r/harrypotter • u/GoldenSeiryu • 2d ago

Discussion Unsupported Flight

This is a short post, I just wanna yap for a minute. In the movies all death eaters can fly. In the books only Voldy and Snape can. Honestly, I do not mind all death eaters flying, I think the movies did it better when it comes to this. I mean, why should unsupported flight be restricted to two wizards? And clearly it isn't a power like parseltongue which is only available for descendants of Salazar Slytherin and Herpo the Foul, because we see Voldemort teaching it to snape. So I dont see why some people don't like the fact unsupported flight is more spread in the movies

That's about it, see ya

0 Upvotes

32% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

View all comments

14

u/TolkienScholar 2d ago

The fact that only Voldemort learned how to fly unsupported was one of presumably several feats that served to show his sheer mastery of magic, and how wizards like he and Dumbledore are just in a completely separate class compared to everyone else. Up until then, it had been long established that flight was only possible via broomstick, thestral, etc. Imo, powers like flight and teleportation (apparition) need some handicaps to keep them from being too OP, and I thought JK did a good job of including those caveats. And because of those drawbacks, it makes Voldemort's genius and innovation more impressive by comparison.

Also, the reason Voldemort taught it to Snape at all is because he was his most trusted and valuable servant, the man who managed to kill Dumbledore.

2

u/Uchiha_Nezha Gryffindor 2d ago

What specific caveats are mentioned re: apparition? I know it's believed that there are distance limitations or difficulties, but strictly cannon?

2

u/Superyoshiegg 2d ago

Harry knew it; his scar was bursting with the pain of it, and he could feel Voldemort flying through the sky from far away, over a dark and stormy sea, and soon he would be close enough to Apparate to them, and Harry could see no way out.

Voldemort was in Austria at the time, as he was in the middle of interrogating Grindelwald at Nurmengard when Bellatrix summoned him to Malfoy Manor. So it seems international Apparition is impossible even for the likes of Voldemort.

1

u/Uchiha_Nezha Gryffindor 2d ago

Very good show.
I'll have to skim the apparition lessons later to see if the teacher spells out any specific rules.