L.O.O.N. External memorandum: Jinxes - Mandrakes

[John Walton]

No: HPFGUIDX 22999

>From The Desk Of Anal P. Lardbottom

Dear Mr Brown,

We at L.O.O.N. have noted with interest your application for membership,
and, following your recent post to the Wonderful Wizarding Web, the
Board-In-General of L.O.O.N. (B-I-G  L.O.O.N) is delighted to pronounce you
an Official Credentialed Member of the League of Overly Obsessed Nitpickers.
Ms Joywitch M. Curmudgeon, Membership Director, will be contacting you
shortly.

In reply to your assertions:

> In PS/SS, Hermione says that '[she] know[s] a jinx when [she] sees
> one' (Chapter 11, 'Quidditch'). She then goes on to tell us that, in
> a jinx, you 'got to keep eye contact', presumably while you're saying
> the words of the jinx. From the context of the novel, we can assume
> that a jinx is wandless magic; a sort of spoken curse.
> 
> However, when we get to GoF, Harry learns the Impediment Jinx, which
> is performed via a wand, and is only said with one word
> ('Impedimentia!') and not a string of words. Is this a Flint, or am I
> just being too nitpickish?

Perish the thought! Indeed, this is nearly a Flint; L.O.O.N. believes that,
however, the inconstancy of the terminology used to describe magical-world
acts (spells etc.) merits this nitpick only a Sub-Flint. Moreover,
"Impedimentia" is five syllables long; longer indeed than the "Flatulenta"
jinx to bestow wind on an unlucky target.

> Also, in CoS, the second year Herbology class learns that the root of
> the Mandrake is used to 'return people who have been transfigured or
> cursed to their original state' (I'm paraphrasing here; my copy is on
> loan). Does this mean that you could reverse Avada Kedavra with the
> Mandrake root? AK is a curse, after all.

L.O.O.N. would remind Mr Brown that death is irreversible.

Yours L.O.O.N.ily,

--Anal P. Lardbottom
The League of Overly Obsessed Nitpickers
"L.O.O.N."
2b Ayne Alley
London 1M 0DD