Maledictus

Maledictus
Ailment information
Provoked by	Blood malediction inherited through the female line of one's bloodline of descendants
Symptoms	A dangerous, gradually uncontrollable blood curse that eventually permanently turned its female victim into a type of beast Passing down one's condition to their female descendants at birth Human-like lifespan and physical ageing rate not affected by one's beast form
Known affected	Nagini

"[...] I present to you... a Maledictus! Once trapped in the jungles of Indonesia, she is the carrier of a blood curse. Such Underbeings are destined, through the course of their lives, to turn permanently into beasts [...] but soon she will be trapped forever in a very different body. Every night, when she sleeps...mesdames et messieurs...she is forced to become [...] Over time, she will not be able to transform back. She will be forever trapped in the body of a snake."

— Skender to his Circus Arcanus attendees about Nagini's Maledictus condition

A Maledictus (plural Maledictuses) was a female individual who inherited and carried a rare and dangerous type of a blood curse that eventually turned her into a type of beast permanently. The curse was carried from birth, and was passed down from mother to daughter in the female line of the original victim's bloodline of descendants.

The Maledictus curse was not to be confused with the acquired ability of Animagus, and the condition of lycanthropy.

Maledictuses were considered Underbeings in the wizarding world.

Nature

Maledictuses were not in any way destined to become evil as a result of their condition, despite their beast sides often being aggressive. In addition to it, the curse varied between each afflicted female individual; the type of beast the Maledictus eventually transformed into depended on the individual curse. Before their permanent transformation, they possessed the ability to change shape at will, which gradually became increasingly uncontrollable, and more involuntarily recurring as the curse progressed, resulting in their fate at some point during their lifetime. The transformation could also occur involuntarily while a Maledictus was asleep. It was unknown how long the process to become permanently turned into a beast took.

Similar conditions

Despite the two conditions allowing the subject to turn into a specific type of animal at will, their nature remained largely different: unlike Animagi, Maledictuses apparently lost the ability of a human-like intelligence over time, instead taking on the mental state of the type of beast one eventually transformed into, and they transformed due to a genetic curse, while Animagi's ability was not hereditary, and could not be passed down to one's descendants. Unlike Animagi, they were only female, and their ability of transformation became gradually uncontrollable as the curse progressed, resulting in the final transformation into a type of beast permanently, while Animagus retained full control, with their human consciences intact. Unlike Animagi, Maledictuses apparently did not return to their true, original human form upon death due to their fate, while Animagus' deceased physical form reverted to that of human.

However, there were some similarities between the existence of Maledictuses and Animagi that could be found between the two. For example, similarly to the condition of Animagi, a Maledictus's lifespan, once they permanently turned into their beast form, was apparently not limited by the lifespan and physical ageing rate of a regular member of one's new species, allowing a transformed Maledictus to retain her original human-like lifespan while remaining in one's beast form.

Despite the similarities between the two conditions, lycanthropy was not considered a type of blood malediction, and a female werewolf was not considered a Maledictus. A werewolf could be of either sex and it was not a hereditary trait, while a Maledictus was only female, and it was a maternally inherited gene.

Known Maledictuses

Nagini - Snake

Etymology

• Maledictus is a Latin word meaning "accursed [one]", from maledicere ("to speak ill of, slander, curse"). This is a masculine word; as all Maledictuses are female, it should logically be the female form, Maledicta.

Behind the scenes

• Nagini's human form was the first time a Maledictus was mentioned in the wizarding world franchise, though blood-related curses were mentioned before with the case of Astoria Malfoy.
• It is unknown if the Maledictus curse can ever be fixed or cured.
• It's unknown if a Muggle can carry the Maledictus curse. As yet we do not know if Nagini is magical or not, as it has not been revealed, it is possible that Muggle women, as well as witches, may be afflicted.
  • Nagini is stated to not have a wand, however according to the script she did manage to use Parseltongue to cast a spell when transformed. It has also been stated in interviews that she has magic "unlike that of wizards" suggesting that she may be a non-magical human able to use limited magic due to the curse she is under.
• Currenty, as of 2024, there is no canonically affirmed way of how the Maledictus curse was cast, other than the fact that it was a blood curse, and it could only be inherited and carried by the original victim's female descendants.

Appearances

• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay (First appearance)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Pottermore
• Wizarding World
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Mentioned only)