Wasted Charms (WAS Accio Charm / Snape / Wasted Charms)

[cindysphynx]

No: HPFGUIDX 32739

Gabriel wrote:

> In my humble opinion, the Accio Charm is one of those plot-hole-
>making devices - like the Polyjuice and Veritaserum Potions - that 
>JKR really should have thought through better before tossing them 
>in. There are way too many places where it would be so easy to use 
>Accio (the Egg and the Eye for example - and RIGHT AFTER Harry spent 
>days and days working on Accio!) and the characters stupidly forget 
>it exists. 
 
and

 
> BTW, regarding the Shrieking Shack scene... why didn't they use a 
>Cheering Charm on him? Wouldn't THAT have been a great scene? Ah, 
>another place where using a Charm we've seen them all learn would 
>ruin the plot, and so it goes to waste, *sigh*
 

There are other places where a character knows or should know a 
suitable spell to get them out of a tight spot, but doesn't use it 
for whatever reason.  (There's a great essay in the Lexicon about why 
Harry sometimes fails to use the obvious solution, but this issue 
extends far beyond Harry).

One example is Harry's failure to summon the Egg from the dragon.  
Another is Hermione's failure to attempt to move the Whomping Willow 
with "Mobilarbus."  Another is Lupin and Black's failure to just 
apparate out of the Shrieking Shack rather than be taken to the 
dementors.  Another is Lupin's failure to just "Accio" Scabbers out 
of Ron's hands when Ron was reluctant to hand him over.  There are 
probably others.

There are probably good reasons we can all imagine about why the 
characters do not do these things.  But the point is that JKR doesn't 
often feel it necessary to give us an explanation in canon, even when 
she easily could.  You know, either a failed attempt to use the 
charm, or a one-sentence piece of dialogue or narrative that explains 
it.  Sometimes, I do wish she would slip in some reason why this or 
that charm wouldn't work in a particular circumstance.  For instance, 
Hermione could have tried her Mobiliarbus charm on the Whomping 
Willow, only to have it fail because the tree is rooted.  Same thing 
for using "Accio" on the dragon egg -- Bagman could have more 
explicitly explained that the Champions had to physically retrieve 
the egg by getting past the dragon.  It's a nit, really, but it does 
make me raise an eyebrow now and then.  (But if she closed every 
potential loophole, what would we have to talk about?)

Going forward, JKR is really going to have to watch her step, 
though.  She has lots of charms and potions lurking out there that 
could trip her up.  In addition to Veritaserum, she is going to have 
to watch out for the Priori Incantantem that Amos Diggory uses on 
Harry's wand.  It seems like characters (e.g. teachers) could be 
using that one in future books to determine who cast a certain spell 
when everyone denies doing it.  

Cindy (wondering if Lupin could have taken Scabbers from Ron with a 
well-placed "Expelliar-mouse" charm)