Memory-Charm Of Harry-Potter

> If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms.
>
> Gilderoy Lockhart regarding his gift for this particular charm, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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.

## Memory Charm

### Incantation

*Obliviate*
(oh-BLI-vee-ate)

## 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

> His memory's gone. The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself.
>
> Ron Weasley regarding Gilderoy Lockhart's backfired Memory Charm, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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

> Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done.
>
> Cornelius Fudge to Harry Potter regarding the modification of Marjorie Dursley's memories, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

### Attempted uses

> The adventure ends here, boys! I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you two tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body — say good-bye to your memories! *Obliviate!*
>
> Gilderoy Lockhart attempting to erase Harry Potter's and Ron Weasley's memories, his mistake, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

## Known practitioners

Gilderoy LockhartArthur WeasleyHermione 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".
It 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.
		- 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 the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Chamber-Of Secrets*, 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* (Mentioned only)
* *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (film) (First Entire Appearance) Template:1st ID
* *Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban* (film) (Mentioned only)
* *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1*

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (film), Chapter 3
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (film), Chapter 16
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* (film) - Chapter 30 (*Backfire*)
4. ↑ Merriam-Webster Online
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1*

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