Protection Charm: Legilimens By: Franciscus Fieldwake

What is it and how to perform it?

Legilimency was the practise of using magic to enter another person's mind. It was more than mind-reading, as it often involved interpreting another person's thoughts – as when Queenie identified the story behind Newt's reaction to Leta Lestrange – or even turning a person's mind against them, as Voldemort did to Harry when he planted his false vision of Sirius.

Perform

Most Legilimens needed to be near the person whose mind they wanted to invade in order to read it. As Snape told Harry, 'Time and space matter in magic...'

That wasn't always the case though. Harry's connection with , forged when Voldemort failed to kill him as a baby, left the two of them with a link that had no regard for the usual rules. Harry's ability to invade Voldemort's mind often happened at great distances – when he was asleep at Hogwarts, or when he was out hunting Horcruxes. Theirs was a special case though. Even for Voldemort, Harry's was the only mind he could enter from a distance.

Those learning Legilimency began with a spell and an incantation – Legilimens. demonstrated this to Harry during their first lesson, in a bid to teach him the skills needed to shut his mind to Voldemort's Legilimency attacks. Once the spell was cast, if the victim was not sufficiently accomplished in Occlumency they would feel their minds being invaded, just as Harry did, with often unwanted memories forced to the surface.

However, accomplished Legilimens like Snape, Queenie and Voldemort needed neither incantation or wand to enter another person's mind. For them, a glance was often enough.