Harry Potter: Why Hermione Obliviated Her Parents

Warner Bros.

Everything from the best "Harry Potter" books to the worst are full of sadness, and it isn't always rooted in death and destruction. In the 2010 film adaptation "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) casts an Obliviate spell on her Muggle parents, making them believe they're a childless couple with different names who live in Australia. No longer part of her parents' memories, Hermione embarks on an adventure with her friends, Harry himself (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. Still, what was her motivation behind casting the spell?

In short, Hermione wanted to protect her parents from Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his Death Eaters. If these villains discovered the Hogwart student's mother and father, they would torture and kill them to get to her, Harry, and Ron. After all, the Dark Lord needed Harry dead so he could reign supreme as the Wizarding World's tyrannical leader, and he would've stopped at nothing to achieve that goal. Let's not forget that Voldemort killed Harry's parents when Harry was an infant, so he had priors — and his minions enjoyed harming Muggles.

While Hermione's reasons for casting the spell are understandable, the fate of her parents remained largely unclear when the saga ended. In fact, the "Harry Potter" movies basically forget to provide any clarification at all. With that in mind, let's find out what happened to the clueless Muggles.

Warner Bros.

Neither the "Harry Potter" books nor movies tie up every loose end, but "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling has been on hand to address fans' myriad of queries over the years. That includes clearing up the mystery surrounding Hermione Granger's parents and whether they were ever reunited with their daughter.

The good news, though, is that Rowling has given the answer that fans want. As documented by The Leaky Cauldron, the writer once confirmed that Hogwarts' smartest student reunited with her mom and dad after she and her friends put a stop to Voldemort and his cronies, and the rest is history. As Rowling put it:

"Yes, she brought them home straight away."

So, there you have it. Hermione's parents seemingly avoided any contact with the Death Eaters, and the family got to live happily ever after. That said, the cast and crew of the upcoming "Harry Potter" TV series should make an effort to provide more clarification on how this storyline ends down the line. Some Wizarding World enthusiasts simply don't have the desire to scroll through old web chats looking for answers to unsolved mysteries.