The Put-Outer (Deluminator)

• Type: Magical Device
• Owners:
  1. Albus Dumbledore
  2. Ron Weasley
• Maker: Albus Dumbledore (stated to be of his own design)

The Put-Outer is described as a small, mechanical device that looks very much like a silver cigarette lighter. It is pocket-sized and operates with a simple flick of a switch, which opens the device with a quiet “pop”. When it absorbs light, the light appears to be contained within the device, and when released, it shoots out as a small ball of light that returns to its original source.

The Put-Outer, later more formally known as the Deluminator, possesses two distinct and powerful magical functions.

• Light Manipulation: Its primary and most obvious function is the removal and restoration of light. By flicking it open, the user can cause a light source, such as a streetlamp or candle flame, to go out. The light itself is seemingly absorbed and stored within the device. A subsequent flick can release the stored light, which flies back to its source as a glowing orb, instantly reigniting it. A user can extinguish multiple lights with successive clicks, storing them all within the device.
• Guidance: The Deluminator's more profound and unique ability, a feature of Albus Dumbledore's own design, is to act as a homing device. This function is not intuitive and appears to activate only under specific emotional conditions. When Ron Weasley abandoned his friends in a moment of despair and later desired to return, he heard Hermione Granger's voice emanating from the device. Upon clicking it, a ball of light emerged, floated into his chest, and served as an infallible magical compass, guiding him over a great distance directly to the location of Harry Potter and Hermione. Dumbledore's portrait later explained that the device would guide its user to a place where they were “most welcome” or “most needed”, but only after the user had clearly articulated their desire, such as by speaking a name aloud.

The Put-Outer is the very first magical object demonstrated in the series.

• On the night of 1 November 1981, Albus Dumbledore used the Put-Outer to extinguish the twelve streetlamps on Privet Drive before leaving the infant Harry Potter on the Dursley family's doorstep.
• In August 1995, Alastor Moody (or rather, Barty Crouch Jr. disguised as him) used it to darken the streetlights outside Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place to ensure the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters remained concealed.
• In his last will and testament, Dumbledore bequeathed the Put-Outer to Ron Weasley in the summer of 1997, referring to it as “the Deluminator, in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it.”
• Ron first used it to extinguish the lights in the café on Tottenham Court Road following an attack by Death Eaters. He later used its light-dousing capabilities during the trio's infiltration of the Ministry of Magic.
• Its most significant use occurred after Ron left Harry and Hermione during their search for the Horcruxes. Stricken with regret, Ron's desire to return activated the Deluminator's guidance feature, which led him back to Harry just in time to save him from drowning and destroy Salazar Slytherin's Locket.

The Put-Outer serves as a critical bookend for the series. It introduces the wizarding world's magic in a subtle yet wondrous way in the first chapter and plays a pivotal role in the climax of the final book. It is a powerful symbol of Dumbledore's immense wisdom and foresight, as he understood Ron's character and knew he would need a way back to his friends. The device's secondary function is a crucial plot device that facilitates the reunion of the trio and the destruction of a Horcrux, underscoring the themes of friendship, loyalty, and redemption.

• The name “Put-Outer” is a simple, descriptive term used in the opening chapter, reflecting the story's initial grounding in the Muggle world. The later, more formal name, “Deluminator” (from de- meaning “off” or “away from,” and lumen, Latin for “light”), reflects the series' deeper dive into magical terminology.
• In the film adaptations, the device is almost exclusively referred to as the Deluminator from its first appearance. Its physical design in the films is also more intricate and magical in appearance than the simple “silver cigarette lighter” described in the novel (film).
• J.K. Rowling has stated that the Deluminator is an embodiment of Dumbledore's deep understanding of human nature, specifically his knowledge that Ron was the member of the trio most likely to stray and would therefore need “a way back.” (J.K. Rowling interview).