[HPforGrownups] Re: Draco and Dumbledore LONG, beware

[Magpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 160186

>> Magpie:
>> Reading the book the first time I knew which spell Harry was
> trying out and
>> knew he couldn't try it out because of that.  Had he tried it out
> on
>> McLaggan he would have just nicked him, more like Snape did to
> James.  The
>> only reason it's so gruesome on Malfoy is because they're fighting
> and Harry
>> waves his wand "wildly" and casts the spell in desperation.  So
> I'd have to
>> say I don't think the spell was a danger without Malfoy.  Harry
> would have
>> hurt McClaggen, but in a small way that showed him how vicious the
> spell
>> was.
>
> Alla:
>
> That is interesting. You are saying that strength of the spell would
> have been different or because they would not have been fighting,
> the spell would have had totally diffefent effect? Just curious.

Magpie:
I think the spell was always the same basic effect, but if you figure the 
spell makes an invisible sword, if Harry was going to try it out on McLaggen 
he would have just looked for a place to point his wand at him and say 
"Sectumsempra."  That would have cut McLaggen wherever he pointed it.  When 
I read the name of the spell I immediately thought of Snape in the Pensieve. 
There he cut James, which was serious, but it was a small cut.  I suspected 
the fact that Harry didn't know he was using the razor blade spell (that's 
what I'd called it since OotP) would have to come into it.

In the bathroom Harry's stress level might have made the spell cut deeper, I 
suppose, but I thought mostly it was the fact that he waved it wildly that 
did so much damage.  It deeply cut him wherever Harry slashed him.  Had he 
been just trying the spell out I assumed he'd be doing it in a more 
controlled way--Harry doesn't usually wave his wand wildly when he's trying 
something out.  He only did it with Malfoy because he was panicked and 
didn't know what he was doing.  I couldn't imagine him doing that if he were 
the one in control trying out a spell on McLaggen.

-m