Inferi and Harry

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 159934

---  "bauercandace" <bauercandace at ...> wrote:
>
> Hello, all, I've been thinking quite a bit about Harry
> and Inferi. We know that Voldemort has used Inferi 
> (dead bodies bewitched to do one's bidding) in the past,
 and that there is the possibility that
> he may call upon this army again.
> 
> My thoughts are this: there is a very good chance that
> if Voldemort begins using Inferi in this 'war', Harry 
> will have to face the bodies of people he has loved, 
> namely Lily, James, Sirius, etc. It seems to me that 
> Voldemort would have quite a bit to gain in using
> these people to fight Harry, as it would obviously 
> shake him, perhaps to the point of not being able to 
> overcome it.
> 

bboyminn:

Well, we don't really know the details of the Inferi, so
all we can do is speculate, and pose more questions.

I do agree that using people who are known to the people
being attacked has a tremendous psychological advantage.
Imagine having to curse the body of your own son or 
father. On top of suffering the loss of that person, you
now in a sense are forced to desecrate their body by 
fighting it. It's a terrible vision, and I'm sure Voldie
plays it to his advantage.

But I find myself wondering about the condition of the
body in question. Nick's body as best is nothing but 
bones, at worst, a pile of dust. So, I don't think old
bodies would be very effective. 

At the moment I am wondering if fresh bodies aren't 
stronger than long dead bodies. Do the available sinew and
muscle of the body give it it's physical strength? Once
made into a Inferi does deterioration stop? The Inferi in
the lake in the cave have likely been there for many years
as they lie there are they or are they not continuing to 
decay, and does it matter? 

So, I can accept that Voldemort would use the psychological
impact of using familiar bodies. But I'm having 
uncertainties about the likelihood of him using long dead
and decayed bodies. Certainly if he could the /horror/
factor would be huge, but I'm not certain that he can us
old bodies as effectively and as functionally as new fresh
dead bodies.



> bauercandace continues:
>
> No where does it say that the body used has to be that of
> a person who was on the dark side to begin with....edited...

bboyminn:

On this I agree completely, I don't think the bodies have to
be of people who practiced Dark Magic; I think any available 
body will do.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn