When and How Do Wizards Learn to Apparate in Harry Potter?

In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Apparition makes for an interesting side plot. That is, as long as you're reading the book.

For some reason, the entire topic was left out of the movie! Well, for those of you that watched the movie and didn't read the book, here's a bit of background info. Then, I suggest you go read the book - it fills in a lot of details that the movie glosses right over!

In the Book...

Towards the beginning of Half Blood Prince, it is announced that students who are going to be turning 17 can sign up for Apparition lessons. An instructor from the Ministry would come out every Saturday, and the students could practice trying to pop themselves from one spot to the next.

This essentially means that six year students - Harry's classmates in Half Blood Prince - are eligible for Apparition training and testing. Although Apparition is normally impossible in Hogwarts, it is explained that the ban is temporarily lifted for the purpose of the training lessons.

The lessons themselves provide ample opportunity for comic relief. In the first lesson, hardly anyone manages to move an inch. There's a whole lot of concentrating on their destinations - but not a whole lot of success. One student, Susan Bones, did manage to "splinch" herself - teleport most of herself while leaving a part (her left leg) behind.

It would seem that everyone eventually improved, since they were eventually allowed to take the test. The test takes place outside the grounds at Hogwarts, in the little village of Hogsmeade.

Why The Side Plot?

This was one of those interesting little plots that added a lot of depth and character to the novel.

It seems clearly to be a play on the typical youthful adventure of driving. Instead of Driver's Education, the students at Hogwarts go through Apparition lessons.

Adding in the magical bit, it certainly comes off a bit more absurd than when real teenagers learn to drive, but the idea is the same. Ron even fails the test on a silly technicality. He apparently splinched himself and left an eyebrow behind. Oops!

But alas, this and many other entertaining little tidbits were left on the cutting room floor of the movie. The movie was enjoyable to be sure, but it loses a lot of the complexity that make the book so much more interesting.