Dark Arts
The Dark Arts are those magical spells and practices that are usually used for malicious purposes. Practitioners of Dark Arts are referred to as Dark witches or wizards. The most prominent of these is Voldemort, known to them as the Dark Lord. His followers, known as Death Eaters, practice the Dark Arts while doing his bidding.
The type of spells characteristic of Dark Arts are known as curses,[13] which usually cause harm to the target. All, to a certain degree, are in some circumstances justifiable. The motivation of the caster affects a curse's result. This is most notable in the case of Cruciatus: when cast by Harry, angered by the death of his godfather by Bellatrix and desiring to punish her, it causes a short moment of pain. As Bellatrix herself comments, righteous anger does not allow the spell to work for long. When cast by figures such as Voldemort, who desire to inflict pain for its own sake, it causes intense agony that can last as long as the Dark witch or wizard desires. Use of Dark Magic can corrupt the soul and body; Voldemort has used such magic in his quest to prolong his life and obtain great power. Dark Arts also caused Voldemort to look deformed and inhuman, a side effect of splitting his soul into Horcruxes.
According to Snape, the Dark Arts "are many, varied, ever-changing and eternal... unfixed, mutating, indestructible". They also appear to be the most common form of magic used by criminals, while dangerous spells used by others in the books are frequently labelled Dark. In magical dueling, for example, there are any number of spells that may be used to attack, immobilise, or disarm an opponent without causing pain or lasting harm; however, spells such as the Cruciatus Curse or Sectumsempra, judged to be Dark by reliable authorities, wound or seriously distress a victim in some way.
In the Wizarding world, use of the Dark Arts is strongly stigmatised and even illegal; however, these spells are prevalent enough that even before the rise of Voldemort, many schools, (including Hogwarts), taught Defence Against the Dark Arts as a standard subject. Techniques include anti-curses and simple spells to disable or disarm attackers or fight off certain creatures. Some schools, such as Durmstrang, teach Dark Magic. A Dark Arts class was also taught at Hogwarts while it was under Death Eater control.
The type of spells characteristic of Dark Arts are known as curses,[13] which usually cause harm to the target. All, to a certain degree, are in some circumstances justifiable. The motivation of the caster affects a curse's result. This is most notable in the case of Cruciatus: when cast by Harry, angered by the death of his godfather by Bellatrix and desiring to punish her, it causes a short moment of pain. As Bellatrix herself comments, righteous anger does not allow the spell to work for long. When cast by figures such as Voldemort, who desire to inflict pain for its own sake, it causes intense agony that can last as long as the Dark witch or wizard desires. Use of Dark Magic can corrupt the soul and body; Voldemort has used such magic in his quest to prolong his life and obtain great power. Dark Arts also caused Voldemort to look deformed and inhuman, a side effect of splitting his soul into Horcruxes.
According to Snape, the Dark Arts "are many, varied, ever-changing and eternal... unfixed, mutating, indestructible". They also appear to be the most common form of magic used by criminals, while dangerous spells used by others in the books are frequently labelled Dark. In magical dueling, for example, there are any number of spells that may be used to attack, immobilise, or disarm an opponent without causing pain or lasting harm; however, spells such as the Cruciatus Curse or Sectumsempra, judged to be Dark by reliable authorities, wound or seriously distress a victim in some way.
In the Wizarding world, use of the Dark Arts is strongly stigmatised and even illegal; however, these spells are prevalent enough that even before the rise of Voldemort, many schools, (including Hogwarts), taught Defence Against the Dark Arts as a standard subject. Techniques include anti-curses and simple spells to disable or disarm attackers or fight off certain creatures. Some schools, such as Durmstrang, teach Dark Magic. A Dark Arts class was also taught at Hogwarts while it was under Death Eater control.
Unforgivable Curses
The Unforgivable Curses are some of the most powerful known Dark Arts spells. They were first classified as unforgivable in 1717. Used by the books' villains, such as Voldemort and the Death Eaters and in some cases the Ministry of Magic, their use inspires horror and great fear amongst others. The curses are so named because their use is — except by Ministry authorisation — forbidden and unforgivable in the Wizarding world when used on another human or probably any sentient being. The use of any of these spells on another human being is punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban. The only exception is if a person is proved to have done them under the influence of the Imperius Curse. These curses are thus very rarely used openly. However, in Deathly Hallows, the Unforgivable Curses are used liberally by good characters, ranging from Professor McGonagall with the Imperius Curse, to Harry effectively using the Cruciatus Curse. He also uses the Imperius curse on a goblin and a suspicious Death Eater during their disguised attack upon Gringotts Bank. However, at the time the Unforgivable curses had been made legal. Since the spells are very powerful, their use requires a strong desire to cause the effects, a directed will, and great skill.
