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Harry Potter might not have achieved many things without the aid of the Cloak of Invisibility he received as a Christmas gift in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It would have been impossible for him to sneak into the forbidden section of the library at Hogwarts, and he certainly wouldn't have been able to escape the numerous sticky situations he got himself and his friends into over the years. A magic artifact of such renown is obviously rare, which begs the question: How did Harry Potter get so lucky?

Disregarding the fact that he was going to need every known advantage by the time he reached his final showdown with Lord Voldemort, it often seemed as though someone was looking out for him, or rather, a lot of someones. Harry Potter may have received the Cloak of Invisibility from an anonymous gifter that Christmas morning, but as the story progressed, fans learned that the Potter family had a long history with the Cloak, including Harry's father, James Potter. This poses many questions, including what exactly the Cloak of Invisibility is, as well as how it fell into the hands of the Potters when they needed it most.

Updated on July 5, 2024, by Arthur Goyaz: One of the most exciting magical artifacts in the Harry Potter universe, the Cloak of Invisibility came in handy multiple times throughout Harry's time in Hogwarts. This article was updated to discuss in what ways Harry used the artifact throughout the series.

What Is The Cloak Of Invisibility?

The Cloak of Invisibility does exactly what it implies. The wearer of the Cloak becomes invisible, but there's actually a bit more to it than that. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hermione is gifted a book from Dumbledore upon his death called The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Because Dumbledore rarely did anything without an ulterior motive, Hermione was convinced there were clues in the book that would help the trio on their quest to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. Growing up in a Wizarding family, Ron knew the book well. Still, when Hermione recognized the symbol of a mysterious pendant worn by Xenophilius Lovegood from the book, she realized their path. To defeat Voldemort, they needed to find the Deathly Hallows, three magical artifacts given to the Peverell brothers in "The Tale of the Three Brothers."

The story marks the Cloak of Invisibility as one of the three Deathly Hallows, with each artifact gifted by death representing each brother's wish. One wanted to be the most powerful wizard in the world, so Death handed him the Elder Wand. The other wished to humiliate Death and chose something that could raise the dead from their tombs, receiving the Resurrection Stone. The last brother, suspicious of Death, chose something that would enable him to move freely throughout his life without Death on his trail. A reluctant Death handed him the Cloak of Invisibility.

The third brother was Ignotus Peverell. While the other two met terrible fates because of their respective artifacts, Ignotus lived on unnoticed. When the time came for him to walk with Death as an equal, he would simply take it off and pass it on to his son. Passed down through the Peverell family for generations, it eventually fell into Harry Potter's hands as one of Ignotus' descendants. However, Dumbledore believed that the overpowered magical artifacts were not gifts from Death but created by the Peverell brothers and embellished through legends over the years.

Who Sent Harry The Invisibility Cloak?

One of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone's most enchanting moments is when a cast-down Harry receives an anonymous gift on Christmas morning. The mysterious benefactor who sent it to him was, in fact, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He passed the Cloak of Invisibility on to Harry because it once belonged to his father, though Harry didn't learn who gave it to him until later.

In both the film and book, the Cloak of Invisibility arrived with an unsigned note that read: Your father left this cloak in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. It wasn't until the end of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone that Harry asked Dumbledore if he knew who sent it to him, and the headmaster admitted his part in it.

How Did James Potter Get The Invisibility Cloak?

Since Harry inherited the Cloak indirectly from his father, many have wondered how James Potter came to possess it. James inherited the Cloak from his father, Fleamont Potter, who inherited it as a descendant of Iolanthe Peverell — a granddaughter of Ignotus Peverell. The Cloak passed down through generations of the family until it reached James and then Harry. Defiant as he was, James was known to use the Cloak of Invisibility to get up to mischief while he was a student at Hogwarts, including sneaking into and out of the Shrieking Shack.

Harry engaged in the same forbidden activities as his father with Cloak of Invisibility, counting on other items and shortcuts used by James' friend group, the Marauders. One of the best items that made their little adventures easier was the Marauder's Map, which Harry also obtained during his time at Hogwarts: it showed where everyone in Hogwarts was and what they were doing, enabling both the Marauders and Harry to evade professors and unwanted students.

Why Did Dumbledore Have The Cloak Of Invisibility?

Dumbledore came into possession of the Cloak of Invisibility after asking James Potter if he could examine its magic. As the holder of the Elder Wand, Dumbledore was very interested in the Deathly Hallows, and he suspected James Potter's Invisibility Cloak might be one of these artifacts, which he confirmed while the Cloak was in his possession. When James died, Dumbledore still had the Cloak, so he held onto it until Harry arrived at Hogwarts. He passed it down to James' son when he was 11 years old.

