Crouch!Moody and the Unforgiveable Curses

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 96452

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <bboy_mn at y...> wrote:

bboy_mn:
 
> The Curciatus Curse is a SUSTAINED curse, not a 'curse and duck' 
curse.
> 
> In all cases of the Pain curse, the wizard has to cast the spell and
> continue to sustain the spell by intent. Only when a wizard or witch
> withdraws their wand and their intent does the curse cease.
> 
> That also means this is a very bad curse to use in a duel as you are
> leaving yourself exposed while you stand facing your opponent 
holding
> the sustained curse and intent. The would provide the perfect
> opportunity for some one else to curse you.

Geoff:
This raises an interesting point.

Putting aside any thoughts from the conspiracy theorists and taking 
what we are told at face value, it has been indicated on more than 
one occasion in canon that the Longbottoms were tortured into 
insanity using the Cruciatus curse. If the spell can only be 
maintained by the wizard keeping their wand trained on the victim, 
then for how long did someone lke Bellatrix have to stand over Frank 
and his wife before they cracked? I think that in RW situations, 
torture is methodically applied but usually using a number of people 
and sometimes long periods of time before the person being 
interrogated starts to talk - if in fact they do. How long would a 
wizard have to stand pointing a wand in order to either get a result 
or drive a victim into insanity? Just a thought.