Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
Today we’re going to be discussing the fabled Deathly Hallows, Barty Crouch Jr, and methods
of Invisibility.
Specifically, we’re going to be honing in on WHAT types of invisibility are achievable,
and how on earth Barty Crouch Jr was able to get his hands on a cloak of invisibility.
Let’s get in to it.
Now, when it comes to the magical world of Harry Potter let it first be known that there
are various ways of achieving invisibility.
The fabled invisibility cloak is but just one of FOUR ways that one might be able to
DISAPPEAR from the naked eye.
Invisibility refers to the magical ability to become invisible and undetectable, and
in order to achieve this useful feat one can go about it a multitude of ways, starting
with the MAIN topic of today’s video:
Invisibility Cloaks: Invisibility Cloaks are made from special materials and have the ability
to make the wearer invisible.
The most famous of these is the Deathly Hallows Invisibility Cloak, which is one of the three
most powerful magical objects in the wizarding world.
It is said to make the wearer completely invisible and is resistant to spells and charms.
Potion of Invisibility: Next up we’ve got the Potion of Invisibility, a highly advanced
potion that can (you guessed it) make the drinker invisible for a short period of time.
The recipe for the potion is extremely complicated, and it requires a skilled potion maker to
brew it correctly.
Known ingredients include Cherries, Chicken, Spiders, 1 Leaping Toadstool Cap, 1 Knotgrass
Sprig and 1 Troll Bogey.
In order to reap the benefits of said potion it can either be drunk or smashed near the
person wishing to hide.
Disillusionment Charm: The Disillusionment Charm is a spell that can be cast on a person
or an object to make it blend into its surroundings and become less visible- think, Chameleons.
The charm gives the illusion that the person or object is transparent or camouflaged, making
it difficult to see.
This particular charm does have it’s limitations, however.
It requires the caster to be able to see the object or person they wish to enchant, and
it does not make the object or person completely invisible- making it a less useful alternative
to a potion of invisibility or invisibility cloak.
Additionally, the charm can be disrupted by strong light sources or sudden movements,
making it less effective in certain situations.
It is a difficult spell to perform and requires a high level of skill, BUT can be extremely
useful.
Apparition: The last way to become invisible is, you guessed it, Apparition- the magical
ability to transport oneself from one place to another instantly.
When someone apparates, they disappear from their original location and reappear in a
new one.
While not technically invisibility, it can be used in a similar way to avoid detection
or hide from someone.
And with that list of methods of invisibility completed, I think the biggest takeaway should
be that CLOAKS of invisibility are by far the most useful and most effective.
This brings me to infamous Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr- son of Bartemius Crouch Sr, and
master Mad Eye Moody impersonator.
With the help of his mother, Barty Crouch jr was able to get out of Azkaban by having
his mother disguise herself as him using Polyjuice Potion.
This meant that as far Ministry officials were concerned, Barty Crouch Jr was still
very much locked up in his cell in Azkaban.
Following his escape, Crouch Jr (a criminal) needed to stay hidden, and what’s the best
type of kit to have you’re trying to remain hidden?
Why, an invisibility cloak of course.
But, now you may be asking yourself: where did Barty Crouch Jr procure such a powerful
artifact?
“'How did your father subdue you?’ said Dumbledore.
'The Imperius curse,' Crouch said.
'I was under my father's control.
I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night.
I was always with the house-elf.
She was my keeper and carer.
She pitied me.
She persuaded my father to give me occasional treats.
Rewards for my good behaviour.'”
In the books we learn that, in an effort to control his son, Bartemius Crouch Sr placed
Crouch Jr under the Imperius Curse- a powerful Curse that places the victim completely under
the caster's control.
This occurred following his escape from Azkaban, where his mother and father engineered his
escape and placed Barty’s MOTHER in his cell.
With the aid of his mother, Barty Crouch Junior was the first wizard to escape Azkaban in
nearly 300 years.
Both Mrs. Crouch and Barty Junior took Polyjuice Potion to take on the appearance of one another.
