Memory Charm(-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

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.

When Lockhart used it on a selected group of students after they discovered his attempt to take credit for their encounter in the Cursed Vaults for his own stories, he cast a rather hasty Memory Charm to make them forget their meeting in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, though due to the hastiness, the victims only forgot parts of what he wanted them to forget. In a karmic way, the Memory Charm became Lockhart's downfall when he attempted to perform it with a broken wand, causing it to backfire and destroy his own memories instead.
The charm was covered in *The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2* by Miranda Goshawk.

## 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.

## Breaking the charm

Memory Charms could be broken through torture. In 1994, Lord Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew broke a Memory Charm placed by Barty Crouch Snr on Bertha Jorkins, and extracted information from her regarding the whereabouts of Crouch's son. However, the breaking of the charm had caused a great toll on Bertha, and her body and mind was damaged beyond repair.

Since Lockhart's backfired Memory Charm had never been broken through, it is possible that torture was the only method of complete recovery (with possibly irreparable mental and physical damage being clear side-effects), as it is extremely doubtful that St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries would resort to torture on Lockhart just to recover his memory. It is also possible, however, that since it was cast improperly, Lockhart's memory was actually erased permanently with no chance of recovery whatsoever. Although spending time in the hospital did help him regain the basics of his memory — mainly to write in cursive and his enjoyment of signing autographs, the latter of which he does not remember why — 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 (film)

 Gilderoy Lockhart

### 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, so you first Mr. Potter — 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

Radford.png[[Mnemone RadfordTilly Toke.jpgTilly TokeNewton Scamander Profile crop.pngNewton ScamanderKenneth Branagh as Gilderoy-Lockhart (6).jpgGilderoy LockhartPettigrew DH1.jpgPeter PettigrewMoodyProfile.pngAlastor MoodyRoger Lloyd Pack as Barty Crouch Snr (GoF-promo-02).jpgBartemius Crouch SeniorArthur Weasley profile.jpgArthur WeasleyKingsley Shacklebolt 2.jpgKingsley ShackleboltHermione Granger.jpgHermione GrangerFilius Flitwick profile.jpgFilius FlitwickOmar Abasi.pngOmar AbasiJacob's sibling generic.pngJacob's siblingIvy Warrington's grandmother MA.pngWarrington sisters' grandmother
* 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

 File:Hermione performing the Memory Charm.gif
* 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 Template:DH, 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 Template:COS, 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

* Template:COS Template:1st Template:1st ID
* Template:POA Template:Mention
* Template:DH
* Template:DH

## Notes and references

Template:Reflist
Template:Charms
Template:The Standard Book of Spells

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `COS3`
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Template:COS
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Template:JKRS
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 30 July 2007 WebChat with J.K. Rowling
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Template:COS - Chapter 30 (*Backfire*)
6. ↑ Template:PM - *The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2*
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Template:OOTP
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Template:GOF
9. ↑ Template:HM
10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `OOTP27`
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Template:DH
12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `DH21`
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `HM3BOAF`
14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `FBC2`
15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `MA`
16. ↑ Merriam-Webster Online
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Template:DH