It is noted that to perform the Unforgivable Curses, the caster must "mean it". This means that they need to want the effects a fair amount for the effects to last. In Order of the Phoenix, Harry attempted to use the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix, but he was drawing only from righteous anger and did not truly 'mean it'. Bellatrix explained that a caster must truly want their victim to suffer, and thus Harry's spell caused her to feel pain for only a moment. Nonetheless, the sheer force of the curse is enough to blast Bellatrix off of her feet.
The use of the Unforgivable Curses was authorised against Voldemort and his followers by Bartemius Crouch Sr, during the First Wizarding War. Shortly after his resurrection, Voldemort names two Death Eaters "killed by Aurors".
The Unforgivable Curses:
Avada Kedavra ,the Killing Curse. The curse is used for Murder. This is also one of the most powerful curses. The spell cannot be directly blocked and casted away, but it can be prevented (using the Expelliarmus spell), or avoided. The spell causes immidiate death, and cannot be reversed. The curse, when summoned, is shown in a bright green light.
Crucio, the Cruciatus Curse. The curse is used for torturing a person. The strengh of the curse is detected by a person who casted it. If the person intentionally uses the curse, it is powerful and tortures the person hard. The curse is so powerful that it can even torture a person so hard that they are exhausted to death, or in harder case, it causes temporary amnesia (the case of Neville's parents, who were tortured by Bellatrix). The curse, when summoned, is shown in a bright-faded blue light.
Imperio , the Imperius Curse. The curse used for mind control, and can make the person to do abnormal things, even ones that is uncapable of doing while normal. The strengh (and also the length) of the curse is also based on the person who casted it. The curse, when summoned, is shown in a bright haze.
It is noted that to perform the Unforgivable Curses, the caster must "mean it". This means that they need to want the effects a fair amount for the effects to last. In Order of the Phoenix, Harry attempted to use the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix, but he was drawing only from righteous anger and did not truly 'mean it'. Bellatrix explained that a caster must truly want their victim to suffer, and thus Harry's spell caused her to feel pain for only a moment. Nonetheless, the sheer force of the curse is enough to blast Bellatrix off of her feet.
The use of the Unforgivable Curses was authorised against Voldemort and his followers by Bartemius Crouch Sr, during the First Wizarding War. Shortly after his resurrection, Voldemort names two Death Eaters "killed by Aurors".
The Unforgivable Curses:
Avada Kedavra ,the Killing Curse. The curse is used for Murder. This is also one of the most powerful curses. The spell cannot be directly blocked and casted away, but it can be prevented (using the Expelliarmus spell), or avoided. The spell causes immidiate death, and cannot be reversed. The curse, when summoned, is shown in a bright green light.
Crucio, the Cruciatus Curse. The curse is used for torturing a person. The strengh of the curse is detected by a person who casted it. If the person intentionally uses the curse, it is powerful and tortures the person hard. The curse is so powerful that it can even torture a person so hard that they are exhausted to death, or in harder case, it causes temporary amnesia (the case of Neville's parents, who were tortured by Bellatrix). The curse, when summoned, is shown in a bright-faded blue light.
Imperio , the Imperius Curse. The curse used for mind control, and can make the person to do abnormal things, even ones that is uncapable of doing while normal. The strengh (and also the length) of the curse is also based on the person who casted it. The curse, when summoned, is shown in a bright haze.
Dark Mark
The Dark Mark is the symbol of Voldemort and the Death Eaters that appears in the sky when conjured. It looks like a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth in place of the tongue. As a spell it is cast by a Death Eater whenever he or she has murdered someone. The spell used by Death Eaters to conjure the Mark is Morsmordre. It first appears in Goblet of Fire and is described as a "colossal skull, composed of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue". Once in the sky it was "blazing in a haze of greenish smoke".
Dark Marks are also branded on the left forearm of the closest followers of Voldemort. The mark serves as a connection between Voldemort and each who bears it; he can summon them by touching his mark, causing it and those of his followers to burn and change colour. Death Eaters can summon Voldemort in the same fashion. Following Voldemort's ultimate defeat, the Dark Marks on his Death Eaters fade into a scar "similar" to Harry's. In the books, the Dark Mark is described as green; however, in the films, it was only green at the Quidditch World Cup. In all other film appearances it has been grey.
Dark Marks are also branded on the left forearm of the closest followers of Voldemort. The mark serves as a connection between Voldemort and each who bears it; he can summon them by touching his mark, causing it and those of his followers to burn and change colour. Death Eaters can summon Voldemort in the same fashion. Following Voldemort's ultimate defeat, the Dark Marks on his Death Eaters fade into a scar "similar" to Harry's. In the books, the Dark Mark is described as green; however, in the films, it was only green at the Quidditch World Cup. In all other film appearances it has been grey.
