6th & 7th Years
“Since there are only a handful of 6th and 7th years I’m combining their lessons together. I thought long and hard for some advance magic for you all to do but in the end I thought that you should learn more about these spells since even though the forces that use them have been defeated, they still exist and are still a threat to the wizarding world. I am speaking of course of The Unforgivable Curses, now I wont be showing you how to use them or even demonstrating them in class but I still feel that you need to know and understand what they do merely on a theory based level."
The Unforgivable Curses are the three most powerful and sinister spells known to the wizarding world, and are tools of the Dark Arts. They were first classified as Unforgivable in 1717.
Using any of these three curses on another human being carries a mandatory life term in Azkaban (unless there is sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse). Aurors were permitted to use them during the First Wizarding War. Under Lord Voldemort's regime in 1997-1998, the curses were made legal, though this was presumably repealed following Voldemort's demise.
Since the Unforgivable Curses are very powerful, their use requires both great willpower and great skill in order to bring about the effects. For example, Harry Potter was unable to effectively cast the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix Lestrange in 1996 because, despite being furious with her for her murder of his godfather, he lacked the desire to cause pain for its own sake. His "righteous anger" only inflicted a brief moment of pain on her.
However, during the quest for the Deathly Hallows and the Battle of Hogwarts, Potter not only successfully used the Cruciatus Curse curse against Amycus Carrow, he also cast the Imperius Curse against two individuals during the Gringotts heist. Soon after being Cruciated by Potter, Amycus Carrow was also subject to an Imperius Curse cast by Minerva McGonagall. Perhaps due to the fact the curses were cast during a period when the ban on their use had been lifted, there is no indication of either Potter nor McGonagall being punished for using them in these circumstances.
Avada Kedavra (also known as the Killing Curse) is a curse that causes instantaneous death and is one of the three Unforgivable Curses, as well as being the worst one of the three. There is no known counter-curse or cure for it apart from someone else sacrificing him or herself for the targeted person; however, one may dodge the green bolt, use a physical barrier to block it, or intercept the bolt with another spell. An explosion or green fire may result if the spell hits something other than a living target. Cursing another human with the Killing Curse carries a punishment of a life sentence in Azkaban (unless there is sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse).
Only two wizards are known to have survived blows from this deadly curse: Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. Harry survived two direct attacks: once in 1981 after his mother's self-sacrificing love protected him from Lord Voldemort, and once in 1998 after the curse, cast again by Voldemort, served only to destroy the fragment of the dark wizard's soul that lived in Harry. Lord Voldemort remained alive after the aforementioned curse from 1981 rebounded and struck him because of his Horcruxes. Voldemort was notorious for using this curse regularly and indiscriminately. Its incantation is Avada Kedavra.
The Killing Curse was invented during the early middle ages, by dark witches or wizards. The curse was created primarily as a means of quickly and efficiently slaying one's opponent in a duel.
After the Wizards' Council was reformed into the Ministry of Magic tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain kinds of magic. The Killing Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be dark magic, and, along with the Cruciatus and Imperius curses, were declared "unforgivable" in 1717. The use of any of these three curses on a fellow human being would result in a life sentence in Azkaban.
During the First Wizarding War, when Barty Crouch Sr. was in charge of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he fought violence with violence, and legalised the three Unforgivable Curses for Aurors against the Death Eaters in order to win the war. This was repealed once the war was over, as it was no longer necessary. However, in the 1994–1995 school year, Barty Crouch Jr., under the disguise of Alastor Moody, showed these three curses to his fourth year classes on spiders despite the Ministry's disapproval.
When Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry, the three curses were once again legalised: this time every wizard and witch had the right to use them as they please. In fact, they were practiced in Hogwarts as part of the curriculum of Dark Arts class under the tutelage of Professor Amycus Carrow. After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt, the three curses were once again forbidden.
The Killing Curse is described as a jet of blinding green light followed by a rushing sound, which causes the victim instant death. There are no secondary effects; the victim simply "drops dead" for no biological reason. Victims of the Killing Curse that have been examined with Muggle methods are known to show no visible signs of trauma. Though Muggle methods are unable to identify the means of death, Ministry of Magic specialists are familiar with the markings, or lack of them. The killing curse is known to leave no identifiable marks or any signs of the reason for death. Victims appear to "drop dead", or to appear "perfectly healthy apart from the fact they were all dead." When this curse hits an inanimate target, its effect varies: it can produce small fires, small greenish explosions, or explosions of such intensity that can blow up an entire story of a cottage. However, certain objects, such as the centaur statue of the Fountain of Magical Brethren, managed to block the curse without any visible damage to itself.
The curse requires a great deal of magical talent to perform correctly. In 1994, Barty Crouch, Jr., disguised as Alastor Moody, claimed that, if all of the students before him were to get out their wands and perform it on him at one time, he would probably get nothing more than a nosebleed. However, as his loyalties were with Lord Voldemort, it is unknown to what extent his words were accurate. It is possible to cast the curse nonverbally, as Bellatrix Lestrange released a green light to kill a fox without incantation.
