Unforgivables/Harry's middle name

[grey_wolf_c]

No: HPFGUIDX 40057

The Random Monkey, who is set all aquiver by the words "Mr. Mooney", 
wrote:
> Pippin:
> > I think it's unforgiveable because it's a spell that can *only* be 
> > done with murderous intent and has no use other than killing.  
> 
> I was under the impression that it was unforgiveable because there 
> was no way to stop it (or at least, very few ways...) AK can only be 
> done by a very powerful wizard. It can kill anyone, muggle or wizard, 
> and no matter how powerful. There is no counter curse. Most people 
> wouldn't even see it coming. Like Pippin said, the only reason it's 
> used is to kill. It is the WW equivalent of shooting someone in their 
> sleep. 

My impression from the books is that unforgivables is a legal 
definition of those curses for which no magical shield exists. We know 
such shields do exist against some curses (Harry practices them with 
Hermione and Ron in GoF), but from the description of Unforgivable of 
Crouch!Moody, it seems that the three unforgivables are unstopable 
(note that this doesn't mean that they're impossible to defend form 
them: you can dodge them or throw them off, in the case of Imperious, 
but there is no magical way -except Harry's- to stop them from 
affecting you).

> Incidentally, if Imperius is unforgiveable, why did Crouch Sr. use 
> it? Would he have been thrown in jail if Junior hadn't been kissed?

He should, but being dead probably counts as a defence... Anyway, he 
had passed laws that allowed the use of unforgivables against DEs, so 
maybe he could have wriggled his way through that, but the spirit of 
the law tells us that he should have gone to Azkaban with life 
sentence, for using an unforgivable against a human being.

> Even more intriguing: Would Priori Incantem come out? If so, how? 
> Shadows of shadows? Then again, weren't some of the spells not spit 
> out (ex. Harry's AK)?

Not all of the spells have shadows of their own. I believe that priori 
incantem wouldn't show, but my guess is as good as yours, since there 
is no canon about it. On the other hand, Harry's AK doesn't show up 
because there is nothing to show: Harry's soul is still within his 
body, and so's Voldemort (if you can call the Vapuor form a soul...), 
so how would the wand now what to show?

> Incidentally, does anyone know if Harry has a middle name?
> 
> The Random Monkey, who is starting to wonder if JKR's stories aren't 
> flinted up because she spent too long on names...

IIRC, JKR stated in an interview (check the goat's webpage if you want 
the hard canon) that Harry's middle name was "James, of course".

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf