Non-magical beings often mistake the art of Legilimency as simple ‘Mind Reading’. While that may be the closest description they have to it, they are still quite far from the truth. Legilimency is a difficult to master and complicated magical art that involves delving into another’s mind and being able to navigate and interpret one’s findings. It can be surface thoughts, deeper thoughts, memories, desires, etc. Those who practice (and master) this art can be both respected and distrusted by the community. Many see it as an invasion of privacy and rude to use on someone without their consent.
Legilimency is limited to your own understanding and knowledge. So if you don’t understand a language and that is what they are thinking in you will still ‘hear’ them but you won’t understand them. Accents can also prove difficult if you aren’t familiar with them.
Legilimency does NOT work on those trained in the art of Occlumency the way it should, as Occlumency and Legilimency are yin and yang to each other. (please read the section on Occlumency to see what occlumens are capable of doing when a legillimens attempts to read them.)
ABILITIES AND SKILLS
Since Legilimency is a learned ability people can have varying levels of control even when they are the same age or studied for the same amount of time. Members can choose their own experience for this magical branch unless there is some sort of noted restriction. So consider realistically where your character would be and go with that. Characters that have only been studying it a few years are obviously still learning and wouldn’t be able to do the more difficult abilities.
Listed below are all the currently established forms of Legilimency used on the site, and we leave it open to the writer to decide which abilities they use.
(If you would like to use legilimency in a different way then the established abilities please reach out to the Staff Lore team so we can ensure that it works in our universe.)
- Legilimens spell - The spell. Lets you read the other person’s memories and thoughts. Channeled - if your concentration breaks the spell ends. People feel your intrusion.
- Lie detection - You will have an easier time recognizing when people are lying to you. (unless the person is an accomplished liar or other means prevent you from reading them.)
- Personal reading - You know when people nearby are thinking about you and have a general understanding of what they are thinking. (example: Someone is thinking this about you: “So-and-so is handsome because of their blue eyes and dark hair.”. You would know they think you are attractive, but not what they are thinking specifically.)
- Non-verbal Legilimens - Non verbal version of the spell. As long as you maintain eye contact it won’t be broken. People still feel your intrusion.
- Bond legilimens - Reading the surface thoughts for fleeting moments of those you have a close bond with (family, close friends, partners, etc.).
- Strong emotion legilimens - Strong emotions will grant you access to a person’s surface thoughts. You will have access to the information about the emotion and why they are feeling it. (example. They are upset because it’s the anniversary of a parent’s death and they can’t go visit the gravesite. You would feel they are sad, that their parent was dead, how close they were to said parent, that today is the anniversary of the death, and they can’t visit the grave site.).
STUDENTS
Legilimency is not taught at Hogwarts so it can be difficult for them to learn when they aren’t in the right circumstances. As such, students are NOT permitted to study Legilimency.
RESTRICTED ABILITIES
These abilities exist, but are not available.
- Memory manipulation - Manipulate and plant memories and thoughts into another person’s mind. Magical bonds (example: Harry Potter was a horcux of Voldemort and thus bound to him.) between individuals make it much easier. People are unaware that these are manipulated thoughts and memories.
- Enhanced Imperius Curse - Those who have mastered Legilimency are dangerous when using the Imperius curse. Even the strongest of willed people will bend to their command.
- Enhanced Non-verbal Legilimens - the fully manifested power of the spell. Imagine Queenie from Fantastic Beasts. These individuals no longer require the ‘spell’, and can catch the surface thoughts of everyone around them. This form of legilimens will only catch surface thoughts. (example: they can not see a person's memories when using this skill.)