While some believe Dumbledore, as a lifelong seeker of the Deathly Hallows, could have easily kept the Cloak of Invisibility for himself, it is a little-known fact that he did not require any cloak to become invisible. It seems coincidental that he had the foresight to ask for the Cloak before James Potter was killed by Voldemort, but as many fans have come to believe, Albus Dumbledore rarely did anything by coincidence.

Who Has The Invisibility Cloak Now?

Latest Cloak of Invisibility Owners:

• Albus Potter
• James S. Potter
• Harry Potter
• Albus Dumbledore
• James Potter
• Fleamont Potter

Since Harry Potter is an Auror, it would make sense for him to still own the Cloak of Invisibility, as the powerful Deathly Hallow would be helpful in his area of work. However, Harry continued the tradition of passing down the Cloak of Invisibility to one of his children during their time at Hogwarts, probably believing they deserved the chance to get into some mischief as much as he did in his school days.

In Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, James comments that he will have to use the Invisibility Cloak because his hair is pink. However, his mother, Ginny Potter, replies, "That's not why your dad gave you that Cloak!" which implies that, at some point, Harry gifted the Cloak to his eldest son. However, in the same book, Albus uses the Invisibility Cloak and admits that he stole it from James to hide away from bullies. Likely, the siblings constantly steal the Cloak from each other, but James would be the official owner so far.

Is Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak The Only One?

While Harry owns the most particular Invisibility Cloak, one created by Death himself according to legend, this Cloak of Invisibility isn't the one in the wizarding world. Invisibility Cloaks are rare items that can be purchased for the right amount of money, and just like Harry's Cloak, these garments make the wearer invisible. Invisibility Cloaks are often created with the hair of a Demiguise — a magical creature from the world of Harry Potter that can turn invisible —but they can also be created with a Disillusionment Charm or a Bedazzling Hex.

However, unlike Harry's Cloak of Invisibility, these cloaks don't last forever. Usually, regular Invisibility Cloaks become ragged with time, and they stop working, whereas Harry's has lasted for centuries. This is exactly why Ron suspected Harry's Cloak might be one of the Deathly Hallows. So, while there are more Invisibility Cloaks in the wizarding world, Harry's is the only one that can last forever without getting damaged, making it particularly special. It's an artifact designed by Death and is likely to exist as long as Death lurks in the shadows.

The Cloak of Invisibility came in handy multiple times throughout the Harry Potter movies. As anyone would expect from a teenager with an artifact like this, Harry takes advantage of it for a few mischiefs, including humiliating Malfoy and his friends in front of the Shrieking Shack and sneaking into Hogsmeade to get candy. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry uses the Cloak to hear the teachers talking about Sirius, discovering that he was the one who betrayed his parents. However, the Cloak of Invisibility also saved Harry's life in key moments of the series.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry uses the Cloak to keep Rony and himself undetected in Hagrid's hut when the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, comes to take Hagrid to Azkaban. Acknowledging this is the last time he will see the boys in a while, Hagrid secretly advises them to "follow the spiders," a clue that leads them to Aragog's lair. There, they discover the truth about Hagrid's innocence and receive a precious clue about the Basilisk, the monster haunting Hogwarts in Harry's second year.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry must resort to the Cloak of Invisibility when he accompanies Hagrid into the woods to inspect the Triwizard Tournament's first task, getting a glimpse at the four species of dragons. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Harry and his friends conduct a risky plan to get into Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at Gringotts Bank. Hermione uses Polyjuice Potion to transform into the terrifying witch. Ron is given a new identity, and Harry uses the Cloak of Invisibility to infiltrate Gringotts with Griphook on his back. This dangerous scheme leads the trio into one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Although the Cloak of Invisibility saved Harry's life multiple times, the artifact wasn't there to save James and Lily Potter's lives. It's still a target of debate whether the couple would've managed to survive if James had the Cloak in his possession when Voldemort attacked them. The answer, unfortunately, is no. Voldemort's ambush was so sudden that James didn't even have the chance to fight back, while Lily's final moments were devoted to ensuring Harry's safety. It's unlikely that powerful wizards like them would have to rely on the Cloak Of Invisibility to evade Voldemort, especially when magical abilities like The Invisibility Spell and Disillusionment Charm exist.