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{{Spoiler|HM|MA|HL}}
 
{{Spell infobox
 
{{Spell infobox
|name=Cruciatus Curse
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|name = Cruciatus Curse
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|image = Voldemort crucio harry.gif
|image=[[File:HarryCrucio.jpg|250px]]
 
|incantation=''Crucio'' (KROO-see-oh)
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|incantation = ''Crucio''<ref name="GOF14">{{GOF|B|14}}</ref><br/>
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(KROO-see-oh)
|type=[[Curse]]
 
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|type = [[Curse]]<ref name="GOF14"/>
|light=Red or none
 
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|hand =
|effect=Extreme pain, torture
 
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|light = None<ref name="GOF14"/>
|hand=Point wand at victim
 
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|effect = Excruciating physical [[pain]],<ref name="GOF14"/><ref name="GOF33"/><br/> [[insanity]] if victim was subjected for too long<ref name="GOF30">{{GOF|B|30}}</ref><ref name="OOTP23">{{OOTP|B|23}}</ref>
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|creator =
 
}}
 
}}
{{Quote|Voldemort raised his wand, and before Harry could do anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit again by the Cruciatus curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was... white-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain; he was screaming more loudly than he'd ever screamed in his life-|[[Harry Potter]] as [[Lord Voldemort]] casts the Cruciatus on him.|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
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{{Quote|Voldemort raised his wand, and before Harry could do anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit again by the Cruciatus curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was... white-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain; he was screaming more loudly than he'd ever screamed in his life |The effects of the Cruciatus Curse|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
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The '''Cruciatus Curse''' (''Crucio''),<ref name="GOF14"/> also known as the '''Torture Curse''',<ref name="GOFF 7 ">{{GOF|F}} - Chapter 7 (''The Unforgivable Curses'')</ref> was a tool of the [[Dark Arts]] and one of the three [[Unforgivable Curses]]. When cast successfully on a fellow sentient [[human|human being]] or living [[creature]], the curse inflicted intense, excruciating physical [[pain]] on the victim,<ref name="GOF14"/> and would result in [[insanity]] if the victim was subjected to it for a prolonged time.<ref name="GOF30"/> The penalty for the use of this curse on another human being was a life sentence in [[Azkaban]], unless there was sufficient enough evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the [[Imperius Curse]].<ref name="GOF14" />
   
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Two well-known victims of this curse were former [[Auror]]s [[Alice Longbottom|Alice]] and [[Frank Longbottom]]: the Longbottoms were [[Attack on Frank and Alice Longbottom|tortured]] into insanity with it by [[Death Eaters]] [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]], [[Rodolphus Lestrange|Rodolphus]], and [[Rabastan Lestrange]], and [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|Barty Crouch Jnr]].<ref name="GOF30"/><ref name="OOTP23"/>
The '''Cruciatus Curse''' (also known as the '''Torture Curse'''<ref>{{GOFF}}</ref>) 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 [[Muggle]]s. Considering the fact that this curse doesn't physically harm the victim, it is possible that it only stimulates pain receptors. Whenever a person explains he/she wants to use it, they say they will Cruciate.
 
   
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==History==
The two most well-known victims of this curse are the former [[Auror]]s [[Alice and Frank Longbottom]], who were [[Attack on Frank and Alice Longbottom|tortured]] into insanity with it by Death Eaters [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]], [[Rodolphus Lestrange|Rodolphus]], [[Rabastan Lestrange]], and [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr]].
 
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===Middle Ages===
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{{Quote|The Cruciatus, Imperius and Avada Kedavra Curses were not made ''unforgivable'' until [[1717]], with the strictest penalties attached to their use.|[[Albus Dumbledore]]'s notes in {{TBB}}|The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)}}
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The Cruciatus Curse was [[Spell creation|invented]] during the early [[Middle Ages]].<ref name="TBB">{{TBB|B}}</ref> According to [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|Barty Crouch Jnr]], the curse was once very popular.<ref name="GOF14"/>
   
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After the [[Wizards' Council]] was reformed into the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain kinds of magic. The Cruciatus Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be [[Dark Arts|dark magic]], and, along with the [[Imperius Curse|Imperius]] and [[Killing Curse|Killing]] Curses, were declared "''unforgivable''" throughout the UK in 1717.<ref name="TBB"/> The use of any of these three curses on a fellow human being would result in a life sentence in [[Azkaban]] without parole (unless there was sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the [[Imperius Curse]] or for other defensible reasons).<ref name="GOF14"/>
Harry Potter attempted to use this curse on both Bellatrix Lestrange and Severus Snape after people he cared about were killed. He later used this curse on [[Amycus Carrow]], with a certain degree of success.
 
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Many [[Secret Keeper]]s in the past had been subjected to the Cruciatus and Imperius Curses in an attempt to learn the secrets they kept, but to no avail, as the Keeper had to reveal it willingly.<ref name="PM-secret-keeper">{{WW|secret-keeper}}</ref>
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===19th Century===
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During the [[19th century]], [[Noctua Gaunt]] opposed and attempted to change the family's use of the [[Dark Arts]] and wished to uncover more about Salazar Slytherin's legacy. While attending Hogwarts, she heard about and discovered the secret entrance to [[Slytherin's Scriptorium]], and this was the last time that both [[Ominis Gaunt's father|her brother]] and anybody else in the [[wizarding world]] heard from her. Noctua embarked on a journey through the Scriptorium's convoluted puzzles but [[Death|died]] in front of the final door that required the use of the Cruciatus Curse to advance, as she had nobody to use the [[curse]] on.<ref name="noctua">{{HL|In the Shadow of the Study}} {{see video|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HgXbPMhAFg}}</ref>
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Near the end of the century, Noctua's brother and his family were still known for their [[Pure-blood supremacy|pure-blood supremacist]] views and regularly performed the Cruciatus Curse on unsuspecting [[Non-magic people|Muggles]] "''for sport''". When [[Ominis Gaunt]], as a child, refused to perform the [[curse]], he was tortured by his own [[Ominis Gaunt's older siblings|older siblings]] and parents until he relented, prompting him to later cut ties with them. Using his wand to see around, the blind Ominis attended Hogwarts in the late [[1880s]] alongside [[Sebastian Sallow]], going to his friend's house in [[Feldcroft]] during the holidays.<ref name="HL"/>
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[[File:Sebastian casting Crucio HL.png|left|thumb|250x250px|Sebastian Sallow casting the Cruciatus Curse on a fellow student ]]
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Ominis was a [[Slytherin]] student like all the Gaunts, though he felt ashamed by his legacy, and like Noctua, did not share his family's views on blood purity and was repulsed by the Dark Arts. However during his fifth year, a reluctant Ominis was convinced by Sebastian Sallow and [[Unidentified 19th-century Hogwarts student|another student]] to open Slytherin's Scriptorium once again. After he opened the door using [[Parseltongue]] and going through all the puzzles, the students at last found the trapped remains of Ominis' aunt. Still traumatised by his childhood, Ominis refused to perform the forbidden curse, forcing his friends to cast it on each other to escape and access the Scriptorium.<ref name="HL"/>
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===First Wizarding War===
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{{Dialogue a-b-a|Albus Dumbledore|His father, Frank, was an Auror just like Professor Moody. He and his wife were tortured for information about Voldemort's whereabouts after he lost his powers, as you heard.|Harry Potter|So they're dead?|No. They are insane. They are both in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I believe Neville visits them, with his grandmother, during the holidays. They do not recognise him.|Frank and Alice's unfortunate fate|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
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During the [[First Wizarding War]], when [[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Barty Crouch Snr]] was in charge of the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]], he fought violence with violence and legalised the three Unforgivable Curses for [[Auror]]s against the [[Death Eaters]] in order to win the war.<ref name="GOF27">{{GOF|B|27}}</ref> This was repealed once the war was over, as it was no longer necessary.
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[[File:B4C30M1 Wizengamot trial Pensieve memory.png|250px|thumb|Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jnr being tried before the Council of Magical Law]]
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Shortly after Voldemort's defeat, four Death Eaters — three [[Lestrange family|Lestranges]]: [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]], [[Rodolphus Lestrange|Rodolphus]] and [[Rabastan Lestrange|Rabastan]]; along with [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|Barty Crouch Jnr]] — captured the Aurors [[Frank Longbottom|Frank]] and [[Alice Longbottom|Alice]] Longbottom and tortured the two with the Cruciatus Curse for information on Voldemort's whereabouts. The repeated and prolonged usage of the curse [[Insanity|caused the couple to become insane]] and the four to be captured and tried in front of the [[Council of Magical Law]]. All four of them were found guilty and sentenced to life in [[Azkaban]]. This act was considered to be one of the most heinous and infuriating attacks in modern history.<ref name="GOF30" />
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===Between the wars===
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{{Quote|The Cruciatus Curse might loosen your tongue.|Umbridge threatening Harry Potter with the curse|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
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[[File:B4C14M1 DADA Unforgivable Curses.png|250px|thumb|1994 Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson on the Unforgivable Curses|left]]
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Despite the repeal of the curse's legal usage, in the [[1994–1995 school year]], [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|Barty Crouch Jnr]], under the disguise of [[Alastor Moody]], showed these three curses to his fourth year classes on [[Bartemius Crouch Junior's spiders|spiders]],<ref name="GOF14"/> despite the Ministry's strong disapproval.<ref name="OOTP12">{{OOTP|B|12}}</ref> However, since the use of the curse was illegal only on a fellow human being, the demonstration of the curses on the spider may have been within legal boundaries.<ref name="GOF14"/>
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[[File:UmbridgeCrucio.jpg|250px|thumb|Umbridge poised to perform the Cruciatus Curse on [[Harry Potter]] in 1996]]
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[[Dolores Umbridge]], in a last-ditch effort to draw information from Harry Potter, almost used the curse on him. She was certain in the belief that she would not be called upon to answer for it due to the only witnesses to the act being Harry and his closest friends (and the present [[Slytherin]] students would not support Harry in any way), and that she would be able to avoid punishment for the curse due to the political climate either way. However, she was dissuaded from using the curse by Hermione Granger, who gave Umbridge a false story in order to save Harry.<ref name="OOTP32">{{OOTP|B|32}}</ref>
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When Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange killed Harry's godfather Sirius Black, Harry chased down Bellatrix and performed the curse on her out of rage. However, it was performed unsuccessfully as Harry was doing it with ''"righteous anger"'' and couldn't muster the will to actually cause her harm.<ref name="OOTP36">{{OOTP|B|36}}</ref>
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===Second Wizarding War===
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{{Quote|Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife! What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! ''CRUCIO''!|Bellatrix Lestrange using this curse as an interrogation method|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
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In 1997, [[Draco Malfoy]], in a fit of rage and recklessness, attempted it on an eavesdropping Harry and later in the same year.<ref name="HBP24">{{HBP|B|24}}</ref> Harry attempted to use it on [[Severus Snape]] during the [[Battle of the Astronomy Tower]] but was prevented from uttering the whole incantation due to Snape's use of [[Legilimency]].<ref name="HBP28">{{HBP|B|28}}</ref>
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[[File:Fallen Ministry.jpg|250px|thumb|High-ranking Ministry officals introducing the new regime, which included the legal use of Unforgivable Curses|left]]
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When [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic|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 pleased.<ref name="DH11">{{DH|B|11}}</ref> In fact, they were practised in [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] as part of the curriculum of [[Dark Arts (class)|Dark Arts class]] under the cruel tutelage of [[Professor]] [[Amycus Carrow]]: students were required to practise the Cruciatus Curse on other students who received detention, and the [[Alecto and Amycus Carrow|Carrow siblings]] used it to punish students as they see fit; the likes of [[Vincent Crabbe]] and [[Gregory Goyle]] greatly enjoyed practising the Curse on fellow students, earning themselves top grades in the class. Those who refused to comply, such as [[Neville Longbottom]], were physically punished with knife slashes.<ref name="DH29">{{DH|B|29}}</ref>
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[[File:Harry-potter-deathly-hallows1-movie-screencaps.com-14694.jpg|250px|thumb|Bellatrix brutally torturing Hermione Granger after subjecting her to the Cruciatus Curse]]
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[[Hermione Granger]] had this curse used on her by [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] during her [[Skirmish at Malfoy Manor|interrogation]] at [[Malfoy Manor]] in March of 1998.<ref name="DH23">{{DH|B|23}}</ref> [[Harry Potter]] managed to successfully use it on Amycus Carrow without legal consequences as well as a result of this legalisation, shortly before the [[Battle of Hogwarts]] on [[1 May]] [[1998]].<ref name="DH30">{{DH|B|30}}</ref> After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under new [[Minister for Magic]] [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]], the three curses were once again forbidden and their original penalties were restored.
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Harry Potter had a vision of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] ordering [[Draco Malfoy]] to use the curse on [[Thorfinn Rowle]] after he and [[Antonin Dolohov]] failed to capture Harry at [[Tottenham Court Road]].<ref name="DH9">{{DH|B|9}}</ref> Although he saw nothing of Dolohov's punishment, [[Narcissa Malfoy]] later mentioned "''what he did to Rowle and Dolohov''" when she was afraid to contact Voldemort.<ref name="DH23"/>
   
