Order of Merlin

The Order of Merlin is an award bestowed upon wizards and witches who have achieved great deeds. It has three different levels: First Class, Second Class, and Third Class.

History
The Order of Merlin was founded by Merlin in the Middle Ages as an organisation with the goal of promoting laws to protect and benefit Muggles. It is unknown when the Order changed from an organisation to an award or when its focus shifted from advocating Muggle rights to honouring great accomplishments in general.

Order of Merlin, First Class

 * Sirius Black's grandfather
 * This was either Arcturus Black III or Pollux Black. Awarded for his "services to the Ministry," which, according to Sirius, was another way of saying that he had given them a lot of gold. Sirius threw the medal into the trash when he was cleaning 12 Grimmauld Place.


 * Albus Dumbledore
 * During the campaign to discredit Dumbledore, it was suggested by Remus Lupin that the Ministry would consider taking away the Order of Merlin from Dumbledore.


 * Cornelius Fudge
 * Peter Pettigrew
 * Awarded posthumously, for his "heroic confrontation," or so it was believed at the time, with Sirius Black. The medal was given to Pettigrew's mother. Pettigrew, not Black, was later revealed to have been the one who betrayed the Potters, and it is possible his Order of Merlin was retracted as a result.


 * The Toke Family
 * Awarded for saving the lives of several Muggles during the Ilfracombe Incident in 1932.


 * Norvel Twonk
 * Awarded posthumously for saving the life of a Muggle child from a runaway manticore.

Order of Merlin, Second Class

 * Newt Scamander

Order of Merlin, Third Class

 * Gilderoy Lockhart

Recipients of unknown class

 * Damocles
 * May have been awarded for his invention of the lycanthropy-treating Wolfsbane Potion.

Possible recipients
Cornelius Fudge promised to give Severus Snape the Order of Merlin, First Class, for capturing Sirius Black, then assumed to be a fugitive murderer, but Black escaped before Fudge could follow through on his word.

Behind the scenes

 * It could be said to be comparable to the Muggle Order of the British Empire, Victoria Cross|Victoria Cross, Congressional Medal of Honor, Presidential Medal of Freedom|Presidential Medal of Freedom, or the Nobel Prize.
 * Since 1966, the International Brotherhood of Magicians has been awarding the Order of Merlin to long-standing members.
 * Since Dumbledore was on the verge of losing his Order of Merlin during Fudge's campaign, it means that a certain level of disgrace is capable of causing a recipient to lose the Order. Pettigrew indeed lost his when his treason became public.
 * As Fudge was heavily disgraced for his lack of actions against Lord Voldemort's return, it is likely that his Order has been retracted.
 * Due to Lockhart being a fraudulent crook who stole credits from other wizards and witches to boost his own fame, it is most likely he earned his Order with deceit and trickery. It is unknown if it was retracted when his true colors were revealed.

Notes and references
Ordre de Merlin