Lock picking

Pickett was named for his skill at picking locks

"A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick, but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow."

— Fred Weasley on lock picking

Lock picking was a Muggle skill used to open locks without using a key. Wizards might also learn this trick if they did not want to use magic, such as in the case of avoiding underage magic.

History

Newt Scamander's pet Bowtruckle Pickett was named for his ability to pick locks, unlocking a bank vault and later Newt's shackles in the Death Cell at MACUSA in 1926 in New York City.

Pickett escaped his cage in Erkstag in 1932 by picking the lock.

Fred and George Weasley learned this skill some time before the summer of 1992, when George used a hairpin to unlock the door of Harry Potter's bedroom at 4 Privet Drive, and then the Cupboard Under the Stairs to retrieve his possessions during his rescue.

The following summer, Harry Potter, after seeing it done by George the previous year, picked the lock of the Cupboard Under the Stairs once more to gather his possessions locked away by Vernon Dursley, hiding them under the loose floorboard in his room.

For Christmas of 1994, Sirius Black gifted Harry a magical penknife, able to undo any knot or pick any lock, which was later destroyed on 18 June 1996.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• LEGO Dimensions
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Mentioned only)