Unforgivable Curses

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Cruciatus redirects here. For the ligaments in the knee, see Cruciate ligament.

The Unforgivable Curses are some of the most powerful Dark Arts spells known in the fictional world of Harry Potter. Commonly used by the villains, such as Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters, their use inspires horror and great fear amongst others. The curses are so named because their use is - except by Ministry of Magic authorisation - forbidden and literally unforgivable in the Wizarding World. Use of any of these spells on any human being can carry a life-sentence in the magical wizard's prison of Azkaban. These curses are thus very rarely used openly. Since the spells are very powerful, their use requires a strong desire to bring about the effects, a directed will, and great skill.

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[edit] Notes on the magical language used in the world of Harry Potter

The entries below include speculation on the possible etymologies of various spell incantations, based on apparent similarities to words and phrases used in other languages, particularly Latin. While author JK Rowling studied Classics and the French language in Paris, she is not a linguist; her aim was primarily to tell a good story, and not to create a consistent linguistic system. Thus various "magical terms" used in the books may not be entirely consistent, and speculation about the possible origins of various spell incantations or terms Rowling introduced may not be particularly encyclopedic.

[edit] The three Unforgivable Curses

  1. Avada Kedavra (The Killing Curse)
  2. Crucio (The Cruciatus Curse)
  3. Imperio (The Imperius Curse)

Probable sources of the the three spells: JK Rowling worked for Amnesty International before starting the Harry Potter series. Amnesty International works to stop torture (crucio) and killing (avada kedavra), especially of political prisoners. The Imperius curse (enslavery) could be either anti-imperialism, anti-slavery, or both.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Avada Kedavra (The Killing Curse)

Pronunciation: /æ'væ.dæ kæ'dæ.vɹa/
Description: Causes instant death.
Seen/Mentioned: See below.

The Avada Kedavra Curse, Avada Kedavra, causes the caster's wand to shoot a bolt of blindingly intense green light, which, on contact with the victim(s), results in instant and painless death. There are no secondary effects; the victim simply "drops dead" for no biological reason. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Muggle coroners examining the bodies of several victims are unable to find a cause of death, but the Ministry of Magic recognises the signs of the curse. If the curse misses the victim and strikes an object instead, the energy is released in a small explosion at the point of impact. If the material struck is flammable, the curse starts a fire composed of greenish flames that will burn the material to ashes within minutes. Phoenixes respond to being hit by Avada Kedavra the same way as any other means of death: they are consumed by fire, and are reborn from the ashes.

The Avada Kedavra curse is used regularly by Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters to kill their enemies. The Avada Kedavra has no canonical counter-curse or blocking spell, although the caster can be interrupted, the victim can dodge the green jet or if the casting wizard is not sufficiently compentent it may be completely ineffective as described by the fake Moody in The Goblet of Fire. Victims can also take cover behind solid objects, such as when Dumbledore Transfigures a statue to cover Harry in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Certain magical conditions have also been documented to defeat the curse, even on a direct hit: Harry Potter was given magical protection against Lord Voldemort's use of the curse, when his mother sacrificed herself to save him. Harry was also later saved by the Priori Incantatem effect between his wand and Lord Voldemort's during a duel; and Lord Voldemort himself was evidently saved from death by his own rebounding Avada Kedavra, because of his Horcruxes (although he was reduced at that moment to an ethereal disembodied state). In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Fawkes "sacrifices" himself by swallowing a Killing Curse Voldemort aims at Dumbledore.

The spell is performed verbally as a rule, although the Avada Kedavra may have been performed non-verbally by Bellatrix Lestrange on a fox, thinking that it was a lurking Auror, after Apparating with Narcissa Malfoy at Spinner's End.

[edit] Origins and linguistics

The name of this curse is related to the popular "mumbo-jumbo" magical phrase Abracadabra, which is actually of Aramaic origin: abhadda kedhabhra, meaning "disappear like this word".[1]

A footnote in some editions of the Vietnamese translations of the Harry Potter books state a false etymology: "avatar cadaver": see [1].

Also, Romanian translations use Abracadabra as Avada Kedavra. The reasons for this is believed to be from the Latin word cadaver, which can mean corpse.

In the Hungarian translation of Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire and The Order Of The Phoenix, Avada Kedavra is mentioned and used many times as "Adava Kedavra". It is considered as a translating mistake because in the 6th book (The Half-Blood Prince) the curse is called Avada Kedavra.