 
==Nature==
 
==Nature==
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{{Quote|It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar... he wanted it to end... to black out... to die.|Description of the pain one feels while under the Curse|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}[[File:Harry being tortured.gif|250px|thumb|Harry Potter while under the effects of the curse|left]]
===Performance===
 
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The [[pain]] caused by the Cruciatus Curse was described by Harry Potter as being worse than "''one thousand white-hot knives, boring into the skin''" and beyond what most people would ever experience. The sensation of the curse was so intense that the person under the effects wished for unconsciousness and even death, as a means of escaping the searing pain.<ref name="GOF33">{{GOF|B|33}}</ref>
{{Quote|You need to ''mean'' them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain ... to enjoy it ... righteous anger won't hurt me for long ... I'll show you how it is done, shall I? I'll give you a lesson -|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]] to [[Harry Potter]].|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
 
   
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The pain from this curse would [[Insanity|cause permanent physical and mental injury]] if exposed to for a prolonged time, 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 terrible trauma the curse caused.<ref name="OOTP23"/> This incident was considered one of the most horrific fates for the victim, even worse than death. Presumably, such permanent effects were not uncommon if the victim was exposed to a particularly intense curse for a long period of time.
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 [[Sirius Black|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," though he was still able to knock her off of her feet with it. <ref name="OTP"/> 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<ref name="DH">{{DH}}</ref>. This suggests 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 had an affinity to it.
 
   
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[[File:Christmas at St Mungo's.png|250px|thumb|Frank and Alice Longbottom were permanent residents in the [[Janus Thickey Ward]] for spell damage]]
===Effects===
 
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As [[Memory Charm]]s could be broken through torture, the Cruciatus Curse was capable of such a feat, though it required a certain level of exposure in time and intensity to break through it.<ref name="GOF35">{{GOF|B|35}}</ref> [[Bertha Jorkins]] suffered such a trial, and the end results was that both her body and mind was damaged beyond repair.<ref name="GOF33" /><ref name="GOF35"/>
[[File:UmbridgeCrucio.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Dolores Umbridge]] poised to perform the Cruciatus Curse on [[Harry Potter]] in [[1996]].]]
 
{{quote|At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but Harry was sure that if it could have given voice, it would have been screaming. Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently...|Description of a spider under the Cruciatus Curse|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
 
   
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Although it was possible to use the curse on [[Secret Keeper]]s to inflict pain on them, it was impossible to use it to force the secret out of them, as it had to be done on the Keeper's free will.<ref name="PM-secret-keeper" /> If the curse hit an inanimate object, it might have caused it to shatter instead.<ref name="OOTP36" /><ref name="DH31">{{DH|B|31}}</ref>
The pain caused by the Cruciatus Curse is described as worse than "one thousand white-hot knives, boring into the skin."<ref name="GOF">{{GOF}}</ref> 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.<ref name="OTP">{{OOTP}}</ref> Presumably, such permanent effects occur if the victim is exposed to a particularly intense curse for a long period of time.
 
   
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===Performance===
If the curse hits an inanimate object, it may cause it to shatter instead.<ref name="DH"/>
 
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{{Quote|Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy? You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain — to enjoy it — righteous anger won't hurt me for long — I'll show you how it is done, shall I?|Instructions on how to use an Unforgivable Curse correctly|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix}}
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[[File:Crucio.gif|250px|thumb|[[Harry Potter]] attempting the Cruciatus Curse on [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]], using "righteous anger"|left]]
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To successfully perform this curse, simply uttering the [[incantation]] was not enough; the wizard or witch had to possess a deep desire to cause the victim [[pain]] and to take great pleasure in their suffering. For example, despite being furious with [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] for her murder of his [[Sirius Black|godfather]] in 1996, Harry Potter was only able to cause her a brief moment of pain with the Cruciatus Curse because he used it out of "''righteous anger''", though he was still able to knock her off of her feet with it.<ref name="OOTP36"/>
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Harry performed it more effectively in [[1998]] on [[Amycus Carrow]], who spat in [[Minerva McGonagall]]'s face. Amycus was thrown into the air, thrashing and screaming in pain, and then knocked unconscious. This suggests that although Harry's curse was intense, he still lacked the fundamental sadism to make it last for a prolonged time.<ref name="DH30" />
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Bellatrix, on the other hand, due to being a witch with profound sadistic intents and an utter lack of conscience, was able to cast the curse with an almost daunting potency, and seemingly had an affinity to it.<ref name="GOF30" /><ref name="OOTP35">{{OOTP|B|35}}</ref><ref name="OOTP36" /><ref name="DH23" />[[File:Jacob is tortured.png|thumb|250x250px|Jacob after [[Vicência Santos]] relieves him of the pain caused by the curse]]When [[Lord Voldemort]] used it against [[Harry Potter]] at his [[Return of Lord Voldemort|rebirth]] in [[Little Hangleton graveyard]], he would consistently maintain its effect by keeping his wand fixed on Harry, which left him momentarily writhing on the ground whilst feeling like "his very [[bone]]s were on fire", screaming, until Voldemort raised his wand and thus broke it off.<ref name="GOF33" /> When [[Gellert Grindelwald]] used it against [[Jacob Kowalski]] in [[1932]], he cast it once on him and Jacob was still hurting from the curse afterwards, until [[Vicência Santos]] cast a spell to free him from the pain.<ref name="SODS96" />
   
 
===Defence===
 
===Defence===
Once cast, there is no spell that can defend against the Cruciatus Curse.<ref>[[Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test]], Grade 3, Question 14. This fact is confirmed as true when corroborated with evidence from ''[[Wonderbook: Book of Spells]]''.</ref> However, there are still defensive options available against it. The spell can be dodged by hiding behind a solid object, and a particularly strong-willed wizard can merely resist the pain until the spell is lifted (though, as noted above, prolonged expose can cause permanent mental damage). Another option is to interrupt the caster before they can finish speaking the incantation, as [[Severus Snape]] did to great effect against [[Harry Potter]] in [[1997]] by using [[Legilimency]] to anticipate the spells he would use.
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Once cast, there was no spell that could defend against the Cruciatus Curse.<ref name="WOMBAT">[[Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test]], Grade 3, Question 14 ([https://www.hp-lexicon.org/source/other-canon/jkr/jkr-w3/ see here]). This fact is confirmed as true when corroborated with evidence from {{WBS}} (as option A is false, not option D).</ref> However, there were still evasive options available against it. The spell could be dodged by hiding behind a solid object, and a particularly strong-willed wizard could merely resist the pain until the spell was lifted, as [[Harry Potter]] refused to plea to Voldemort when being tortured by this curse,<ref name="GOF33" /> and [[Hermione Granger]] managed to lie to [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] through the curse<ref name="DH23" /> (though, as noted above, prolonged exposure of the [[pain]] from this curse would cause permanent physical and mental damage).<ref name="GOF33" /><ref name="GOF35" />
   
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Another option was to interrupt the caster before they could finish speaking the incantation, as [[Severus Snape]] did to great effect against [[Harry Potter]] in 1997 by using [[Legilimency]] to anticipate the spells he would use.<ref name="HBP28" /> Furthermore, like with the Killing Curse, it could also be intercepted with a few other powerful fast spells.
==History==
 
===Creation===
 
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 [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]], the curse was once very popular.
 
   
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Should the caster have used the [[Elder Wand]], or actually any wand, without winning its allegiance, to cast the curse onto its true master, the wand would refuse to inflict any pain onto its master. However, there would still be a certain level of impact that could send the body flying.<ref name="DH36">{{DH|B|36}}</ref>
===Legal Status===
 
The Cruciatus curse is one of the three Unforgivable Curses, which means it is illegal to perform on a fellow human being, unless one can prove they are under the effects of the [[Imperius Curse]] when performing it, as [[Viktor Krum]] did.
 
