The immensely complex Homorphus Charm

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 94211

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jmgarciaiii" <jmgarciaiii at y...>
wrote:
> It's interesting that the discussion of Lupin pops up as I am 
> relistening (I alternate between reading & listening) to CoS (US 
> version). I mentioned the Homorphus Charm in a pervious post and--
> voila!--I run across it.
> 
> In Chapter 9:
> 
> <<
> 
> "... I put my wand to his throat -I then screwed up my remaining 
> strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm - ...- 
> the fur vanished - the fangs shrank - and he turned back into a man.
> Simple, yet effective - and another village will remember me forever
> as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf 
> attacks." 
> 
> >>
> 
> The following scenarios suggest themselves:
> 
> 1- Lockhart made up the whole thing.
> 2- Some poor wizard (or witch) actually managed the HC, Lockhart 
> smacked him (or her) with a memory charm and stole the credit.
> 2a- Lockhart will recover his memory ... and tell who was the person 
> who DID manage the HC,....
> 2b- Lockhart stays a babbling idiot and the secret is lost forever
> 3- Someone (Hermione?) remembers Lockhart talking/writing about the 
> HC and reconstructs it. ....
> 
> As I type it out, I am leaning towards #3.
> 
> Discuss.
> 
> -Joe in SoFla

bboy_mn:

Well, we can only speculate. Since it has been made clear that there
is no cure for being a werewolf, we can immediately eliminate that
possibility. 

Here is my take on that charm.

First, it is real. Second, it is not a 'medical' charm, but a
defensive charm. Third, someone somewhere in the future could actually
perform it. Logically, Hermione is the most likely candidate. 

As I said the charm does not cure werewolfism. It forces a werewolf
back into human form, and may force enough humanity back into the
person to stop a werewolf attack. 

The functional purpose of the charm is to force the person back to
human form, so that he can be identified. It's very very likely that a
werewolf living in a village is NOT going to spread that news around.
So, now, after the charm, the villagers have the culprit identified
and know who to watch out for. 

In addition to stopping a werewolf attack in progress, it could allow
the werewolf to be subdues and contained (locked up) until the full
moon wanes. 

I also believe that the charm is transient. That is, it's good for
maybe an hour. In that hours time, you must either flee, or capture
and imprison the werewolf.

Key points-

1.) Spell is transient or temporary. Best guest, it's good for an hour.
2.) Allows you to stop an attack in progress.
3.) Allows you to identify the werewolf.
4.) Allows you to subdue and contain the werewolf.
5.) Protects you from future attacks, because now you know who the
werewolf is. You can either force the person into a safe place (jail,
whatever) when the full moon approaches, you can drive him out of the
village, or sadly, the local villagers could kill the werewolf while
he was in human form.

I think that is enough. That is enough to make this charm an extremely
valuable tool in fighting werewolves. But based on Lockhart's
statement that it is 'immensely complex', not may people are able to
use it effectively. If there is an attack in progress, you get only 
ONE chance to get it right. Blow it, and at best you are bitten, at
worst, you are killed and eaten.

I guess the only way to know for sure is to wait and see if it
reappears in the book.

Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn