Patronus Charm

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Spells in Harry Potter. (Discuss)

In the Harry Potter fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling, a Patronus is an insubstantial animal form protector created by the advanced Patronus Charm spell, and one way to defend against Dementors and certain other dark creatures.^[1]

The Patronus Charm conjures an incarnation of the caster's innermost positive feelings, such as joy, hope, or the desire to survive, known as a Patronus. A Patronus is conjured as a protector, and is a weapon rather than a predator of souls: Patronuses shield their conjurors from Dementors, and can even drive them away. A Patronus "cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so Dementors can't hurt it."^[2] The conjured Patronus protects the witch or wizard that summoned it, obeys his or her commands, and fades away shortly after it is no longer required.

When conjured, a Patronus appears silvery, ethereal, and semi-transparent. Improperly formed Patronuses range from momentary formless bursts of silvery mist, to poorly-defined forms which are easily defeated or quickly dissipate on their own. A full-fledged (or corporeal) Patronus takes on a fixed animal form that is often significant to the witch or wizard casting the charm. Patronuses summoned by a particular person have been known to change, such as the patronus of Nymphadora Tonks. Remus Lupin mentioned to Harry in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that the shape of a Patronus depends on the wizard.

The film and book versions of the Patronus have marked differences: in the books, successful charms always yield corporeal animals, which then attack Dementors by charging them. In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry's non-corporeal Patronus is more like a shield, and his corporeal Patronus sends out pulses of light to drive Dementors away (The movie also places no significance on the corporeal Patronus' form.). However, in the fifth movie, when Harry teaches the Patronus Charm to Dumbledore's Army, most of the patronuses are now corporeal animals that charge down Dementors and appear to physically attack their targets.

J.K Rowling has said that Severus Snape was the only Death Eater to be able to produce a Patronus. According to her this is 'because a Patronus is used against things that the Death Eaters generally generate, or fight alongside. They would not need Patronuses'.^[3]

The patronus spell seems to have been derived from the Latin: "Patronus" meaning legal protector.^[4] It is related to "pater" (father) and Harry's patronus indeed takes the same form as that of his father's (a stag).

1 Charm
2 Communication
3 Known Patronuses
4 References
5 See also

[edit] Charm

The Patronus Charm is simple in theory, but hard to perform properly. The spell requires the use of a wand and the incantation "Expecto Patronum," which is Latin for "I await a protector". The charm can be performed without speaking the incantation aloud, as done by Nymphadora Tonks in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by Minerva McGonagall in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and by Flavius Belby in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (while being suffocated).

The caster assumes a very specific type of emotional state: he or she must tap into, and draw out, the positive emotions that will make up the Patronus, regardless of the situation. Harry Potter has successfully used both memories (such as the moment he learned of his magical heritage and that he would be attending Hogwarts) and pleasant wishes (such as visions of Dolores Umbridge being fired), though it should be noted that the first two successful Charms were cast by Harry without positive memories or wishes, but instead with a blank mind.

Because of the charm's advanced reputation, Harry was asked, in Order of the Phoenix by his O.W.L examiner to demonstrate use of the charm for an extra point on his exam.

According to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Charm is also the only known defensive spell against Lethifolds: shroud-like creatures that silently slip into houses to suffocate and digest victims.

[edit] Communication

As seen briefly in the fourth and sixth books, and frequently in the seventh, Albus Dumbledore has devised a method of using Patronuses to deliver messages putting it into the exclusive use of the Order of the Phoenix. Members of the Order are the only wizards who know how to use their spirit guardians to send messages to one another. According to J.K.Rowling, the Patronus is "an immensely efficient messenger" as it is not hindered by physical obstructions or dark matters. Each Patronus has special quality and appearance which is different and easy to recognize, which makes it clear which Order member has sent the message. In addition, since no one can conjure another person's Patronus, this method of communication does not carry the risk of passing fake messages.^[5] It is noteworthy that in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Minerva McGonagall creates three Patronuses simultaneously to summon Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn.

[edit] Known Patronuses

Character	Patronal Form	Notes
Harry Potter	Stag	Harry's Patronus is in the shape of his father's Animagus form.
Ron Weasley	Jack Russell Terrier	Confirmed in a DA meeting in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film. J.K. Rowling owns a Jack Russell Terrier.^[6] Also confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to have a terrier Patronus.
Hermione Granger	Otter	Confirmed in a DA meeting in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix novel. Also confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.^[7] The otter is J.K. Rowling's favourite animal.
Ginny Weasley	Horse	Seen in the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Later confirmed by Rowling.
Luna Lovegood	Hare	Initially seen in the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and confirmed as canon in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Albus Dumbledore	Phoenix^[8]	His pet, Fawkes, is a phoenix, and was confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, while hinted at in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Lily Potter	Doe	Confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Severus Snape	Doe	Confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It takes the same form as that of Lily Evans's to represent his love for her. He used his Patronus to guide Harry to the sword of Godric Gryffindor in the Forest of Dean.
Minerva McGonagall	Tabby Cat	Confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It is similar to the form of her Animagus self (a cat with odd markings around the eyes).
Dolores Umbridge	Cat	Confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, due to her fond passion for kittens (as evident in Order of the Phoenix). In book 7, she summoned her cat Patronus to patrol and protect her while she interrogated Muggle-born wizards, who were being watched by Dementors.
Arthur Weasley	Weasel	Confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Rowling confirms that the Weasley family was named after weasels, of which she is fond.^[9]
Nymphadora Tonks	Werewolf	The form of Tonks' Patronus changed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from its unknown previous form to a wolf. Harry and Hermione at first believed that the transformation was due to feelings brought on by the death of her cousin Sirius Black, as his form as an Animagus was that of a large black dog. However, she later confessed her love for Remus Lupin, who is a werewolf. Rowling has never stated the form of Tonks' previous Patronus.
Kingsley Shacklebolt	Lynx	Confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to warn the Order, during the wedding of Bill and Fleur, that the Ministry had fallen and that the Death Eaters were coming to the Burrow.
Aberforth Dumbledore	Goat	In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Aberforth tries to protect Harry after the Death Eaters saw Harry's stag Patronus in Hogsmeade. Aberforth conjures a goat Patronus and tries to tell the Death Eaters he cast the Patronus and that the stag they saw was actually a goat. Albus Dumbledore had mentioned that Aberforth has been caught practicing "inappropriate charms on goats" and Aberforth states he and Ariana, his sister, used to feed goats together.
Cho Chang	Swan	Confirmed in a DA meeting in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix novel.
Seamus Finnigan	Fox	Confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Ernie Macmillan	Boar	Confirmed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Flavius Belby	(Unidentified horned creature)	In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, he states he cast off a Lethifold by performing the Patronus Charm. It says the Lethifold was thrown into the air on the horns of his Patronus.

Ironically, it is presently unknown what Remus Lupin's Patronus was, despite the fact that it was his character who first introduced the charm to the series.