Physical Harm from an Expelliarmus

[Cindy C.]

No: HPFGUIDX 44179

Phyllis wrote (about Expelliarmus):

> I assume the Snape knock-out was a result of the combined force of 
> three Expelliarmus-es thrown simultaneously.  But what about when 
> Snape blasts Lockhart in the duelling club?  Is this a sign of 
> Snape's power?  Or of Lockhart's weakness?  Or both?  Or does the 
> physical harm happen when you throw the Expelliarmus in a rage 
> (since "Snape was looking murderous" when he threw it)?  Or can a 
> wizard cast an Expelliarmus with different intentions – to merely 
> disarm, or to both disarm and cause physical harm?  

Hmmm.  Good questions.  

Two other instances of Expelliarmus that come to mind is Harry's use 
of it to attempt to disarm Voldemort (in the graveyard) and Wormtail 
(in PoA).  There's also the case of Harry using the spell to 
extricate himself from the spider in GoF.  In all three of these 
cases, you'd imagine that Harry would want to put some serious 
energy behind the spell if it had the potential to physically harm 
the wizard or spider being disarmed.  Against Voldemort, Wormtail 
and the spider, Harry is highly motivated and ought to be 
experiencing very strong emotions, perhas akin to rage.

Yet Harry isn't successful in knocking Voldemort or Wormtail off 
their feet or in knocking the spider away from him.  I would assume 
he very much would have wanted to do these things, under the 
circumstances.

So, then.  Maybe the impact of Expelliarmus relates to the power of 
the thing on the receiving end of the spell.  Voldemort and Wormtail 
are strong, so they are not physically harmed by the spell, 
perhaps.  The spider is strong (and is able to throw off stunning 
spells), so it is not blasted backward by Harry's spell.  

That would suggest that Snape is able to blast Lockhart because 
Lockhart is weak, not because Snape is especially strong.

And ya gotta love any theory that denies Snape the opportunity to be 
seen as strong.  ;-)

Cindy -- unsure why Harry's Expelliarmus spell was successful 
against the spider when Harry's and Cedric's solo stunning spells 
were not