wizard burnings & the freezing charm

[vjmerri]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C7375
From: vjmerri
Subject: wizard burnings & the freezing charm
Reply To: [Yahoo! #7106] Re: Hogwarts, a History.
Date: 8/20/00 4:12 pm  (ET)

By: schlaggen
Date: 8/17/00 6:29 pm

In COS, Proffesor Binns states that it was built by Gryffindor,
Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, who wanted to train wizards far
away from muggles (this was presumably in the middle ages, when magic
practitioners were likely to be tortured or killed).
---------

except that magic practitioners weren't really tortured and killed because
the real practitioners could a) hide themselves and b) evidently were
difficult to hurt by muggles.

Remember in the start of PoA Harry was finishing his essay on witch
burning. there was wendolyn the wierd who enjoyed the tickling sensation
after "the basic freezing charm" so much that she allowed herself to be
burned numerous times. JKR gave the definite impression that no __real___
witches and wizards were actually hurt during this time period.

RE: the basic "freezing charm" that the champions should have used against
the dragons. GOOD CALL. As Brooks said, JKR invents interesting spells
and then sometimes doesn't follow through on keeping them in the rest
of the books. Its not atypical for serial fantasy books and tv shows,
although JKR does MUCH MUCH better than average at it.

How about this for an intra universe answer: Not a single one of the
champions thought to use the freezing charm. Very forgetful of them
actually. Also, although the charm would clearly have helped to prevent
burns, they needed something else too because the dragon could simply
have mooshed the champion with a front claw as he/she approached to get
the egg,

vicki