The Killing Curse is known as unblockable, as once it strikes the victim, it results in automatic and instant death. However, there are exceptions from special protections that may prevent the absolute fatal effects, which would be reduced to scarring or the body and soul separating.
Only two people are known to have survived a direct application of the curse: Harry Potter, who was saved when his mother, Lily Evans, lovingly sacrificed herself by blocking the spell with her body, and Lord Voldemort, when it backfired with his attempt to kill Harry in 1981, because of his Horcruxes. However, Harry Potter was the only person known to have survived Avada Kedavra with no ill effects. We do not know what happened to Voldemort's physical body, but the curse drove his mangled soul from it, leaving him to roam only as a shadowy spirit, less than a ghost. Over a decade later, Harry would survive the curse another three times: once during Priori Incantatem in his battle against Lord Voldemort in the graveyard in his fourth year. Again, in 1998 when the curse killed only the Horcrux inside him, and once more when the wand being used to curse him, the Elder Wand, refused to destroy him because Harry was its true master, causing the spell to rebound on Voldemort and kill him instead. This also makes Harry the only person to have survived the Killing Curse multiple times.
Phoenixes are also somewhat immune to the Killing Curse, due to them being immortal. In 1996, Fawkes swallowed one intended for Albus Dumbledore. He burst into flames, dying instantly, but then was reborn from his ashes.
The Killing Curse can be survived if it is dodged or physically blocked by an object, such as the statues Dumbledore animated to protect Harry Potter during his duel with Voldemort after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. An offensive spell could be used to intercept that Killing Curse, as shown both by Harry Potter and Dumbledore. Also, some objects may explode or burst into flames if hit Although considered unblockable by magic, as noted above there are rare circumstance in which it can be blocked.
The Killing Curse is not the only spell that will cause death to a living creature. Other spells may cause injury or bleeding, such as Fiendfyre, Sectumsempra, possibly Antonin Dolohov's curse, if cast at a person, the Blasting Curse or Expulso, or an overuse of the Stunning Spell. References have been made to Aurors using deadly force against opponents, but whether this means they were authorized to use the killing curse (i.e. a "licence to kill") is unclear. Despite the circumstances, it is unknown whether the Killing Curse was used by anyone but Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the Battle of Hogwarts.
The Cruciatus Curse (also known as the Torture Curse) is one of the three Unforgivable Curses of the wizarding world. It is a curse of torture, inflicting excruciating pain on a victim. This makes it popular among the Death Eaters for use on both fellow wizards and Muggles. Considering the fact that this curse doesn't physically harm the victim, it possibly stimulates pain receptors. Cursing another human with the Cruciatus Curse carries a punishment of a life sentence in Azkaban (unless there is sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse or for other defensible reasons).
The two most well-known victims of this curse are the former Aurors Alice and Frank Longbottom, who were tortured into insanity with it by Death Eaters Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr.
The Cruciatus Curse was invented during the early middle ages, by dark witches or wizards. The curse was created for torture purposes, but has also been used effectively in duels. According to Barty Crouch Jr., the curse was once very popular.
During the First Wizarding War, when Barty Crouch Sr. was in charge of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he fought violence with violence, and legalised the three Unforgivable Curses for Aurors against the Death Eaters in order to win the war. This was repealed once the war was over, as it was no longer necessary. However, in the 1994–1995 school year, Barty Crouch Jr., under the disguise of Alastor Moody, showed these three curses to his fourth year classes on spiders despite the Ministry's disapproval.
When Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry, the three curses were once again legalised: this time every wizard and witch had the right to use them as they please. In fact, they were practiced in Hogwarts as part of the curriculum of Dark Arts class under the tutelage of Professor Amycus Carrow: students were required to practice the Cruciatus Curse on other students who earned detention, and the Carrow siblings used it to punish students as they see fit. Harry Potter managed to succesfully use it on Amycus Carrow with no legal consequences as well as a result of this legalization. After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt, the three curses were once again forbidden.
The pain caused by the Cruciatus Curse is said to be worse than "one thousand white-hot knives, boring into the skin." This pain can cause permanent mental injury, as in the case of the aforementioned Longbottoms, who spent the rest of their lives in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries because of the trauma the curse caused. Presumably, such permanent effects occur if the victim is exposed to a particularly intense curse for a long period of time.
If the curse hits an inanimate object, it may cause it to shatter instead.
To successfully perform this curse, the wizard or witch must possess a deep desire to cause the victim pain. For example, despite being furious with Bellatrix Lestrange for her murder of his godfather in 1996, Harry Potter was only able to cause her a brief moment of pain with the Cruciatus Curse because he used it in "righteous anger."[3] He performed it more powerfully in 1998 on Amycus Carrow, who spat in Minerva McGonagall's face. Amycus was thrown into the air and knocked unconscious[4]. This may suggest that although Harry's curse was intense, he still lacked the fundamental sadism to inflict prolonged, excruciating pain with it. On the other hand, due to Bellatrix being a witch with great sadistic intents and no conscience, she was able to cast the curse with great potency, and seemingly have an affinity to it.
