Inferi (was Re: CHAPDISC: HBP21, The Unknowable Room

[Ceridwen]

No: HPFGUIDX 158820

Potioncat:
*(snip)*
> Seamus asks Snape a question about Inferi--although they are 
studying Dementors. Snape mentions Mundungus, and brings up the 
difference between ghosts and Inferi. He says twice-- and I think 
it's repeated twice by a student-- that ghosts are transparent. Why 
do you think Snape is so insistant that the students understand that 
difference?

Ceridwen:
Because the students don't know much about Inferi?  They were used in 
the last LV war, if I recall correctly, and as we find out later, 
there is a lake full of them, ready for LV to call them.  If anybody 
knows that war is imminent, it would be Snape, since he is in contact 
with both sides.

Potioncat:
> The Inferi we saw at the cave were obviously animated dead bodies, 
and nothing like the ghosts we've seen. Do you think an Inferius 
could be enchanted to appear more like it had in life? So that 
perhaps someone might be tricked into thinking an Inferius was a 
ghost?

Ceridwen:
Since the WW seems to be used to ghosts, to see someone you once knew 
as the undead pawn of LV would be more traumatic, I think.  We're 
emotional about some things, and imagining the suffering, even if it 
probably isn't real, for that deceased friend, would be very hard to 
bear.

Imagine if he had gotten the body of Dumbledore to use in his Inferi 
army!  Harry, all the Order members, the Ministry, and everyone who 
had ever attended Hogwarts under Dumbledore's teaching or his 
headship, would have a very rude shock.  Maybe enough of a shock to 
pause their actions against LV and his DEs for a moment.  This would 
give the DEs and LV an upper hand in any battle, aside from the 
formidable and nearly unstoppable army of walking dead.

Potioncat:
> I think it's interesting that Seamus had no hesitation at asking 
Snape an unrelated question. Does Snape get points for adding current 
events to his daily lecture? Something I missed in any number of 
other readings--Snape's previous lesson was on resisting the Imperius 
Curse.

Ceridwen:
I think part of the teaching of DADA is to incorporate anything the 
students may understand into the lectures to make them more 
interesting, topical, and comprehensible.  Maybe it's the same in all 
classes, only we haven't had a reason to see that.  This was a topic 
in the news, and the students will possibly be wondering about it.

Interesting that the previous lesson was on resisting the Imperius.  
Aren't Inferi animated to do a wizard's will, much like Imperius 
forces the living to do another's bidding?

Ceridwen.