There’s a lot in Harry Potter that’s never fully explained.
After the third book, we never see any more of time-travel (no, we’re not considering The Cursed Child), the Department of Mysteries still keeps its secrets and we still don’t know the grisly details of creating a Horcrux.
And there’s plenty of it that doesn’t make sense, owing to a lack of information. In Book 5, we learn that wizards can read another’s minds using Legilimency and protect themselves from unwanted invasions by learning Occlumency.
These two magical arts, as interesting as they may seem, beg a lot of questions. Here are some of them.
Why Isn’t It Taught At Hogwarts?
There are plenty of characters in the book who are capable of reading minds. Dumbledore, Voldemort, Severus Snape, perhaps even the Sorting Hat. And although, the first three were educated at Hogwarts, the subjects aren’t taught there for some reason.
Okay, so perhaps they learned it on their own, or later, or there were special classes, just like the ones between Snape and Harry.
But given that some of the most powerful wizards were accomplished Legilimens, it makes sense for Occlumency to be taught to the students, if only to protect themselves.
Why Isn’t It More Widely Used?
Legilimency is very very powerful. You can invade a person’s mind, find their deepest secrets and even plant visions. It can be easily used for the wrong ends.
And unlike Veritaserum or the truth potion whose use is carefully controlled by the Ministry, it seems there aren’t many safeguards against Legilimency, except for well, Occlumency.
So why isn’t it used during criminal trials or investigations? Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban without a trial, yet if they read his mind, they’d have known he was innocent and Peter Pettigrew was the real culprit.
Voldemort Trusts Snape Despite Knowing He Is Skilled In Occlumency
So if you’re good at Occlumency, it’s obvious. Snape tries to read Draco’s mind but Draco skillfully stops him, after learning Occlumency from his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange. In fact, Snape had been using Occlumency all these years, to hide his true allegiance from the Dark Lord.
But if you were power-hungry Voldemort and you could never read the mind of one of your best servants, wouldn’t you be at least suspicious of them?
Legilimency Requires Eye-Contact, Yet Voldemort Can Read Harry’s Mind At Will
Okay we know what you’re going to say, that Harry was a Horcrux and a part of Voldemort’s soul was trapped in him, that allowed the creepy two-way communication.
But hear us out.
Legilimency is a learned skill that requires eye-contact in order to probe into someone’s mind, and Occlumency is your counter-protection for it. But the connection between Harry and Voldemort was direct, which means Voldemort didn’t need to use Legilimency, as he was already connected to each of his Horcruxes.
And perhaps that was why Harry couldn’t learn Occlumency, as it can only be used to counter Legilimency and not the side-effects of being a Horcrux.
How Do Occlumency And Memory Charms Work?
From what we know, a really powerful Legilimens can even break through Memory Charms.
But what about the other way around?
If you had your memory modified, would that affect your skills in Occlumency? Or what if you were made to forget certain things?That’s something the books have left unanswered, even now.
Why Don’t We Have More Pensieves?
The Pensieve is a curious device that lets you explore your own memories in great detail. In the fifth book, we learn that it can be used to protect yourself from unwanted mental intrusions.
It still didn’t protect Snape from having Harry glimpse his worst memory, but that’s a different matter.
But given that it’s such a potent device, doesn’t it make sense to have more similar devices? It would make sense to have devices that can temporarily store memories which are used by Ministry officials and those in power, to protect their secrets.
If Occlumency And Resisting The Imperius Curse Require The Same Skills, Why Is Harry So Bad At The Former?
Snape tells us that being adept at Occlumency requires the same mental fortitude as resisting the Imperius Curse. Yet Harry who cannot be controlled by the Imperius Curse, is absolutely pathetic at Occlumency.
We’ve already discussed our theory about why Harry’s Occlumency didn’t work on Voldemort, but what about on others? Or was it simple because Harry hated Snape and put in exactly zero effort into it?
If Snape Can Use Legilimency, Why Did He Not Believe Harry At The End Of Book Three?
Later on, we figure out that Snape has been reading Harry’s mind since the first book. Yet at the end of The Prisoner of Azkaban, when Harry and Hermione use the Time Turner to help Sirius escape on Buckbeak, Snape blames them and refuses to believe the truth about Pettigrew.
In his anger and bitterness, he even lets it “accidentally slip” that Lupin is a werewolf.
Yet if he had just read Harry’s mind at the Hospital Wing, he’d have known the truth.
Why Isn’t Queenie Persecuted For Reading People’s Minds At Will?
Reading people’s minds without their consent is a violation of their privacy and should be considered a capital offense. At least, people should have ways to protect themselves from it, especially if they do not know Occlumency.
In the Fantastic Beasts movies, the character of Queenie Goldstein is a natural Legilimens, who reads people’s minds at will, especially that of Jacob, a Muggle whom she later falls in love with. And although she is scolded, she never faces any form of persecution for it.
Of course, her intentions aren’t evil, but that doesn’t make it right for people to practice Legilimency like that.
Doesn’t Legilimency Sound More Like Mind-Control?
Snape tells us that Legilimency is more complicated than mind-reading. In fact, Voldemort even had the power to enter people’s minds and plant alternate visions in order to control them. Voldemort planted a false image of Sirius to lure Harry out of Hogwarts and into the Department of Mysteries.
Harry was literally under Voldemort’s control and walked right into his trap.
And that makes Legilimency sound very much like mind-control and very similar to the Imperius Curse. And while the latter is an Unforgivable Curse and using it can ensure a life sentence in Azkaban, the former can be used by just about anyone, as long as they learn it.
Now that doesn’t make much sense.
