DADA curse ... Curse, Jinx, and Hex

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 150629

Steve bboy:
> However, the Jinx does not make those specific events occur. It
> only sets up the bad luck that allows those specific events to 
> occur. The events themselves are irrelevant. The bad luck could 
> have manifested itself in any number of ways as long as that bad
> luck is working toward a specific goal. In a sense, the Jinx only
> controls the outcome, and not the specific events that lead to the
> outcome. 

Jen: We've called it the DADA curse on here so long it's hard to 
revert to calling it a jinx! I think it pretty much works as you 
said above and is essentially the reverse of how Felix works. Where 
a person under the influence of Felix sees the next right action to 
take or an action in his/her best interest, the person under the 
influence of the DADA thingy sees the wrong action to take. I think 
with both there's still a choice involved, neither one magically 
compels a person to take a right or wrong action.

Going further with this analogy, both Felix and the DADA act on 
things particular to the person involved. So Harry, whom Dumbledore 
felt was the only person Slughorn would give that memory to, already 
had the necessary qualifications to get the memory if only he could 
find the right combination of strengths to present to Slughorn. 

The DADA curse would then work in reverse of that, bringing a 
person's weaknesses to the forefront in a particular combination 
peculiar to each DADA professor. So as events during the year 
present themselves and require a choice, the DADA prof sees the 
wrong thing to do or even overlooks warning signs.

Steve:
> I think it the DADA job was truly curse in the most absolute sense
> of the word, then each DADA Professor would not have met with bad 
>luck, but would have met with an evil end. Now some will argue that
> Quirrel and Barty!Moody met with evil ends, but I think their evil
> ends were caused by their evil lives and not by the Jinx on the
> DADA job. 

Jen: I think it could work as a curse in the sense that each DADA 
meets a fate which is the worst possible for that particular person, 
essentially destroying the future of each one. Hey, I wonder if 
that's what Dumbledore was referring to in the MOM when he said "we 
both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom." I 
think that's certainly the fate Dumbledore sees for Tom, brought 
down by his own weakness of fearing death and underestimating love. 

Jen R.