======Key======
=====Object Information=====
  * **Type:** Magical and Mundane Device
  * **Notable Owners/Users:** [[Gringotts]] [[Goblin|Goblins]], [[Rubeus Hagrid]], [[Professor Flitwick]], [[Molly Weasley]], [[Arthur Weasley]], [[Harry Potter]], [[Sirius Black]], [[Kreacher]]
  * **Makers:** Varies; known makers include [[Goblin|Goblins]] (for [[Gringotts]] keys) and [[Professor Flitwick]] (for enchanted winged keys).
=====Description and Appearance=====
A key in the [[wizarding world]] is a tool used to operate a lock, similar to its [[Muggle]] counterpart. They are typically made of metal and can range from small and delicate to large and ancient. While many keys are mundane, a significant number are imbued with powerful [[magic]].
Notable examples include:
  * **The Winged Keys:** A swarm of hundreds of silver keys with fluttering, jewel-bright wings, enchanted to fly near the ceiling of a high chamber. Among them was one large, old-fashioned silver key with a bent wing, which was the correct one to unlock the door to the next chamber.
  * **[[Gringotts]] Vault Keys:** Keys for [[Gringotts]] vaults are typically small and golden. The key for [[Vault 713]] was a tiny golden key. It is implied these keys possess enchantments that prevent them from being duplicated or used by anyone other than the rightful owner or an authorized [[Goblin]].
  * **The [[Ford Anglia]] Key:** A standard-looking car key used to operate the Weasleys' flying [[Ford Anglia]].
  * **The Portkey Key:** A rusty old key that was illicitly turned into a [[Portkey]], which transported users to a specific location upon touch.
=====Magical Properties and Usage=====
Keys serve the primary function of securing and granting access. Their properties range from the purely mechanical to the deeply magical.
  * **Mundane Use:** Many keys in the wizarding world are non-magical and are used for everyday purposes, such as locking doors to rooms (like [[Sirius Black]]'s bedroom at [[Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place]]) or chests. The [[Alohomora]] [[charm]] is often used as a magical bypass for simple, non-magically protected locks.
  * **High-Security Access:** [[Gringotts]] keys are used to open wizarding bank vaults. The security of these vaults often relies on more than just the key; a [[Goblin]] is required for access, and some vaults, like the Lestrange vault, require a touch from the rightful owner's hand.
  * **Bewitched Keys:** Keys can be bewitched to perform specific tasks. The most prominent example is the swarm of winged keys protecting the [[Philosopher's Stone]]. They were enchanted by [[Professor Flitwick]] to fly and evade capture, requiring skill on a [[Broomstick]] rather than a simple search to find the correct one.
  * **[[Portkey|Portkeys]]:** A mundane key can be transformed into a [[Portkey]]. Touching the object transports the user (or users) to a predetermined destination. An old rusty key was used as an illicit [[Portkey]] to transport [[Harry Potter]], the Weasleys, and the Diggorys to the vicinity of the [[Quidditch World Cup]] grounds.
=====History=====
As a common object, the general history of keys is not detailed. However, specific keys play important roles in known historical events.
In the 1991-1992 [[Hogwarts]] school year, [[Albus Dumbledore]] tasked several professors with creating magical protections for the [[Philosopher's Stone]]. [[Professor Flitwick]]'s contribution was the Chamber of the Winged Keys, a task designed to test a potential thief's flying skills and ability to stay calm under pressure.
In 1991, [[Rubeus Hagrid]] was given the key to [[Vault 713]] by [[Dumbledore]] to retrieve the [[Philosopher's Stone]] for safekeeping at [[Hogwarts]]. This action prevented [[Professor Quirrell]] from stealing the stone from [[Gringotts]] for [[Lord Voldemort]].
In 1995, [[Kreacher]] used the key to the locked room of [[Sirius Black]]'s mother at [[Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place]] to retrieve and hide items that [[Sirius]] had ordered to be thrown out, including the [[Locket of Slytherin]].
=====Role in the Story=====
Keys are significant plot devices throughout the series, often representing a challenge, a mystery, or a means of passage that drives the narrative forward.
  * In //Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone//, the quest for a key is central to two major plot points. First, [[Hagrid]]'s use of the key to [[Vault 713]] introduces the central mystery of the "grubby little package" and establishes the high level of security surrounding it. Second, the Chamber of the Winged Keys serves as a crucial obstacle for [[Harry Potter]], [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]]. Harry's unique talent as a [[Seeker]] allows him to catch the correct key, highlighting how his specific skills are essential to their success.
  * In //Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire//, the discovery of a key that is actually a [[Portkey]] introduces the concept of illegal magical travel and provides a moment of unexpected adventure for the characters on their way to the [[Quidditch World Cup]].
  * In //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, a simple key to a locked room at [[Grimmauld Place]] becomes pivotal. [[Kreacher]]'s ability to access the room allows him to hide the locket [[Horcrux]], an act that has profound consequences later in the series.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone//, the winged keys are depicted with more varied and insect-like wings, such as those of dragonflies. The correct key is identified not only by its bent wing but also by being a different color, described as being larger and more rusted than the others. (film)