Inferius

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An Inferius (plural: Inferi) is a corpse controlled through a Dark wizard's spells in the Harry Potter series of books. An Inferius is not alive, but rather just a dead body that has been bewitched into acting like a puppet for the witch or wizard.

Unlike ghosts, it is apparent that Inferi cannot think for themselves. They are created to perform a specific duty assigned by the Dark wizard who commands them, and as seen in the Inferi guarding Lord Voldemort's Horcrux in a sea-side cave, remain idle until their task can be performed. This task is then thoughtlessly carried out, whether or not it will produce any result. (The Inferi guarding the supposed Horcrux, for instance, did not realize they were guarding a non-enchanted object as opposed to Voldemort's soul.) Inferi are difficult to harm by magic, but are easily hurt by fire. When defeated, they return to their idle state.

There are two main differences between ghosts and Inferi. The first is the aforementioned fact that ghosts have an active consciousness. The second, as Harry pointed out, is that ghosts are transparent and retain their sense of being. Therefore, ghosts and Inferi are opposites: one has sentience but no body, the other a body but no sentience.

Inferi are more or less modified versions of zombies, much closer to the zombies of voodoo folklore than those usually portrayed in films.

The word Inferi is a nickname for Hades, the Greek god of the dead; inferus means "below" in Latin.