What was the spell that hit Tonks? (Was: NVBL spell question)

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 147869

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Karen <kchuplis at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> On Tuesday, February 7, 2006, at 08:20 PM, justcarol67 wrote:
> >
> >
> > That aside, are we certain that the spell Dolohov cast would 
> > have been  more powerful if it had been spoken or is the 
> > narrator reflecting Harry's OOV?
> 
> kchuplils:
> 
> It doesn't sound like it is just a guess:
> 
> "The curse Dolohov had used on her, though less effective than
> it would have been had ha been able to say the incantation aloud,
> had nevertheless cased, in Madam Pomfrey's words, "Quite enough 
> damage to be going on with."  "

bboyminn:

I don't think we can apply this one statement uniformly to all spells
and curses. I always to that statement that Dolohov's curse would have
been more powerful as a reflection of that one particular unique curse.

With most spells it's not a matter of whether it is more powerful or
less, only whether it was effective. If you intent to light a fire
nonverbally and the fire lights, then it was a successful effective
spell regardless of whether it would have been more powerful if
spoken. Results are what are important, not method for method's sake.

The AK Curse is somewhat unique in this sense. Any AK curse that
doesn't kill the person is a failed curse. Further the books seem to
imply that if the spell (the AK) is casted and it strikes then it is
fatal. In the rare case of the AK curse merely grazing you, I guess it
is possible to do some damage but not kill you. But that is just
speculation. From what we know, there are no powerful and weak AK's;
if it hits you, your dead. 

But other spells can certainly come in powerful and weak forms, and
again, results are what matter, if the spell cast nonverbally is
enough to produce the desired effect then it is a successful spell
even if it would have been more powerful is spoken. Noting that if
spoken and more powerful, it still would have only produced the same
result.

I guess my main point is that we can't apply this one comment
absolutely to each and every spell known to exist. 


Just a thought.
Steve/bboyminn