Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Feather Quill====== =====Object Information===== * **Type:** [[Writing Implement]] * **Owners:** Commonly owned by nearly all witches and wizards; no single line of ownership. * **Maker:** Various magical artisans and shops, such as [[Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop]] in [[Hogsmeade]]. =====Description and Appearance===== A [[feather quill]], often referred to simply as a quill, is the standard writing instrument used throughout the [[wizarding world]]. It is created from the flight feather of a large bird, such as a goose, swan, eagle, or pheasant. The shaft of the feather is hollow and the tip is sharpened to a point, which is then dipped into an [[ink pot]] to draw up [[ink]] for writing on [[parchment]]. Quills come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and types of feather. [[Harry Potter]] purchased a long, black-and-gold pheasant feather quill during his first visit to [[Diagon Alley]]. They are a required item for all students attending [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]]. =====Magical Properties and Usage===== While a standard quill has no inherent magical properties, many are enchanted for specific purposes. These magical variations showcase the blend of the mundane and the magical in wizarding life. * **[[Anti-Cheating Quill]]**: These quills are bewitched with an [[Anti-Cheating Spell]] and are distributed to students during major examinations, such as the [[Ordinary Wizarding Levels]] (O.W.L.s) and [[Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests]] (N.E.W.T.s). They prevent the user from writing down any information they did not know on their own. * **[[Black Quill]]**: A particularly cruel instrument of torture used by [[Dolores Umbridge]]. This quill requires no [[ink]], as it magically writes using the writer's own blood. As the user writes, the words are painfully carved onto the back of their hand, leaving permanent scars. It is considered a [[Dark Artefact]]. * **[[Quick-Quotes Quill]]**: An acid-green quill owned by the journalist [[Rita Skeeter]]. This quill has a mind of its own, automatically transcribing interviews but twisting the subject's words into sensational, often fabricated, quotes for articles in publications like the [[Daily Prophet]]. * **[[Self-Inking Quill]]**: A more convenient type of quill that does not need to be repeatedly dipped in [[ink]]. * **[[Spell-Checking Quill]]**: A quill enchanted to automatically correct spelling errors as the user writes. [[Hermione Granger]] owned one of these, which [[Ron Weasley]] once tried to borrow, only to have it refuse to write for him due to the sheer number of mistakes in his essay. =====Role in the Story===== The feather quill is a ubiquitous object that helps establish the distinct, pre-industrial aesthetic of the [[wizarding world]], setting it apart from the modern [[Muggle]] world of ballpoint pens. Beyond this world-building function, specific enchanted quills play significant roles in the plot. The [[Quick-Quotes Quill]] is a central antagonist tool in //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//. Through it, [[Rita Skeeter]] publishes slanderous articles about [[Harry Potter]], [[Hermione Granger]], and [[Rubeus Hagrid]], influencing public opinion and creating immense personal distress for the characters. The most significant and sinister quill is the [[Black Quill]] featured in //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//. [[Dolores Umbridge]] forces Harry to use it during detentions to write lines, physically and psychologically torturing him. The resulting scar on his hand, which reads "//I must not tell lies//," serves as a permanent, painful reminder of the tyranny he faced from [[Umbridge]] and the [[Ministry of Magic]]. The use of [[Anti-Cheating Quill]]s during [[O.W.L.s]] highlights the strict academic standards and integrity expected at [[Hogwarts]]. Finally, the various types of quills available for purchase in [[Diagon Alley]] and [[Hogsmeade]] illustrate the commercial and practical applications of [[magic]] in everyday wizarding life. =====Behind the Scenes===== J.K. Rowling has stated that the choice to have the [[wizarding world]] use quills and [[parchment]] instead of modern pens and paper was a deliberate one. It was intended to create a sense of a world that is "stuck in time" and to draw a clear line between the magical and [[Muggle]] worlds (Pottermore). In the film adaptations, the [[Quick-Quotes Quill]] is depicted as being very large and flamboyant, floating in the air and writing on a notepad of its own accord, emphasizing its automated and malevolent nature (film). The scarring effect of the [[Black Quill]] is also shown in graphic detail, highlighting the severity of [[Umbridge]]'s cruelty (film).
