Flesh Memory

Flesh Memory
Type	Charm
Creator	To confirm who captured a Golden Snitch during a Quidditch match

"A Snitch is not touched by bare skin before it is released, not even by the maker, who wears gloves. It carries an enchantment by which it can identify the first human to lay hands upon it, in the case of disputed capture."

— Description of a Flesh Memory

A Flesh Memory (incantation unknown) was a memory retained by a Golden Snitch of the Seeker who caught it, in order to avoid Quidditch disputes over the capture of a Snitch.

History

The inscription placed on Harry Potter's first Golden Snitch

A Golden Snitch was never touched by human hands before a Quidditch match, and the makers wore gloves. Only the Seeker was supposed to touch the Snitch.

In his will, Dumbledore left Harry Potter the first Golden Snitch he ever caught during his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts. Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour told Harry that due to flesh memory, the Snitch would only open for him, and possibly there was something important inside it. But when Harry held the Snitch after all those years, nothing happened and it didn't open. It was only after Scrimgeour departed that Harry remembered he caught the Snitch with his mouth. When he pressed his lips to it, an inscription appeared that said "I open at the close".

The Snitch actually contained the Resurrection Stone from the Peverell Ring, one of the Deathly Hallows, and Harry was only able to open the Snitch and use the Stone to summon dead spirits of his loved ones as he prepared to face Voldemort and die to protect his friends.

During the 2008–2009 school year, a Muggle-born Hogwarts student, along with their friends Ivy Warrington and Daniel Page, investigated a Quidditch tent to find potential clues regarding malfunctioning broomsticks. The student used the Unlocking Charm to open a mysterious chest, from which a Golden Snitch emerged. After catching it, they were caught by Hogwarts Flying instructor Madam Rolanda Hooch, who, while she appreciated their help, asked them to stay out of the way of the investigation in future. As the Muggle-born student had touched the Snitch, resulting in the activation of its flesh memory, which made it unusable in a Quidditch match, Madam Hooch enchanted the Snitch to stay around the student, allowing them to keep it.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened