Memory-Charm Of Harry-Potter

The Memory Charm (Obliviate), also known as the Forgetfulness Charm, was a charm that could be used to erase specific memories from an individual's mind. It was different from the spell that created false memories.
==History==
Mnemone Radford was the witch who first developed Memory Modifying Charms. She became the first Ministry of Magic Obliviator, due to her skill with the charm.
These spells were used routinely by the British Ministry of Magic as they worked to keep the wizarding world a secret from Muggles.
Minister for Magic Ottaline Gambol was responsible for the creation of the Hogwarts Express to transport young witches and wizards to Hogwarts. However, the secrecy surrounding the project entailed a mass operation involving one hundred and sixty-seven Memory Charms and the largest ever mass Concealment Charm performed in Great Britain.
They were used if a Muggle saw a dragon and after an enchanted item fell into Muggle hands.
Gilderoy Lockhart focused his considerable talents solely on the Memory Charm until he perfected it, making it the only spell he can perform without fail. In his pursuit for fame, he utilised the Charm extensively on people who performed heroic feats after interviewing them on every detail of their works, so they would not go "babbling" while he takes their credits in the form of his books. 
==Effects==
===Dangers===
If performed improperly, a Memory Charm could erase significant portions of an individual's memory and cause brain damage, with severe difficulty in recovery.For instance, Gilderoy Lockhart attempted to wipe the memories of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley during the events surrounding the re-opening of the Chamber of Secrets. However, by using Ron's damaged wand to attempt the charm, it backfired onto Lockhart himself, thus causing Lockhart to suffer extreme amnesia. He thereafter became a permanent resident in the Janus Thickey Ward of St Mungo's. Although Lockhart did retain some of his memories (mainly his vain liking for signing autographs despite not knowing why, and knowing how to write in cursive), he never fully recovered.It is very probable that there was a specific counter-charm for the Memory Charm, as long as the charm was correctly applied, thereby restoring one's thoughts and/or memory, similar to the Memory Potion.
==Known uses==
Caster(s)	Recipient(s) 	Notes
Gilderoy Lockhart	Several witches and wizards 	Gilderoy Lockhart rose to fame by tracking down less-than reputable characters who had accomplished mighty feats, questioned them in detail about it, placed Memory Charms on them to remove all recollection of the feat, claimed credit for it, and published a book on it. This was revealed to Harry and Ron in the Chamber of Secrets venture.
Gilderoy Lockhart	Jacob's sibling, Penny Haywood, Merula Snyde, Andre Egwu, Barnaby Lee and Talbott Winger	Gilderoy Lockhart intentionally selected these students in a contest to be their "apprentices for a special Valentine Day's project" because of their abilities, however he erased their memories after they discovered that everything was a trick in order to steal their stories for his next book.
Gilderoy Lockhart	Himself 	In 1993, Lockhart was attempting to cast the charms on Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in order to take credit for braving the Chamber of Secrets, but he used Ron's damaged wand, and the spell backfired and wiped all of his memory.
===Attempted uses===
Caster 	Intended Victim(s)	Notes
Gilderoy Lockhart	Harry Potter 	When Lockhart inadvertently admitted himself to be a credit-stealing fraud to Harry and Ron, he attempted to cast a Memory Charm on them to cover his tracks. However, Harry was faster at disarming him, and Ron threw Lockhart's wand out the open window. Later that same day, Lockhart once again attempted to cast the charm on the duo, but the wand he used was malfunctioning and it backfired.
Gilderoy Lockhart	Ron Weasley 	When Lockhart inadvertently admitted himself to be a credit-stealing fraud to Harry and Ron, he attempted to cast a Memory Charm on them to cover his tracks. However, Harry was faster at disarming him, and Ron threw Lockhart's wand out the open window. Later that same day, Lockhart once again attempted to cast the charm on the duo, but the wand he used was malfunctioning and it backfired.
==Known practitioners==
Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy-Lockhart (6).jpg|Gilderoy Lockhart
Arthur Weasley profile.jpg|Arthur Weasley
Hermione Granger.jpg|Hermione Granger
*Perkins
==Etymology==
The incantation "obliviate" may be derived from the Latin oblivisci, meaning "to forget", or the English word oblivion, defined as "the fact or condition of forgetting or having forgotten".Merriam-Webster OnlineIt may be derived from the Latin noun oblivio, which means "forgetfulness, weak memory".
==Behind the scenes==
*In Chapter 9 of Deathly Hallows, just prior to erasing Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle's memories, Hermione says that she has never performed a Memory Charm before, despite having already altered her parents' memories. However, J. K. Rowling has said this was a different charm, which alters memories rather than removes them.
**Despite Rowling's statement that the charm Hermione used on her parents was not the same, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, Hermione uses the actual Memory Charm to eradicate her mother and father's memories of her.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
***However, it all still fits in as in the film Hermione doesn't say she hasn't used it before.
***Either symbolically or by actual magic, when Hermione performed the charm on her parents, all images of her in their family pictures were erased as well.
*In the W.O.M.B.A.T.'s on J. K. Rowling's official site, it is referred to as the Forgetfulness Charm.
*As Bertha managed to remember about Barty Crouch Jnr after Voldemort tortured her and broke the charm, it is possible that the charm simply suppresses memories, as opposed to erasing them. However, when Lockhart suffers a backfiring Memory Charm, it seemed that his memories were irreversibly erased, suggesting the charm will suppress memories or erase them altogether depending on the proficiency of the caster.
*In the German translation, the incantation is sometimes translated as Amnesia, in the Czech translation "Zapomeň/te", in Italian it is used Oblivion and in Hungarian it is translated as Exmemoriam, while in other cases remains Obliviate.
*As it is possible to reverse the spell, it is possible that it simply renders the recipient unable to recall a memory rather than erasing it from their memory entirely.
*In , instead of Ron's damaged wand exploding in Lockhart's hand when he attempted the Memory Charm, the spell went backwards and send him flying into the cavern walls.
*Gellert Grindelwald could use the memory extraction spell on Yusuf Kama to essentially replicate the effects of this spell. 
==Appearances==
*Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 
* 
*Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban (film) 
*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
==Notes and references==
Category:Charms
Category:Real Mental Spells
Category:Spells With-An Light
Category:Spells With Incantations of Latin Origin History
Category:Wizard Known Cecrecy