Lockhart - Evil?

[rcraigharman at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 19754

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., SHENmagic at a... wrote:> 
> Ah, but does Lockhart get the SAME spell off? Remember that in his
> office, Lockhart was ready to do a memory charm on Harry and Ron,
> but in the tunnel to the Chamber of Secrets his intent appeared
> much much, more severe than a mere forgetting of some
> information:  "I'll explain that you two tragically lost your minds
> at the sight of her mangled body....". It sounds to me a bit more
> intense than just a memory charm (has JKR given us the "Word" for
> memory charm? I could use the antithesis -- a memory enhancement
> -- from time to time-like now!) at any rate the charm or spell
> Lockhart voices in the tunnel is "Obliviate" which had it landed,
> according to Lockhart's spoken intention, would "obliterate" their
> minds.  Lockhart at that point behaves in my eyes, you should
> pardon the expression, like an evil desperate rat....

"Obliviate", while it might *look* like "obliterate", is still
clearly the memory charm.  "Oblivion" and "oblivious" in English,
"oublier" and its derivatives in French, and "olvidar" in Spanish,
all come from "oblivisci" = "to forget" in Latin, as would presumably
"obliviate".

The resemblance to "obliterate" I would say is more a chance overtone.

....Craig