The world of Harry Potter is magical and vast, allowing years of imagination to blossom from its creation. But while there are many wondrous things that came from its magic, there are some creations that can send fear through the most powerful wizards. Unforgivable curses are just like what the name suggests, spells that are inexcusable to use. There are several other ways that wizards can defend themselves if needed, so avoiding these are ideal in the wizarding world. Wizards who want to use these curses need to have malevolent purposes first to cast it, those who do not cannot properly wield the spells.
However, what are they, and why are they not allowed? There are only three of them, and they are the most sinister spells of all. While during the Second Wizarding War, Lord Voldemort made the curses legal, they became illegal once again by the 1990s. Anyone using this spell on another human being would be sentenced to life in Azkaban, Harry Potter’s prison for the most dangerous criminals.
Spoiler Alert
3 Killing Curse- Avada Kedavra
This curse causes a green bolt to shoot from the end of the wand, and on contact with the person, results in immediate death. What’s strange about this spell is that there is no biological reason, they just simply drop dead. It’s thought that the soul of the victim is just magically ripped away from the body, causing the victim to die. Which this theory can be proven when looking at Lord Voldemort.
When casting this spell on Harry Potter as a baby, the spell backfired and turned against Voldemort, who only survived due to the use of Horcruxes. He explains that it felt as though his consciousness was torn from his body while experiencing indescribable pain.
Besides fast spells, the Killing Curse does not have a counter-curse. It can be hard to prevent this curse from attacking its target, unless the bolt is dodged or there is a solid object in the way to reach its victim.
2 Cruciatus Curse- Crucio
Also known as the torture curse, this is wielded to cause excruciating pain to the victim and could cause insanity if the victim is subjected to it at a prolonged period. While the curse does not actually cause physical pain, it does trigger the pain receptors into believing they are being tortured. The most well-known incident is with the Longbottoms, who were tortured into insanity by Death Eaters and spent the rest of their lives in the Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Harry Potter was also a victim to this curse and described it as feeling like his head being split open while his bones were set on fire. It is said that the extent of the pain and level depends on how the person feels towards the victim. When Lord Voldemort used this curse against Harry Potter, it is certain to be the more excruciating of pain that could probably be summoned with the curse.
Like the Killing Curse, this spell can be dodged and avoided using a solid object, but wizards who are strong enough can merely resist the pain if they will it. Hermione Granger managed to lie to Bellatrix Lestrange under this curse in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
1 Imperius Curse- Imperio
This curse causes the victim to perform the casters bidding, putting the victim in a trance, or dream-like, state of mind. It can be described as a “wonderful release” from responsibility, which sounds amazing if the casters did not have ill-intent behind it. Resistance to this curse is possible, however it is extremely difficult. During the First Wizarding War, many Death Eaters claimed to be under the Imperius Curse influence to avoid a sentence to Azkaban.
Those under the influence do not respond to the horrible crimes they are committing due to their hypnotic state of mind, and usually gain the required skills to complete these tasks. Neville Longbottom was under this spell in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and is said to do a series of gymnastics that he otherwise couldn’t do if he was in a normal state.
If this curse is preformed poorly, it can have long-lasting effects to the victim. One such case is with a Muggle, Junior Minister Herbert Chorely, who spent the rest of his life believing he was a duckv even after going to Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.