Cursed Opal Necklace

The Cursed Opal Necklace is a Dark artifact of lethal power, first seen on display at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. Harry Potter spotted it there four years before the events of his sixth year, noting the label that declared it cursed. The necklace became a central weapon in Draco Malfoy's increasingly desperate campaign to assassinate Albus Dumbledore during the 1996–1997 school year.

Origin and Appearance

The necklace was an ornate piece set with opals, kept in a glass-fronted case at Borgin and Burkes. When Harry saw it during his second year, he recognized it as a cursed object. By his sixth year, Malfoy had remembered it and returned to the shop to acquire it. During a confrontation in the shop, Malfoy threatened the proprietor, Mr. Borgin, with the werewolf Fenrir Greyback to ensure his cooperation, and instructed Borgin to keep the necklace safe for him, refusing to carry it himself because he did not want to be seen with it on the street.

The Attack on Katie Bell

On a Hogsmeade weekend in October, Malfoy put his plan into action. He used Madam Rosmerta, the landlady of the Three Broomsticks, who was under the Imperius Curse, to pass the necklace to a Hogwarts student. Katie Bell, a Gryffindor Chaser, received the wrapped package in the ladies' bathroom at the Three Broomsticks and was instructed to deliver it to someone at Hogwarts. As she walked back toward the school with her friend Leanne, an argument broke out over the package. When Leanne tried to grab it, the parcel tore open, and Katie touched the necklace. She immediately rose into the air, her eyes closed and her face empty of expression, then began to scream in terrible anguish. She thrashed and writhed on the ground, apparently unable to recognize anyone. Hagrid carried her to the castle, and Professor Snape was able to slow the spread of the curse, but Katie had to be transferred to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. She remained there for months, and Harry learned that had she put the necklace on or even held it in an ungloved hand, she would have died instantly. The only reason she survived was that a tiny hole in her glove allowed minimal skin contact.

Investigation and Aftermath

Harry immediately suspected Malfoy, remembering the necklace from Borgin and Burkes and having witnessed Malfoy's suspicious behavior there. He reported his suspicions to Professor McGonagall, but she pointed out that Malfoy had been in detention with her during the Hogsmeade trip and could not have been involved directly. Hermione argued that Malfoy could have used an accomplice, and Harry later realized that Malfoy had been communicating with the Imperiused Madam Rosmerta using enchanted coins, a method he had copied from Dumbledore's Army. The necklace attack was one of several failed attempts by Malfoy to kill Dumbledore, alongside the poisoned mead that nearly killed Ron Weasley. Dumbledore later revealed to Harry that he had known all along that Malfoy was behind the attacks, calling them "feeble attempts" that showed Malfoy's heart was not truly in the task of murder. The necklace itself was taken by Professor McGonagall and given to Snape for examination, wrapped in Harry's scarf to prevent further contact.

Narrative Significance

The Cursed Opal Necklace serves as a key piece of evidence in Harry's growing conviction that Malfoy has become a Death Eater and is carrying out a mission for Voldemort. It demonstrates the indirect and increasingly desperate nature of Malfoy's attempts, as well as the collateral danger to innocent students. The attack also highlights the heightened security measures at Hogwarts and the difficulty of preventing Dark objects from entering the castle when they can be disguised or delivered through Imperiused intermediaries. The necklace's failure to reach its intended target foreshadows Malfoy's ultimate inability to commit murder when face-to-face with Dumbledore on the Astronomy Tower.