Obscurial

An Obscurial is a young witch or wizard who has developed a dark, parasitic magical force called an Obscurus. This phenomenon occurs when the child, typically due to intense psychological or physical trauma, consciously suppresses their innate magical abilities. The repressed magic corrupts and manifests as a separate, uncontrollable entity. The Obscurial is both the creator and the victim of the Obscurus, which it hosts. The term “Obscurial” does not appear in the original seven Harry Potter novels. The concept was primarily introduced and defined in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film series and related materials (film, Pottermore). However, the condition described for Ariana Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is considered a canonical precursor to and example of this type of magical affliction.

An Obscurial is created when a magical child actively represses their magic, usually out of fear of discovery or persecution. This suppression prevents the magic from developing normally; instead, it turns inward and becomes a malevolent force known as an Obscurus.

• Relationship with Host: The Obscurial and the Obscurus exist in a destructive symbiosis. While the Obscurial hosts the entity, they generally have little to no control over it, especially during moments of extreme anger or distress, when the Obscurus is prone to lash out.
• Lifespan: The immense strain of hosting an Obscurus is typically fatal. Most Obscurials do not survive past the age of ten (Fantastic Beasts). In very rare cases, an exceptionally powerful witch or wizard might survive longer, as seen with Credence Barebone (film).
• Canonical Example (Ariana Dumbledore): In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Aberforth Dumbledore describes how his sister, Ariana Dumbledore, was attacked by Muggle boys at the age of six. The trauma caused her to repress her magic. He stated, “It turned inward and drove her mad, it exploded out of her when she couldn't control it, and she'd be strange and dangerous.” This uncontrolled magical outburst led to the accidental death of their mother, Kendra Dumbledore.

• The Obscurial: In their normal state, an Obscurial appears as a regular human. However, they often exhibit signs of emotional distress, fear, and withdrawal resulting from their internal struggle and the trauma that caused their condition.
• The Obscurus: When manifested, an Obscurus typically appears as a large, violent, and swirling mass of black ethereal energy or smoke. It can expand and retract rapidly and moves with incredible speed and force, often lashing out with tendrils of dark magic (film).

The primary ability of an Obscurial is the projection of the Obscurus. The Obscurus itself wields immense, raw, and destructive magical power, completely separate from the host's own potential for controlled spell-casting.

• Destructive Force: An unleashed Obscurus can cause catastrophic damage, capable of levitating and destroying entire buildings, tearing up streets, and killing those in its path with concussive force.
• Lack of Control: The Obscurial host typically cannot control the Obscurus's actions. The entity acts on its own, driven by the host's repressed emotions of pain and anger.
• Case of Ariana Dumbledore: Ariana's repressed magic was powerful enough to kill a fully grown witch, her mother, during one of its violent outbursts.

The name “Obscurial” is derived from the Latin word obscurus, which means “dark,” “dim,” or “indistinct.” This etymology reflects the dark, hidden nature of the repressed magic and the resulting parasitic force. The term aptly describes both the shadowy appearance of the Obscurus and the concealed magical nature of its host.

• The concepts of the Obscurial and the Obscurus were formally introduced in the screenplay and film adaptation of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film). The central antagonist force in the first film is the Obscurus hosted by Credence Barebone.
• Newt Scamander explains in the film that he once tried to save a young Sudanese girl who was an Obscurial. She did not survive, but he was able to separate the Obscurus from her body and contain it within his magical suitcase, showing that an Obscurus can briefly exist independently of its host (film).
• In an interview, J.K. Rowling clarified the connection to Ariana Dumbledore. She stated that while Ariana's condition was “very similar” to being an Obscurial and served as an inspiration for the concept, the term itself was not conceived until she began working on the Fantastic Beasts story. Therefore, characters in the original books would not have used the word “Obscurial” to describe her (J.K. Rowling interview).