Who Gave Harry Potter The Invisibility Cloak And Why Is It Important?
In "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," 11-year-old Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) wakes up on Christmas morning to find that he actually received Christmas presents for the first time in his life. Among these gifts, Harry find a mysterious unmarked package and a letter that reads, "Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well."
Inside the package, Harry discovers his father's Invisibility Cloak, which turns anything or anyone it covers completely invisible. Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) tells him Invisibility Cloaks are exceptionally rare, and they both wonder who could have gifted Harry such a powerful magical item. Throughout the series, the cloak proves to be perhaps the most invaluable magical tool in Harry's possession, aiding him countless times during his many adventures and schemes.
Absurdly, the movie version of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" never actually clarifies who sent Harry this cloak, nor why it was in their possession at the start of the film. This seems like a major oversight on the movie's part, particularly because the cloak's history and ownership becomes a pivotal plot point in later "Harry Potter" films.
Who gave Harry the Invisibility Cloak?
While the film version of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" never explicitly states who gifted Harry his father's old cloak, book readers know the Invisibility Cloak was given to Harry by Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris) — who had the cloak in his possession when Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) murdered Harry's parents.
We learn this in the final moments of the book, when Dumbledore is debriefing Harry of all that has happened since his chaotic battle with Professor Quirrell (Ian Hart) and Voldemort. "Ah- your father happened to believe it in my possession, and I thought you might like it," Dumbledore says. "Useful things ... your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here." Although this might seem like a simple act of kindness from Dumbledore (returning a family heirloom that was mistakenly left in his possession when tragedy struck), this reveal actually sets up a major plot point for later in the story.
As nice as it is that Dumbledore went out of his way to gift Harry such a fantastical magic item, the reason he had the cloak in the first place is somewhat unfortunate.
How did the Invisibility Cloak end up with Dumbledore?
Once again, the "Harry Potter" film franchise never explicitly clarifies why Albus Dumbledore had the cloak in his possession when James and Lily Potter (played by Adrian Rawles and Geraldine Somerville, respectively) were killed, though it's explained in great detail In the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" novel.
In his youth, Dumbledore and his partner Gellert Grindelwald became obsessed with the search for three magical relics of immense power — the so-called "Deathly Hallows." According to legend, the Hallows were three extraordinarily powerful items that once belonged to Death himself: the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Invisibility Cloak. Dumbledore's hunt for the Hallows ended abruptly after a duel with Grindelwald and his brother Aberforth (Ciarán Hinds) resulted in the death of Aldus' younger sister Ariana (Hebe Beardsall). Although the shame and grief of losing Ariana took the fire out of Dumbeldore's search for the Hallows, his childhood obsession eventually reared its ugly head once again years later as he realized James Potter's cloak was actually the legendary third Hallow.
Curiosity overruled common sense, and Dumbledore could not resist taking the cloak into his possession to examine it properly. When James died, Dumbedlore was left with two Deathly Hallows in his possession, having won the Elder Wand in his final duel with Grindelwald. Thus, his decision to gift the Invisibility Cloak to Harry is extremely significant, as he did so despite his childhood obsession, proving once and for all that he had given up his obsession with the Hallows.
Who created the cloak, and how did James Potter acquire it?
Near the end of the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" novel, Harry finds himself in an otherworldly purgatory modeled after King's Cross station, where he converses with the deceased Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) about the nature of the Deathly Hallows and his Invisibility Cloak.
Dumbledore explains that the Hallows are ancient magical items, likely created by the highly gifted Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus. The legend about them being "Death's own Hallows" grew around these items as they passed down from Wizard to Wizard. Dumbledore tells Harry the Invisibility Cloak in particular was passed down from Ignotus Peverell to his son and stayed in the family for generations until it reached his descendant, James Potter.
This makes Harry the last living descendant of Ignotus Peverell and the rightful owner of the Invisibility Cloak by birth. In an ironic twist, this means Dumbledore's obsessive hunt for the Deathly Hallows could have ended right in his hometown, since the Potters lived in Godric's Hollow right alongside the Dumbledores, where they possessed the cloak for generations.
What powers does Harry's invisibility cloak have?
While there are plenty of lesser invisibility cloaks scattered throughout the Wizarding World, Harry's is a one-of-a-kind item, a legendary relic most wizards don't even believe exists. In one memorable scene from the "Deathly Hallows" movie, Xenophilius Lovegood (Rhys Ifans) tries to impress Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) by describing just how unique "Death's Invisibility Cloak" actually is — not realizing that the cloak he's boasting about is in Harry's pocket the whole time he's talking.
"The Third Hallow is a true invisibility cloak ... not a traveling cloak imbued with a Disillusionment Charm, or carrying a Bedazzling Hex, or else woven from Demiguise hair," Lovegood explains. "We are talking about a cloak that really and truly renders the wearer completely invisible, and endures eternally, giving constant and impenetrable concealment, no matter what spells are cast at it. How many cloaks have you seen like that, Miss Granger?" Albus Dumbledore confirms the special status of this cloak when he meets Harry in King's Cross, telling him the cloak is "perfect in every respect," despite its immense age.
Harry's cloak is all that Lovegood describes, turning whatever it covers completely invisible and refusing to leave its wearer regardless of what spell is cast on them. Though the "Harry Potter" film franchise may gloss over the history of Harry's cloak, it's clear this legendary artifact is one of the most powerful items in the Wizarding World and is essential to the plot of the entire series.