   
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Although the main purpose of the Cruciatus Curse was to torture, it could not be used to break through the defences set by the [[Fidelius Charm]], as the secret had to be revealed willingly and voluntarily.<ref name="PM-secret-keeper" /> Also, if the victim did not possess the desired information (such as [[Alice and Frank Longbottom]]), then the usage of the curse served little to no purpose in information gathering.<ref name="GOF30" />
====History of Use====
 
{{Quote|The Cruciatus, Imperius and Avada Kedavra Curses were not made "unforgivable" until [[1717]].|[[Albus Dumbledore]].|The Tales of Beedle the Bard}}
 
   
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Despite there being no spell defence against it,<ref name="WOMBAT" /> Vicência Santos was somehow able to lift the curse from Jacob Kowalski in [[1932]], by pointing her wand at him and using a [[nonverbal spell]].<ref name="SODS96">{{SOD|S|96}}</ref>
After the [[Wizards' Council]] was reformed into the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain kinds of magic. The Cruciatus Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be [[Dark Arts|dark magic]], and, along with the [[Imperius Curse|Imperius]] and [[Killing Curse|Killing]] curses, were declared "unforgivable" in [[1710s|1717]]. The use of any of these three curses on a fellow human being would result in a life sentence in [[Azkaban]] (unless there was sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the [[Imperius Curse]] or for other defensible reasons).
 
   
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===Applications===
During the [[First Wizarding War]], when [[Bartemius Crouch Sr.|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 [[Auror]]s 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]], [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]], under the [[Polyjuice Potion|disguise]] of [[Alastor Moody]], showed these three curses to his [[fourth year]] classes on [[Alastor Moody's spiders|spiders]] despite the Ministry's disapproval. However, since the use of the curse was illegal only on a fellow human being, the demonstration of the curses on the spider may have been within legal boundaries. [[Dolores Umbridge]], in a last-ditch efforts to draw information from [[Harry Potter]], almost used the curse on the boy, under the presumptions of that as long as the Minister is not notified, and that he would understand even if he did due to what they would deem as circumstantial reasons.
 
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{{Quote|Pain. You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse.... That one was very popular once too.|[[Bartemius Crouch Junior]] regarding the Cruciatus Curse's applications|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}
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[[File:BellatrixHermioneDH.jpg|200px|thumb|[[Hermione Granger]] manages to lie to [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] while being tortured with this curse|left]]
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As its title of an "unforgivable curse" suggests, the Cruciatus Curse had only very limited practical uses.
   
  +
Besides its basic use to sadistically inflicting [[pain]],<ref name="GOF14"/> the curse was most popularly applied as a method of punishment and a method of interrogation. The advent of [[truth serum]]s rendered the Cruciatus Curse an obsolete and generally impractical method for this specific purpose. However, should truth serums not be available, the interrogator might opt to use this curse instead.<ref name="OOTP32"/>
When [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic|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 School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] as part of the curriculum of [[Defence Against the Dark Arts|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 [[Alecto and Amycus Carrow|Carrow siblings]] used it to punish students as they see fit. [[Harry Potter]] managed to succesfully use it on Amycus Carrow without legal consequences as well as a result of this legalisation. After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under new [[Minister for Magic]] [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]], the three curses were once again forbidden.
 
   
  +
Compared with the use of truth serums and even the [[Imperius Curse]], the Cruciatus Curse was much less efficient, as the person being interrogated had a high risk of falsely confessing in order to relieve their suffering under the spell, regardless whether they actually held the information the interrogator wished to seek and extract. As the curse couldn't force a Secret Keeper to divulge the hidden information, it was essentially useless in that regard, despite many in the past had been subjected to such an attempt to extract the knowledge.<ref name="PM-secret-keeper" />
[[Harry Potter]] had a vision of [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] ordering [[Draco Malfoy]] to use the curse on [[Thorfinn Rowle]] after he and [[Antonin Dolohov]] failed to capture Harry at [[Tottenham Court Road]]. Although he saw nothing of Dolohov's punishment, [[Narcissa Malfoy]] later mentioned "what he did to Rowle and Dolohov" when she was afraid to contact Voldemort.<ref name="DH23">{{DH}} - Chapter 23 (''Malfoy Manor'')</ref>
 
   
  +
The curse could be used effectively in a duel, inflicting tremendous pain onto the opponent, disabling them from countering so long as they maintained the curse's effects.<ref name="OOTP35"/><ref name="OOTP36"/>
=====Possible uses=====
 
*As [[Harry Potter]] chases [[Severus Snape]] away from Hogwarts at the end of the [[Battle of the Astronomy Tower]], he is hit from behind by a curse cast by one of the [[Carrow]] siblings. Although we never hear the incantation, he falls to the ground, screaming, and momentarily loses track of what's going on. This description, coupled with the fact that the Carrows had been trying to curse him all the way down from the [[Astronomy Tower]], makes it likely that he was hit by the Cruciatus Curse.
 
*Since Luna was held prisoner at Malfoy Manor for months, it is likely she was also tortured with it.
 
*After Harry, [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]], [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]], and the other prisoners [[Skirmish at Malfoy Manor|escaped]] from [[Malfoy Manor]], Harry had a vision of Voldemort punishing the [[Malfoy family|Malfoys]], but whether he used the Cruciatus Curse was not mentioned.<ref name="DH24">{{DH}} - Chapter 24 (''The Wandmaker'')</ref>
 
   
====Known attempts====
+
==Known uses==
  +
{{Quote|Harry shouted, "''Crucio!''". The [[Amycus Carrow|Death Eater]] was lifted off his feet. He writhed through the air like a drowning man, thrashing and howling in pain, and then, with a crunch and a shattering of glass, he smashed into the front of a bookcase and crumpled, insensible, to the floor.|Harry Potter casting the curse successfully for the first time|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
{|width="100%" class="wikitable" border="1"
 
  +
|-bgcolor="#cccccc"
 
  +
===Successful uses===
!width="20%" align="center"|Victim(s)
 
!width="20%" align="center"|Caster(s)
+
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"
  +
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
!width="60%" align="center"|Notes
 
  +
! align="center" width="20%" |Caster(s)
  +
! align="center" width="20%" |Victim(s)
  +
!Date
  +
! align="center" width="60%" |Notes
 
|-
 
|-
  +
| rowspan="2" |[[Ominis Gaunt's father]], [[Ominis Gaunt's mother|mother]], and [[Ominis Gaunt's older siblings|older siblings]]
  +
| [[Non-magic people|Muggles]]
  +
| rowspan="3" |Before the [[1890s]]
  +
| The Gaunt family members would regularly attack Muggles "''for sport''".<ref name="HL">{{HL}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| [[Ominis Gaunt]]
  +
| When Ominis refused to torture Muggles like his family members, the Gaunt family tortured him as well, even though he was their family member and a child at the time.<ref name="HL"/>
  +
|-
  +
| [[Ominis Gaunt]]
  +
| Unknown
  +
| Coerced into casting it on somebody to avoid being tortured himself.<ref name="hl-sb">{{HL}} (In the Shadow of the Bloodline)</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| [[Unidentified 19th-century Hogwarts student|Unidentified student]]/[[Sebastian Sallow]]
  +
| Unidentified student/Sebastian Sallow
  +
| [[1890]]
  +
| To pass the final door in [[Slytherin's Scriptorium]], one of these individuals had to perform the curse on the other person.<ref name="HL-ss"/>
  +
|-
  +
| [[Theophilus Harlow]]
  +
| [[Natsai Onai]]
  +
| [[1890]]
  +
| Harlow targeted the [[Unidentified 19th-century Hogwarts student|Unidentified student]] who had teamed up with Natsai to defeat him, but Natsai jumped into the path of the curse to protect them.<ref name="HL"/>
  +
|-
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[Gellert Grindelwald]]
 
|[[Aberforth Dumbledore]]
 
|[[Aberforth Dumbledore]]
  +
|[[1899]]
<ref name="DH"/>
 
  +
|Retaliation for criticising his [[For the Greater Good|plans]].<ref name="DH28">{{DH|B|28}}</ref>
|[[Gellert Grindelwald]]
 
|Retaliation for criticising his plans.
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Jacob Kowalski]]
|[[Alice Longbottom|Alice]] and [[Frank Longbottom]]<ref name="GOF"/>
 
  +
|[[1932]]
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]], [[Rodolphus Lestrange|Rodolphus]] and [[Rabastan Lestrange]], and [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr]].
 
  +
|For being a [[Non-magic people|Muggle]] who wished to marry a [[Queenie Goldstein|witch]], and for having alledgedly "tried to take his life" at the [[Candidates' Dinner]] in the [[German Ministry of Magic]] in [[Berlin]].<ref name="SODS95">{{SOD|S|95}}</ref>
|Tortured into insanity. Permanent residents at [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]].
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Bartemius Crouch Junior|Bartemius Crouch Jnr]]
|[[Bertha Jorkins]]
 
  +
| rowspan="4" |[[Alice and Frank Longbottom|Frank and Alice Longbottom]]
<ref name="GOF"/>
 
  +
| rowspan="4" |[[1981]]
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
  +
| rowspan="4" |Used to gain information about Lord Voldemort's whereabouts.<ref name="GOF30"/> Tortured into insanity. Permanent residents at [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]].<ref name="OOTP23"/>
|To break the memory charm cast on her by [[Bartemius Crouch Sr.|Barty Crouch Sr.]] so as to gain information about the Triwizard Tournament and the Quidditch World Cup; Bertha was damaged beyond repair as a result.
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Rabastan Lestrange]]
|A [[spider]]<ref name="GOF"/>
 
|[[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]]
 
|Demonstrated the curse's effects during [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] class, while impersonating [[Alastor Moody]].
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Peter Pettigrew]]
+
|[[Rodolphus Lestrange]]
<ref name="GOF"/>
 
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
|As punishment for allowing [[Bartemius Crouch Sr.]] to escape.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Cedric Diggory]]
+
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
  +
|-
<ref name="GOF"/>
 
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[Patricia Rakepick]]
|[[Viktor Krum]]
 
  +
|A [[Dark wizard]]
|During the [[Triwizard Tournament]], Third Task, while under the [[Imperius Curse]] by Barty Crouch Jr. disguised as Alastor Moody.
 
