Protection Charm: Legilimens By: Franciscus Fieldwake

Questions

Was it a learned skill?

Most Legilimens learned the skill, but there were exceptions. Queenie was one. The fact that she was born able to see into other peoples' minds was very rare, but for her it was something she did without trying. There was no malicious intent in Queenie's Legilimency and yet in its way, it could be as intrusive as Voldemort's. Newt certainly didn't like it, but Queenie often seemed unable to stop herself.

Why was it useful?

Newt might have found it intrusive but there's no doubt that Legilimency did have some uses. Without it, Dumbledore would not have discovered the truth about Kreacher, and Harry wouldn't have been able to warn the Order of the Phoenix about Voldemort's attack on Arthur Weasley. Even Queenie's observations had their uses, as they helped both Goldstein sisters understand Newt in a different way.

Legilimency could also be passed onto objects, as the four founders of Hogwarts did with the Sorting Hat. The Hat was then able to look into the minds of students and so determine which house they should be placed in – certainly useful, if not a bit of a strange way to start your first year.But, of course, Legilimency was useful to Dark wizards too. Voldemort's skill as a Legilimens enabled him to lure Harry to the Department of Mysteries; it helped him kill unsuspecting Muggle Frank Bryce in the Riddle House, and it probably led to the deaths of many others, given he used it to determine who was lying to him.

How could it be dangerous?

Mostly Legilimency was dangerous for those it was used against. Without mastering Occlumency – the art of defending your brain against Legilimency attacks – a victim was likely to have all their feelings and memories ransacked. If the ransacking was being done by Voldemort it was particularly dangerous, especially if you happened to be lying to him at the time.But it could also have dangers for the Legilimens. On the few occasions Harry successfully deflected Snape's attacks, he ended up attacking Snape without meaning to. The first time, it was a Stinging Hex and the second time, Harry broke into Snape's mind. Not necessarily dangerous in a classroom setting, but potentially problematic for the attacker if they were trying to keep particular thoughts hidden. If you attacked another person's mind, you'd be opening yourself up to counter-attack. Much like the connection between Voldemort and Harry...