- "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."
- — Barty Crouch, Jr. as Alastor Moody[src]
The Cruciatus Curse (also known as the Torture Curse[1]) is one of the three Unforgivable Curses of the wizarding world. It is a curse of torture, inflicting excruciating pain on a victim. This makes it popular among the Death Eaters for use on both fellow wizards and Muggles. Considering the fact that this curse doesn't physically harm the victim, it possibly stimulates pain receptors. Cursing another human being with Cruciatus carries a punishment of a life sentence in Azkaban.
The two most well-known victims of this curse are the former Aurors Alice and Frank Longbottom, who were tortured into insanity with it by Death Eaters Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr.
Effects
Dolores Umbridge poised to perform the Cruciatus Curse on Harry Potter in 1996.
- "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[src]
The pain caused by the Cruciatus Curse is said to be worse than "one thousand white-hot knives, boring into the skin." [2] 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.[3] Presumably, such permanent effects occur when the victim is exposed to a particularly intense curse for a long period of time.
If the curse hits an inanimate object, it may cause it to shatter instead.[4]
Casting the Curse
- "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[src]
To successfully perform this curse, the wizard or witch must possess a deep desire to cause the victim pain. When the spell is improperly casted, a red beam of light is emitted from the wand and nocks the target to the ground. For example, despite being furious with Bellatrix Lestrange for her murder of his godfather in 1996, Harry Potter was only able to cause her a brief moment of pain with the Cruciatus Curse because he used it in "righteous anger".[3] He performed it more powerfully in 1998 on Amycus Carrow, who spat in Minerva McGonagall's face. Amycus was thrown into the air and knocked unconscious[4]. This may suggest that although Harry's curse was intense, he still lacked the fundamental sadism to inflict prolonged, excruciating pain with it.
Known Uses
Possible Uses
- 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. 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,[6] making it likely that Dolohov was subjected to the Cruciatus Curse as well.
- Since Luna was held prisoner at Malfoy Manor for months, it is likely she was also tortured with it.
- After Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the other prisoners escaped from Malfoy Manor, Harry had a vision of Voldemort punishing Bellatrix Lestrange and the Malfoys, but whether he used the Cruciatus Curse was not mentioned.[7]
Known Attempts
| Intended Victim(s) | Caster(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter | Dolores Umbridge | In 1996, Headmistress Dolores Umbridge attempted to use the curse against Harry as an interrogation tactic, but Hermione Granger interrupted her incantation.[3] |
| Bellatrix Lestrange | 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.[3] |
| Harry Potter | Draco Malfoy | Draco attempted the curse when Harry stumbled upon him in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, but was interrupted when Harry attacked him with Sectumsempra.[8] |
| Ginny Weasley | Amycus Carrow | During the Battle of the Astronomy Tower; through the assistance of Felix Felicis, Ginny dodged it.[8] |
| Severus Snape | Harry Potter | Following Professor Snape killing Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Harry pursued him and tried to curse him, but Snape blocked it, citing his superior skills in Occlumency. All Harry managed to get out was the first syllable of the incantation.[8] |
| Harry Potter | Vincent Crabbe | During a skirmish in the Room of Requirement. Harry dodged the curse, and its force hit a stone bust of a warlock instead.[4] |
| Harry Potter | Lord Voldemort | 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.[4] |
Etymology
Cruciatus takes its name from the Latin for "pain" or "torture".
Behind the scenes
- Severus Snape once asserted Harry Potter had neither the nerves nor the skill to perform Unforgivable Curses;[8] however less than a year later Harry succeeded in cursing Amycus Carrow. However, 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.[9]
- In the original script of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter said "Cruciatus" while he battling Severus Snape at the Hogwarts ground instead of using the real incantation which is "Crucio".
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- ↑ Deathly Hallows Ch. 23
- ↑ Deathly Hallows, Ch. 24
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- ↑ J.K.R. Bloomsbury interview
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