I mean he'd been dead.
You're probably right, though. I usually just have characters cover it up with a handful of innocuous spells.

 

Yeah, that was a stream of consciousness argument where I started then dismissed it. It really does remove some utility of the spell in a law enforcement sense UNLESS it can go back indefinitely to provide evidence to other crimes - and that the reverse spell evidence is accepted in court.

 

Does anyone remember what fic the “Auror's Nine“ set of spells was invented in?

 

Perchance I've missed it either in canon or in this thread, but is there a definitive answer on what Portkeys do in terms of transportation? It's suggested in GoF (end of The Portkey chapter) that they move people through physical space at a blinding pace, which is supported a bit in text by Harry's shoulders being hit by Ron's and Hermione's as well as several mentions of speeding forwards there and later when returning to Hogwarts after the Graveyard, but was something more detailed ever released in canon or canon-related material?

 

I thought it was kind of like a path was cut through space-time and they went through that. It can't be that they're literally traveling through actual space because they've used portkeys inside before.

 

My read on it was always that it worked by taking the departure and arrival points, compressing all of the space between them, then letting it go. Once released, the compressed space snaps back out like a spring, carrying the portkey and everyone touching it along for the ride. This is what creates the intense sensation of motion for that fraction of an instant, and why there's no collision issues; they were already at the destination once the portkey activated, the destination just had to get back to where it belonged.

 

Agayek, your idea of how Portkeys work reminds me of that demonstration explaining what a wormhole is where you draw two lines on a paper, fold the paper, and put a pin through those two points to show the shortest way to get from point A to point B (instead of a line connecting the two). perhaps we can think of a Portkey as a kind of pin that connects non-contiguous points in space-time.

 

Is there a limit on how many spells a wizard can put on an object?

 

I don't believe the topic was ever raised in the books. I'd consider broomsticks if you wanted to think about the idea yourself.

 

There's a quite well-known quote from Ron about Hermione going "She's scary. Brilliant, but scary." Does anyone remember in what scene he said that (if it's not pure fanon)? I've checked my versions of all seven books for "scary" and "brilliant" and found nothing. Was it a movie, perhaps?

 

Looks like it's near the end of the Philosopher's Stone movie, when she casts Petrificus Totalus on Neville.

 

Thanks, that's it. I really didn't want to watch the all set of movies.

 

In which book does Dumbledore explain to Harry that the horcruxes didn't diminish Voldemort's intelligence?

 

Half-Blood-Prince

 

Ha when he says “uncommon” I think of loot and how uncommon is pretty average over all.

Good discription of Harry.

 

Is there any point where a enslaved House-Elf uses magic directly on a wizard?

If not, then them not being able to, could actually be a good explanation for why wizards dont use House-Elves to transport themselves to protective places and to escape from places like Azkaban. It would also explain why they wouldn't be used as assassins or why the Hogearts elves had to rely on Knifes to fight Death Eaters, while Dobby was able to use magic against Lucius after being freed.

 

I feel winky on Crouch Jr. should qualify, though it is explained to us more than we see it.

 

When would she have used magic on him? I was more under the impression that she was just used to take care of him after Crouch Sr. Used the imperius on him.

 

I don’t have the books to hand, but doesn’t she bind him to her, either with magic ropes or a charm directly?

 

Yeah, you're right.