Ah, but even magic, theoretically, should conform to some kind of rules, shouldn't it?

 

It should, but do remember the whole thing of harry doing things he's not supposed to be able to do whole cliche. We're not given any rules that maguc abides by, nor is he, so how is he to know? The thing that with magic you don'r hear about any limits, bar Magic cannot bring back the dead, but it prolly can but people believe it is unethical and it might require more magic than people possess. Sure there has to be something behind why the spells work etc. I'm thinking unknown energies not readily found thus not able to be studied closely. Also I think the department of mysteries might be the whole place that they work on matters related on the mysteries of magic.

 

I shall write them a nice letter then.

 

As I'm a bit morbid I've actually thought about this quite a bit and I think the energy is forced from the body, leaving the body truly dead. The reason muggles don't get flung anywhere is that the energy forced from there bodies is just chemical/kinetic energy. With magical folk the energy is the same as muggles but add to that a discharge of all their magical energy. It would be like put sodium in water, the bigger the piece the bigger the bang. Also wasn't the backlash from the protected Harry what killed Tom, which must mean that he was forced to discharge all the energy from his body which would contain his spirit. There was mention of Harry's house being destroyed.

 

Its not any big reason why Dumbledore and Cedric went flying but Frank didn't. My theroy is that all spells can be modifyed by the energy the caster puts into it. Frank just fell over dead because Voldemort was swating an anoying fly. On the other hand Snape hated Dumbledore and must die an awfull death in the final book.

 

What happens if you get hit in the finger with the AK? Or just a partial hit?

Do you still die?

 

I think that the nature of the AK curse is that you can't just get hit in the whole finger...

If you look at the GOF film, the curse seems to be all over the place and even if the main jet only hits you in the finger, one of the jets which sprout from the main jet will hit you...

Also, again from the film, it looked as if as soon as one bit of the body is hit by the curse, the whole body glows green and the curse has spread over the body in an instant.

As for the movie being a good reliable indicator, I generally say that unless the film contrdicts the books (which take precedence) then it is accurate.

 

I'm pretty sure the curse just works by 'turning off' all the bodily functions and the victim just stops living.

As for the flinging bodies around, perhaps it works on the same basis as a bullet. When you hit someone with a powerful bullet at close range, they fall down dead. But if they are running away, they get hit by bullet and get propelled forward a bit because of the mommentum. I don't have any of the books with me so i can't check the settings but maybe it has something to do with the victims movement. If they stay still and get hit by the curse they just drop dead but if they're running away or something they get hit by the curse and they get propelled by the momentum of the spell meeting the body (or maybe vice versa). I don't think either cedric or dumbles was running away at the time of the spell so i can't really support this point with cannon evidence.

 

i think you are all racking your brain for nothing. Someone might get it like jk thinks of it, but htere is no proof of jk having decided either. It's like stupify: it is supposed to stun someone, but bellatrix destroyed a statue with it. (dom)

 

Made my day.

But, arkeus, I was led to believe that the red spell was either a Cruciatus Curse or something unknown. Most likely there is more than just one spell that has a reddish color.

I just read the whole section, and there is a part where a reflected Stupefy knocks the ear off of the statue of a goblin, but that was the only time a Stupefy was used.

 

I was thinking about the AK curse the other day and came up with a possible theory. It doesnt account for the flying Dumbledore though...

When it hits wood or solid material, the said object bursts into flames. But when it hits a body the body becomes lifeless

What I was thinking is that the body, or soul, acts as a conducter. The curse is designed to destory what it touches. When it hits wood, it is like a short circuit and an explosion occurs. When it hits the body, or soul, the circuit is complete and no explosion happens, only the conducter is destroyed. Perhaps it is more life a fuse. Oh well, that may seem pretty unclear to most people. I am not good at writing down my thoughts coherently.

 

Hum i don't know, i really don't think jk has put any thought into it at all. As you said, a stupify knowked off a ear made of gold, but when another is struck with the killing curse, it does nothing to it.

Now i may have a theory about it: layering of spells. For exemple, maybe when AD waved his wand at the four statues it did more than just animate them, but also made them resistant to magic for a short time, or make them indestructible.

On the other hand, maybe bellatrix combined a stupify with a blasting hex: if one is block, the power of the other still pass through.

But what i really believe is that JK just messed up.

 

I think this topic is stupid. JK just makes up spells when she feels like it. There is probably very little thought put into them. She likes the idea...POW it happens. You should also grow up and realise your discussing a piece of >>fiction<< not reality.
On another note none of you have mentioned Imposter Moody in GOF saying that they could all hit him with ak and all it would do is give him a nosebleed.
Given that he is a death eater and thus experienced in dark magic i think his opinion is valid...unless he has a big ego and thinks hes uber. Also thinking in terms of this being real...why cant it just stop the heart staight away or do something on a sub-atomic level which would never be picked up under most circumstances by the muggles. Also the riddle's death was years ago before they had alot of technology. Also the riddles could have been scared shitless at seeing tom riddle prehaps? He doesnt exactly look very nice and i imagine they would be scared because tom riddle knows about magic and he would have undoubtedly told his parents thus wizard son bursts in = fear.

 

I agree with Taure. Off-topic, but did you guys see the spiders that Moody used in GoF the movie? I thought they were supposed to be non-magical.

 

Hubem, I think it's fair to say that since we aren't all sharing a group mental illness, and are in complete control of our faculties, we are well aware that we are discussing a piece of fiction. That it is fiction does not mean that we cannot apply our intellect to try to understand it, in terms we are familiar with. That you cannot suggests that maybe you are the one that needs to grow up, and get an intellect of your own.

 

My theory of how killing curse effects is that the spell is a "command" in form of somekind of energy. So, when the spell hits a person, the spell goes to person's nerve system and "travels" to brains.

When the spell reaches brains, it gives brains "the command", which would, in case of AK, for example stop some vital functions not controlled by human(like hearth muscle's working) and so make the person die.

But, of course, this is only my view to the issue.

 

Raise your hand if you think JKR didn't actually develop anything about this spell other than it just kills you with no sign of the cause of death.

*Raises Hand*

I think the scene in HBP was simply because she wanted him to fall off the tower. But from a practical - want to use it in fanfiction and think spell theory should exist - sense, it seems as though all evidence aside from Dumbledore's death suggests it simply makes your body stop working. Everything shuts down: Brain, Heart, Nervous System. It simply stops your body from performing any living functions.

 

*raises hand*

I totaly agree with her statement.