Inferius
An Inferius (plural: Inferi) is a corpse controlled through a Dark wizard's spells. An Inferius is not alive, but a dead body that has been bewitched into acting like a puppet for the witch or wizard; this manifests itself as a white mist in the controlled corpse's eyes. They cannot think for themselves: they are created to perform a specific duty assigned by the Dark wizard who commands them, and as seen in the Inferi guarding Voldemort's Horcrux in a seaside cave, remain idle until their task can be performed. This task is then thoughtlessly carried out, whether or not it will produce any result. Inferi are difficult to harm by magic; however, they can be repelled by fire or any other forms of heat or light, as the Inferi in Voldemort's cave had never been exposed to either of these elements. When defeated, they return to their idle state.
Inferi are considered dangerous and frightening enough by the magical world that impersonating an Inferius (as Mundungus Fletcher does in Half-Blood Prince) is an offence worthy of imprisonment in Azkaban.
The Ministry of Magic fears that Voldemort is killing enough people to make an army of Inferi: as they are dead, they are very difficult to stop. When Voldemort was hiding one of his Horcruxes in the past, he filled a lake in a cave with many Inferi, which were to attack and drown anyone but Voldemort who came into the cavern and took the locket. When Harry and Dumbledore took the locket, the Inferi attacked Harry; Dumbledore repelled them with a rope of fire. It is also revealed that the Inferi almost killed Kreacher after he drank from the basin to help Voldemort hide his Horcruxes, but because elves must disapparate (a form of teleporting) whenever they are summoned by their master, he escaped when Regulus Black summoned him, unaware of Kreacher being drowned by Inferi. It was, instead, Kreacher's master Regulus Black who drank and was drowned by the Inferi so that Kreacher could escape a second time.
In Latin, the word inferus (plural: inferi) means "below", often referring in the plural to "the gods below" (see di inferi) or the spirits of the dead. Inferius is a neuter singular form of inferior, a comparative adjective meaning "lower".
Inferi are considered dangerous and frightening enough by the magical world that impersonating an Inferius (as Mundungus Fletcher does in Half-Blood Prince) is an offence worthy of imprisonment in Azkaban.
The Ministry of Magic fears that Voldemort is killing enough people to make an army of Inferi: as they are dead, they are very difficult to stop. When Voldemort was hiding one of his Horcruxes in the past, he filled a lake in a cave with many Inferi, which were to attack and drown anyone but Voldemort who came into the cavern and took the locket. When Harry and Dumbledore took the locket, the Inferi attacked Harry; Dumbledore repelled them with a rope of fire. It is also revealed that the Inferi almost killed Kreacher after he drank from the basin to help Voldemort hide his Horcruxes, but because elves must disapparate (a form of teleporting) whenever they are summoned by their master, he escaped when Regulus Black summoned him, unaware of Kreacher being drowned by Inferi. It was, instead, Kreacher's master Regulus Black who drank and was drowned by the Inferi so that Kreacher could escape a second time.
In Latin, the word inferus (plural: inferi) means "below", often referring in the plural to "the gods below" (see di inferi) or the spirits of the dead. Inferius is a neuter singular form of inferior, a comparative adjective meaning "lower".
Horcrux
A horcrux is an object created using dark magic to attain effective immortality. The concept is first introduced in the sixth novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, although horcruxes are present in earlier novels without being described or expanded upon.
A horcrux is created when a soul-shard split from a murderer's soul is infused into an object, which is then hidden or in some other manner kept safe. (When a person commits murder, his soul becomes traumatized and splits into more than one piece. A horcrux is nothing more than the fused object/soul-shard created when the portion of the murderer's soul that was split off is infused into some material object.) The point of creating a horcrux is to prevent the passage of a soul to the afterlife (death) by anchoring a portion of the soul in the material world.
Ordinarily, when one's body is killed, the soul departs for the next world. If, however, the body of a horcrux owner is killed, that portion of his soul which had remained in his body will not pass on to the next world, but will rather exist in a non-corporeal form capable of being resurrected by another wizard, as in The Goblet of Fire. If all of someone's horcruxes are destroyed, then his soul's only anchor in the material world would be his body, the destruction of which would then cause his final death.
A horcrux is created when a soul-shard split from a murderer's soul is infused into an object, which is then hidden or in some other manner kept safe. (When a person commits murder, his soul becomes traumatized and splits into more than one piece. A horcrux is nothing more than the fused object/soul-shard created when the portion of the murderer's soul that was split off is infused into some material object.) The point of creating a horcrux is to prevent the passage of a soul to the afterlife (death) by anchoring a portion of the soul in the material world.
Ordinarily, when one's body is killed, the soul departs for the next world. If, however, the body of a horcrux owner is killed, that portion of his soul which had remained in his body will not pass on to the next world, but will rather exist in a non-corporeal form capable of being resurrected by another wizard, as in The Goblet of Fire. If all of someone's horcruxes are destroyed, then his soul's only anchor in the material world would be his body, the destruction of which would then cause his final death.