Issues About Memory

[Caius Marcius]

No: HPFGUIDX 15566

Some memory-related inquiries:

We know that the MOM devotes a serious amount of time and effort to 
erasing the memory of Muggles (Yikes! Talk about thought-control!) 
who chance to witness magical creatures or events. Yet there are some 
Muggles whose memories remain uncontaminated.  Primarily, of course, 
the Dursleys - the MOM seems confident enough that these 
quintessential Muggles are so resolute in their refusal to 
acknowledge the alternate Wizardly society, that to erase their 
memories would be carrying coals to Newcastle. In Chapter 3 of PoA, 
Fudge tells Harry "You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt 
with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members 
of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet 
Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory 
has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So 
that's that, and no harm done." 

But though Aunt Marge was purged of her memories, there is no mention 
that Vernon, Petunia or even Dudley had their memories similarly 
treated. Fudge says just a bit later in Ch. 3 "Ah, you're worrying 
about the reaction of your aunt and uncle?

.Well, I won't deny that 
they are extremely angry, Harry, but they are prepared to take you 
back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas 
and Easter holidays."  This certainly implies that they remember the 
full circumstances of Aunt Marge's mishap.  Similarly in Ch. 5 of 
CoS, in the aftermath of the Flying Ford episode, Dumbledore tells 
Harry and Ron that he will be writing to both their families about 
that misadventure: though of course the difference is that Ron's 
parents will be seriously and appropriately concerned, while with the 
Dursleys, "Harry knew perfectly well they'd just be disappointed that 
the Whomping Willow hadn't squashed him flat." 

A clue may be in Ch. 4 of CoS, when Hermione's parents are visiting 
Diagon Alley. They seem to be given full access to it. Perhaps 
parental rights in the Wizarding world trumps even the MOM's desire 
to preserve its secrecy.

Second memory point: During BC Jr.'s de-briefing in GoF Ch. 35, 
Crouch tells how his father's Memory Charm which he cast on Bertha 
Jorkins, "damaged her memory permanently."  It is somehow implied 
that this left her especially vulnerable - to the point that she had 
to be killed - when she was later interrogated by Voldemort.  JKR 
does not clarify the specifics about the damage that Bertha 
suffered.  It does not seem to be the same sort of injury that 
Lockhart sustained in CoS, when his spell boomeranged on him: this 
resulted in Lockhart losing all memory of his own identity.  There is 
no suggestion that Bertha's identity was erased.  Just how was her 
memory damaged? (Did she lose things more often or what?)

   - CMC