  +
|[[1988–1989 school year|1988/1989]]
  +
|To demonstrate [[Jacob's sibling]] the curse's effects in [[Knockturn Alley]].<ref name="HM519">{{HM|5|19}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Merula Snyde]]
  +
|[[1989]]
  +
|To accomplish [[R|The Cabal]]'s orders of killing one of Jacob's sibling's friends before the end of the year; however, she was stopped by Jacob' sibling and other students before she accomplished the task.<ref name="HM530">{{HM|5|30}}</ref>
  +
[[File:Patricia Rakepick torturing Merula Synde with Crucio HM530.png|250px|thumb|left]]
  +
|-
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="5" |[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
  +
|[[Bertha Jorkins]]
  +
|Summer [[1994]]
  +
|To break the memory charm cast on her by [[Bartemius Crouch Senior|Barty Crouch Snr]] so as to gain information about the Triwizard Tournament and the Quidditch World Cup; Bertha was damaged beyond repair as a result.<ref name="GOF33"/><ref name="GOF35"/>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
|[[Harry Potter]]
  +
|rowspan ="2"|[[24 June]] [[1995]]
<ref name="GOF"/>
 
  +
|Used it to torture Harry in the [[Little Hangleton graveyard]].<ref name="GOF33"/>
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
|[[Little Hangleton]] graveyard, twice during a duel.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Avery (Marauder-era)|Avery]]
+
|[[Avery II]]
  +
|Punishment for his disloyalty as a Death Eater, following his [[Return of Lord Voldemort|rebirth]] in the Little Hangleton Graveyard.<ref name="GOF33"/>
<ref name="GOF"/>
 
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
|Little Hangleton graveyard. Possibly also following false information concerning his [[Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy|prophecy]].
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Peter Pettigrew]]<ref name="GOF29">{{GOF|B|29}}</ref>
  +
|Late [[May]] 1995
  +
|As punishment for allowing Barty Crouch Snr to escape.<ref name="GOF35"/>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Garrick Ollivander]]
  +
|[[27 July]] [[1997]]
  +
|Forced to give information about Voldemort's wand, and the effects [[Harry Potter's wand|Harry's wand]] had on [[Lucius Malfoy]]'s [[Lucius Malfoy's wand|wand]].<ref name="DH24">{{DH|B|24}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Bartemius Crouch Junior|Bartemius Crouch Jnr]]
  +
|A [[Bartemius Crouch Junior's spiders|spider]]
  +
|[[5 September]] 1994
  +
|Demonstrated the curse's effects during [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] class, while [[Polyjuice Potion|impersonating]] [[Alastor Moody]].<ref name="GOF14"/>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Viktor Krum]]
  +
|[[Cedric Diggory]]
  +
|24 June 1995
  +
|During the [[Triwizard Tournament]], Third Task, while under the [[Imperius Curse]] by Barty Crouch Jnr disguised as Alastor Moody.<ref name="GOF31">{{GOF|B|31}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Bellatrix Lestrange
 
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
 
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
  +
|[[18 June]] [[1996]]
<ref name="OTP"/>
 
  +
|[[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]] presumably to injure/kill/ insult Neville to join his parents' fate.<ref name="OOTP35"/>
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
 
|[[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]] presumably to injure/kill/ insult Neville to join his parents' fate.
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Hermione Granger]]
|[[Ted Tonks|Ted]] and [[Andromeda Tonks]]<ref name="DH"/>
 
|Unknown [[Death Eaters]]
+
|[[March]] [[1998]]
  +
|Torture tactic concerning the [[Sword of Gryffindor]] and [[Hufflepuff's Cup]].<ref name="DH23"/>
|To try to obtain information about [[Harry Potter]]
 
  +
|-
  +
| rowspan="3" |[[Death Eaters]]
  +
|[[Rufus Scrimgeour]]
  +
| rowspan="5" |[[1 August]] [[1997]]
  +
| rowspan="3" |To try to obtain information about [[Harry Potter]] whereabouts.<ref name="DH11"/>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Edward Tonks|Ted Tonks]]
  +
|-
  +
|[[Andromeda Tonks]]
 
|-
 
|-
  +
| rowspan="2" |[[Draco Malfoy]]
 
|[[Thorfinn Rowle]]
 
|[[Thorfinn Rowle]]
  +
| rowspan="2" |Under [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s orders, as punishment for letting [[Harry Potter]] escape from [[Tottenham Court Road]].<ref name="DH9"/>
<ref name="DH"/>
 
|[[Draco Malfoy]]
 
|Under [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s orders, as punishment for letting [[Harry Potter]] escape from [[Tottenham Court Road]].
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Antonin Dolohov]]
 
|[[Antonin Dolohov]]
<ref name="DH"/>
 
|[[Draco Malfoy]]
 
|Under [[Tom Riddle|Voldemort]]'s orders, as punishment for letting [[Harry Potter]] escape from [[Tottenham Court Road]].
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Garrick Ollivander]]
+
|[[Alecto Carrow]]
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[Michael Corner]] (possibly)
<ref name="DH"/>
 
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="6" |[[1997–1998 school year|1997/1998]]
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |Possibly the punishment for freeing a [[first year]] student from being chained up for [[Discipline at Hogwarts|detention]], as Michael was said to have been brutally tortured by the siblings as punishment.<ref name="DH29"/>
|To give information about Voldemort's wand, and the effects Harry's wand had on Lucius Malfoy's.
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Hermione Granger]]
+
|[[Amycus Carrow]]
<ref name="DH"/>
 
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
 
|Interrogation tactic concerning [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
| rowspan="4" |[[Carrow family|Carrows]], [[Vincent Crabbe]], and [[Gregory Goyle]]
|[[Michael Corner]]
 
  +
|[[Neville Longbottom]]
<ref name="DH"/>
 
  +
| rowspan="4" |Punishment for disobedience.<ref name="DH29"/>
|[[Alecto and Amycus Carrow]]
 
|Punishment for freeing a first-year student from detention.
 
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Seamus Finnigan]] (possibly)
|[[Neville Longbottom]] and other [[Dumbledore's Army|D.A.]] members<ref name="DH"/>
 
  +
|-
|[[Alecto and Amycus Carrow]]; [[Vincent Crabbe]] and [[Gregory Goyle]]
 
  +
|[[Dumbledore's Army|D.A.]] members (possibly)
|Punishment for disobedience.
 
  +
|-
  +
|[[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] students
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Amycus Carrow]]
 
<ref name="DH"/>
 
 
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
|[[Harry Potter]]
  +
|[[Amycus Carrow]]
|Attacking Amycus after he spat in [[Minerva McGonagall|McGonagall]]'s face, completely incapacitating him.
 
  +
|[[1 May]] 1998
  +
|Used it to torture after he spat in [[Minerva McGonagall|McGonagall]]'s face, completely incapacitating him.<ref name="DH30"/>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Delphini]]
  +
|[[Scorpius Malfoy]]
  +
|[[2020]]
  +
|Delphini used this spell three times on Scorpius in [[2020]], in an attempt to make him do what she wanted.<ref name="CC319">{{CC|B|3|19}}</ref><ref name="CC320">{{CC|B|3|20}}</ref>
 
|}
 
|}
  +
{|width="100%" border="1" class="wikitable"
 
  +
===Failed uses===
|-bgcolor="#cccccc"
 
  +
{{Quote|Crucio — Crucio — you can't dance forever, pretty —|Amycus Carrow attempting to use this curse on Ginny Weasley|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince}}
!width="20%" align="center"|Intended Victim(s)
 
!width="20%" align="center"|Caster(s)
+
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"
  +
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
!width="60%" align="center"|Notes
 
  +
! align="center" width="20%" |Caster(s)
  +
! align="center" width="20%" |Victim(s)
  +
!Date
  +
! align="center" width="60%" |Notes
  +
|-
  +
| [[Noctua Gaunt]]
  +
| [[Ominis Gaunt's father]] (her brother)
  +
| pre-[[1890]]
  +
| Meeting the final challenge in [[Slytherin's Scriptorium]], which was to perform ''Crucio'' on another person, she invited her brother to the Scriptorium but he refused. With nobody to perform the curse on to advance, Noctua died within the chamber.<ref name="HL-ss">{{HL}} (In the Shadow of the Study)</ref>
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
 
|[[Dolores Umbridge]]
 
|[[Dolores Umbridge]]
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="5" |[[Harry Potter]]
|In [[1996]], Headmistress Dolores Umbridge attempted to use the curse against Harry as an interrogation tactic, but [[Hermione Granger]] interrupted her incantation.<ref name="OTP"/>
 
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[18 June]] [[1996]]
  +
|Headmistress Dolores Umbridge attempted to use the curse against Harry as an interrogation tactic, but [[Hermione Granger]] interrupted her incantation.<ref name="OOTP32"/>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
 
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
  +
|After failing to successfully curse Bellatrix with the Cruciatus curse out of righteous anger for murdering Sirius Black, she then decided to teach Harry a lesson of actually meaning to cause harm by her attempting the same curse on him, only for him to dodge it.<ref name="OOTP36"/>
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
|As mentioned above, Harry attempted to use this curse against Bellatrix after she murdered his godfather, [[Sirius Black]]. Though the curse gave her a brief moment of terrible pain, it did not cause the excruciating, drawn-out pain it is meant to give.<ref name="OTP"/>
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
 
|[[Draco Malfoy]]
 
|[[Draco Malfoy]]
  +
|Early [[May]] [[1997]]
|Draco attempted the curse when Harry stumbled upon him in [[Myrtle|Moaning Myrtle]]'s bathroom, but was interrupted when Harry attacked him with ''[[Sectumsempra]]''.<ref name="HBP">{{HBP}}</ref>
 
  +
|Draco attempted the curse when Harry stumbled upon him in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, but was interrupted when Harry attacked him with ''[[Sectumsempra]]''.<ref name="HBP24"/>
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Vincent Crabbe]]
|[[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]]
 
|[[Amycus Carrow]]
+
|[[2 May]] [[1998]]
|During the [[Battle of the Astronomy Tower]]; through the assistance of [[Felix Felicis]], Ginny dodged it.<ref name="HBP"/>
+
|During a skirmish in the [[Room of Requirement]]. Harry dodged the curse, and its force hit a stone bust of a warlock instead.<ref name="DH31" />
  +
|-
  +
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
  +
|2 May 1998
  +
|During the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], Voldemort used the Cruciatus Curse on what he believed to be Harry Potter's dead body as a way of dishonouring it and to show that he had won. However, Harry felt no pain because the wand Voldemort used, the [[Elder Wand]], refused to harm its true master, though Harry's body was still tossed around by the force of the spell.<ref name="DH36" />
  +
|-
  +
|[[Merula Snyde]]
  +
|[[Patricia Rakepick]]
  +
|[[1989–1990 school year]]
  +
|While in the the [[Sunken Vault]], Merula attempted to use this curse against Patricia Rakepick, however Rakepick used ''[[Mobilicorpus]]'' on her before she could finish the incantation.<ref name= "HM642">{{HM|6|42}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[Harry Potter]]
  +
|[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
  +
|18 June 1996
  +
|As mentioned above, Harry attempted to use this curse against Bellatrix after she murdered his godfather, [[Sirius Black]]. Though the curse gave her a brief moment of terrible pain, it did not cause the excruciating, drawn-out pain it is meant to give (though it did still knock her off her feet).<ref name="OOTP36"/>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Severus Snape]]
 
|[[Severus Snape]]
|[[Harry Potter]]
+
|[[30 June]] 1997
|Following Professor Snape killing Headmaster [[Albus Dumbledore]], Harry pursued him and tried to curse him, but Snape blocked it, citing Harry's inferior skills in [[Occlumency]]. All Harry had managed to get out was the first syllable of the incantation.<ref name="HBP"/>
+
|Following Professor Snape killing Headmaster [[Albus Dumbledore]], Harry pursued him and tried to curse him, but Snape blocked it, citing Harry's inferior skills in [[Occlumency]]. All Harry had managed to get out was the first syllable of the incantation.<ref name="HBP28"/>
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Amycus Carrow]]
|Various
 
  +
|[[Ginevra Weasley|Ginny Weasley]]
|[[Death Eaters]], [[Snatchers]] and [[Gringotts Bank guards]]<ref>[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)|DH: Part 1 (video game)]] and [[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)|DH: Part 2 (video game)]]</ref>
 
  +
|30 June 1997
|Many people were on the run with [[Snatchers]] and [[Death Eaters]] chasing them, Harry, Ron and Hermione broke into [[Gringotts Wizarding Bank]] and were chased by guards, a great battle took place at [[Hogwarts Castle]].
 
