Cruciatus Curse

• Incantation: Crucio
• Pronunciation: KROO-see-oh
• Wand Movement: Unknown
• Light: No specific light colour is mentioned in the books. The films depict it as a flash of red or white light. (film)
• Effect: Inflicts excruciating, unbearable physical pain upon the victim. The curse does not cause any visible physical injury, but the intensity of the pain can drive victims to insanity if they are exposed to it for a prolonged period.
• Type: Curse, Unforgivable Curse, Dark Magic

The Cruciatus Curse is one of the three Unforgivable Curses, and its use on a human is punishable by a life sentence in Azkaban. It is a signature spell of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

• During the First Wizarding War, the Aurors Frank Longbottom and Alice Longbottom were tortured into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse by a group of Death Eaters: Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr.. They were subsequently confined to the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
• In 1994, Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Alastor Moody, demonstrated the curse on a spider during a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson at Hogwarts.
• During the duel in the Little Hangleton graveyard, Lord Voldemort used the curse on Harry Potter multiple times, both to inflict pain and to prevent him from escaping. He also used it on his Death Eater, Avery, as punishment.
• Viktor Krum, while under the Imperius Curse cast by Barty Crouch Jr., used the Cruciatus Curse on Cedric Diggory in the maze during the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament.
• After the death of Sirius Black in the Department of Mysteries, an enraged Harry Potter attempted to cast the curse on Bellatrix Lestrange. However, his lack of genuine sadistic intent meant the curse was ineffective, causing her only a moment of pain.
• During the same battle, Bellatrix Lestrange used the curse on Neville Longbottom to try and force Harry to hand over the prophecy.
• Lord Voldemort used the curse on Harry in the Ministry of Magic atrium, an act witnessed by Cornelius Fudge and other Ministry officials, providing irrefutable proof of his return.
• Draco Malfoy was ordered by Voldemort to use the curse on Thorfinn Rowle as punishment, an act he performed with some hesitation.
• During her interrogation of Hermione Granger at Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix Lestrange repeatedly used the Cruciatus Curse to extract information.
• Harry Potter successfully and powerfully cast the curse on Amycus Carrow in the Ravenclaw Tower after Carrow spat in Professor Minerva McGonagall's face. Harry's rage was so potent that he meant to cause pain, making the curse effective.

The Cruciatus Curse is a piece of advanced Dark Magic that requires more than just the incantation to work effectively. As Bellatrix Lestrange explained to Harry, the caster must possess a genuine and sadistic desire to cause pain for the curse to function at full power. Righteous anger or a desire for retribution is insufficient to produce the curse's full, excruciating effect. There is no known counter-curse for the Cruciatus Curse. The only known defences are to dodge the spell, take cover behind a solid object, or interrupt the caster before they can complete it. A person with exceptional willpower might be able to endure the pain for a short time, but prolonged exposure is devastating.

The incantation, Crucio, is a Latin word meaning “I torture” or “I torment.” It is derived from the Latin crux, meaning “cross,” which was historically an instrument of torture. The English word “excruciating,” which perfectly describes the pain caused by the curse, shares the same root.

• In the film adaptations, the Cruciatus Curse is consistently portrayed with a flash of bright light, typically red or white, and causes the victim to scream and convulse violently. (film)
• The spell is a usable combat spell in several video games, including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (video game), where it functions as a powerful damage-over-time spell. (video game)