Curse (Harry Potter)

> An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level.
>
> Rubeus Hagrid informing a young Harry Potter about curses, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

A **curse** was a type of Dark charm which was used for the worst kinds of Dark Magic. The most heinous of the three Dark charms, curses came in many strengths and forms, but were usually reserved for causing immense suffering to the victim, such as excruciating pain, total control, or even death.Template:Real Magical Spell

## Nature

> So — straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms.
>
> ***Bartemius Crouch Junior*** Template:C regarding curses, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

A curse was classified as a Dark charm, which was primarily defined as any spell that affected the object in a negative manner, typically associated with varying levels of discomfort. A curse was the worst kind of Dark Magic, affecting the target in a severely negative manner.

While curses came in many strengths and forms, they were generally the most wicked, strongest, longest-lasting, and least reversible of the Dark charms. The Unforgivable Curses were the strongest known Dark charms in existence, as their effects were very powerful and their use required skill.

Blood maledictions were a specific type of curse that might not kill the target but could remain within the victim's body, and be passed down as a genetic defect that could resurface generations later. ***Astoria Malfoy*** suffered from such as curse, as her ***ancestor*** passed down a malediction that showed up in her, causing Astoria's body to be frail, and childbirth was what weakened her to the point of death a few years later.

Drinking unicorn blood extended one's lifespan even if at the brink of death, but it cursed the drinker's life, for they had slain an ***innocent animal*** to selfishly extend their own life. It was said to be an act that only those who had nothing to lose and everything to gain would commit.

Curses were said to be rather difficult spells to master, as first-year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were not considered by adult wizards and witches to be experienced or knowledgeable enough to cast such powerful Dark spells.

## Usage

> A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he’s about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful.
>
> ***Bartemius Crouch Junior*** Template:C regarding how malicious curses were used by wizards, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Like jinxes, Hogwarts students studying Defence Against the Dark Arts only learnt a few minor curses in a defensive manner, such as for duelling and defence against Dark creatures, but especially learnt how to deal with them using defensive magic. Curses might be blocked or deflected with a Shield Charm, and be removed with a counter-curse. The two most notable exceptions to this were the Killing Curse and the Cruciatus Curse, two of the Unforgivable Curses, which could only be dodged, intercepted or blocked with physical objects.

Curses could have also been spread by touching cursed objects. The ***Opal Necklace*** had a deadly curse placed on it that would kill upon touch. A ***cursed CD case*** that had the ***laughing curse*** placed on it would affect anyone who touched it with uncontrollable laughter.

Wizards and witches appeared to have had the ability to send curses in the ***post***, as a piece of Hermione Granger's ***hate mail*** in ***1995*** claimed that it was possible.

Dark wizards used curses to reanimate human corpses as ***Inferi***.

Objects could be cursed by wizards in a number of ways. For example, items could be unintentionally cursed by wizards with intense negative emotions and traumatic experiences, as demonstrated with ***Dai Ryusaki***'s ***amulet***.

## Behind the scenes

* According to W.O.M.B.A.T., it may not be possible to cure a curse victim without the correct counter-curse.
* J. K. Rowling defined curses as "*the worst kinds of Dark Magic*".
* Even though Rowling herself specified the differences between curses, hexes, and jinxes, she states that "*Within the Potter world, the boundaries are flexible and I imagine that wizards may have their own ideas.*" This shows that the categorisation of Dark charms is not set and stone, and may sometimes be used interchangeably. This explains why some spells are known by multiple names, like why the Slug-vomiting Charm is a curse, and why the ***Jelly-Legs Curse*** is also sometimes known as the ***Jelly-Legs Jinx***. This also explains why some curses, such as the Leg-Locker Curse, ***Jelly-Legs Curse*** and Full Body-Bind Curse, which don't cause any lasting injury, seem to fall more under the definition of a jinx or hex, while Voldemort's ***Jinx on the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher*** has had serious, lasting consequences for several of those affected, which would seem more like a curse.

## Appearances

* Template:PS Template:1st
* Template:COS
* Template:POA Template:Mention
* Template:POA Template:Mention
* Template:GOF
* Template:GOF
* Template:OOTP
* Template:OOTP
* Template:HBP
* Template:HBP
* Template:DH
* Template:DH
* Template:DH
* *Harry Potter: The Wand Collection* Template:Mention
* *Harry Potter Official Site*

## Notes and references

Template:Reflist

1. ↑ Template:PM - *The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 J. K. Rowling's official site - Extra Stuff
3. ↑ Template:PS
4. ↑ Template:PS
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Template:PS
6. ↑ Template:DH
7. ↑ *Harry Potter: Magic Caster Wand* Template:See image 2
8. ↑ Template:DH
9. ↑ Template:PS, Chapter 26 (*Entirely Up-To Something*)
10. ↑ Pottemore - *Curses and Counter-Curses*
11. ↑ Template:HM
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Template:COS, Chapter 12 (*Mudbloods And Murmurs*)
13. ↑ J. K. Rowling's official site - Extra Stuff