The AK (forgive if asked before)

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 144350

kchuplis:
> >
> > I am wondering, if you have a set of DE's that have no compunction 
> > about using the AK, why is there not more of it flying around in 
the 
> > final scene in HBP (or even in OotP)? 

zgirnius:
> A reason that makes sense to me is that they are dangerous. We see in 
> the events to which you refer in HBP that the only death was a Death 
> Eater. Who was hit be a 'friendly fire' AK by a fellow Death Eater 
who 
> tried to get Lupin. In light of this it seems to make sense to use 
less 
> permanent spells...

Ceridwen:
Also, these are both cases of large groups fighting each other, and of 
fighting in enclosed spaces.  The fight at the MoM is in the various 
rooms of the Dept. of Mysteries, and finally in the atrium of the MoM.  
In HBP, the Order and the remnants of the DA are fighting in the halls 
of Hogwarts.  This is where the death occurs, in fact, and does result 
from 'friendly fire' (though, if they shot you, I doubt if you'd think 
of them as a 'friend').  Too many possibilities for the spells to go 
awry.  Best to use something less lethal.

An AK is probably best one-on-one: in a duel or as a curse of 
assassination.  Much less chance of hitting one's friends, which would 
remove the concerns about the space it's done in.  After browsing 
around the various spells etc., and seeing some that *seem* to do the 
same thing, I've noticed that the difference is in the details.  
('Evanseco' for cleaning spills or gooey/liquid messes, 'Scourgify' for 
scouring, iirc.)  It's best to use the tool which most suits the 
circumstances, IMO.  And a mass battle isn't the place for the AK.

Ceridwen.