[HPforGrownups] Harry and friendship outside the trio

[Patricia Bullington-McGuire]

No: HPFGUIDX 55875

On Tue, 22 Apr 2003, Susanne wrote:

> Tuesday, April 22, 2003, 9:12:48 AM, Janet wrote:
> 
> > Also,
> > remember the theory that a fall from a height might hurt a wizard but
> > is 
> > unlikely to kill him.
> 
> I know of the theory, but in my opinion the wizard/witch
> needs to be conscious to "bounce" a la Neville.

I tend to agree.  I figure the magical mind reacts instinctively to the
incoming threat in much the same way that the muggle mind causes one's
hands to instinctively cover one's face if an object is flying towards it.  
The action happens before the conscious thought, but the mind still needs
to perceive the threat before it can react.  If you are knocked out,
someone can punch you in the face all day and your hands won't move an
inch to protect you because your mind can't perceive the need to do so.  
Similarly, if a falling wizard were unconscious before hitting the ground,
he would not bounce because his mind would not be able to perceive the
ground rising towards him and react accordingly.

----
Patricia Bullington-McGuire	<patricia at obscure.org>

The brilliant Cerebron, attacking the problem analytically, discovered
three distinct kinds of dragon: the mythical, the chimerical, and the
purely hypothetical.  They were all, one might say, nonexistent, but each
nonexisted in an entirely different way ... 
                -- Stanislaw Lem, "Cyberiad"