  +
|During the [[Battle of the Astronomy Tower]]; through the assistance of [[Felix Felicis]], Ginny dodged multiple attempts.<ref name="HBP28" />
  +
|}
  +
  +
===Possible uses===
  +
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"
  +
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
  +
!Caster(s)
  +
! align="center" width="20%" |Victim(s)
  +
!Date
  +
! align="center" width="60%" |Notes
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Amycus Carrow]], [[Alecto Carrow]], or [[Thorfinn Rowle]]
 
|[[Harry Potter]]
 
|[[Harry Potter]]
|[[Vincent Crabbe]]
+
|[[30 June]] [[1997]]
  +
|As Harry Potter chased [[Severus Snape]] away from Hogwarts at the end of the [[Battle of the Astronomy Tower]], he was hit from behind by a curse cast by one of the [[Death Eaters]] who escaped the battle, which caused him sharp pain. Although no incantation was heard, he fell to the ground, screaming, and momentarily lost track of what was going on. These harmful effects make it likely that he was attacked with the Cruciatus Curse.<ref name="HBP28"/>
|During a skirmish in the [[Room of Requirement]]. Harry dodged the curse, and its force hit a stone bust of a warlock instead.<ref name="DH"/>
 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Harry Potter]]
+
|[[Death Eaters]]
  +
|[[Luna Lovegood]]
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
 
  +
|1997–[[1998]]
|During the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], Voldemort used the Cruciatus Curse on what he believed to be Harry Potter's dead body as a way of dishonouring it and to show he had won. Harry felt no pain because the wand Voldemort used, the [[Elder Wand]], refused to harm its true master. However, Harry's body was tossed around by the force of the spell.<ref name="DH"/>
 
  +
|Since Luna was held prisoner at Malfoy Manor for months, it is possible she was also tortured with it.<ref name="DH24"/>
 
|-
 
|-
  +
|[[Selwyn]]
|
 
|[[Tom Riddle| ]]
+
|[[Xenophilius Lovegood]]
  +
|[[30 December]] 1997
|
 
  +
|When Harry, [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]] and [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]] visited Xenophilius at his home in order to know the legend of the [[Deathly Hallows]], Xenophilius alerted Death Eaters about Harry's presence. Selwyn, suspicious that the wizard had been lying, beat up Lovegood and tortured him, possibly with this curse.<ref name="DH22">{{DH|B|21}}</ref>
  +
|-
  +
|[[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]]
  +
|[[Malfoy family|Malfoys]] and [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
  +
|[[March]] 1998
  +
|After Harry, [[Ronald Weasley|Ron]], [[Hermione Granger|Hermione]], and the other prisoners [[Skirmish at Malfoy Manor|escaped]] from [[Malfoy Manor]], Harry had a vision of Voldemort "punishing" Bellatrix and the Malfoys, but whether he used the Cruciatus Curse was not mentioned.<ref name="DH24"/>
 
|}
 
|}
   
 
==Etymology==
 
==Etymology==
''Crucio'' means 'I torture'. ''Cruciatus'' takes its name from the Latin word for "pain" or "torture," the root of which can be seen in other words such as "excruciating" and "crucifixion."
+
''Crucio'' means 'I torture'. ''Cruciatus'' takes its name from the Latin word for 'pain' or 'torture', the root of which can be seen in other words such as 'excruciating' and 'crucifixion'.
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
 
==Behind the scenes==
  +
*Considering that the curse did not appear to cause any injury to the victim, it was possible that it only triggered pain receptors.
*When [[Harry Potter]] attempts to cast this spell on [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], a ball of red light is fired from the tip of [[Harry Potter's wand|his wand]], most likely because his spell was cast with "righteous anger". not outright sadism. The spell still had enough force to knock Lestrange off her feet.
 
  +
*In {{OOTP|FA}}, when [[Harry Potter]] casts this spell on [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], a ball of red light is fired from the tip of [[Harry Potter's wand|his wand]], most likely because his spell was cast with "righteous anger", not outright sadism, cruelty or pure malice. The spell still had enough force to knock Lestrange off her feet.
*[[Severus Snape]] once asserted Harry Potter had neither the nerves nor the skill to perform [[Unforgivable Curses]].<ref name="HBP"/> However, less than a year later, Harry succeeded in cursing [[Amycus Carrow]]. - This move was met with criticism by some fans, who felt that Harry had sunk to the same level as his enemies in using it in such a manner. J.K. Rowling countered such criticism by asserting that "Harry is not, and never has been, a saint", and that he has flaws of character like everybody else.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20100704093307/http://www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter/default.aspx?sec=3 Bloomsbury Live Chat with J.K. Rowling]</ref>
 
  +
*In the console versions of the [[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)|''Order of the Phoenix'' video game]], the cutscene where Umbridge is taken into the [[Forbidden Forest]], she uses this curse instead of the [[Incarcerous Spell]] on a [[Centaur]], and it looks like a flash of green light that strikes the Centaur. However, in the scene where Harry chases Bellatrix through the Ministry, he casts it and it looks like the [[Disarming Charm]] (which was a yellowish-white in colour) and it blasted her off her feet.<ref name="OOTPVG">{{OOTP|G}}</ref>
*In the original script of the [[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|film adaptation]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]'', Harry Potter said "Cruciatus" while battling Severus Snape in Hogwarts grounds instead of using the real incantation which is "Crucio".
 
  +
*[[Severus Snape]] once asserted Harry Potter had neither the nerves nor the skill to perform [[Unforgivable Curses]].<ref name="HBP28" /> However, less than a year later, Harry succeeded in cursing [[Amycus Carrow]].<ref name="DH30"/> This move was met with criticism by some fans, who felt that Harry had sunk to the same level as his enemies in using it in such a manner. J. K. Rowling countered such criticism by asserting that "Harry is not, and never has been, a saint", and that he has flaws of character like everybody else.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20100704093307/http://www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter/default.aspx?sec=3 Bloomsbury Live Chat with J.K. Rowling]</ref>
*In ''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]'', only [[Dark Wizard]]s, including [[Peter Pettigrew]], [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], and [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]] can use [[Dark Arts|Dark Magic]], which consists of the [[Killing Curse]] (Peter Pettigrew is the only LEGO Dark Wizard who can't use ''Avada Kedavra'') and the Cruciatus Curse. Whenever a Dark Wizard uses the [[Levitation Charm]] on a person, it instead changes to the Cruciatus Curse. When this is used, the pink light of the Levitation Charm is missing when targetting a person, but replaced by a blood red. the victim hovers several feet off the ground, and purple lights emits from their joints. After a few seconds, they [[Death|die]].
 
  +
*In {{GOF|FA}}, instead of using [[Bartemius Crouch Junior's spiders|three spiders]] to demonstrate the Unforgivable Curses, Barty Crouch Jnr uses one {{W|Amblypygi}}.
  +
*Also in {{GOF|FA}}, when Voldemort casts the curse on Harry Potter, a sound resembling electricity or lightning can be heard in the background. It is possible that one of the feelings of pain caused by the curse could be similar to that of {{W|electrocution}}.
  +
*In the original script of {{HBP|FA}}, Harry Potter said "Cruciatus" while battling Severus Snape in Hogwarts grounds instead of using the real incantation which is "Crucio".
  +
*In {{LEGO|Y1}}, only [[Dark wizard]]s, including [[Peter Pettigrew]], [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]], and [[Bartemius Crouch Junior|Barty Crouch Jnr]] can use [[Dark Arts|Dark Magic]], which consists of the [[Killing Curse]] (Peter Pettigrew is the only LEGO Dark wizard who can't use ''Avada Kedavra'') and the Cruciatus Curse. Whenever a Dark wizard uses the [[Levitation Charm]] on a person, it instead changes to the Cruciatus Curse. When this is used, the pink light of the Levitation Charm is missing when targeting a person, but replaced by a blood red. the victim hovers several feet off the ground, and purple lights emit from their joints. After a few seconds, they [[Death|die]].<ref name="LEGOY1">{{LEGO|Y1}}</ref>
  +
*In {{HPK}}, Voldemort can use this spell against Harry in the final battle during [[Voldemort's Last Stand]] as they engage in a normal duel.
  +
*As the Cruciatus Curse leaves no visible mark on the body of the victim, it is reasonable to assume that the curse, rather than inflicting pain through injury, instead somehow magically triggers a stimulus in the pain centre of the brain of the victim. The fact that the minds of Frank and Alice Longbottom 'cracked' after enduring it a long time and they were rendered insane, support this theory.
  +
*In [http://atrossbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Harry-Potter-and-the-Order-of-the-Phoenix-2nd-draft.pdf an early draft] of the fifth film, Professor Umbridge actually uses the Cruciatus Curse on Harry Potter, rather than making as if to do so before being cut off by Hermione Granger.
  +
*[[Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test|W.O.M.B.A.T]] previously said that there was no defence against this curse once cast.<ref name="WOMBAT"/> However in {{SOD}}, [[Vicência Santos]] is somehow able to lift the curse from Jacob Kowalski.<ref name="SODS96"/> This is likely a retcon.
  +
*In {{HL}}, the wand movement for the Cruciatus Curse is a "W" turned 90 degrees clockwise, starting from the top. The curse also has the effect of red lightning, instead of being invisible like in the books.
  +
*In {{MA}}, the Cruciatus Curse looks like green lightning.
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
  +
*{{GOF}} {{1st}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' {{1st}}
 
  +
*{{GOF|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{GOF|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{OOTP}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''
 
  +
*{{OOTP|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{OOTP|G}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{HBP}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''
 
  +
*{{HBP|F}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)]]''
 
  +
*{{DH}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|F1}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|G1}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|F2}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]''
 
  +
*{{DH|G2}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)]]''
 
  +
*{{CC}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]''
 