The Imperius Curse is one of the three Unforgivable Curses. When cast successfully, it places the victim completely under the caster's control, though a person with exceptional strength of will is capable of resisting it. This makes it unique among the unforgivable curses, as it is the only one of them with a known, reliable method of resistance (sacrificial protection does not count, as it protects against all spells from a certain witch or wizard, not the spell itself, regardless of who is casting it). Cursing another human with the Imperius Curse carries a punishment of a life sentence in Azkaban (unless there is sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse). The curse's incantation is Imperio.
The Imperius Curse was invented during the early middle ages by dark witches or wizards. The curse was created for coercion and brainwashing for slavery services.
After the Wizards' Council was reformed into the Ministry of Magic tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain kinds of magic. The Imperius Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be dark magic, and, along with the Cruciatus and Killing curses, were declared "unforgivable" in 1717. The use of any of these three curses on a fellow human being would result in a life sentence in Azkaban.
During the First Wizarding War, when Barty Crouch Sr. was in charge of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he fought violence with violence, and legalised the three Unforgivable Curses for Aurors against the Death Eaters in order to win the war. This was repealed once the war was over, as it was no longer necessary. It was also at that time that many Death Eaters, such as Lucius Malfoy and Walden Macnair, claimed that they served Lord Voldemort under the Imperius Curse. While their claims were accepted and were pardoned, the Ministry has gone as far as to assign several personnel to determine who is truly under the curse, and who is lying to escape punishment.
In the 1994–1995 school year, Barty Crouch Jr., under the disguise of Alastor Moody, showed these three curses to his fourth year classes on spiders despite the Ministry's disapproval. Later, in fact, he claimed that he has enough permission to perform the Imperius Curse on students in order to teach them how to resist it.
When Lord Voldemort took over the Ministry, the three curses were once again legalised: this time every wizard and witch had the right to use them as they please. In fact, they were practiced in Hogwarts as part of the curriculum of Dark Arts class under the tutelage of Professor Amycus Carrow. After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt, the three curses were once again forbidden, and many people under its influence felt like they were coming out of trances.
The victim of an Imperius Curse is placed in a calm, trance-like state in which all feeling of responsibility and anxiety is banished. They may then be directed to do anything the caster wishes, including crimes such as murder, political corruption, embezzlement, and so on. It is unknown if this hypnosis spell can affect physical capabilities, such as forcing a victim a task such as being stronger or casting spells far above their level, although Neville Longbottom was able to perform a series of "quite astonishing gymnastics" under the curse that he would not normally be capable of. If the Imperius Curse is performed poorly, then the victim would have their mind addled, an example being Muggle Junior Minister Herbert Chorley. It seems the damage is long-lasting, as Chorley was sent to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries to recuperate.
Resisting the Imperius Curse is possible, but requires great strength of will and character. Harry Potter, Barty Crouch Sr. and Barty Crouch Jr. each learned to resist the curse after being subjected to its effects, though the latter two took quite a long time before building the said resistance. Resisting the Imperius Curse is similar to Occlumency, which requires a great amount of willpower. According to Harry, using the Imperius Curse caused him to experience "a feeling of tingling warmth that seemed to flow from his mind, down the sinews and veins connecting him to the wand and the curse it had just cast." He believed that his curse might not be very strong, however, thus the sensation from casting a more powerful Imperius Curse may be more intense.
It is possible for someone who has been Imperiused to place others under the curse as well. For example, Madam Rosmerta, who had been Imperiused by Draco Malfoy sometime during the 1996–1997 school year, was able to place Katie Bell under the Imperius Curse in an attempt to deliver a cursed necklace to Albus Dumbledore. It is also possible that the Death Eater Yaxley used the Imperiused Pius Thicknesse to place other high-ranking members of the Ministry of Magic under the curse in order to facilitate the overthrow of Rufus Scrimgeour.
Death Eaters made use of the curse in both the First and Second Wizarding Wars to force innocent people to do their bidding. For example, Lucius Malfoy used the Imperius Curse to force Broderick Bode and Sturgis Podmore to try to steal a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries in 1996[3], and Yaxley placed the Imperius Curse on Pius Thicknesse as part of the plan to take over the Ministry of Magic in 1997.
Ironically, many Death Eaters, such as Lucius Malfoy, avoided imprisonment in Azkaban after Voldemort's first defeat in 1981 by claiming that they had been under the Imperius Curse. As such, it became the Ministry's work to determine who was lying, even though many "victims" managed to deceive them.
Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore speculated that Merope Gaunt may have used the Imperius Curse on Tom Riddle Sr. to force him to marry her, although Dumbledore thought it more likely that she used a Love Potion. After the final defeat of Voldemort and the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts, all of the people across the country who had been Imperiused by him or his supporters became themselves again.
Homework: "For homework please pick one of the Unforgivable Curse and write up a short summary on it."
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