The Reason Hermione Obliviated Her Parents In Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

As the first installment of the monumental conclusion, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" is tasked with doing a lot of heavy lifting. After a harrowing announcement from the Minister of Magic, we catch up with the Golden Trio before they head out on their dangerous journey to destroy Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) Horcruxes. This sets the dark tone for the ultimate showdown that lies ahead of them as they make the necessary preparations before traveling.

At the beginning of the film, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) is in a different and more complicated position than her friends Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint). She has Muggle parents who cannot do magic, which leaves them vulnerable to Voldemort's evil Death Eaters. Because of this, she makes the heart-wrenching decision to erase their memory of her to protect them from harm.

It's a slight divergence from the books by having Hermione wipe her parents' memory entirely. However, based on the sequence's newspaper headlines about rising Muggle attacks, it makes sense that Hermione would have the foresight to bewitch her loved ones. This is also one of her most clever moments, showcasing her unmatched abilities with spell casting, which allowed her to make things right with her mom and dad eventually.

Though the films didn't show a resolution to the charm, the author of the series revealed what happened to Hermione's parents after the Battle of Hogwarts. In an archived chat with J.K. Rowling, available on Accio Quote!, she was asked if the young witch rescued her parents after Voldemort was defeated. Her response is a major relief to fans of the series, "Yes, she brought them home straight away."

This makes the heartfelt epilogue at the end of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" even more meaningful to know that Ron and Hermione's children have two sets of loving grandparents. It also shows that Hermione may have been justified in her actions and probably saved her defenseless parents' lives. Considering how Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) tortured Neville Longbottom's (Matthew Lewis) parents into madness with dark magic, Hermione made the right decision, even if it wasn't easy.

During his cruel reign, Voldemort targeted Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards because of his harsh prejudices. This created a dangerous environment for Hermione's parents, who were at even more risk because of her connection to Harry Potter. Though there is no indication that Hermione undid the memory charm in the books or the films, this quote provides the closure fans of the series may be looking for.