Post by Prof. Destiny Smith on Apr 25, 2009 19:40:37 GMT -6
Obliteration Charm
"Obliterate" means to wipe out, leaving no trace.
This was used by Hermione to wipe out tracks in the snow, to cover up the fact that she, Harry and Ron had been to visit Hagrid [OOTP20]. It may be able to remove other marks as well.
Obliviate
"Oblivio" is Latin for "forgetfulness"
Obliviate is also known as The Memory Charm. It erases sections of the memory of the victim as chosen by the spell caster. It can even wipe out the entire memory if the caster so chooses. The impact of a Memory Charm can be very powerful, and the effects may be incurable.
Obliviate was invented by Mnemone Radford, who went on to become the first Ministry of Magic Obliviator [JKR Website]. Nowadays there is an entire section of Obliviators in the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, who are often called upon to modify the memories of Muggles who have been exposed to magical phenomena. This was necessary in the summer of 1996 when the Death Eaters and a Giant went on the rampage in the West Country of England, causing damage that Muggles assumed to be from a hurricane. Those that saw the reality had their memories modified so that they had no recollection of it [HBP1].
Memory Charms have been used on a number of other occasions throughout the series. Their potency is best illustrated by the one cast on Bertha Jorkins by Bartemius Crouch Snr when she discovered that he was secretly keeping his son at home. The Charm he cast to protect his secret was so powerful that it permanently damaged her, rendering her vague and forgetful [GOF35]. It took the power of Voldemort to break through it, and after that her mind was totally destroyed [GOF1].
Gilderoy Lockhart attempted an equally powerful charm on Ron and Harry when they tried to make him help them rescue Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets. On this occasion he was attempting to wipe their entire memory rather than a few specific ones, which may be easier. Unfortunately for him he was using Ron's dodgy wand, and the charm backfired and he hit himself instead [COS16]. Nearly three years later, Lockhart was still in hospital, re-learning joined up writing and trying to remember who he was [OOTP23].
Lockhart was actually a dab hand at Memory Charms (although admittedly not much else), and routinely used to cast them on the people whose achievements he stole and wrote about [COS16]. The Ministry cast Memory Charms on the large number of Muggle witnesses to Peter Pettigrew's faked death [POA10], and also had to modify the memories of the Roberts family, who owned one of the campsites used for the Quidditch World Cup and were subsequently attacked by Death Eaters [GOF9]. Mr Roberts had been having 10 Memory Charms a day up to this point anyway, due to the fact that the World Cup attendees weren't very good at pretending to be Muggles [GOF7].
Obliviate can be cast en masse, something which was necessary following the Ilfracombe Incident of 1932, where a dragon swooped down on a beach of Muggles. A wizarding family who were on holiday there performed the largest mass Memory Charm of the century, although one local by the name of Dodgy Dirk still claims that a dirty great lizard punctured his lilo, and so they might have missed him out [FB].
Hermione used Obliviate for the first time when it was necessary to clear recent events from the memories of Antonin Dolohov, Thorfinn Rowle and a Muggle waitress after the attack in the Tottenham Court Road [DH9].
Obscuro
The Latin word for "I cover", or "I obscure".
Hermione was in the habit of casting the spell on the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black whenever she, Harry and Ron wanted to talk to it whilst they were on the run from the Death Eaters. The effect it had was to place a painted blindfold over the picture, so that Phineas' Nigellus couldn't see where they were [DH15].
It is unclear whether this only works on portraits, or whether this spell could also produce a real blindfold on a live target.
Occlumency
From the Latin "occludere", meaning "to close, shut up, close off."
This is the defence of the mind against external magical attack. Occulmency is the only way to protect one's mind from someone using Legilimency. It is not a spell as such, but more a magical protection technique. Snape told Harry that similar skills are required to perform Occlumency as to resist the Imperius Curse. It is also necessary to become adept at emptying the mind of emotion so that the Legilimens has nothing to hook onto [OOTP24].
Snape attempted to teach Occlumency to Harry during his fifth year, although the lessons stopped after Harry spied on Snape's memories in the Pensieve, and he'd made little progress anyway [OOTP28]. Bellatrix had rather more success teaching Draco, so much so that Draco was able to deny Snape access to his mind [HBP15]. Snape also claims to be using Occlumency against Voldemort in his position as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix: at least, he told Harry that finding out what the Dark Lord was saying to his Death Eaters was his job rather than Harry's [OOTP26]. When Snape's true loyalties are finally revealed it will show whether he is telling the truth about this one or not.
Oppugno
Latin for "I attack".
Causes something to attack a target chosen by the spell caster. Hermione used it to cause a small flock of conjured birds to attack Ron in revenge for his crime of snogging Lavender, and so it has been confirmed that it works on living (although magically created) creatures. It may work on objects as well [HBP14].
Orchideous
Named after the orchid, a type of flower.
Creates flowers from the caster's wand. Mr Ollivander used this spell to test Fleur Delacour's wand in preparation for the Triwizard Tournament. It worked to his satisfaction, and he gave the flowers to Fleur [GOF18].