  +
*{{CC|P}}
*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]''
 
  +
*{{SOD|S}}
*''[[Harry Potter: Spells]]''
 
  +
*{{SOD}}
  +
*{{TBB|R}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{JKRS}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{LEGO|Y1}}
  +
*{{LEGO|Y2}}
  +
*{{PM}}
  +
*{{WW}}
  +
*{{HPS}}
  +
*{{HPK}}
  +
*{{HM}}
  +
*{{WU}} {{Mention}}
  +
*{{MA}}
  +
*{{HL}}
  +
*{{HPWA}}
   
 
==Notes and references==
 
==Notes and references==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}
 
 
{{Defence Against the Dark Arts}}
 
{{Defence Against the Dark Arts}}
  +
  +
[[Category:Defence Against the Dark Arts]]
  +
[[Category:Mental spells]]
  +
[[Category:Spells with incantations of Latin origin]]
  +
[[Category:Unforgivable Curses]]
   
 
[[de:Cruciatus-Fluch]]
 
[[de:Cruciatus-Fluch]]
 
[[es:Maldición Cruciatus]]
 
[[es:Maldición Cruciatus]]
 
[[fr:Sortilège Doloris]]
 
[[fr:Sortilège Doloris]]
  +
[[it:Maledizione Cruciatus]]
[[Category:Unforgivable Curses]]
 
  +
[[pl:Cruciatus]]
[[Category:Spells with Incantations of Latin Origin]]
 
  +
[[ru:Круциатус]]
[[Category:Mental spells]]
 
  +
[[vi:Lời Nguyền Tra tấn]]
[[Category:Dark Magic]]
 
  +
[[ja:クルーシオ]]

Latest revision as of 22:57, 17 March 2024

"Voldemort raised his wand, and before Harry could do anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit again by the Cruciatus curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was... white-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain; he was screaming more loudly than he'd ever screamed in his life — "
— The effects of the Cruciatus Curse[src]

The Cruciatus Curse (Crucio),[1] also known as the Torture Curse,[5] was a tool of the Dark Arts and one of the three Unforgivable Curses. When cast successfully on a fellow sentient human being or living creature, the curse inflicted intense, excruciating physical pain on the victim,[1] and would result in insanity if the victim was subjected to it for a prolonged time.[3] The penalty for the use of this curse on another human being was a life sentence in Azkaban, unless there was sufficient enough evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse.[1]

Two well-known victims of this curse were former Aurors Alice and Frank Longbottom: the Longbottoms were tortured into insanity with it by Death Eaters Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jnr.[3][4]

History

Middle Ages

"The Cruciatus, Imperius and Avada Kedavra Curses were not made unforgivable until 1717, with the strictest penalties attached to their use."
Albus Dumbledore's notes in The Tales of Beedle the Bard[src]

The Cruciatus Curse was invented during the early Middle Ages.[6] According to Barty Crouch Jnr, the curse was once very popular.[1]

After the Wizards' Council was reformed into the Ministry of Magic, tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain kinds of magic. The Cruciatus Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be dark magic, and, along with the Imperius and Killing Curses, were declared "unforgivable" throughout the UK in 1717.[6] The use of any of these three curses on a fellow human being would result in a life sentence in Azkaban without parole (unless there was sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of the Imperius Curse or for other defensible reasons).[1]

Many Secret Keepers in the past had been subjected to the Cruciatus and Imperius Curses in an attempt to learn the secrets they kept, but to no avail, as the Keeper had to reveal it willingly.[7]

19th Century

During the 19th century, Noctua Gaunt opposed and attempted to change the family's use of the Dark Arts and wished to uncover more about Salazar Slytherin's legacy. While attending Hogwarts, she heard about and discovered the secret entrance to Slytherin's Scriptorium, and this was the last time that both her brother and anybody else in the wizarding world heard from her. Noctua embarked on a journey through the Scriptorium's convoluted puzzles but died in front of the final door that required the use of the Cruciatus Curse to advance, as she had nobody to use the curse on.[8]

Near the end of the century, Noctua's brother and his family were still known for their pure-blood supremacist views and regularly performed the Cruciatus Curse on unsuspecting Muggles "for sport". When Ominis Gaunt, as a child, refused to perform the curse, he was tortured by his own older siblings and parents until he relented, prompting him to later cut ties with them. Using his wand to see around, the blind Ominis attended Hogwarts in the late 1880s alongside Sebastian Sallow, going to his friend's house in Feldcroft during the holidays.[9]

Sebastian casting Crucio HL

Sebastian Sallow casting the Cruciatus Curse on a fellow student

Ominis was a Slytherin student like all the Gaunts, though he felt ashamed by his legacy, and like Noctua, did not share his family's views on blood purity and was repulsed by the Dark Arts. However during his fifth year, a reluctant Ominis was convinced by Sebastian Sallow and another student to open Slytherin's Scriptorium once again. After he opened the door using Parseltongue and going through all the puzzles, the students at last found the trapped remains of Ominis' aunt. Still traumatised by his childhood, Ominis refused to perform the forbidden curse, forcing his friends to cast it on each other to escape and access the Scriptorium.[9]

First Wizarding War

Albus Dumbledore: "His father, Frank, was an Auror just like Professor Moody. He and his wife were tortured for information about Voldemort's whereabouts after he lost his powers, as you heard."
Harry Potter: "So they're dead?"
Albus Dumbledore: "No. They are insane. They are both in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I believe Neville visits them, with his grandmother, during the holidays. They do not recognise him."
— Frank and Alice's unfortunate fate[src]

During the First Wizarding War, when Barty Crouch Snr 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.[10] This was repealed once the war was over, as it was no longer necessary.

B4C30M1 Wizengamot trial Pensieve memory

Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jnr being tried before the Council of Magical Law

Shortly after Voldemort's defeat, four Death Eaters — three Lestranges: Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan; along with Barty Crouch Jnr — captured the Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom and tortured the two with the Cruciatus Curse for information on Voldemort's whereabouts. The repeated and prolonged usage of the curse caused the couple to become insane and the four to be captured and tried in front of the Council of Magical Law. All four of them were found guilty and sentenced to life in Azkaban. This act was considered to be one of the most heinous and infuriating attacks in modern history.[3]

Between the wars

"The Cruciatus Curse might loosen your tongue."
— Umbridge threatening Harry Potter with the curse[src]
B4C14M1 DADA Unforgivable Curses

1994 Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson on the Unforgivable Curses

Despite the repeal of the curse's legal usage, in the 1994–1995 school year, Barty Crouch Jnr, under the disguise of Alastor Moody, showed these three curses to his fourth year classes on spiders,[1] despite the Ministry's strong disapproval.[11] However, since the use of the curse was illegal only on a fellow human being, the demonstration of the curses on the spider may have been within legal boundaries.[1]

UmbridgeCrucio

Umbridge poised to perform the Cruciatus Curse on Harry Potter in 1996

Dolores Umbridge, in a last-ditch effort to draw information from Harry Potter, almost used the curse on him. She was certain in the belief that she would not be called upon to answer for it due to the only witnesses to the act being Harry and his closest friends (and the present Slytherin students would not support Harry in any way), and that she would be able to avoid punishment for the curse due to the political climate either way. However, she was dissuaded from using the curse by Hermione Granger, who gave Umbridge a false story in order to save Harry.[12]

When Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange killed Harry's godfather Sirius Black, Harry chased down Bellatrix and performed the curse on her out of rage. However, it was performed unsuccessfully as Harry was doing it with "righteous anger" and couldn't muster the will to actually cause her harm.[13]

Second Wizarding War

"Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife! What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"
— Bellatrix Lestrange using this curse as an interrogation method[src]

In 1997, Draco Malfoy, in a fit of rage and recklessness, attempted it on an eavesdropping Harry and later in the same year.[14] Harry attempted to use it on Severus Snape during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower but was prevented from uttering the whole incantation due to Snape's use of Legilimency.[15]

Fallen Ministry

High-ranking Ministry officals introducing the new regime, which included the legal use of Unforgivable Curses

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 pleased.[16] In fact, they were practised in Hogwarts as part of the curriculum of Dark Arts class under the cruel tutelage of Professor Amycus Carrow: students were required to practise the Cruciatus Curse on other students who received detention, and the Carrow siblings used it to punish students as they see fit; the likes of Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle greatly enjoyed practising the Curse on fellow students, earning themselves top grades in the class. Those who refused to comply, such as Neville Longbottom, were physically punished with knife slashes.[17]

Harry-potter-deathly-hallows1-movie-screencaps

Bellatrix brutally torturing Hermione Granger after subjecting her to the Cruciatus Curse

Hermione Granger had this curse used on her by Bellatrix Lestrange during her interrogation at Malfoy Manor in March of 1998.[18] Harry Potter managed to successfully use it on Amycus Carrow without legal consequences as well as a result of this legalisation, shortly before the Battle of Hogwarts on 1 May 1998.[19] After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under new Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, the three curses were once again forbidden and their original penalties were restored.

Harry Potter had a vision of Lord Voldemort ordering Draco Malfoy to use the curse on Thorfinn Rowle after he and Antonin Dolohov failed to capture Harry at Tottenham Court Road.[20] Although he saw nothing of Dolohov's punishment, Narcissa Malfoy later mentioned "what he did to Rowle and Dolohov" when she was afraid to contact Voldemort.[18]

Nature

"It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar... he wanted it to end... to black out... to die."
— Description of the pain one feels while under the Curse[src]
Harry being tortured

Harry Potter while under the effects of the curse

The pain caused by the Cruciatus Curse was described by Harry Potter as being worse than "one thousand white-hot knives, boring into the skin" and beyond what most people would ever experience. The sensation of the curse was so intense that the person under the effects wished for unconsciousness and even death, as a means of escaping the searing pain.[2]

The pain from this curse would cause permanent physical and mental injury if exposed to for a prolonged time, 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 terrible trauma the curse caused.[4] This incident was considered one of the most horrific fates for the victim, even worse than death. Presumably, such permanent effects were not uncommon if the victim was exposed to a particularly intense curse for a long period of time.

