Brain Room

"The place was quite empty except for a few desks and, in the very middle of the room, and enormous glass tank of deep-green water, big enough for all of them to swim in, which contained a number of pearly white objects that were drifting around lazily in the liquid"

- Description of the Thought Chamber from Harry Potter's point of view

The Brain Room is a room in the Department of Mysteries. It is located on the ninth level of the Ministry of Magic in London, England. The concept of thought and all related subjects are studied in this chamber. There is a door leading off this room to the Death Chamber, possibly symbolising the relationship between consciousness and death.

Description
This chamber is long and rectangular, lit by lamps hanging low on golden chains from the ceiling. It is quite empty except for a few desks surrounding an enormous glass tank of deep green liquid. In this tank a number of pearly-white brains drift around. When removed from the potion in the tank, the brains fling out tendrils of thoughts which can seriously injure someone if they wrap themselves around them. Other doors open off this room.

History
In 1996, part of a battle of the Second Wizarding War was fought in the Brain Room after Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood arrived in the Department of Mysteries in search of Sirius Black. The six Dumbledore's Army members passed through the chamber upon their arrival; Hermione pointed out that there were brains in the tank, and the students eventually decided to flee from the room to get to where they wanted to be. The students were ambushed by Death Eaters in the Hall of Prophecy, and ended up fleeing through multiple chambers in the Department.

"Ron…caught the brain in his outstretched hands. The moment they made contact with his skin, the tentacles began wrapping themselves around Ron’s arms like ropes. “Harry, look what’s happen – no – no, I don’t like it – no, stop –stop -""

- Ron Weasley's encounter with the brains

Ron Weasley got hit by a spell before this that made him act rather drunken and stupid, and made his brain fuzzy, so he foolishly summoned a brain out of the tank. The brain burst from the liquid, and as it spun toward Ron, what looked like ribbons of moving images flew from it, "unraveling like rolls of film". These are implied to be physical manifestations of thought, and the moment they made contact with his skin the tentacles began wrapping themselves around Ron's arms like ropes and suffocating him.

Luckily, after the battle was over, Madam Pomfrey was able to heal Ron and no lasting damage was done to him, but he still had the scars from the tendrils of thought that coiled around him when he touched the brain.

Behind the Scenes

 * The Brain Room, as well as the Love Chamber, the Space Chamber, and the Time Room, were omitted from the film version. However, according to Matthew Lewis, it was, in fact, filmed, but edited out of the theatrical release.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix