Brain

Brain
Object information
Location	Brain Room, Department of Mysteries
Usage	To exert control over bodily functions (in living creatures) To study human thought (by the Department of Mysteries)
Owners	Most living creatures Department of Mysteries

Hermione Granger: "They're brains."

Harry Potter: "Brains?"

Hermione Granger: "Yes... I wonder what they're doing with them?"

— Harry Potter and Hermione Granger discuss the brains in the Department of Mysteries

The brain is an organ present in all but the simplest of creatures which exerts control over all other organs in the body. Arthur Weasley considered it reasonable not to trust anything if one could not see where it kept its brain, advice he passed on to his children and repeated to Ginevra Weasley after learned the amount of trust she had devoted to Tom Riddle's diary.

Damage to the brain

Partial damage

There exists a number of means to damage the brain; damage by a direct object passing into it is almost always fatal.

The brain could also suffer damage from non-physical sources that affect its stability. Traumatic experiences, such as the ones endured by Sirius Black and Dobby, could negatively affect the brain, but not irreparably. Other things that could damage one's thinking were exposure to the Mirror of Erised (such as Harry Potter) and the Emerald Potion created by Lord Voldemort (such as Kreacher and Albus Dumbledore).

Absolute damage

The brain could be damaged permanently by prolonged exposure to the Unforgivable Curses. When under the Imperius Curse, Bartemius Crouch Senior became delirious for the rest of his life, and when he himself placed his son under the curse, he experienced similar symptoms. When under the Cruciatus Curse for a long time, Alice and Frank Longbottom became permanently insane and spent the rest of their lives in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. When struck by the Killing Curse, the victim's brain would shut down instantly.

Study of the brain

A tank of brains, found in the Brain Room

In a certain room of the Department of Mysteries, there existed a large tank containing a number of brains or brain-like objects, which contained a green potion to preserve the brains in. These brains exuded thoughts as thin tendrils along their "bodies", and appeared to have a certain amount of sentience on their own. They were used by Unspeakables to study human thought.

During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Ronald Weasley, under influence of a Death Eater's spell that made him disoriented (possibly the Confundus Charm), used a Summoning Charm on one of these brains. The brain immediately attacked when it touched Ron, wrapping its tentacle-like thoughts around his body and attempting to suffocate him. Though he was eventually able to get free and was treated to by Poppy Pomfrey, he suffered a great deal of damage and had scars from the event that would presumably last the rest of his life.

Behind the scenes

• The Knockturn Alley set (set 4720) of the LEGO Harry Potter includes a head piece printed with a floating brain.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First mentioned)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter (website) (Mentioned only)
• LEGO Harry Potter (Mentioned only)
• LEGO Harry Potter
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite