Order of Merlin

The Order of Merlin (abbreviated O.M.) was an award bestowed upon wizards and witches who had achieved great things for the wizarding world. It had three different levels: First Class, Second Class, and Third Class.

History[]

Merlin1 — Merlin, the most famous wizard of his era, for whom the Order of Merlin award was named

An organisation called the Order of Merlin was founded by Merlin in the Middle Ages. Merlin believed that wizards and witches should help Muggles, and, thus, the Order of Merlin established rules against the use of magic on Muggles.

The award known as the Order of Merlin was created in commemoration of Merlin and was first given out by the Wizengamot in the 15th century. It is unknown whether this award was connected to the earlier organisation of the same name.

As often happens with such highly coveted awards, Ministry of Magic favourites seem to receive the Order of Merlin, especially the higher classes, more often than one might expect. Notable unworthy recipients are Cornelius Fudge, who gave it to himself despite his less-than-distinguishable career, and Arcturus Black III, who was widely believed to have bought it by loaning the Ministry a large amount of gold.

Appearance and classes[]

The Order of Merlin consisted of a "handsome" golden medal which hung on a coloured ribbon indicating its class.^[1]

There were three different classes of Order of Merlin that were awarded:

First Class: Awarded for "acts of outstanding bravery or distinction" in magic. The colour of the ribbon for this class was green, which was believed to represent Merlin's Hogwarts house, Slytherin.
Second Class: Awarded for "achievement or endeavour beyond the ordinary." The colour of the ribbon for this class was purple.
Third Class: Awarded to individuals who "have made a contribution to our store of knowledge or entertainment." The colour of the ribbon for this class was white.

Known recipients[]

Order of Merlin, First Class[]

Name	Date	Notes
Albus Dumbledore	1945 Minister Leonard Spencer-Moon	Awarded for his defeat of the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, effectively putting an end to the global wizarding war.
Finn Hudson	2000 Minister Garrett Douglas	Awarded for his defeat of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, effectively putting an end to the First Wizarding War.
Brody Hudson	2000 Minister Garrett Douglas	Awarded for his defeat of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, effectively putting an end to the First Wizarding War.
Patrick Dunbar	2000 Minister Garrett Douglas	Awarded for his defeat of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, effectively putting an end to the First Wizarding War.
Liam Dunbar	2000 Minister Garrett Douglas	Awarded for his defeat of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, effectively putting an end to the First Wizarding War.