Harry, Crucio, and emotion in spellcasting (WAS: Re: Blowing his cover)

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 181619

> > CJ:
> > While true in general, this is not true of cruciatus or crucio, 
> > both of which are straightforward Latin.
> 
> Mike:
> But these aren't simply Latin words, they are incantations to cause 
> magic to happen. E.g. Levicorpus isn't the words 'make that body 
> light', it is an incantation which causes one to be lifted up by 
one 
> ankle and suspended in air, upside down. I don't know if I can 
> explain myself here, but I'll try. 
> 
> The Latin words were picked because they come close or match what 
JKR 
> wanted the spell to mean. But it's not simply a matter of 
translating 
> the Latin. As an incantation they cause an action and that action 
can 
> vary by other factors, including intent, aim (what the curse hits), 
> magically ability of the caster, and compatibility of the wand, to 
> name a few. What I'm trying to say is that translation is not 
enough 
> to define Harry's Crucio as torture, imo. Nor is the fact that it 
> translates as torture mean that it was used to torture, again imo.


a_svirn:
Yes it is. It means torture and is used for torture. By Harry in this 
instance. Intent, aim and the ability of the caster all have their 
place in the grand scheme of things, but neither of those things 
alters the fact that Crucio is the torture curse. Stupefy is also 
only an incantation, and not even a Latin one at that, but it means 
stunning and deprivation of mobility and is used for this purpose. 
One can miss one's aim, or cast it half-heatedly, but it would still 
be a stunning spell for all that. Harry used the torture curse with 
the express intent to punish – which is what torture is about. He 
also indicated that he meant it this time around, so we can be 
reasonably certain that his intent was torture. 
> 
> > CJ:
> > <snip>
> > ("Crucio!"), followed by "What do you know, you really do have to 
> > mean it!", obviously referencing Bellatrix's comment that you 
have 
> > to "mean it" for a UC to work. 
> 
> Mike:
> I never said that Harry doesn't "mean it", I did say that I thought 
> Harry fully intended to hurt Amycus, and hurt him badly. It just 
> doesn't rise to the level of torture for me.

a_svirn:
Well, to "hurt badly" in order to punish means torture. 

a_svirn