======Durmstrang Ship======
=====Object Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Transportation]], [[Magical Accommodation]]
  * **Owners:** [[Durmstrang Institute]]
  * **Maker:** Unknown
=====Description and Appearance=====
The [[Durmstrang Ship]] is a magnificent and imposing magical vessel used by the [[Durmstrang Institute]]. When it arrived at [[Hogwarts]] for the [[Triwizard Tournament]], it emerged dramatically from the depths of the [[Black Lake]], creating a large whirlpool.
The ship is described as having a "bare, skeletal structure," appearing like a "resurrected wreck." It features tall masts and ethereal, silken sails, and it glows with an "eerie, silvery light" at night. Despite its ghostly appearance, it is a fully functional vessel that served as the living quarters for the [[Durmstrang]] delegation during their year-long stay.
Like many magical spaces in the [[wizarding world]], the ship's interior is significantly larger than its exterior suggests, presumably through the use of an [[Undetectable Extension Charm]] or similar magic. It contains cabins spacious enough to comfortably house Headmaster [[Igor Karkaroff]] and his students, including [[Viktor Krum]].
=====Magical Properties and Usage=====
The ship's primary purpose is long-distance magical transport for students and faculty of the [[Durmstrang Institute]]. Its capabilities are considerable:
  * **Subaquatic Travel:** The ship is enchanted to travel underwater, allowing it to navigate unseen through bodies of water. It arrived at [[Hogwarts]] by surfacing in the [[Black Lake]] and departed by sinking back into its depths.
  * **Magical Navigation:** The vessel appears to navigate magically, as it arrived precisely at its destination without any visible conventional means of propulsion through the [[Scottish Highlands]].
  * **Enchanted Accommodations:** The ship functions as a mobile residence. The cabins and decks are fully protected from the elements and provide all necessary living amenities for its passengers.
=====History=====
The ship's origins and prior history are unknown. Its first and only documented appearance is during the 1994-1995 [[Hogwarts]] school year.
On 30 October 1994, the ship brought the [[Durmstrang]] delegation to [[Hogwarts]] to participate in the revived [[Triwizard Tournament]]. It remained moored in the [[Black Lake]] for the entire school year, acting as the delegation's private residence and a constant, formidable symbol of the visiting school's presence.
In late June 1995, following the tragic conclusion of the tournament and the death of [[Cedric Diggory]], the [[Durmstrang]] delegation departed. The ship slipped beneath the surface of the [[Black Lake]] and vanished.
=====Role in the Story=====
The arrival of the [[Durmstrang Ship]] serves as a dramatic introduction to the foreign students from [[Durmstrang Institute]] and their powerful, somewhat sinister reputation. Its presence in the [[Black Lake]] is a constant reminder of the ongoing [[Triwizard Tournament]] and the intense inter-school rivalry.
The ship also serves as a private setting for key plot points. [[Harry Potter]], hidden under his [[Invisibility Cloak]], sneaks to the edge of the lake and observes [[Igor Karkaroff]] on the ship's deck, noticing the Headmaster's growing panic over his returning [[Dark Mark]]. Karkaroff also held secret conversations on board, which further developed his character's fearful and treacherous nature.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * In the film adaptation of *//Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//*, the ship's design is significantly different. Instead of a skeletal wreck, it is portrayed as a much larger, more robust vessel resembling a Viking longship with a carved dragon-like figurehead. It has the magical ability to partially transform and furl its sails instantly upon surfacing (film).
  * In the *//Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//* video game, the ship's deck is an explorable area where the player can collect [[Triwizard Shields]] (video game).