Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Smart-Answer Quill====== =====Object Information===== * **Type:** [[Magical Device]], Cheating Implement * **Owners:** Various (implied to be commercially available to students) * **Maker:** Unknown =====Description and Appearance===== The specific physical appearance of a Smart-Answer Quill is not described in the novels. It is a type of magical [[quill]] enchanted to perform a specific, illicit function during examinations. It is likely designed to be indistinguishable from a standard quill to a casual observer, requiring a magical inspection to reveal its true nature. =====Magical Properties and Usage===== A Smart-Answer Quill is a heavily enchanted writing instrument designed to automatically provide the correct answers to questions on a written test or exam. The [[charm]] used to create such a quill is powerful enough to be considered a serious form of cheating by academic bodies like the [[Wizarding Examinations Authority]]. The usage of these quills, along with other cheating devices such as [[Detachable Cribbing Cuffs]] and [[Self-Correcting Ink]], is strictly forbidden during exams at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], including the [[Ordinary Wizarding Level]] (O.W.L.) and [[Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test]] (N.E.W.T.) examinations. Examiners are trained to detect and confiscate them. =====History===== The specific origin and inventor of the Smart-Answer Quill are unknown. It is mentioned as a known and available cheating device by the time [[Harry Potter]] takes his O.W.L. exams, suggesting it is a relatively modern invention within the [[wizarding world]]. =====Role in the Story===== The Smart-Answer Quill is mentioned in //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix// during [[Harry Potter]]'s Charms O.W.L. The elderly examiner, Professor [[Tofty]], inspects Harry's quill before the exam begins. After confirming it is a standard [[Self-Spelling Quill]], he comments on its limitations and explicitly forbids the use of "Auto-Answer Quills," another name for the Smart-Answer Quill. This interaction serves to build the tension and formal atmosphere of the O.W.L.s, demonstrating the seriousness with which the [[Ministry of Magic]] and the [[Wizarding Examinations Authority]] view academic integrity. It also expands the lore of the [[wizarding world]] by showing how [[magic]] is applied to problems like academic dishonesty. =====Behind the Scenes===== There is no additional information regarding the Smart-Answer Quill from J.K. Rowling's interviews or supplementary materials on Pottermore/Wizarding World.
