Simultaneous Spell Casting (was Re: Snape didn't kill DD with AK!! And here's the evidence...)

[Cathy Drolet]

No: HPFGUIDX 138699

Carol said:
> Snape's spell more closely resembles a disguised Impedimenta than an
> AK. (To my knowledge, we've never been told what color the light is
> from that spell. It could be green.) 

phoenixgod2000 replied:
>>Is there any evidence of a spell being disguised as a seperate spell 
in HP? is there any evidence of wizard casting one spell nonverbally 
while casting a second spell out loud? <snip> I think that Snape is a good wizard, maybe even a great one, but I 
doubt that even he could cast one spell out loud while simultaneously 
casting a second one silently. there would be clues that such a thing 
is possible in the book, but AFAICR there is not. 

Merrylinks 
>>Dumbledore brandished his wand in one, long, fluid movement -- the snake, which had been an instant from sinking its fangs into him, flew high into the air and vanished in a wisp of dark smoke; the water in the pool rose up and covered Voldemort like a cocoon of molten glass --

Matt:
>>When Pettigrew faked his death, we are given to understand that he did three things almost simultaneously:

>1) Cut off his finger,
>2) Blasted open the street, and 
>3) Assumed his rat form.

>>We know (at least Peter doesn't deny it) that he "blew apart the street with the wand behind his back."  We don't know whether Peter cut off his finger magically, but it seems likely (otherwise was he manipulating both a wand *and* a knife with the hand behind his back?).  Both spells most have been non-verbal, since all the witnesses heard was Peter's denunciation of Sirius (which also gives credenc to the idea that one can perform a non-verbal spell even while shouting something else). 

CathyD now:
Well, that's enough evidence for me that more than one spell can be cast at the same time. Thanks for connecting the dots.  I think if anyone could do it Snape would be well able to cast what appeared to be an AK verbally and something else non-verbally.  It is fairly obvious to me, at least, that Dumbledore did not die instantly as he should have done if hit with an AK (as Frank Bryce, the spider, Cedric and Fawkes all did).  

It is interesting to note that Expelliarmus, which usually simply disarms the other person, acted very strangely when Snape used it on Lockhart in Duelling Club: "Both of them swung their wands up and over their shoulders. Snape cried: 'Expelliarmus!' There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: he flew backwards off the stage, smashed into the wall and slid down it to sprawl on the floor." (CoS pg 142 Can Ed)  Extra powerful Expelliarmus or an extra spell?  Only JKR knows for sure! ;-)

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