Portkeys

• Type: Magical Transportation, Magical Device
• Owners: Portkeys are not typically “owned” but are temporarily enchanted objects. Their creation and use are heavily regulated by the Ministry of Magic. Notable independent creators include Albus Dumbledore and Barty Crouch Jr..
• Maker: The enchanting spell is Portus. The original inventor is not mentioned in the novels. (The inventor of the Portkey is Quintius MacBungus (Pottermore)).

A Portkey can be any inanimate object. To avoid attracting the attention of Muggles, Portkeys are deliberately made from mundane, worthless, or discarded items that a Muggle would be unlikely to pick up. Known Portkeys have included a mangy old boot, a burnt-out kettle, a punctured football, a crumpled crisp packet, and an old newspaper. When the Portus spell is cast upon it, the object gives a brief, “blueish-white light” and shudders. Just before its activation time, it will begin to vibrate and glow again, signaling that it is about to transport anyone touching it.

A Portkey's primary function is to transport one or more witches or wizards from one location to another at a specific, pre-arranged time. It is a common method for magical transportation when Apparition is impractical, such as for underage wizards, for those who find Apparition difficult, or for transporting large groups over long distances.

• Creation and Regulation: The creation of Portkeys is controlled by the Ministry of Magic through the Portkey Office, a division of the Department of Magical Transportation. Creating an unauthorized Portkey is illegal. The spell Portus is used to turn an object into a Portkey, requiring the caster to specify the destination.
• Activation: A Portkey can be charmed to activate in two ways:
  1. Timed: It will activate at a predetermined moment, transporting anyone touching it at that exact time.
  2. Touch-Activated: It will activate the moment it is touched by a person. The Triwizard Cup was an example of a touch-activated Portkey.
• The Sensation of Travel: Travel by Portkey is famously abrupt and often unpleasant. It is described as feeling a hook being jerked from behind the navel, pulling the user forward with irresistible force. The traveler is then plunged into a whirlwind of colour and sound, ending with them being deposited, often unceremoniously, at their destination. This can cause dizziness and nausea.
• Limitations: Powerful protective enchantments can prevent Portkeys from being created or used to travel to or from a specific location. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is one such place. However, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, such as Albus Dumbledore, has the authority to override these enchantments and create Portkeys that work on the school grounds.

Portkeys are used at several key moments throughout the series:

1. The Quidditch World Cup (1994): Harry Potter, the Weasleys, the Diggorys, and Hermione Granger use a timed Portkey—a mangy old boot—to travel to the Quidditch World Cup campsite. This was part of a nationwide network of two hundred Portkeys set up by the Ministry of Magic for the event.
2. The Triwizard Tournament (1995): Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Alastor Moody, turns the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey. When Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory touch it simultaneously in the maze, it transports them to the Little Hangleton graveyard where Lord Voldemort awaits. This Portkey was two-way, allowing Harry to use it to escape the graveyard and return to Hogwarts.
3. Dumbledore's Emergency Portkeys (1995-1996): Albus Dumbledore demonstrates his superior magical ability by creating Portkeys instantaneously. He creates one to send Harry from the Hogwarts grounds back to his office after the third task. Later, he sends Harry and the Weasley children from his office to 12 Grimmauld Place using an old kettle after Arthur Weasley is attacked. He creates another to send Harry back to Hogwarts from the Ministry of Magic after the battle in the Department of Mysteries.
4. The Battle of the Seven Potters (1997): The Order of the Phoenix creates a network of secret, unauthorized Portkeys to ensure members can reach the safety of The Burrow after transporting Harry from 4 Privet Drive.

Portkeys serve as a critical plot device for moving characters between locations, particularly in situations where other forms of magical travel are restricted. Their most significant role is in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where the illicit modification of the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey is the linchpin of Lord Voldemort's plan to return to power. This event highlights the potential danger of Portkeys and how they can be subverted for dark purposes. Furthermore, Albus Dumbledore's ability to create Portkeys at will, even bypassing the powerful enchantments of Hogwarts, serves to underscore his immense magical power and authority.

• Etymology: The name “Portkey” is derived from the French verb porter (from Latin portare), meaning “to carry,” and the English word “key,” meaning an instrument for unlocking or providing access. It is literally a “key that carries you.”
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the visual effect for Portkey travel is a violent, blue, swirling vortex that rapidly pulls the travelers towards their destination.