Christmas at St Mungo's

Frank and Alice Longbottom were permanent residents in the Janus Thickey Ward for spell damage

As Memory Charms could be broken through torture, the Cruciatus Curse was capable of such a feat, though it required a certain level of exposure in time and intensity to break through it.[21] Bertha Jorkins suffered such a trial, and the end results was that both her body and mind was damaged beyond repair.[2][21]

Although it was possible to use the curse on Secret Keepers to inflict pain on them, it was impossible to use it to force the secret out of them, as it had to be done on the Keeper's free will.[7] If the curse hit an inanimate object, it might have caused it to shatter instead.[13][22]

Performance

"Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy? You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain — to enjoy it — righteous anger won't hurt me for long — I'll show you how it is done, shall I?"
— Instructions on how to use an Unforgivable Curse correctly[src]
Crucio

Harry Potter attempting the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix, using "righteous anger"

To successfully perform this curse, simply uttering the incantation was not enough; the wizard or witch had to possess a deep desire to cause the victim pain and to take great pleasure in their suffering. 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 out of "righteous anger", though he was still able to knock her off of her feet with it.[13]

Harry performed it more effectively in 1998 on Amycus Carrow, who spat in Minerva McGonagall's face. Amycus was thrown into the air, thrashing and screaming in pain, and then knocked unconscious. This suggests that although Harry's curse was intense, he still lacked the fundamental sadism to make it last for a prolonged time.[19]

Bellatrix, on the other hand, due to being a witch with profound sadistic intents and an utter lack of conscience, was able to cast the curse with an almost daunting potency, and seemingly had an affinity to it.[3][23][13][18]

Jacob is tortured

Jacob after Vicência Santos relieves him of the pain caused by the curse

When Lord Voldemort used it against Harry Potter at his rebirth in Little Hangleton graveyard, he would consistently maintain its effect by keeping his wand fixed on Harry, which left him momentarily writhing on the ground whilst feeling like "his very bones were on fire", screaming, until Voldemort raised his wand and thus broke it off.[2] When Gellert Grindelwald used it against Jacob Kowalski in 1932, he cast it once on him and Jacob was still hurting from the curse afterwards, until Vicência Santos cast a spell to free him from the pain.[24]

Defence

Once cast, there was no spell that could defend against the Cruciatus Curse.[25] However, there were still evasive options available against it. The spell could be dodged by hiding behind a solid object, and a particularly strong-willed wizard could merely resist the pain until the spell was lifted, as Harry Potter refused to plea to Voldemort when being tortured by this curse,[2] and Hermione Granger managed to lie to Bellatrix Lestrange through the curse[18] (though, as noted above, prolonged exposure of the pain from this curse would cause permanent physical and mental damage).[2][21]

Another option was to interrupt the caster before they could finish speaking the incantation, as Severus Snape did to great effect against Harry Potter in 1997 by using Legilimency to anticipate the spells he would use.[15] Furthermore, like with the Killing Curse, it could also be intercepted with a few other powerful fast spells.

Should the caster have used the Elder Wand, or actually any wand, without winning its allegiance, to cast the curse onto its true master, the wand would refuse to inflict any pain onto its master. However, there would still be a certain level of impact that could send the body flying.[26]

Although the main purpose of the Cruciatus Curse was to torture, it could not be used to break through the defences set by the Fidelius Charm, as the secret had to be revealed willingly and voluntarily.[7] Also, if the victim did not possess the desired information (such as Alice and Frank Longbottom), then the usage of the curse served little to no purpose in information gathering.[3]

Despite there being no spell defence against it,[25] Vicência Santos was somehow able to lift the curse from Jacob Kowalski in 1932, by pointing her wand at him and using a nonverbal spell.[24]

Applications

"Pain. You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse.... That one was very popular once too."
Bartemius Crouch Junior regarding the Cruciatus Curse's applications[src]
BellatrixHermioneDH

Hermione Granger manages to lie to Bellatrix Lestrange while being tortured with this curse

As its title of an "unforgivable curse" suggests, the Cruciatus Curse had only very limited practical uses.

Besides its basic use to sadistically inflicting pain,[1] the curse was most popularly applied as a method of punishment and a method of interrogation. The advent of truth serums rendered the Cruciatus Curse an obsolete and generally impractical method for this specific purpose. However, should truth serums not be available, the interrogator might opt to use this curse instead.[12]

Compared with the use of truth serums and even the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse was much less efficient, as the person being interrogated had a high risk of falsely confessing in order to relieve their suffering under the spell, regardless whether they actually held the information the interrogator wished to seek and extract. As the curse couldn't force a Secret Keeper to divulge the hidden information, it was essentially useless in that regard, despite many in the past had been subjected to such an attempt to extract the knowledge.[7]

The curse could be used effectively in a duel, inflicting tremendous pain onto the opponent, disabling them from countering so long as they maintained the curse's effects.[23][13]

Known uses

"Harry shouted, "Crucio!". The Death Eater was lifted off his feet. He writhed through the air like a drowning man, thrashing and howling in pain, and then, with a crunch and a shattering of glass, he smashed into the front of a bookcase and crumpled, insensible, to the floor."
— Harry Potter casting the curse successfully for the first time[src]

Successful uses

Caster(s) Victim(s) Date Notes
Ominis Gaunt's father, mother, and older siblings Muggles Before the 1890s The Gaunt family members would regularly attack Muggles "for sport".[9]
Ominis Gaunt When Ominis refused to torture Muggles like his family members, the Gaunt family tortured him as well, even though he was their family member and a child at the time.[9]
Ominis Gaunt Unknown Coerced into casting it on somebody to avoid being tortured himself.[27]
Unidentified student/Sebastian Sallow Unidentified student/Sebastian Sallow 1890 To pass the final door in Slytherin's Scriptorium, one of these individuals had to perform the curse on the other person.[28]
Theophilus Harlow Natsai Onai 1890 Harlow targeted the Unidentified student who had teamed up with Natsai to defeat him, but Natsai jumped into the path of the curse to protect them.[9]
Gellert Grindelwald Aberforth Dumbledore 1899 Retaliation for criticising his plans.[29]
Jacob Kowalski 1932 For being a Muggle who wished to marry a witch, and for having alledgedly "tried to take his life" at the Candidates' Dinner in the German Ministry of Magic in Berlin.[30]
Bartemius Crouch Jnr Frank and Alice Longbottom 1981 Used to gain information about Lord Voldemort's whereabouts.[3] Tortured into insanity. Permanent residents at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.[4]
Rabastan Lestrange
Rodolphus Lestrange
Bellatrix Lestrange
Patricia Rakepick A Dark wizard 1988/1989 To demonstrate Jacob's sibling the curse's effects in Knockturn Alley.[31]
Merula Snyde 1989 To accomplish The Cabal's orders of killing one of Jacob's sibling's friends before the end of the year; however, she was stopped by Jacob' sibling and other students before she accomplished the task.[32]
Patricia Rakepick torturing Merula Synde with Crucio HM530
Lord Voldemort Bertha Jorkins Summer 1994 To break the memory charm cast on her by Barty Crouch Snr so as to gain information about the Triwizard Tournament and the Quidditch World Cup; Bertha was damaged beyond repair as a result.[2][21]
Harry Potter 24 June 1995 Used it to torture Harry in the Little Hangleton graveyard.[2]
Avery II Punishment for his disloyalty as a Death Eater, following his rebirth in the Little Hangleton Graveyard.[2]
Peter Pettigrew[33] Late May 1995 As punishment for allowing Barty Crouch Snr to escape.[21]
Garrick Ollivander 27 July 1997 Forced to give information about Voldemort's wand, and the effects Harry's wand had on Lucius Malfoy's wand.[34]
Bartemius Crouch Jnr A spider 5 September 1994 Demonstrated the curse's effects during Defence Against the Dark Arts class, while impersonating Alastor Moody.[1]
Viktor Krum Cedric Diggory 24 June 1995 During the Triwizard Tournament, Third Task, while under the Imperius Curse by Barty Crouch Jnr disguised as Alastor Moody.[35]
Bellatrix Lestrange Neville Longbottom 18 June 1996 Battle of the Department of Mysteries presumably to injure/kill/ insult Neville to join his parents' fate.[23]
Hermione Granger March 1998 Torture tactic concerning the Sword of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's Cup.[18]
Death Eaters Rufus Scrimgeour 1 August 1997 To try to obtain information about Harry Potter whereabouts.[16]
Ted Tonks
Andromeda Tonks
Draco Malfoy Thorfinn Rowle Under Voldemort's orders, as punishment for letting Harry Potter escape from Tottenham Court Road.[20]
Antonin Dolohov
Alecto Carrow Michael Corner (possibly) 1997/1998 Possibly the punishment for freeing a first year student from being chained up for detention, as Michael was said to have been brutally tortured by the siblings as punishment.[17]
Amycus Carrow
Carrows, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle Neville Longbottom Punishment for disobedience.[17]
Seamus Finnigan (possibly)
D.A. members (possibly)
Hogwarts students
Harry Potter Amycus Carrow 1 May 1998 Used it to torture after he spat in McGonagall's face, completely incapacitating him.[19]
Delphini Scorpius Malfoy 2020 Delphini used this spell three times on Scorpius in 2020, in an attempt to make him do what she wanted.[36][37]

Failed uses

"Crucio — Crucio — you can't dance forever, pretty —"
— Amycus Carrow attempting to use this curse on Ginny Weasley[src]
Caster(s) Victim(s) Date Notes
Noctua Gaunt Ominis Gaunt's father (her brother) pre-1890 Meeting the final challenge in Slytherin's Scriptorium, which was to perform Crucio on another person, she invited her brother to the Scriptorium but he refused. With nobody to perform the curse on to advance, Noctua died within the chamber.[28]
Dolores Umbridge Harry Potter 18 June 1996 Headmistress Dolores Umbridge attempted to use the curse against Harry as an interrogation tactic, but Hermione Granger interrupted her incantation.[12]
Bellatrix Lestrange After failing to successfully curse Bellatrix with the Cruciatus curse out of righteous anger for murdering Sirius Black, she then decided to teach Harry a lesson of actually meaning to cause harm by her attempting the same curse on him, only for him to dodge it.[13]
Draco Malfoy Early May 1997 Draco attempted the curse when Harry stumbled upon him in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, but was interrupted when Harry attacked him with Sectumsempra.[14]
Vincent Crabbe 2 May 1998 During a skirmish in the Room of Requirement. Harry dodged the curse, and its force hit a stone bust of a warlock instead.[22]
Lord Voldemort 2 May 1998 During the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort used the Cruciatus Curse on what he believed to be Harry Potter's dead body as a way of dishonouring it and to show that he had won. However, Harry felt no pain because the wand Voldemort used, the Elder Wand, refused to harm its true master, though Harry's body was still tossed around by the force of the spell.[26]
Merula Snyde Patricia Rakepick 1989–1990 school year While in the the Sunken Vault, Merula attempted to use this curse against Patricia Rakepick, however Rakepick used Mobilicorpus on her before she could finish the incantation.[38]
Harry Potter Bellatrix Lestrange 18 June 1996 As mentioned above, Harry attempted to use this curse against Bellatrix after she murdered his godfather, Sirius Black. Though the curse gave her a brief moment of terrible pain, it did not cause the excruciating, drawn-out pain it is meant to give (though it did still knock her off her feet).[13]
Severus Snape 30 June 1997 Following Professor Snape killing Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Harry pursued him and tried to curse him, but Snape blocked it, citing Harry's inferior skills in Occlumency. All Harry had managed to get out was the first syllable of the incantation.[15]
Amycus Carrow Ginny Weasley 30 June 1997 During the Battle of the Astronomy Tower; through the assistance of Felix Felicis, Ginny dodged multiple attempts.[15]