This allowed Barty Junior to escape with his father—looking like his mother—and leave
Mrs. Crouch to die in Azkaban—looking like her son.
Whether due to his mental instability or the fact that he was a true believer in the Dark
Lord, Barty Junior maintained that he would one day escape the Crouch family estate, find
Voldemort, and help him once again rise to power.
For this reason, Barty Senior had to implement DESPERATE measures, utilizing the powerful
Imperius Curse.
As mentioned above, on rare occasions Barty Senior would allow his son out in public-
keeping him carefully concealed under an invisibility cloak.
Crouch Sr kept the cloak locked away in his office, however, when Barty Crouch Jr eventually
escaped his father’s clutches, he stole the cloak using his knowledge of his father’s
habits and behaviour.
That’s where the cloak came from.
But now some of you may be asking- didn’t HARRY have the cloak of invisibility?
How could they BOTH have had it?
This is where there is commonly a little bit of confusion.
You see, there is a distinct difference between Invisibility cloaks and THE Cloak of Invisibility.
Run-of-the-mill invisibility cloaks are made from the hair of a Demiguise, a magical creature
that possesses the power to become invisible.
These invisibility cloaks can be bought in a store, and are not particularly uncommon-
the main barrier to purchase being the price.
HOWEVER, these cloaks PALE in comparison to the Invisibility Cloak of Legend, the one
that Harry procures.
You see, these store bought ones, though impressive, will gradually lose their effectiveness as
the hair becomes more and more opaque.
This is addressed by Ron in the books:
"It's never occurred to me before, but I've heard stuff about charms wearing off cloaks
when they get old, or them being ripped apart by spells so they've got holes in.
Harry's was owned by his dad, so it's not exactly new, is it, but it's just... perfect!"
Additionally, these store bought cloaks aren’t NEARLY as powerful.
The Invisibility Cloak of Legend was said to be so powerful that it was even undetectable
by Death himself.
The origins of the Cloak stems back to Ignotus Peverell, the youngest brother from the ‘tale
of three brothers’- a story outlining the origin of each Deathly Hallow.
The plot surrounds the three wizard brothers and their ability to cheat death for a short
period of time.
After conquering death, a personification of death, under the guise of congratulating
them, awards them with 3 gifts: The elder wand, the resurrection stone, and the cloak
of invisibility.
Long story short, each brother chose one of the gifts that death had presented them.
Ignotus (the youngest) chose the invisibility cloak, Cadmus (the middle brother) chose the
resurrection stone, and Antioch (the eldest) chose the elder wand.
From the tale of the three brothers:
“And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like.
The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did
not trust Death.
So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being
followed by Death.
And death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.”
Choosing the cloak allowed this third brother to live out the rest of his days in peace,
secure in the fact that Death could not find him.
This also gave Ignotus the opportunity to pass the Cloak on to his descendants.
"It was only when he had attained great age that the youngest brother finally took off
the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son."
All 3 of the Deathly Hallows ended up being instrumental in the Harry Potter story- and
while the elder wand is a huge plot driver, the invisibility cloak definitely ended up
being the most useful hallow for Harry- which is interesting, because it was handed down
to him by his father.
After James’s death, it was kept safe until Harry was old enough to appreciate it.
Dumbledore anonymously gifted the cloak to Harry in the Philosopher’s Stone.
“His next present also contained candy — a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione.
This only left one parcel.
Harry picked it up and felt it.
It was very light.
He unwrapped it.
Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds.
Ron gasped.
Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor.
It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.
"It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face.”
Dumbledore explains the origins of the cloak to Harry in the books:
“The Cloak, as you know now, traveled down through the ages, father to son, mother to
daughter, right down to Ignotus’s last living descendant, who was born, as Ignotus was,
in the village of Godric’s Hollow.”
Dumbledore smiled at Harry.
“Me?”
"You.
You have guessed.
I know, why the Cloak was in my possession on the night your parents died.
James had showed it to me just a few days previously."
And that’s it for this video!
If you have any further questions be sure to leave a comment down below.
Until next time
Remember
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live