The silver hand (Was: The Darkness Within)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 119647


Finwitch wrote:
> <snip> I'd say that - since the line reads as 'Flesh of the servant,
willingly given' - you'll notice that - while it had to be  his whole
right hand to demonstrate his status as the servant (right hand man),
and his *willingness* (gives his right hand for) as well as PP not
being under Imperius, and cutting off his hand with a knife - the line
*only* includes flesh.
> 
> I'd say that the flesh in the had became part of the potion restoring
> Voldemort, and that the rest of the hand bones, nerves, blood, skin
> and nails - did not. They stayed in the cauldron. Still, I suppose
> only the MASTER could return the hand, else it would make the part
> about willingness invalid.
> 
> It may have been silvery, due to the fact it was still under a spell
> of replacing flesh - but yes, I think it stays.

Carol responds: 

I like the interpretation in your first paragraph, particularly the
"right-hand man" idea, though, of course, it *is* just interpretation
and I'm not sure that the knife demonstrates that Pettigrew is not
under Imperius. (It does, however, make the whole operation more
grisly and perhaps satisfies Voldemort's sadistic appetite for pain.)

But I don't think that the hand is Pettigrew's muscle, bones, and
sinews with a silvery covering. It's clearly solid silver, as its
power to crush demonstrates. (I can find the quote to show what I'm
talking about if it's needed.) It's a weapon in its own right, setting
aside the property of silver to kill werewolves, and it does seem like
an appropriate reward for Wormtail's  "willing" sacrifice, one that
Voldemort no doubt hopes Wormtail will use in his service (as Macnair
uses his axe). 

My question is still where the silver came from and how a conjured
hand can remain in place without violating the rules of JKR's magical
universe. There has to be some reason why the hand differs from
leprechaun gold. Maybe the hand is *transfigured* rather than
conjured, with the flesh having already done its work in restoring
Voldemort before the whole hand is changed to silver, summoned, and
magically attached to Peter's arm. If that's the case, the question of
where the silver comes from may be no more relevant than the question
of where the feet, teeth, eyws, etc. come from when a pincushion is
transformed into a hedgehog (or how the hedgehog can become a living
creature, or a hat or piece of parchment a sentient being). Still,
though, if any object or body part can be turned to solid silver, why
couldn't a poor witch or wizard (other than Lupin ;-) ) turn a china
plate to silver (or gold) and sell it for some galleons to buy food?

Maybe I'm just trying to apply logic to a nonrational universe? Or
maybe, like MacGonagall bending the rules to allow Harry to become a
Seeker for Gryffindor, JKR can bend the rules of her universe if the
plot requires it? (Another example is Lupin not turning into a
werewolf until the full moon comes out from behind the cloud. If he
only needs to stay out of the moonlight, why take the wolfbane potion?
Why not just stay indoors?)

Carol, hoping that the silver hand question doesn't get lost in a
discussion of her parenthesis on Lupin