"Obliterate" means to wipe out, leaving no trace.
This was used by Hermione to wipe out tracks in the snow, to cover up the fact that she, Harry and Ron had been to visit Hagrid [OOTP20]. It may be able to remove other marks as well.
Obliviate
"Oblivio" is Latin for "forgetfulness"
Obliviate is also known as The Memory Charm. It erases sections of the memory of the victim as chosen by the spell caster. It can even wipe out the entire memory if the caster so chooses. The impact of a Memory Charm can be very powerful, and the effects may be incurable.
Obliviate was invented by Mnemone Radford, who went on to become the first Ministry of Magic Obliviator [JKR Website]. Nowadays there is an entire section of Obliviators in the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, who are often called upon to modify the memories of Muggles who have been exposed to magical phenomena. This was necessary in the summer of 1996 when the Death Eaters and a Giant went on the rampage in the West Country of England, causing damage that Muggles assumed to be from a hurricane. Those that saw the reality had their memories modified so that they had no recollection of it [HBP1].
Memory Charms have been used on a number of other occasions throughout the series. Their potency is best illustrated by the one cast on Bertha Jorkins by Bartemius Crouch Snr when she discovered that he was secretly keeping his son at home. The Charm he cast to protect his secret was so powerful that it permanently damaged her, rendering her vague and forgetful [GOF35]. It took the power of Voldemort to break through it, and after that her mind was totally destroyed [GOF1].
Gilderoy Lockhart attempted an equally powerful charm on Ron and Harry when they tried to make him help them rescue Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets. On this occasion he was attempting to wipe their entire memory rather than a few specific ones, which may be easier. Unfortunately for him he was using Ron's dodgy wand, and the charm backfired and he hit himself instead [COS16]. Nearly three years later, Lockhart was still in hospital, re-learning joined up writing and trying to remember who he was [OOTP23].
Lockhart was actually a dab hand at Memory Charms (although admittedly not much else), and routinely used to cast them on the people whose achievements he stole and wrote about [COS16]. The Ministry cast Memory Charms on the large number of Muggle witnesses to Peter Pettigrew's faked death [POA10], and also had to modify the memories of the Roberts family, who owned one of the campsites used for the Quidditch World Cup and were subsequently attacked by Death Eaters [GOF9]. Mr Roberts had been having 10 Memory Charms a day up to this point anyway, due to the fact that the World Cup attendees weren't very good at pretending to be Muggles [GOF7].
Obliviate can be cast en masse, something which was necessary following the Ilfracombe Incident of 1932, where a dragon swooped down on a beach of Muggles. A wizarding family who were on holiday there performed the largest mass Memory Charm of the century, although one local by the name of Dodgy Dirk still claims that a dirty great lizard punctured his lilo, and so they might have missed him out [FB].
Hermione used Obliviate for the first time when it was necessary to clear recent events from the memories of Antonin Dolohov, Thorfinn Rowle and a Muggle waitress after the attack in the Tottenham Court Road [DH9].
Obscuro
The Latin word for "I cover", or "I obscure".
Hermione was in the habit of casting the spell on the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black whenever she, Harry and Ron wanted to talk to it whilst they were on the run from the Death Eaters. The effect it had was to place a painted blindfold over the picture, so that Phineas' Nigellus couldn't see where they were [DH15].
It is unclear whether this only works on portraits, or whether this spell could also produce a real blindfold on a live target.
Occlumency
From the Latin "occludere", meaning "to close, shut up, close off."
This is the defence of the mind against external magical attack. Occulmency is the only way to protect one's mind from someone using Legilimency. It is not a spell as such, but more a magical protection technique. Snape told Harry that similar skills are required to perform Occlumency as to resist the Imperius Curse. It is also necessary to become adept at emptying the mind of emotion so that the Legilimens has nothing to hook onto [OOTP24].
Snape attempted to teach Occlumency to Harry during his fifth year, although the lessons stopped after Harry spied on Snape's memories in the Pensieve, and he'd made little progress anyway [OOTP28]. Bellatrix had rather more success teaching Draco, so much so that Draco was able to deny Snape access to his mind [HBP15]. Snape also claims to be using Occlumency against Voldemort in his position as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix: at least, he told Harry that finding out what the Dark Lord was saying to his Death Eaters was his job rather than Harry's [OOTP26]. When Snape's true loyalties are finally revealed it will show whether he is telling the truth about this one or not.
Oppugno
Latin for "I attack".
Causes something to attack a target chosen by the spell caster. Hermione used it to cause a small flock of conjured birds to attack Ron in revenge for his crime of snogging Lavender, and so it has been confirmed that it works on living (although magically created) creatures. It may work on objects as well [HBP14].
Orchideous
Named after the orchid, a type of flower.
Creates flowers from the caster's wand. Mr Ollivander used this spell to test Fleur Delacour's wand in preparation for the Triwizard Tournament. It worked to his satisfaction, and he gave the flowers to Fleur [GOF18].