Patronus Charm
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In the Harry Potter fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling, a Patronus is an insubstantial animal form protector created by the advanced Patronus Charm spell, and the only known means of defence against Dementors and certain other dark creatures.
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The Patronus
The Patronus Charm conjures an incarnation of the caster's innermost positive feelings, such as joy, hope, or the desire to survive, known as a Patronus. A Patronus can be viewed as the exact opposite of a Dementor. Even though it embodies all the positive emotions that a Dementor feeds on, a Patronus is conjured as a protector, and is a weapon rather than a feast: Patroni shield their conjurors from Dementors, and even drive them away.
When conjured, a Patronus appears silvery, ethereal, and semi-transparent. Improperly formed Patroni range from momentary formless bursts of silvery mist, to poorly-defined forms which are easily defeated or quickly dissipate on their own. A full-fledged (or corporeal) Patronus takes on a solid (if somewhat ethereal) fixed animal form that is appropriate and unique to the witch or wizard casting the charm; no two witches or wizards will conjure identical Patroni. Patroni summoned by a particular person always take the same form, although life-changing events — such as personal tragedy, or falling in love — can alter the form that one's conjured Patroni will take from then on. This is seen to happen to Nymphadora Tonks when she falls in love with Remus Lupin.
The conjured Patronus protects the witch or wizard that summoned it, obeys his or her commands, and fades away shortly after it is no longer required.
Communications
As seen in the fourth and sixth books, and as revealed by the author beforehand, Albus Dumbledore has devised a method of using Patronuses to deliver messages. This offers great advantages in security, as Patronuses identify the caster and are Dark-proof; this means of communication is believed to be exclusive to the Order of the Phoenix.
Known Patroni
| Witch/Wizard | Patronal Form | Notes |
| Harry Potter | Stag | Harry's Patronus is in the shape of his father's Animagus form. |
| Hermione Granger | Otter | JK Rowling has said that the otter is her favorite animal. |
| Ron Weasley | Jack Russell Terrier | JK Rowling owns one. |
| Cho Chang | Swan | - |
| Albus Dumbledore | Phoenix | - |
| Nymphadora Tonks | Werewolf | The form of Nymphadora's Patronus changed in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to its current form. This is believed to be due to her developing a romantic attachement to the werewolf Remus Lupin. It is unknown what her Patronus was prior to this. |
| Seamus Finnigan | Something hairy | He could not yet produce a fully formed (corporeal) Patronus in Dumbledore's Army |
The Patronus Charm
The Patronus Charm is simple in theory, but hard to perform properly. The spell requires the use of a wand and the incantation "Expecto Patronum" (spelling may vary by book or edition; see below). Presumably specific physical gestures with the wand are also required but they are not mentioned specifically.
The caster assume a very specific type of emotional state: he or she must tap into, and draw out, the positive emotions that will make up the Patronus, regardless of the situation. As the charm is used as a defensive spell at times of extreme duress and fear, this can be challenging. Dementors make things worse by evoking a person's negative emotions, making the Patronus Charm harder by their very presence. The best way is to concentrate on a very happy memory or thought. Harry Potter has succesfully used both memories (such as the moment he learned of his magical heritage and that he would be attending Hogwarts), and pleasant wishes (such as visions of Dolores Umbridge being fired).
Because of the charm's advanced reputation, Harry impressed his OWL examiners by demonstrating mastery of the spell, which was unusual for someone his age.
According to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the Charm is also the only known spell defense against Lethifolds: shroud-like creatures that silently slip into houses to suffocate and digest victims. Presumably there are also other "dark creatures" against which the Patronus Charm is an uniquely effective defense.
Etymology
It is wise to keep in mind the limits etymological speculation in the Harry Potter universe. Ms. Rowling is not a linguist, and her aim is primarily to tell a good story, not to create a consistent linguistic system. Thus, one should not expect the use of "magical" language in the books to be entirely consistent. One can speculate about the possible origins of various spell incantations or terms; but one should not necessarily expect the results to be consistent in themselves or with the histories of other languages. For this reason, there is often no real Latin derivation of spell incantations, or any other "magical terms". This is not meant to take away from the fun of speculating about it, but to caution the reader to remember that the world of Harry Potter is primarily the world of a good story.
With that in mind, remember that the Latin word patronus means "protector" or "guardian" or (in archaic Latin) "father" (see Patronus). The plural of patronus is patroni. The incantation for the charm is expecto patronum. The Latin word exspecto, or expecto, means "I watch for," "I await", or (more rarely) "I require". The Latin phrase ex pecto, which is pronounced identically, means "out of my heart". Since Dog Latin can often use the more abstruse meanings of a Latin word, it would not be inappropriate to use this phrase as a translation. The meaning of the incantation thus becomes, "I summon my protector." A poetical ambiguity in the Latin text, if not intended, matches well with the theme of the chapter in which it last appears, since the phrase can also be translated as "I expect my father" or "My father comes from my heart."
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