During an audience interview at the Edinburgh Book Festival (15 August 2004) Rowling said:

"Does anyone know where avada kedavra came from? It is an ancient spell in Aramaic, and it is the original of abracadabra, which means “let the thing be destroyed”. Originally, it was used to cure illness and the “thing” was the illness, but I decided to make it the “thing” as in the person standing in front of me. I take a lot of liberties with things like that. I twist them round and make them mine." [2]

[edit] Known Victims of the Avada Kedavra Curse

Victim Caster Notes
Tom Riddle Senior [HP4] Tom Marvolo Riddle Tom Marvolo Riddle's father
Mary Riddle (Tom Riddle Sr's Mother) [HP4] Tom Marvolo Riddle (teenager) Tom Marvolo Riddle's grandmother
Thomas Riddle (Tom Riddle Sr's Father) [HP4] Tom Marvolo Riddle (teenager) Tom Marvolo Riddle's grandfather
James Potter [HP1] Lord Voldemort Killed at Godric's Hollow trying to hold off Voldemort to allow his wife and son to escape.
Lily Potter [HP1] Lord Voldemort Killed while attempting to shield Harry from the curse.
Harry Potter [HP1] Lord Voldemort The curse failed, due to Lily's sacrificing herself for her son. Harry is the first known survivor of the curse. He is followed by Lord Voldemort himself.
Lord Voldemort [HP1] Lord Voldemort Rebounded from when he attacked Harry. Survived due to his Horcruxes.
Bertha Jorkins [HP4] Lord Voldemort Captured by Voldemort and tortured for information
Frank Bryce [HP4] Lord Voldemort After Bryce is caught eavesdropping by Nagini
A spider [HP4] Barty Crouch Jr, impersonating Alastor Moody Demonstration in Defence Against the Dark Arts class
Bartemius Crouch Sr [HP4] Bartemius Crouch Jr While Harry went to find Dumbledore, Bartemius Crouch Jr stunned Viktor Krum and then he killed his father. It is not stated in the books that the Avada Kedavra was used, but it is most likely.
Cedric Diggory [HP4] Peter Pettigrew On orders from Voldemort, using the Dark Lord's wand.
Fawkes [HP5] Lord Voldemort Intended for Dumbledore. Fawkes swallowed the curse to protect him (and was reborn from the ashes).
A fox [HP6] Bellatrix Lestrange At Spinner's End near Severus Snape's home. Possibly a non-verbal casting of the curse.
Albus Dumbledore [HP6] Severus Snape On the Astronomy Tower during the Battle of Hogwarts.
Gibbon [HP6] Unknown Death Eater Accidentally killed by another Death Eater during the Battle Of Hogwarts

[edit] Failed uses

  • Voldemort attempted to use the curse on the 1-year old Harry Potter, after killing both of his parents. The curse was blocked by a magical protection from Harry's mother's love-sacrifice of herself. The curse backfired on the Dark Lord, who barely survived; and some of Voldemort's powers were transferred to Harry, who received the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
  • Lucius Malfoy attempted to use the curse on Harry towards the end of the film version of Chamber of Secrets; Dobby blocked him before he could complete the curse.
  • Voldemort attempted to use the curse on Harry Potter during their duel in the graveyard, in Goblet of Fire [HP4]. Harry's simultaneous Expelliarmus charm blocked Voldemort's curse and produced the Priori Incantatem effect, due to the common core in their respective wands (phoenix feathers from Fawkes).
  • Voldemort attempted to use the curse on Harry Potter towards the end of Order of the Phoenix but was blocked by Dumbledore who transfigured a golden statue at the fountain in the atrium of the Ministry. In the ensuing duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort, Voldemort attempted to use it several times against Dumbledore but was blocked and resisted successfully each time.
  • A Death Eater attempted to use the curse on Hermione Granger, but was interrupted when Harry tackled him.

[edit] Crucio (The Cruciatus Curse)

Pronunciation: /'kɹuː.si.əʊ/
Description: Inflicts excruciating pain on the recipient of the curse.
Seen/Mentioned: See below.

The Cruciatus Curse, which inflicts excruciating pain upon the victim, requires the verbal incantation and the use of a wand. The effects of the curse depend upon the desires and emotions of the character - to produce the "excruciating" pain implied by the name, one must (according to Bellatrix Lestrange) desire to cause pain purely for its own sake. The extreme pain inflicted by the curse when cast so - without any apparent evidence of physical harm - makes it uniquely suited as a form of torture, and is used regularly by the Death Eaters.

Crucio (Latin) means "I torture/crucify", originating from crux (genitive crucis), which means "cross". The word excruciating is descended from the same root: a crucifixion created a state of pain so intense that no existing word was adequate to describe it. Likewise, cruciatus means "torture, cruelty, suffering".

