Illness in wizarding (was: A Few Observations)

[Ebony Elizabeth Thomas]

No: HPFGUIDX 10880

Becky wrote:

>To take this in a slightly different direction - does the fact that
>all illnesses and injuries can be healed either instantaneously or
>overnight (unless caused by a magical creature) mean that no one in
>the wizarding community is ever sick or crippled? I mean, you don't
>exactly hear about a flu bug taking out half of Hogwarts for a week,
>huh? Someone put in an earlier post today that Dumbledore was 150
>years old - is this true, I don't remember reading it?  If so,
>though, it is understandable if there are no lasting illnesses....


I've a nugget of an idea about a story in which a wizard or a witch is dying 
of cancer or another terminal disease.

I don't buy the notion that wizards can't get sick.  I think that Jo's 
magical medicine rules are rather piecemeal.  Harry has to wear glasses... 
but Madame Pomfrey can regrow the bones in his arm.  Hermione has bucked 
teeth... but she can be revived from a near-death coma with a simple potion. 
  There don't seem to be many hard-and-fast rules here.

BTW, did anyone see my question about means by which Harry *could* be 
killed?  Everything Voldemort has tried so far has been ineffective, to say 
the least.

--Ebony AKA AngieJ

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Ebony AKA AngieJ
(H/H Special Agent, First Class)

"'We start by recruiting members,' said Hermione happily.  'I thought two 
Sickles to join--that buys a badge--and the proceeds can fund our leaflet 
campaign.  You're treasurer, Ron--I've got you a collecting tin 
upstairs--and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down 
everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting.'

"There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the pair of them, and Harry 
sat, torn between exasperation at Hermione and amusement at the look on 
Ron's face."

--from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, p. 225, 1st Amer. ed.

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com