Obliviated

Dec 15, 2016

Posted by: Dawn Johnson

Fantastic Beasts Movie, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Opinion

Warning: This article contains Fantastic Beasts SPOILERS.

To obliviate: to erase memories from the mind.

In the wizarding world, obliviation has the innocuous distinction of being classified as a memory charm. That sounds harmless enough. And it usually is.

Employed by skilled ministry officials known as Obliviators, it can easily and painlessly wipe incriminating sights and encounters from the mind of Muggles (or No-Majs) and wizards alike. Used in this way, to protect the secrecy of wizards and witches and prevent their exposure to the unknowing world that might receive them poorly, it is considered a necessary part of maintaining the balance of peace between the two.

Some, however, have been known to abuse the charm. Gilderoy Lockhart is the foremost example. Stealing tales of great escapades from other more accomplished wizards to build up his own fame, he resorted to obliviating his victims to cover his tracks. Only when his spell back-fired—thanks to Ron’s malfunctioning wand—did his fraudulent ways end. In a fitting twist of irony, he was sent to St. Mungo’s in a permanently befuddled state.

Obliviation is a serious business, and wizards treat it as such. The spell, so far as we know, can only be broken under extensive duress and torture.

So why did the obliviation of Jacob Kowalski in the closing scenes of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them seem incomplete? In those final minutes of the film, we are treated to evidence of latent memories, delightful pastries shaped like the Demiguise and Erumpent.

And, then, when his eyes light on Queenie, smiling at him broadly, a glimpse of recognition washes over his face. That grin filled fans with much-needed hope.

After a heart-breaking farewell to Queenie, Tina, and Newt, Jacob had stepped into the obliviative rain on the orders of Madam President Picquery, believing he would have no memory of magic or their friendship. But if memory alteration is so difficult to reverse, why was his lifted?

Perhaps it had to do with the nature of the obliviation itself. Remember, the fallout from Credence’s obscurus was too widespread to employ the standard methods. (Just imagine the consternation of the Ministry of Magic Obliviators assigned to scouring London and the surrounding country-side for sightings of a flying car. This eclipsed that incident by far.)

So Newt, expert in his field and possessed of a venom extracted from one of his fantastic beasts (the Swooping Evil), reveals that he has a solution. The venom has obliviative properties, useful in cleansing the mind of bad memories. He proposes sending Frank, his Thunderbird, into the skies in order to create a storm that would reach the whole of New York City.

A point often discussed on this matter, is the venom’s lack of obliviative effect on the witches and wizards strutting around in the rain, repairing New York City. Obliviation spells are often used on wizards, and have similar effects on magical and no-magical beings alike. As every Harry Potter fan knows, details–even the most minute details–are extremely important in J.K. Rowling’s world building. When Newt first takes Jacob into his case, he stresses that the physiologies of no-majes and wizards are slightly different. Often, this results in different side effects of magical causes (such as Jacob’s more severe reaction to the Murtlap bite). With the Swooping Evil  venom, muggles and no-majes could be obliviated conveniently without affecting magical beings.

There lies the problem with this plan, however—at least where Jacob Kowalski is concerned. Newt only postulated that the venom would wipe away bad memories. But many of Jacob’s experiences were good!

They weren’t eye-opening in a threatening way, a frightening way. Well, not after the initial shock. (Who could forget his genuine confusion in the bank when Newt used the accio spell and then apparated with him in a matter of seconds! Or the loud bark of surprise he swallowed when Newt nonchalantly stepped into his magic case.)

These memories represented something deeper—friendship and fondness born out of trial and mutual admiration. It’s how Harry, Ron, and Hermione became fast friends after their rocky start. After all, who could walk away from fighting a troll together without bonding even a little? Or, in their case, a lot.

It’s entirely possible, then, that these “good” memories were suppressed, but not erased. It only took the right inspiration to bring them back. Most fans will agree, that kiss, and the love it represents, would have been very hard to forget.





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.