Spells
Dark Magic Spells

Imperius Curse

"Total control ...I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats. . ."

-- Fake Moody/Barty Crouch Jr. demonstrating the Imperius Curse on a spider (GF14)

Imperius Curse

One of the Unforgivable Curses, this spell causes the victim to be completely under the command of the caster, who can make the victim do anything the caster wishes. A victim of this spell is said to have been Imperiused.

References from the canon

  • Imperio makes the victim feel as if their minds have been "wiped of all thought" and they are in a "blissful" dream state, as Harry felt when Voldemort put him under the curse several times in the Riddle graveyard. However, he was able to fight against it:
  • "I will not, said a stronger voice, in the back of his head, I won't answer. . . .
    Just answer no. . . .
    I won't do it, I won't say it. ...
    Just answer no. . . .
    "I WON'T!"
    And these words burst from Harry's mouth; they echoed through the graveyard, and the dream state was lifted as suddenly as though cold water had been thrown over him... (GF34)
  • Lecture with demonstration in Defence Against the Dark Arts (GF14)
  • Cast on Krum by the fake Moody (GF31, GF35).
  • Cast on Crouch junior by Crouch senior (GF35).
  • Cast on Crouch senior by Voldemort (GF35).
  • Cast by Voldemort on Harry (GF34)
  • c.f. Voldemort: First Rise of the Dark Lord
  • Harry raised the possibility - which Arthur Weasley then refuted - that Fudge may have been acting under the Imperius Curse (OP9).
  • Snape points out that fighting against the Legilimens spell is similar to resisting the Imperius Curse (OP24).
  • Herbert Chorley, a Junior Minister in the government of Muggle Britain, began impersonating a duck as a result of a reaction to a poorly performed Imperius Curse (HBP1).
  • Cast by Draco Malfoy on Madam Rosmerta, and by her on Katie Bell (HBP12, HBP27).
  • Cast by Yaxley on Pius Thicknesse (DH1).
  • Referred to by the verb Imperiused (DH5).
  • Cast by Harry on various goblins and on Travers during the retrieval of the cup Horcrux (DH26).
  • Harry believes that Stan Shunpike must have been Imperiused (DH5).
  • Albus Potter tells Delphi that she will have to use this curse as he will not help her voluntarily (CC3.19).

Commentary

Etymology

"impero" L. order, govern, command

Pensieve (Comments)

Tags: control

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