Patronus Charm

"*This ancient and mysterious charm conjures a magical guardian, a projection of all your most positive feelings. The Patronus Charm is difficult, and many witches and wizards are unable to produce a full, corporeal Patronus, a guardian which generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity. You may suspect, but you will never truly know what form your Patronus will take until you succeed in conjuring it.*"
— Miranda Goshawk's overview of the Patronus Charm
The **Patronus Charm** (*Expecto Patronum*) is the most famous and one of the most powerful defensive charms known to wizardkind. It is an immensely complicated and extremely difficult spell, that evokes a partially-tangible positive energy force known as a Patronus (pl. Patronuses) or spirit guardian. It is the primary protection against Dementors and Lethifolds, against which there are no other defence.

There are two types of Patronuses: corporeal which means a Patronus with a particular shape and form and uncorporeal Patronus. Uncorporeal Patronuses have no particular shape and do not protect against dementors the way corporeal Patronuses do. However, some wizards may choose to cast uncorporeal Patronuses to hide their identity.

## History

It is evident from old woodcuts and scrolls that the Patronus Charm has been used since ancient times. Therefore, it is unknown who created it, or when it was first invented. The charm also has a long association with those fighting for lofty or noble causes (those able to produce corporeal Patronuses were often elected to high office within the Wizengamot and Ministry of Magic).

According to legend one of the most famous Patronuses of all time was a lowly mouse, which belonged to a young wizard called Illyius. Illyius cast the Patronus Charm when his village was being attacked by the Dark wizard Raczidian and his army of Dementors. Despite the mouse's diminutive size, it shone with a brilliant light, bringing the Dementors to a halt as it nimbly moved through the ranks of fleeing villagers. Enraged, Raczidian decided to enter the fray himself, and tried to summon a Patronus to ward off Illyius's mouse. However, he failed to remember that only the pure of heart can produce a Patronus, and thus for the first time in history, it was revealed what happens when a competent, but unworthy wizard or witch attempts the spell. Maggots shot out of Raczidian's wand and quickly devoured him as they engulfed his entire body. The villagers hailed Illyius as a hero.

## Nature

The Patronus represents that which is hidden, unknown but necessary within the personality. When a human confronted with inhuman evil, such as the Dementor, they must draw upon resources he or she may never have needed, and the Patronus is the awakened secret self that lies dormant until needed, but which must now be brought to light. Patronuses take forms that their casters might not expect, for which they have never felt a particular affinity, or (in rare cases) even recognise. Every Patronus is as unique as its creator and even identical twins have been known to produce very different Patronuses.

The unusual witches and wizards who produce a Patronus that takes the form of their favourite animal is an indicator of obsession or eccentricity. Here is a wizard who may not be able to hide their essential self in common life, who may, indeed, parade tendencies that others might prefer to conceal. Whatever the form of their Patronus, you would be well-advised to show respect, and occasionally caution, towards a witch or wizard who produces the Patronus of their choice.

## Casting

The vast majority of witches and wizards are unable to produce any form of Patronus, and to create even an intangible one is generally considered a mark of superior magical ability. Some people simply cannot conjure any form of Patronus, as the charm is too difficult for the.

Given their long affinity with humans it is perhaps unsurprising that among the most common Patronuses when cast (although it must be remembered that any corporeal Patronus is highly unusual) are dogs, cats, and horses.

To successfully cast the spell, one begins by mustering the happiest memory they can think of (the happier the memory, the better the charm will work). Alternatively, one could imagine a scenario that would make for a very happy memory. The next step is to begin drawing circles with their wand so as to increase the power of their spell. They must then say the incantation, *Expecto Patronum*; the Patronus will come from the tip of the wand and can be directed towards a target by pointing one's wand at said target. It is possible to disguise the form one's Patronus takes.

Also some witches and wizards may be unable to produce a Patronus at all until they have undergone some kind of psychic shock.

