in handy near the end. If you can’t tell already, I’m talking about Dumbledore’s Deluminator, also known as the Put-Outer!



Introduction & Creation:
The Deluminator is a small object, said to look like a silver cigarette lighter. It was designed and owned by Albus Dumbledore, who is the first known creator of this object to exist. It’s said to have been made sometime in the 1920s or earlier. The function of this device was to remove light sources from its surroundings, and also restore the light afterward. However, there are other interesting parts about this object that you may not already know!

How It Works:
So, how does the Deluminator work? Unfortunately, no one can explain it. This handy device was created by Dumbledore himself, and it works because of magic. What kind of magic? No one knows. But, I do predict that the wizarding world has Deluminators because the concept of removing and restoring light can’t be that hard to duplicate with magic. It’s the features of Dumbledore’s very own Deluminator that we can’t explain.

Features:
As mentioned above, there are more features to the Deluminator other than just removing and restoring light. If you’re a big Harry Potter fan (like me), you’ll know it plays a big part in the end of the series. Let me explain:

When Dumbledore passed, he left one object to each member of the Golden Trio. Fortunately, the Deluminator ended up in the hands of Ronald Weasley. Dumbledore somehow knew he would need it, and he was right! During the Horcrux stakeout, Ron got angry and left Harry and Hermione. As soon as he did, he regretted it, but couldn’t find them. Now, this is where it gets interesting.

Every time Harry and Hermione mentioned Ron’s name in a conversation, Ron could somehow hear their voices and snippets of their conversations through the Deluminator. Alongside that, a ball of light arose from the object, and flew right into his chest, near Ron’s heart. From there, it acted as a guide and reunited him with his friends.

I’d like to add something else as well. The ball of light flying into Ron’s heart and leading him to Harry and Hermione could be a reference to Ariana Dumbledore’s grave. Her tombstone reads: Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. It’s also a quote from Matthew 6:21 of the Holy Bible. Anyways, it could imply to us that Harry and Hermione are Ron’s greatest “treasures,” and since his heart lies with them, he was able to be guided back to them. Feel free to interpret it differently, but that’s just something interesting I noticed!

Now you know all about this mysterious object. I honestly love how there was a deeper reason for it throughout the series and the importance it holds for the Golden Trio. It’s so interesting to analyze and connect it to other moments in the books!

Sadly, we have now reached the end of Magical Artefacts. I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about the Marauder’s Map and the Deluminator. There are many more fascinating magical artefacts to discuss in the upcoming months, so make sure to check back next month for more. Goodbye!

Written by Daphne Clarke. 
Edited by Marietta Oizys. 
Proofread by Sara Rowan & Hazel Antler.