[edit] Apparition and Disapparition
Apparition is a magical form of teleportation, through which a witch or wizard can disappear ("Disapparate"😉 from one location and reappear ("Apparate"😉 in another. It is sometimes accompanied by a distinctive cracking or popping sound, though this is associated with ineptitude rather than success; the most skilled wizards can Apparate "so suddenly and silently" that they seem to have "popped out of the ground" (Dumbledore). The act is also accompanied by a very unpleasant squeezing sensation, as though being sent through a tight rubber tube, according to Harry.[HP6]
The Ministry licenses apparition, and a witch or wizard must be 17 years old or older and have a license to use Apparition. This is similar to the way real-world governments require individuals to have a license to drive a motor vehicle. Students at Hogwarts may attend Ministry lessons in Apparition during their sixth year, and may take their examination once they turn seventeen.
The training is difficult, and students run the risk of splinching — being physically split between the origin and destination — which requires the assistance of the Ministry's Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to undo. Splinching is quite common during lessons, and can be uncomfortable (and at times rather gruesome) depending on the body parts splinched, but is ultimately harmless if properly reversed. Ron left behind half-an-eyebrow during his first Apparition exam, causing him to fail, and splinched himself twice in Deathly Hallows.
For reasons of security, the grounds of Hogwarts are protected by ancient Anti-Apparition and Anti-Disapparition spells, which prevent humans from using Apparition in the school grounds. This does not extend to magical creatures such as house-elves and phoenixes, who can still use their own form of Apparition. It is also possible to prevent individuals from using Apparition, as Dumbledore did with the Death Eaters in Order of the Phoenix, whom he held until Ministry officials could take them into custody.
It is considered rude to Apparate directly into a private area, such as a residence. For this reason, and for reasons of security, many private residences also have Anti-Apparition spells protecting them from uninvited intrusions. The accepted way to travel to a residence is to Apparate near the destination, and proceed to the final destination on foot. Apparition is considered unreliable over long distances, and even experienced users of the technique sometimes prefer other means of transport, such as broomsticks.
A wizard or witch can use Side-Along Apparition to take others with them during Apparition. Dumbledore uses this on Harry several times, and notably, Harry uses Side-Along Apparition to take the weakened Dumbledore back from the seaside cave containing Voldemort's locket Horcrux. In addition, Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, used Side-Along-Apparition to take Dumbledore with him when avoiding arrest from the Ministry. This suggests that phoenixes, like elves, can teleport anywhere, even in places with Anti-Apparition spells (this is also written in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"😉.
In the "Order of the Phoenix" film, Death Eaters and Order members Apparated and Disapparated in clouds of smoke. Death Eaters would appear and disappear in black smoke, Order members in white. In the movie, both sides also seemed to be able to "half-apparate" in which their bodies were made out of smoke, giving them the ability to fly. This is not canon to the books and probably just used for more cinematic, atmospheric purposes. Interestingly, both times Fred and George apparated and disapparated, they did it with a pop as in the books.
It is never clearly stated in the books whether human Apparition requires a wand. In Deathly Hallows, Ron attempts unsuccessfully to Disapparate from captivity at Malfoy's Manor while he does not have a wand, and some theorize that this is evidence a wizard needs a wand to Apparate. Moreover, the book does explicitly say that "Ron was trying to Apparate without a wand", implying he needed it to Apparate. However, it is more likely that the cellar in which he was held was bound by an Anti-Apparition spell. In addition, in Deathly Hallows, Harry tells the Muggle-borns in the Ministry of Magic to "attach themselves to somebody who has got one [a wand]" so they may use "Side-Along Apparition", although this may merely be for purposes of protection.
In the books, the words "Apparate" and "Disapparate", like many other neologisms used by Rowling, are capitalised, whereas established English words such as "jinx" and "hex" are not. The words themselves are most likely derived from the French apparaître and disparaître meaning to appear and disappear, although before Charles Fort's invention of the term "teleportation" in the 1930s, it was known as "apportation".