In or out? was Re: Fudge - Lockhart - Florences, Slugs

[naama_gat at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 19667

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Amy Z" <aiz24 at h...> wrote:
<snip>
> Two little things I've noticed recently:

<first little thing snipped> 

> In CoS 6, when Draco is joyfully picking on Harry about the "signed 
> photos," Ron says, "Eat slugs, Malfoy."  I've noticed this before 
> enough to realize that it's the hex he has in mind in the next 
chapter 
> when his wand backfires.  What I haven't noticed until now is that 
it 
> reverses in two ways:  it curses Ron instead of Draco, =and= it 
makes 
> him vomit slugs instead of eat them.  Nice touch, Jo.  (As Hagrid 
> says, "Better out than in," so I suppose it's just as well.)
> 

(I cannot believe I'm nitpicking this, but as the saying (or is it a 
song?) goes - if you can do it, why can't I?)
Anyway, my (extremely tiny) point is that it's not a reversed hex, 
IMO. That is, it's not "slugs regurgitatus" or whatever it would be. 
The curse simply fills the stomach with slugs (hence, "eat slugs, 
Malfoy"), which are then vomited because slugs are not digestible (or 
are they? My dog, at least, who eats EVERYTHING, won't touch them).

Naama, sluggish in response... <ahem>