Possible uses

Caster(s) Victim(s) Date Notes
Amycus Carrow, Alecto Carrow, or Thorfinn Rowle Harry Potter 30 June 1997 As Harry Potter chased Severus Snape away from Hogwarts at the end of the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, he was hit from behind by a curse cast by one of the Death Eaters who escaped the battle, which caused him sharp pain. Although no incantation was heard, he fell to the ground, screaming, and momentarily lost track of what was going on. These harmful effects make it likely that he was attacked with the Cruciatus Curse.[15]
Death Eaters Luna Lovegood 1997–1998 Since Luna was held prisoner at Malfoy Manor for months, it is possible she was also tortured with it.[34]
Selwyn Xenophilius Lovegood 30 December 1997 When Harry, Ron and Hermione visited Xenophilius at his home in order to know the legend of the Deathly Hallows, Xenophilius alerted Death Eaters about Harry's presence. Selwyn, suspicious that the wizard had been lying, beat up Lovegood and tortured him, possibly with this curse.[39]
Lord Voldemort Malfoys and Bellatrix Lestrange March 1998 After Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the other prisoners escaped from Malfoy Manor, Harry had a vision of Voldemort "punishing" Bellatrix and the Malfoys, but whether he used the Cruciatus Curse was not mentioned.[34]

Etymology

Crucio means 'I torture'. Cruciatus takes its name from the Latin word for 'pain' or 'torture', the root of which can be seen in other words such as 'excruciating' and 'crucifixion'.

Behind the scenes

  • Considering that the curse did not appear to cause any injury to the victim, it was possible that it only triggered pain receptors.
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, when Harry Potter casts this spell on Bellatrix Lestrange, a ball of red light is fired from the tip of his wand, most likely because his spell was cast with "righteous anger", not outright sadism, cruelty or pure malice. The spell still had enough force to knock Lestrange off her feet.
  • In the console versions of the Order of the Phoenix video game, the cutscene where Umbridge is taken into the Forbidden Forest, she uses this curse instead of the Incarcerous Spell on a Centaur, and it looks like a flash of green light that strikes the Centaur. However, in the scene where Harry chases Bellatrix through the Ministry, he casts it and it looks like the Disarming Charm (which was a yellowish-white in colour) and it blasted her off her feet.[40]
  • Severus Snape once asserted Harry Potter had neither the nerves nor the skill to perform Unforgivable Curses.[15] However, less than a year later, Harry succeeded in cursing Amycus Carrow.[19] This move was met with criticism by some fans, who felt that Harry had sunk to the same level as his enemies in using it in such a manner. J. K. Rowling countered such criticism by asserting that "Harry is not, and never has been, a saint", and that he has flaws of character like everybody else.[41]
  • In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, instead of using three spiders to demonstrate the Unforgivable Curses, Barty Crouch Jnr uses one Amblypygi.
  • Also in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when Voldemort casts the curse on Harry Potter, a sound resembling electricity or lightning can be heard in the background. It is possible that one of the feelings of pain caused by the curse could be similar to that of electrocution.
  • In the original script of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter said "Cruciatus" while battling Severus Snape in Hogwarts grounds instead of using the real incantation which is "Crucio".
  • In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, only Dark wizards, including Peter Pettigrew, Lord Voldemort, and Barty Crouch Jnr can use Dark Magic, which consists of the Killing Curse (Peter Pettigrew is the only LEGO Dark wizard who can't use Avada Kedavra) and the Cruciatus Curse. Whenever a Dark wizard uses the Levitation Charm on a person, it instead changes to the Cruciatus Curse. When this is used, the pink light of the Levitation Charm is missing when targeting a person, but replaced by a blood red. the victim hovers several feet off the ground, and purple lights emit from their joints. After a few seconds, they die.[42]
  • In Harry Potter for Kinect, Voldemort can use this spell against Harry in the final battle during Voldemort's Last Stand as they engage in a normal duel.
  • As the Cruciatus Curse leaves no visible mark on the body of the victim, it is reasonable to assume that the curse, rather than inflicting pain through injury, instead somehow magically triggers a stimulus in the pain centre of the brain of the victim. The fact that the minds of Frank and Alice Longbottom 'cracked' after enduring it a long time and they were rendered insane, support this theory.
  • In an early draft of the fifth film, Professor Umbridge actually uses the Cruciatus Curse on Harry Potter, rather than making as if to do so before being cut off by Hermione Granger.
  • W.O.M.B.A.T previously said that there was no defence against this curse once cast.[25] However in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Vicência Santos is somehow able to lift the curse from Jacob Kowalski.[24] This is likely a retcon.
  • In Hogwarts Legacy, the wand movement for the Cruciatus Curse is a "W" turned 90 degrees clockwise, starting from the top. The curse also has the effect of red lightning, instead of being invisible like in the books.
  • In Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, the Cruciatus Curse looks like green lightning.

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 14 (The Unforgivable Curses)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33 (The Death Eaters)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 30 (The Pensieve)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 23 (Christmas on the Closed Ward)
  5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) - Chapter 7 (The Unforgivable Curses)
  6. 6.0 6.1 The Tales of Beedle the Bard, "Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Writing by J. K. Rowling: "Secret Keeper" at Wizarding World
  8. Hogwarts Legacy, Relationship Quest "In the Shadow of the Study" (see this video)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Hogwarts Legacy
  10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 27 (Padfoot Returns)
  11. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 12 (Professor Umbridge)
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 32 (Out of the Fire)
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 36 (The Only One He Ever Feared)
  14. 14.0 14.1 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 24 (Sectumsempra)
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 28 (Flight of the Prince)
  16. 16.0 16.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 11 (The Bribe)
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 29 (The Lost Diadem)
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 23 (Malfoy Manor)
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 30 (The Sacking of Severus Snape)
  20. 20.0 20.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 9 (A Place to Hide)
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 35 (Veritaserum)
  22. 22.0 22.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 31 (The Battle of Hogwarts)
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 35 (Beyond the Veil)
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay, Scene 96
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Test, Grade 3, Question 14 (see here). This fact is confirmed as true when corroborated with evidence from Wonderbook: Book of Spells (as option A is false, not option D).
  26. 26.0 26.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 36 (The Flaw in the Plan)
  27. Hogwarts Legacy (In the Shadow of the Bloodline)
  28. 28.0 28.1 Hogwarts Legacy (In the Shadow of the Study)
  29. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 28 (The Missing Mirror)
  30. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay, Scene 95
  31. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 19 (The Unforgivable Curses)
  32. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 5, Chapter 30 (Into the Vault)
  33. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 29 (The Dream)
  34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 24 (The Wandmaker)
  35. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 31 (The Third Task)
  36. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act Three, Scene Nineteen
  37. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Act Three, Scene Twenty
  38. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Year 6, Chapter 42 (The Final Vault)
  39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 21 (The Tale of the Three Brothers)
  40. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
  41. Bloomsbury Live Chat with J.K. Rowling
  42. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Defence Against the Dark Arts (D.A.D.A.)
Subjectsdada
D.A.D.A. at Hogwarts
Classroom 3C · Classroom 3C backrooms · Temporary Classroom · Hogwarts Turris Magnus · Teacher's Office · Storeroom · Staircase · Storage room · Lesson Cup · Race Cup · Duelling Club · Dumbledore's Army
Professors
Isidora Morganach · Dinah Hecat · Arsenius Jigger · Albus Dumbledore · Galatea Merrythought · 1984–1985 professor · 1985–1986 professor · 1986–1987 professor · 1987–1988 professor · Patricia Rakepick · 1989–1990 professor · First 1990–1991 professor · Olivia Green · Quirinus Quirrell · Gilderoy Lockhart · Remus Lupin · Bartemius Crouch Junior (as Alastor Moody) · Dolores Umbridge · Severus Snape · Amycus Carrow (as Dark Arts teacher) · Unidentified professor · Brindlemore
Textbooks
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection · Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts · Break with a Banshee · Gadding with Ghouls · Holidays with Hags · Travels with Trolls · Voyages with Vampires · Wanderings with Werewolves · Year with the Yeti · The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts · Defensive Magical Theory · Dark Arts Defence – Basics for Beginners · Confronting the Faceless · Defence Against the Dark Arts
Spells studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Aqua Eructo · Boggart-Banishing Spell (Riddikulus) · Bombarda Maxima · Cave inimicum · Concealment Charms · Counter-curses · Counter-jinxes · Cruciatus Curse (Crucio) · Curse of the Bogies (Mucus ad Nauseam) · Cursed barrier spell · Densaugeo · Deprimo Spell (Deprimo) · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Ear-Shrivelling Curse · Everte Statum · Freezing Spell (Glacius) · Full Body-Bind Curse (Petrificus Totalus) · Fumos Duo · Green Sparks · Hex-Breaker· Hex-deflection · Hex Zapper · Homorphus Charm · Human-presence-revealing Spell (Homenum Revelio) · Impediment Jinx (Impedimenta) · Imperius Curse (Imperio) · Imperturbable Charm · Killing Curse (Avada Kedavra) · Knockback Jinx (Flipendo) · Lacarnum Inflamari · Langlock · Levitation Spell (Levioso) · Limbo Mist anticharm · Nonverbal spells · Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum) · Pimple Jinx (Furnunculus) · Protective enchantments · Red Sparks (Vermillious) · Reductor Curse (Reducto) · Salvio hexia · Sea Urchin Jinx · Seize and pull charm (Carpe Retractum) · Shield Charm (Protego) · Smokescreen Spell (Fumos) · Snake-Vanishing Spell (Vipera Evanesca) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Stretching Jinx · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Tongue-Tying Curse (Mimblewimble) · Trip Jinx · Twitchy-Ears Hex · Verdimillious Charm (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Duo Spell (Verdimillious) · Verdimillious Tria · Vermillious Duo · Vermillious Tria · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos)
Creatures studied at Hogwarts under D.A.D.A.
Banshee · Boggart · Chameleon Ghoul · Charmed skeleton · Cornish Pixie · Dementor · Dugbog · Erkling · Flesh-Eating Slug · Ghost · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Gytrash · Hag · Hinkypunk · Iguana · Imp · Inferius · Kappa · Manticore · Nocturnal beasts · Nogtail · Poltergeist · Red Cap · Snake · Troll · Vampire · Vampire bat · Werewolf · Yeti · Zombie