## Difficulty

The Patronus Charm is widely regarded as advanced magic, far beyond N.E.W.T.-level. This charm was, indeed, so perilous, few wizards/witches could conjure up a true Patronus. It is very complex and many qualified wizards and witches have trouble with it. Being able to cast a patronus is not required to graduate from Hogwarts so it is something that is taught under special circumstances.

Given that the success of the charm is directly reliant on the caster retaining a particular mental state the Charm is more difficult to cast in emotionally trying circumstances. This feature of the Charm is particularly unfortunate since the Charm's primary use is to defend against Dementors, Dark creatures specifically equipped to mentally unhinge people (and hence is partly why it is regarded as such advanced, difficult magic). Self-confidence may also play an important role in casting the spell.

### Worthiness

It is a general belief held by the wizarding world that only those who are pure of heart are able to cast Patronuses; this, however, is untrue, as several characters with questionable morals or negative traits are able to cast a fully-fledged Patronus. Although generally Dark witches and wizards will not try to produce a Patronus, not having any need for one, most Dark wizards will be devoured by maggots coming from their wand and consuming the caster.

## The Patronus

### Incorporeal

An incorporeal Patronus is one which does not resemble any living creature and has few distinguishing features (if any). Incorporeal Patronuses resemble a burst of vapour or smoke without any clearly defined form shooting from the tip of the wand. While they may be partially effective at halting dementors (but not repelling them) and shielding the caster from them, incorporeal Patronuses are not *"fully-fledged"* Patronuses, and are regarded as a more primitive or weaker version of the true Charm.

### Corporeal

A corporeal Patronus is one that is fully-formed, taking the shape of bright-white, translucent animal. The specific animal forms that corporeal Patronuses take vary from person to person and reflect each individual's innermost personality. Patronus forms, however, are subject to change if the caster goes through an emotional upheaval of some sort, including falling in eternal, unchanging love.

Based on the fact that Patronuses are conjured by recalling happy memories, it stands to reason that a Patronus might change its form after one falls in love and the memories used to conjure the Patronus largely revolve around the person the caster is in love with. In addition, it seems that some couples have *"complementary"* Patronuses (male and female forms of the same animal). It is, however, unknown if this is a coincidence or not. If a wizard is an Animagus and can summon a corporeal Patronus, the two may also take the same form.

Most Patronuses take the form of an ordinary animal. Magical creatures, such as a phoenix Patronus, are uncommon. It is extremely rare for Patronuses to take the form of extinct animals.

The corporeal Patronus is also better at repelling Dementors than the non-corporeal form.

### Uses

There are two known uses for the Patronus Charm. The first and main use of the Patronus is to drive off certain Dark creatures, such as Dementors and Lethifolds and is the only known charm that will work against them. As Dementors feed on happy memories causing humans to drown in their own sorrow and sadness, the Patronus acts as a shield of sorts, of which the Dementor would try to feed off instead — the Patronus is comprised exclusively of positive feelings and cannot comprehend negative emotion, so the Dementor's influence cannot affect it.

The other use was a way of using the Patronus (corporeal and non) as a means of communication. They can deliver messages, speaking with the voice of the caster. Using the Patronus for communication offers great advantages in security, as Patronuses identify the caster and are Dark Arts-proof. Multiple Patronuses can be cast for communication. Some are able to follow both oral and physical commands. They also only remain active whilst the caster is focusing on them. If they are not protecting anyone, Patronuses seem to take on the traits of the creature they resemble and generally follow their caster around. This makes it unsure whether or not they are sentient.

## Etymology

**Patronus** means *"protector"*, *"guardian"*, or simply *"patron"* in Latin, specifically reflecting the entire role that the Patronus Charm plays. The Latin word *exspecto* or *expecto* means *"I look out for"* or *"I wait for",* thus the charm's incantation roughly translates into *"I await a protector."*

## Notes

* The only way that a Patronus is able to change its current form is through eternal, unchangable love, or some kind of emotional upheaval.