Scrolls

• Type: Information Storage, Legal Document, Communication Medium
• Owners: Various individuals and institutions, including the Ministry of Magic, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and students and faculty at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
• Maker: Various; scrolls are a common medium for writing rather than a specific crafted object.

In the wizarding world, a scroll is a roll of parchment, a writing material made from animal skin. They serve the same fundamental purpose as paper in the Muggle world but are part of the traditional, non-technological culture of wizards. Scrolls can be of any length, from small notes to extremely long documents that can be several feet long when unrolled. They are typically written on using a quill and ink. When not in use, they are rolled up and can be tied with a ribbon or string, or sealed with wax for official correspondence.

While most scrolls are mundane in their magical properties, their significance comes from the magical information they contain or the enchantments placed upon them.

• Information Storage: Scrolls are the primary medium for recording magical knowledge, history, and academic work. Students at Hogwarts write their essays on rolls of parchment, and textbooks on subjects like History of Magic likely reference historical scrolls and documents. For instance, Hermione Granger was known for producing exceptionally long essays on rolls of parchment.
• Legal and Official Documents: Scrolls are used for official and legally binding documents. Dumbledore's last will and testament was read from a scroll by Rufus Scrimgeour. The contract for the Triwizard Tournament was presented on a long roll of parchment and was magically binding. Decrees from the Ministry of Magic, such as the Educational Decrees issued by Dolores Umbridge, were also posted for the public on parchment.
• Enchanted Documents: Parchment can be enchanted to carry powerful magic. The most famous example is the Marauder's Map, a piece of parchment that, when activated by the correct incantation, reveals a detailed map of Hogwarts and the real-time locations of everyone within it. Another example is the list of students for Dumbledore's Army, which Hermione Granger jinxed to reveal any traitors.
• Communication: Scrolls are the standard format for letters sent via owl post, serving as the primary method of long-distance communication in the wizarding community.

The use of scrolls is an ancient practice, pre-dating the widespread use of bound books. The wizarding world's continued reliance on scrolls and parchment into the modern era highlights its separation from and, in some cases, disdain for Muggle technology. Treaties between wizards and other magical beings, such as goblins, were historically recorded on such documents. The study of History of Magic, as taught by Professor Binns, involves the analysis of events recorded on ancient scrolls and texts.

Scrolls and rolls of parchment are ubiquitous throughout the series and serve as critical plot devices. They are the medium through which important news, laws, and personal messages are delivered.

• Official Proclamations: The use of scrolls for official business, from Hogwarts acceptance letters to Ministry decrees, establishes the formal and traditional nature of wizarding institutions. The Educational Decrees posted by Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix physically represented her growing, oppressive control over the school.
• Academic Life: The constant mention of students writing essays on “rolls of parchment” grounds the magical education at Hogwarts in a tangible, scholastic reality.
• Key Plot Information: Several key moments are initiated by the reading of a scroll. The magical contract of the Triwizard Tournament forces Harry Potter to compete, and the reading of Dumbledore's will sets Harry, Ron, and Hermione on their quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes.

• In the film adaptations, scrolls are frequently used to emphasize the arcane and ancient aesthetic of the wizarding world. They are often depicted with elaborate calligraphy, ornate ribbons, and prominent wax seals, such as the Hogwarts seal on acceptance letters. (film)
• The choice of parchment and scrolls over paper and modern stationery is a key element of J.K. Rowling's world-building, creating a distinct culture that feels disconnected from and older than the contemporary Muggle world. (Pottermore)