Self-Writing Quills

• Type: Magical Device, Writing Instrument
• Owners: Rita Skeeter (Quick-Quotes Quill), Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Anti-Cheating Quills), various witches and wizards
• Maker: Unknown; commercially available

Self-Writing Quills generally appear identical to standard quills used by the wizarding community. Their magical nature is not typically obvious from their appearance alone. The most infamous example, the Quick-Quotes Quill used by Rita Skeeter, is described as being a vivid, acid-green color. The quills provided by Hogwarts for examinations have no unique physical description and appear to be ordinary.

The primary function of a Self-Writing Quill is to write automatically without being held or manually guided by a witch or wizard. They operate based on different enchantments depending on their specific purpose.

• Dictation and Transcription: The most basic function is to accurately transcribe spoken words. The quill floats above a piece of parchment and writes down what is being said, acting as a magical form of stenography.
• Anti-Cheating Quills: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry supplies students with these special quills for their end-of-year examinations. They are bewitched with a powerful Anti-Cheating Spell to prevent students from writing down information they have not personally learned or are attempting to copy.
• Quick-Quotes Quill: This is a highly specialized and devious type of Self-Writing Quill owned by the journalist Rita Skeeter. It does not simply transcribe speech; instead, its enchantment causes it to twist and sensationalize the speaker's words, often fabricating details entirely to create a more scandalous and dramatic story. During Harry Potter's interview for the Daily Prophet, his simple statements were transformed into melodramatic and false quotes. The quill is shown to have a malevolent intelligence, eager to record juicy and libelous details.
• Spell-Checking Quills: A commercial variation sold at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. These quills automatically correct spelling mistakes as the user writes. Unlike other Self-Writing Quills, they are meant to be held and used manually, with the enchantment acting as a helpful writing aid rather than a fully autonomous tool.

The precise origin and inventor of Self-Writing Quills are unknown. They appear to be an established and commercially available magical item within the wizarding world, with different models available for purchase in places like Diagon Alley. Their use in formal settings like Hogwarts examinations suggests they are a long-standing magical invention. The existence of different models, from standard transcription quills to the advanced Quick-Quotes Quill and commercial Spell-Checkers, indicates a history of development and specialization in their enchantments.

Self-Writing Quills appear in several contexts throughout the series, primarily serving to illustrate different facets of the wizarding world. The Anti-Cheating Quills used during Hogwarts exams are an early example of how magic is integrated into everyday life and institutional processes, including the prevention of academic dishonesty. The Quick-Quotes Quill plays a significant antagonistic role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. As Rita Skeeter's primary tool, it is responsible for the slanderous articles published about Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Rubeus Hagrid. These articles manipulate public opinion, add to Harry's immense pressure during the Triwizard Tournament, and demonstrate the power of a biased and untruthful media. The quill itself acts as the magical engine of this deception, turning innocent conversations into front-page scandals.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill is visually depicted as floating above her notepad and writing furiously, accurately capturing its autonomous and magical nature as described in the novel (film).