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m (Jdogno7 moved page Jinx on the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to Tom Riddle's Jinx: He was the one who cast it.)
m (Jdogno7 moved page Tom Riddle's Jinx to Voldemort's Jinx: He did it once he had fully become Voldemort.)

Revision as of 07:08, 1 March 2014

"You see, we have not been able to keep a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor for more than a year since I refused the post to Lord Voldemort."
Albus Dumbledore[src]

This jinx was cast by Tom Marvolo Riddle, who was by the time known exclusively as Lord Voldemort, to curse the Hogwarts school's Defence Against the Dark Arts class to ensure that none of its applicants could hold their post for more than one year. It is unknown what the requirements and incantation of this jinx are, or if it could be used for other school subjects or other establishments and careers. The jinx will be lifted once the caster is dead.

History

Upon his graduation from Hogwarts, Tom Riddle asked the then Headmaster, Armando Dippet, for the post as Professor of the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, due to his love for Hogwarts and passion for the Dark Arts. Professor Dippet rejected Riddle's application, because he was too young at eighteen years old, but offered him to reapply after a few years.

Over a decade later, when Riddle resurfaced as the mysterious Lord Voldemort, he returned to Hogwarts to ask for the job once again. By this time, Albus Dumbledore had taken over as Headmaster, and knowing of Voldemort's ill-intentions, rejected his application. Although Voldemort was merely using the application as an excuse to return to Hogwarts to do his own dark researches, recruit more followers, and to hide his diadem Horcrux, he was still infuriated to be denied his chance to return to the school; he only managed to do the third act with the brief moment of time he was given inside the school. In revenge, Voldemort employed this jinx to ensure that no applicant of the Defence Against the Dark Arts post could keep their position for more than one year.[1]

A secondary and more strategic reason for jinxing the post could be Voldemort's wish to reduce the quality of the subject, as its purpose was directly opposed to his personal goals. To disrupt the teaching by an annual change of staff would certainly have a long time effect in his plans, as future students would be less capable of self-defence.

Known victims of the jinx

Once Voldemort placed his jinx on the post, around the end of each school year, the teachers of the class are forced to leave due to one reason or another, from the effects of the jinx.

The jinx lifted

After Voldemort's downfall, the jinx was broken and Hogwarts was able to keep a permanent Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.[2]

Behind the scenes

Umbridge suspended

Umbridge suspended.

  • In the films, several of these teachers suffer a slightly different fate.
  • Quirinus Quirrell, instead of being burnt raw and red by Lily's protection, was burned completely to ash upon being in contact with Harry, and crumbled to death.
  • Barty Crouch Jr. was not noted to receive the Dementor's Kiss, but he certainly fell into the custody of the authorities.
  • Dolores Umbridge was suspended for suspicions on her activities in school, with an impending inspection (but then apparently removed later).
  • It is uncertain if Amycus Carrow ever would have been affected by this curse, since the subject was replaced with the Dark Arts, treated as a new subject. However, it's also possible the magic could change its nature to curse any teacher working with either of those branches of magic.
  • Tom Riddle put the jinx on the post to ensure no one would keep the place of D.A.D.A teacher. Coincidentally, three of his followers suffered the jinx which prevented him from getting his plans into action.
  • The concept of having the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher suffer a horrible fate every year was inspired by the semi-fictional metal band [[Wikipedia:Spinal Tap (band)|Template:Unicode]], which has a quantity of fictional past drummers who all died in various ridiculous ways.[3] Incidentally, one of the drummers died by being eaten by their pet python, mirroring Snape's eventual fate of being eaten by Nagini.

Appearances

Notes and references