[edit] Known Victims of the Cruciatus Curse

Victim Caster(s) Notes
Frank and Alice Longbottom Bellatrix Lestrange, Bartemius Crouch Jr and Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. Tortured into insanity, now residing at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
A spider [HP4] Bartemius Crouch Jr - impersonating Alastor Moody Demonstrated while teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts class
Peter Pettigrew [HP4] Lord Voldemort As punishment for allowing Bartemius Crouch Sr to escape
Cedric Diggory [HP4] Viktor Krum (under the influence of the Imperius curse) In The Third Task (Maze) of the Triwizard Tournament
Harry Potter [HP4] Lord Voldemort In the graveyard during the duel between Potter and Voldemort - twice
Avery [HP4] Lord Voldemort In the graveyard following Voldemort's resurrection
Neville Longbottom [HP5] Bellatrix Lestrange In the Department of Mysteries; to make Harry hand over the prophecy
Harry Potter [HP6] Unknown Death Eater In the Chapter Flight of the Prince when Harry was trying to chase Snape.

[edit] Dubious uses

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter used the curse on Bellatrix Lestrange, in the Ministry of Magic Atrium, in vengeance for her murder of Sirius Black. The curse gave her a brief moment of terrible pain; it did not, however, cause her the excruciating drawn out pain that Cruciatus is meant to give. According to Bellatrix this is because Harry only felt righteous indignation when he used it (because Bellatrix had mocked Sirius' death), instead of the pure lust for inflicting pain which is required.

[edit] Failed uses

[edit] Imperio (The Imperius Curse)

Pronunciation: /ɪm'pɪə.ɹio/
Description: Causes the recipient of the curse to do the unquestioned bidding of the caster.
Seen/Mentioned: See below.

The Imperius Curse places the subject in a trance or dream-like state, and leaves him or her subject to total control by the caster. The experience of being controlled by this curse is described as a complete, wonderful release from any sense of responsibility or worry over one's actions, at the price of one's free will. Resisting the effect of the curse is possible, however, and several individuals have been able to successfully stand against it, including Harry Potter, as well as both Bartemius Crouch Jr and Bartemius Crouch Sr, who learned to resist the curse after being subjected to its effects for an enduring period.

Imperare is Latin for "to order, command", and is the root of several modern English words, including imperative and emperor. Imperium means "(regarding) command" or "authority", and imperio is its ablative form, meaning (among other things) "with authority". (Compare to impero, "I command", and to crucio above.) Imperius is not, strictly speaking, a Latin word.

[edit] Known Victims of the Imperius Curse

Victim Caster Notes
A spider [HP4] Bartemius Crouch Jr - impersonating Alastor Moody While teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts class
Harry Potter [HP4] Bartemius Crouch Jr - impersonating Alastor Moody Harry successfully resisted and blocked the curse after several attempts during a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson
Viktor Krum [HP4] Bartemius Crouch Jr - impersonating Alastor Moody In the Triwizard Tournament Maze
Bartemius Crouch Jr [HP4] Bartemius Crouch Sr Kept under the curse after being rescued from Azkaban
Bartemius Crouch Sr [HP4] Lord Voldemort Put under the curse after Voldemort and Wormtail took over the Crouch household and released Bartemius Crouch Jr
Alastor Moody [HP4] Bartemius Crouch Jr Kept under the curse while imprisoned in his own magical trunk while Barty Crouch Jr impersonated him. Moody was kept alive for questioning and to provide hair for Barty Crouch Jr's Polyjuice Potion
4th Year Defense Against the Dark Arts Class [HP4] Bartemius Crouch Jr - impersonating Alastor Moody While teaching his Defence Against the Dark Arts class to resist the curse
Harry Potter [HP4] Lord Voldemort The graveyard duel - successfully resisted
Broderick Bode [HP5] Lucius Malfoy Sent to steal the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries
Sturgis Podmore [HP5] Lucius Malfoy Sent to steal the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries
Madam Rosmerta [HP6] Draco Malfoy To help smuggle a cursed necklace and poisoned wine into Hogwarts - in his attempt to kill Dumbledore
Katie Bell [HP6] Madam Rosmerta (under the influence of the Imperius Curse) To smuggle a cursed necklace into Hogwarts - in Malfoy's attempt to kill Dumbledore
Herbert Chorley [HP6] Unknown An attempt by the Death Eaters to spy on the Muggle Prime Minister through his Junior Minister . Rufus Scrimgeour notes that Chorley was placed under a weak curse that undoubtedly "addled his brains," as he frequently impersonated a duck.

[edit] Failed uses

Herbert Chorley, a Muggle Junior Minister, who was the victim of a "poorly performed Imperius Curse." This resulted in his brains being addled, with the symptoms of him impersonating a duck in public. Harry Potter himself managed to resist on multiple occasions, once when the younger Crouch uses it on him, and again when Lord Voldemort attacks him with it.

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